Fantasy Football 2025 Dynasty Mock Draft, Rankings and Tips for Team Names

The wait for real, meaningful NFL action is nearly over. The preseason has concluded, and teams must trim rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. In less than two weeks, the regular season will be underway.

It's an exciting time for fantasy football enthusiasts, who can now safely conduct drafts without the fear of preseason injuries. However, many of them may face some late-summer cramming in preparation for their drafts.

For managers about to join dynasty leagues for the first time, the study process may seem intimidating. While the basic concepts are no different than those in traditional season-long redraft leagues, some different strategies go into the draft process—and there's definitely more on the line in a start-up draft.

A few key mistakes in a dynasty draft can lead to years of playing catch-up.

Below, you'll find some dynasty tips and updated rankings for the 2025 season, along with a two-round start-up mock draft and a few naming suggestions.

All rankings and analysis based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Two-Round Dynasty Mock

AP Photo/Matt Freed

Bengals WR Ja'Marr Cahse

Round 1

1. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
2. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
3. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
4. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
5. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
6. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
7. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
8. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
9. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
10. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
11. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
12. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

Round 2

1. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
3. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
4. De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
5. Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
6. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
7. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
8. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
9. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
10. Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
11. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
12. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals

Dynasty Draft Tips

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase

Since dynasty managers usually only swap a handful of players each offseason—either through free agency or a rookie draft—the goal in a start-up draft is to grab high-end players who can contribute for multiple seasons.

This is why you're not likely to find aging stars like Christian McCaffrey or Travis Kelce going highly in dynasty drafts. This is also why you'll notice that reigning rushing champ Saquon Barkley wasn't one of the first players off the board.

Barkley was fantastic in 2024 but saw a heavy workload and will turn 29 in February. He has a high risk of regression this season and a lengthy injury history that makes his long-term projection murky.

In fact, the long-term outlook for running backs in general is uncertain. It's OK to draft a young, every-down back early, but since the career length for running backs is relatively short, managers must realize they may only have a four- or five-year window of prime play, at best.

You'll notice that four receivers came off the board in our mock before Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was selected.

Now, this doesn't mean managers must undervalue running backs or avoid older players altogether. It's critical to have a backup/succession plan, though. If, for example, you think Kelce can help you win a championship or two in the coming years, draft him. Just make sure to grab a young tight end like Sam LaPorta or rookie Colston Loveland as well.

If Kelce gets injured or decides to retire in the offseason, you don't want to be scrambling to add a tight end in free agency or in a rookie draft.

Remember, other managers aren't going to let their best players hit the market, and rookie drafts are always a gamble.

And while adding youth is important, managers shouldn't load up on rookies in a start-up draft. While they have promise and long-term potential, they're also unproven at the pro level. For every rookie drafted, managers should have a more proven player on the depth chart for insurance.

Managers should also prioritize quarterbacks a bit higher than they might in re-draft leagues. There are only a handful of top-tier fantasy signal-callers, and there aren't many more who fall into the "solid-starter" category and are also young enough to steady a franchise long-term.

It's fine to target 34-year-old QB Geno Smith to be your starter in Round 12 of a re-draft league. You'll probably want to go younger and draft earlier at the position in dynasty.

Updated Dynasty Rankings

AP Photo/Terrance Williams, File

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Quarterback

1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
3. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
6. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
7. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
8. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
9. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
10. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Running Back

1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
3. Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
4. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
5. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
6. Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
7. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
8. Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
10. Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

Wide Receiver

1. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
3. Malik Nabers, New York Giants
4. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
5. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
6. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
8. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
9. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
10. Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers

Tight End

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
3. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
4. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
5. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
6. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
7. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
8. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
9. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
10. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Team Names

AP Photo/Craig Lassig

Patriots QB Drake Maye

Experienced fantasy managers should know the basics of crafting team names. The traditional approach involves combining a player name with a common phrase or pop-culture reference to essentially create a bad pun.

While "For Those About to Brock" is a clever play on Brock Purdy (or Brock Bowers) and a classic AC/DC track, it's likely to induce a few groans from league-mates. That's OK. The most important bit of advice we can provide is this: Create a name that you enjoy. In a dynasty league, you could be stuck with that name for a decade.

The long-term nature of dynasty formats is why we also recommend focusing on players who are younger and more likely to remain centerpieces for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions based on first-, second- or third-year fantasy stars:

Maye the Force Be With You (Drake Maye)

Bro Nix (Bo Nix)

Wax On, Daniels-San (Jayden Daniels)

Ward You Gonna' Do About It? (Cam Ward)

Kickin' Ashton (Ashton Jeanty)

Hampton Getaway (Omarion Hampton)

Baby Back Gibbs (Jahmyr Gibbs)

TreVeyon My Wayward Son (TreVeyon Henderson)

Howdy, Nabers (Malik Nabers)

Flyin' Brian (Brian Thomas Jr.)

King Tet (Tetairoa McMillan)

When in Rome (Rome Odunze)

Puka Shell'd (Puka Nacua)

For Those About to Brock (Brock Bowers)

LaPorta Call (Sam LaPorta)

Kraft Mac N' Cheese (Tucker Kraft)

Stop, in the Name of Loveland (Colston Loveland)