2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft, Overall Draft Strategy and Printable Cheat Sheet

The 2025 NFL season is upon us, with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles set to host division foes the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, September 4 in the league opener.

The preseason gave fans a taste of what to expect from the stars who did don the cleats and participate in the three exhibition games, as well as the rookies and depth players with potential to be sleepers and breakout contributors.

Managers looking to compete in their annual league, or those participating for the first time, should do the necessary research to ensure they reach the playoffs and, perhaps, even compete for a league title.

ESPN provides printable cheat sheets that are useful sources for beginners and seasoned participants.

In preparation for the countless fantasy drafts that will kick off in the coming days, here is a three-round mock standard league draft, with explanations for the placement of several top, highly recognizable NFL stars.

Round One

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

First round picks in a standard scoring fantasy league, with a full 12 teams, are as follows:

1. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
2. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
4. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
5. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
6. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
8. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
9. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
10. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
11. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
12. AJ Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Chase was far and away the best wide receiver in the NFL and fantasy football in 2024, averaging 16.2 points per game for a total of 276 points on the season. That is 61.5 more total points than the second-best at the position in Minnesota's Jefferson.

With no reason to believe the pass-heavy attack of the Cincinnati Bengals will change, barring a significant injury to Chase or quarterback Joe Burrow, the former LSU Tiger is a justifiable No. 1 overall pick in any fantasy draft.

Houston's Collins has eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, with 15 touchdowns since 2023. With Tank Dell still recovering from a gruesome injury suffered last season, expect the dynamic young wide receiver to find success and compile big numbers in the Houston offense this year.

For those who would rather stick to the more traditional standard of selecting a running back in the first round, Jahmyr Gibbs is arguably the best option at that spot. An explosive runner and electrifying pass catcher out of the backfield, the Lions tailback is a dual threat who can play every down and score every time he touches the ball.

He does share the backfield with David Montgomery, though, which may cause some hesitation among managers. If that is the case, Atlanta's Bijan Robinson is an every-down back who will get plenty of carries and fuel the Falcons' offense.

Gibbs and Robinson were third and fourth, respectively, and separated by 1.7 total points per game a year ago, with fellow first-rounder Saquon Barkley leading the way with an average of 20.1 points per game.

Round Two

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Second-round picks are:

1. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
2. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
3. AJ Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Brian Robinson Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
6. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
7. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
8. Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9. Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
10. De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
11. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
12. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Henry was the second-best running back in fantasy a season ago, scoring 317.4 points on an average of 18.7 per game. He sparked a renewed Ravens offense that saw quarterback Lamar Jackson have his finest season yet.

He remains a top-tier running back, but as age sets in and Jackson's superb play continues, there will come a time when King Henry's play falls off. Betting that it will be this year is a gamble but there is plenty of reason to expect Gibbs and Robinson are stronger plays, and thus first-round backs, in 2025.

Brown missed three games in 2024 for the Eagles an had two uncharacteristically low-scoring fantasy performances, culminating in a 17th-place finish among wide receivers. Do not expect the same this season.

Aside from an injury-plagued 2021 season, Brown has never finished outside of the top 10 in standard leagues and that should not change as Philadelphia looks to run it back and win consecutive Super Bowl titles.

Brown still managed 11.5 fantasy points per game. Healthier, and likelier to be a significant part of what the Eagles do offensively this season, he should return to the top 10 of wide receivers.

Looking for a younger player to make a big impact and potentially take on the Raiders' Brock Bowers role of rookies who help fuel a fantasy team to a league victory? Stay in Las Vegas and grab former Boise State Bronco and Heisman Trophy runner-up Jeanty.

The Jeanty carried 12 times for 37 yards and one touchdown in the preseason, numbers that will almost certainly improve as he becomes the workhorse of head coach Pete Carroll's offense. Expect the back to take on the Marshawn Lynch role of setting the pace, getting those grueling yards, and being the player around whom the entire offensive scheme is built.

He will be an enormous contributor in fantasy, even if it takes him a few weeks to find his footing in the pros.

Round Three

AP Photo/Derik Hamilton

Third round picks are:

1. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
2. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
3. Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
4. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
5. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
6. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
7. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
9. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
10. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
11. Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
12. Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams

The third round is where we should see our first quarterbacks taken, with Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow being the elite options.

Allen and Jackson give managers the chance for points both through the air and on the ground while the sheer volume of passes Burrow throws in a pass-heavy offense should put him squarely in the conversation for first three QBs selected.

Based on what Jayden Daniels accomplished in his rookie season with Washington, no one would blame any manager from grabbing the second-year signal-caller from LSU.

Considering he has not yet proven that he can follow up that sensational season with more of the same, and the spectre of the dreaded sophomore slump hangs overhead for all of the league's second-year stars, he narrowly misses third-round selection here.