Fantasy Football 2025 Mock Draft Tips and Latest Consensus Rankings

Kristopher KnoxAug 21, 2025

Football is nearly back. The NFL regular season will kick off in less than two weeks, which leaves fantasy enthusiasts with little time to prepare for their drafts.

Ideally, you've already done plenty of homework during the summer. If you haven't, there's still time to cram in some last-minute draft prep by using mock drafts. You'll find a few tips here on just how to get the most out of mock drafts before doing the real thing.

You'll also find a sample mock draft, executed with FantasyPros' Mock Draft Simulator, and a look at FantasyPros' latest consensus point-per-reception (PPR) rankings.

3-Round, 12-Team PPR Mock

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AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb

Round 1

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

Round 2

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

Round 3

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

Mock Draft Tips

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AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce

Set Tiers and Use Multiple Mocks

There are two big reasons why mock drafts can be valuable. For one, they can help provide an accurate picture of where certain players are trending. Secondly, they can help managers practice different draft strategies.

To fully utilize mocks, though, managers should evaluate rankings, make their own lists, and then break players into tiers. Those tiers can then be used to guide decisions during mock drafts.

If, for example, you view Mike Evans as a clear second-tier receiver, you should avoid drafting him early in the second round when top-tier players at other positions are available. This is a strategy worth following in real drafts, but it will also help ensure that your mocks are as realistic as possible

By using multiple raft strategies in a series of mocks, managers can A.) determine which plans consistently yield the most high-tier players and B.) allow managers to reevaluate their tiers.

Is Travis Kelce consistently falling into Round 6? He probably shouldn't be valued as an elite-tier tight end.

Take Notes and Don't Be Afraid to Experiment

Mock drafts don't count, so it's OK to try a bold strategy or two even if they don't work out. That could involve avoiding running backs in the first three rounds or waiting until Round 10 to grab a quarterback. Some alternative strategies might yield underwhelming lineups, but others might become a solid backup plan for a draft that doesn't go as expected.

Managers should always be prepared to pivot during a live draft, as people will do unexpected things. It's important to take notes during mocks. This will help to track draft trends and determine why specific strategies did or didn't work.

It's one thing to remember that drafting a quarterback in early Round 2 resulted in a weak overall roster. It's another to check notes and recognize that the strategy delivered a roster without a first- or second-tier running back.

By taking notes, managers can also more accurately track where players are trending and/or if they have a wide draft range.

Was Puka Nacua a first-round pick in nine of 10 mocks? You can bank on not finding him available in the late second round. Have you seen Alvin Kamara go anywhere from Round 2 to Round 4? He may not be a player you need to take in the early second.

Target Specific Rookies and Sleepers

Most managers use mocks to help craft a plan for the early rounds. However, they can help managers find value in the later rounds as well. The key is to pick a couple of rookies or potential sleepers that you love and track where they're going in mocks.

If, for example, you're sold on Washington Commanders rookie running back Bill Croskey-Merritt, tracking his draft range would be a good idea. If he's regularly going in the 11th or 12th-round range, you might need to consider taking him in Round 10 during a live draft. However, you shouldn't have to consider him in Round 5 or 6.

If someone snipes your sleeper several rounds ahead of where you have them valued, it shouldn't be considered a major loss.