The Best Round-by-Round Values in 2025 Fantasy Football Drafts

In just over two weeks, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will open the 2025 NFL regular season. On that day, another season of fantasy football will also get underway.

And that means there are just two big fantasy draft weekends left.

With draft season in overdrive, managers are looking for any edge they can get—anything that will prevent them from being the guy who shows up to the draft unprepared and takes Brian Robinson Jr. first overall instead of Bijan Robinson.

With the benefit of both a couple of weeks of preseason action and many drafts, we have the advantage of knowing both where players should be selected and where they are actually going on average. It's the players with the widest gap between the two who can be the biggest values—the names who win championships.

Every round of a fantasy draft has them. You just need to know where to look.

Round 1

AP Photo/Nick Wass

RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

ADP: 12

It's not especially easy to identify the best value of Round 1. It's the hardest round of a fantasy draft to screw up—and that's from a guy who excels at screwing up drafts.

It stands to reason that best value would be toward the back of the round, though. And in 2025 it's the final pick of Round 1.

Yes, Derrick Henry is old by running back standards—he turns 32 in January. He also has a lot of wear on his tires with a whopping 2,355 career carries, but he didn't look old last year. And with the exception of breaking his foot in 2021, he has never missed more than one game in a season.

Henry isn't a big factor in the passing game, but he doesn't have to be. In 2024, he surpassed 1,900 yards on the ground, tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns, averaged a career-high 5.9 yards per carry and finished the season third in PPR points among running backs.

Long live the king.

Round 2

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

ADP: 15

There has been no shortage of rookie receivers who have made big fantasy dents in recent years. In 2024, Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars joined their ranks.

And given the circumstances of his first season, it was as impressive as any that came before it.

Last year, Thomas was targeted 133 times, catching 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was third in the league in receiving yards, fifth in touchdowns and fifth in PPR points among wide receivers.

Those numbers are solid, but Thomas did all that damage with quarterback play that wasn't great. Trevor Lawrence struggled under center in Jacksonville last year, and things just got ugly once he went down.

The 2021 No. 1 overall pick is healthy now, though, and given what Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen accomplished with Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, a career year from Lawrence could be in the offing.

This analyst would rather have Thomas than Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams and Nico Collins of the Houston Texans, who are both coming off the board in Round 1.

Round 3

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

ADP: 36

There are annual rites of passage in fantasy football. Going to the grocery store early in the summer to buy a fantasy magazine that is woefully out-of-date by draft day and gathering with friends to draft your roster for the season to come.

And fading Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans for unclear reasons.

Yes, Evans is about to turn 32, but age doesn't seem to be bothering him yet.

Last year, the six-time Pro Bowler hauled in 74 of 110 targets for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games. It marked the 11th time in as many years that he surpassed 1,000 yards—an NFL record.

In addition to that streak of 1,000-yard seasons, Evans has also reeled in double-digit touchdowns in four of the past five seasons. He was 11th in PPR points and points per game in 2024, the fourth time over that same five-year span that he has finished inside the top 12 at his position.

For old-school fantasy managers who like to be aggressive at running back the opening rounds, Evans is an outstanding target as a WR1 value with a WR2 price tag.

Round 4

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

ADP: 44

Noticing a theme yet?

Drafting a team comprised solely of players who are the wrong side of 30 may get you a discount on a Grand Slam at Denny's, but it's probably not the best way to build a fantasy squad.

However, there's no denying fantasy drafters tend to be ageist. Older players regularly fall farther than they should.

And in 2025, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is most assuredly in that club.

It's not just the 30-year-old's age that is frightening off fantasy managers. The Saints have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL.

But it's not like Kamara was playing with Drew Brees in 2024. Last season, he set a career high in rushing yards (950), flirted with 1,500 total yards, caught over 65 passes, and he finished ninth in PPR points among RBs and fifth in fantasy points per game.

The Saints ranked outside the top 20 in both total offense and scoring offense a year ago, so Kamara has shown he can still get his even if the team struggles. He's the best offensive weapon on the roster. And it's not hard imagine Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough dumping the ball off—a lot.

Round 5

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

ADP: 51

In recent years, Round 5 has become an area of drafts where many fantasy managers avoid running backs—the beginning of the so-called "RB Dead Zone," where the gap between bust rates at wide receiver and running backs widen.

But as more fantasy managers hit wide receiver early, the zone has moved back. And if the preseason has been any indication, New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson is alive.

The explosiveness the Ohio State product showed against Oregon and Texas in last year's College Football Playoff has carried over to the NFL. In the exhibition opener against the Washington Commanders, he returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a score. The following week against Minnesota, he displayed his power with a nine-yard scoring run.

Those electrifying plays could cause Henderson's ADP to creep to the point where he starts losing value. And given the durability issues he had at Ohio State, Rhamondre Stevenson is still going to be a factor in the New England offense.

But Henderson is a stick of dynamite with legs, capable of exploding for a huge play every time he touches the ball.

Henderson may not be Ashton Jeanty, but he's not as far off as the gap between their respective asking prices would indicate.

Round 6

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

ADP: 67

The Miami Dolphins were a mess offensively in 2024, and Jaylen Waddle didn't escape the goo.

After surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons, the 26-year-old posted career lows in receptions (58), receiving yards (744) and touchdowns (2) on the way to finishing 49th in PPR points among wide receivers.

That's not great, but there are multiple reasons to believe a rebound could be in the offing.

For starters, there's his resume. He was 22nd in PPR points per game among wide receivers in 2023, eighth in PPR points among wideouts in 2022 and 15th in PPR points per game at his position as a rookie.

Also, while speaking of it aloud may be unnerving, for now at least quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is healthy.

Running mate Tyreek Hill is the wrong side of 30, coming off a down year of his own (a season in which he looked markedly slower) and (by his own words) is only just now learning an offense ahead of his fourth season in it.

And perhaps most importantly, with Jonnu Smith now in Pittsburgh, Tagovailoa needs a new target over the middle underneath. Care to guess who the leading candidate to fill that role is this year?

Waddle has WR1 upside available in middling WR3 territory.

Now, that is value.

Round 7

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

TE Evan Engram, Denver Broncos

ADP: 84

Evan Engram has played sparingly in his first preseason with the Denver Broncos.

But the one catch he did make in last week's blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals offered a glimpse of what he could be capable of as Sean Payton's new "Joker" in the Mile High City, a 58-yard catch-and-run early in the first quarter.

To be fair, we probably aren't going to see the 30-year-old catch 114 passes (second-most in the AFC) and finish second in PPR points among tight ends a la 2023 in Jacksonville. But after last year's injury-marred campaign, a compelling argument can be made that he is undervalued.

We have seen Engram post big fantasy numbers in the past. Outside of Courtland Sutton, the Denver wide receivers feature as many questions as answers. And we have also seen the kind of damage Payton's "Joker" can do on a football field.

If memory serves, that Jimmy Graham guy piled up some stats in New Orleans.

Again, this isn't to say Engram is Jimmy Graham. But if the "Big 3" tight ends are too rich for your blood, Engram is the best value of the Tier 2 tight ends.

Round 8

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

ADP: 86

Sometimes, all a fantasy asset needs to see a big boost in value is to be the last man standing.

That's the case with Ricky Pearsall of the San Francisco 49ers. With Deebo Samuel in Washington, Brandon Aiyuk working his way back from an ACL tear and Jauan Jennings nursing a calf injury, Pearsall has spent most of camp as the Niners' de facto No. 1 receiver.

San Francisco's first-round pick in 2024 showed a strong rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy in the preseason—an understanding they have been working on in camp.

"We watched a lot of stuff from last year," Purdy said. "Understanding where we both need to be better when I'm throwing to him. I think we honed in on some things this year in camp, and in the game, we just go out there and I think it's pretty natural."

They say the best ability is availability, and after Pearsall was shot in a robbery attempt last offseason, this has been the first summer he has truly been able to prepare for an NFL season.

A first-round talent who could see a hefty target share early in the season in a Kyle Shanahan offense? Who's up for a breakout?

Round 9

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

ADP: 98

If there's one thing fantasy drafters love more than fading aging players, it's holding grudges. If a player disappoints or gets hurt, fantasy managers go full Al Capone in The Untouchables on them.

It's the only way to explain why Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys is barely being drafted among the top-12 quarterbacks. Yes, his 2024 was a bummer; he missed over half the season with a hamstring injury and had just 11 touchdown passes in eight games.

Just two years ago, though, Prescott completed 410 passes for most in the NFL. He threw for 4,516 yards, which was third in the league. He paced the league with 36 touchdown passes and finished the season third among all QBs in fantasy points.

With wide receiver George Pickens joining CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson in Dallas, Prescott has his best passing-game weapons in years. He's also playing in an offense where the ground game is a major question mark.

There's a real chance the Cowboys will be among the league leaders in pass attempts. And if that's the case, a healthy Prescott could easily finish as a top-five fantasy quarterback.

Round 10

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

WR Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills

ADP: 113

At first glance, Keon Coleman's rookie season was a forgettable one. He caught just 29 passes and finished the year outside the top 70 among wide receivers in PPR points.

Start peeling the onion, though, and there are reasons to believe far bigger and better things could be in store in 2025.

Coleman may not have caught many passes last year, but he made the most of the balls he did catch. He averaged a beefy 19.2 yards per catch and scored a touchdown every 7.25 catches.

Advanced metrics are also favorable. Per Kyle Soppe of PFSN, from Week 7 to Week 18, there were 94 wide receivers in the NFL who surpassed 30 targets. Among that group, Coleman was 18th in red-zone targets per game, sixth in yards after the catch per reception and fifth in average depth of target.

The Bills badly need someone to step up at wide receiver outside of Khalil Shakir. Coleman has been drawing rave reviews all summer, with quarterback Josh Allen telling reporters: "We've gotta have a guy that can go win. He's consistently done that this camp."

Later-round targets should be all about upside and potential. Coleman oozes both.

Late-Round Values

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Round 11

TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

ADP: 128

Pitts has posted three straight disappointing seasons after topping 1,000 yards and finishing as TE6 as a rookie in 2021. But the Falcons have talked up involving him more offensively, and with wide receiver Darnell Mooney's Week 1 status in doubt, they may not have much choice.

Round 12

WR Christian Kirk, Houston Texans

ADP: 143

Kirk has become a forgotten man in fantasy circles and is barely being selected inside the top-60 wide receivers. But the 28-year-old appears to have all but locked up WR2 duties for the Texans, and as recently as 2022, his 84/1,108/8 stat line in Jacksonville was good for top-12 numbers in PPR points.

Round 13

RB Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns

ADP: 154

It isn't easy to get excited about the Browns offense, because, well, it's Cleveland. But with Quinshon Judkins still unsigned, Sampson has a golden opportunity to carve out an early-season role in the backfield, and last year's SEC Offensive Player of the Year scored a school-record 22 times on the ground at Tennessee in 2024.

Round 14

RB Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons

ADP: 163

The Dallas Cowboys would do cartwheels to have Allgeier, who has demonstrated an every-down skill set and has a 1,000-yard rushing season under his belt. Bijan Robinson's 365 touches last year aren't "Curse of 370" territory, but even 350-touch backs regress the following season more often than not.

Round 15

WR Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns

ADP: 171

The Browns' decision to start 40-year-old Joe Flacco under center in Week 1 is equal parts wrong-headed and short-sighted, but from a fantasy perspective it's a boon to Cleveland's pass-catchers. That includes Tillman, who was fantasy's WR11 over a four-game stretch last season.

Round 16

RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders

ADP: 202

There isn't a player in fantasy football whose ADP is going to skyrocket more between now and Week 1 than Croskey-Merritt. Maybe it's just preseason hype (it has been known to happen) and the trade smoke around Brian Robinson Jr. is just that. But the cloud keeps getting bigger, and the possibility of getting a lead back in the double-digit rounds is how leagues are won.

If you can even get him there now. After this, Round 8 may be stretching it.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.