- Ja’Marr Chase is the consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy football drafts this preseason.
- The 2025 rookie running back class is strong, with several players projected to be significant fantasy contributors.
- There’s a noticeable gap between the top five quarterbacks and the rest.
Heading into a new NFL season, it isn’t easy to try and catch up all at once.
For starters, there are seven new head coaches and many new offensive systems hoping to give skill players fresh starts around the league. Fantasy football managers have to account for all that as they formulate their own draft strategies and lock in on the key performers who can lead them to a championship.
But where to start?
Obviously, the best place to start is at the beginning – because everyone wants to know how the first round of this year’s drafts is likely to unfold.
2025 POSITION RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST
Who do you take in Round 1?
When there’s nothing but last year’s stats to shape our opinions, gravity pulls us toward the familiar. So it’s no surprise Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase is the consensus No. 1 pick this preseason. He won the receiving triple crown a year ago, leading the league in receptions, yards and touchdown catches.
This time last year, a seemingly healthy Christian McCaffrey, along with top wideout Tyreek Hill and emerging star Breece Hall were prime picks at the top of drafts following their strong performances in 2023. But we know now how quickly things went south for all three.
That’s not to say that Chase isn’t a deserving selection with the first overall pick. It’s just a reminder that nothing’s guaranteed. A credible case can be made for Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 1.
Judging from the way drafts have gone this preseason, those five appear to be in a class of their own. (With CeeDee Lamb occasionally sneaking into the elite tier.) The bottom line: Get a top-five (or six) pick, get a franchise cornerstone. Seems pretty simple.
Depth abounds at wide receiver
But what if you’re picking in the middle or at the end of the first round?
In that case, you might want to consider how your first two selections will mesh.
While running backs were plentiful in the first two rounds last year, receivers seem to have the upper hand in 2025 drafts. In our rankings, seven of the top 11 overall players are wide receivers.
One reason the receiver pool might seem particularly deep stems from the strength of last year’s fantastic rookie class, one that produced seven selections in the NFL draft’s first round (and two more to start the second).
Sophomores Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Ladd McConkey are now solidly being taken in the first two rounds of 2025 fantasy drafts, with Xavier Worthy, Rome Odunze, Ricky Pearsall and Marvin Harrison, Jr. all expected to take a step forward.
With so many NFL teams deploying three- and even four-wideout sets, the overall receiving depth is excellent. Last season, there were 34 wide receivers who averaged more than 12 PPR fantasy points per game (minimum nine games).
Rookie RBs bolster this year’s options
We may have a similar bumper crop of rookies in 2025 – only this time it’s at running back.
While NFL GMs are more than willing to spend a high draft pick on a receiver or quarterback, first-round running backs have become extremely rare. There were none a year ago, and just two in 2023. Although to be fair, those two just happen to be Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs – who are now top-five picks in fantasy drafts.
So how high should expectations be for Ashton Jeanty, whom the Las Vegas Raiders selected at No. 6 overall?
Jeanty figures to be an every-down back under new head coach Pete Carroll. And his track record of being a workhorse in college bodes well for his usage as a pro. For that reason, Jeanty’s a borderline first-rounder in fantasy – despite the Raiders being a bottom-6 offense in both yards and scoring a year ago.
He’s far from the only rookie back who could be a significant fantasy contributor. Omarion Hampton (taken 22nd overall) is poised to open the season as the starter in a run-first Los Angeles Chargers offense.
Meanwhile, RJ Harvey (Broncos), Kaleb Johnson (Steelers), TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots), Cam Skattebo (Giants), Quinshon Judkins (Browns), Jaydon Blue (Cowboys) and Bhayshul Tuten (Jaguars) offer intriguing upside as they learn their teams’ offensive playbooks.
Rounds 4-7 seem to be the sweet spot for nabbing one of these lottery tickets.
Dare take a top QB, TE early?
Another trend we’re seeing in drafts so far is a distinct gap at the top of the rankings at both quarterback and tight end.
A popular way to construct a draft cheat sheet is by breaking down each position into tiers – grouping similar players together and identifying where the divisions in talent level take a noticeable drop.
This year, there seems to be an even greater difference than usual between the best and the rest at these two positions.
At quarterback, there’s a clear top five, with all of them going roughly between the 23rd and 40th overall pick. (Average draft position from NFFC as of Aug. 18.)
- Lamar Jackson (Overall ADP: 23.5)
- Josh Allen (24.6)
- Joe Burrow (31.2)
- Jayden Daniels (33.2)
- Jalen Hurts (39.5)
After them, Patrick Mahomes is the next-highest drafted quarterback with an ADP of 59.6.
The same is true with the top tight ends.
- Brock Bowers (Overall ADP: 18.9)
- Trey McBride (26.7)
- George Kittle (43.5)
From there, it’s another 20-plus spots to No. 4 Sam LaPorta (64.7), then another big gap to No. 5 T.J. Hockenson (80.9).
It’s certainly okay to wait a while on one or both positions – especially when those elite options are off the board. But if your game plan is to roster a top quarterback or tight end, you will likely need to pull the trigger by Round 4.
At the same time, resist the temptation to get a top-tier quarterback and tight end in the early rounds. There is ample depth at both positions – and in leagues that only start one of each, the cost of passing on highly productive running backs and wide receivers at that spot could torpedo your draft.