Fantasy Football Draft Strategy 2025, Latest Mock Draft and Cheat Sheet Tips

Kristopher KnoxAug 19, 2025

The 2025 NFL preseason is entering its final week. The last exhibition games will be played on Saturday, roster cuts are due on August 26, and the regular season will begin on September 4.

The wait for real, meaningful NFL action is nearly over, which is great news for most football fans. For fantasy managers trying to cram for their drafts, well, the pressure is building.

The good news is that the fantasy landscape is a little bit clearer than it was when the preseason began. Starters are being named, players are returning from injuries, and depth charts are getting just a tad more settled.

What does it all mean for late-preseason draft prep? Let's examine some updated point-per-reception (PPR) rankings, dive into a mock draft crafted with FantasyPros' Mock Draft Simulator, and talk some 2025 draft strategy.

3-Round, 12-Team PPR Mock

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AP Photo/Rick Osentoski

Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Round 1

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Round 2

Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

Round 3

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders

Mock Draft Analysis and Strategy Overview

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AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley

This mock mirrored much of what we've seen throughout the 2025 preseason, but we will point out a few specific early picks and discuss how they relate to updated 2025 strategies.

Ja'Marr Chase was the first player off the board, which has been the case in most mock drafts I've encountered this year. However, I've rarely seen reigning rushing leader Saquon Barkley go as high as No. 2.

There are reasons to be a little bearish on Barkley, even if his upside is too high to pass late in Round 1. After logging 378 touches in 2024—plus another 104 touches in the postseason—Barkley is at a high risk for regression. Since 2010, Ray Rice is the only back to log at least 370 regular-season touches (2010) and score more fantasy points the following season.

However, Barkley's spot in this mock does showcase a key draft strategy. Managers should look to land a high-volume running back early.

Overall, wide receivers tend to have a higher ceiling than running backs in PPR leagues. However, the best backs see around 20 touches per game and, therefore, have a much lower bust rate from week to week. The problem is that there aren't many high-volume backs left in the NFL, and there are many 1,000-yard receivers.

If there's a specific running back you like, it may be better to overdraft him than risk losing him over perceived value. Use a fantasy cheat sheet as reference, and you'll notice a massive gap between top-five RBs and those in the late teens. Conversely, really good receivers will still be available well into the 20s.

In Round 2, we saw Trey McBride come off the board as TE1, which isn't too surprising, though he's been TE2 behind Brock Bowers in most mocks I've seen this year. Regardless, McBride, Bowers and George Kittle make up this year's elite tier and are worth drafting in the first three rounds.

Landing Kittle in the bottom of Round 3 would represent terrific value for the manager who gets him. He's coming off of a prolific season (1,106 yards, 8 TDs) and might see a jump in production this year. With Deebo Samuel gone and Brandon Aiyuk injured, Kittle will likely be Brock Purdy's go-to target more often than not.

Bowers and McBride both outpaced Kittle in PPR leagues last year, but that might not be the case in 2025. Managers who miss out on the "Big Three" can find a starting-caliber tight end in the middle round.

Don't reach for a notable name like Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews when value can be found much, much later. Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton wasn't even drafted in this mock, and he averaged just 1.1 points per game less than Andrews in 2024.

The top four quarterbacks—Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels—all came off the board in Round 3, which fits the trend we've seen this preseason. Those four, along with Jalen Hurts, have regularly gone in the first four rounds—though they've gone later in several live drafts with experienced managers that I've seen.

It's OK to draft one of the top-five QBs early if you absolutely love the player, but don't fret if you miss out and don't overdraft second-tier signal-callers. Good starting QBs can be found later.

Jared Goff, for example, averaged just 1.8 points per game less than Daniels in 2024. Goff was a 12th-round selection in this mock.