When drafting this early in the offseason, I like to focus on players who have the potential to rise up boards as the offseason goes along.
My goal is to look back on an early draft and see these guys getting drafted much higher as we head into the season. In this Underdog Fantasy best ball mock draft, I landed the fourth pick. The full results can be found here.
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Fantasy Football Mock Draft
Pick 1.04: Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)
The top of the draft feels as uncertain as ever, with a handful of players worthy of being the number one pick. There may not be a consensus all offseason. On Underdog Fantasy, wide receivers are king, and Justin Jefferson remains one of the best in the business.
Jefferson has proven capable with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold under center, finishing as the WR2 overall and in points per game (PPG) last season while clearing 1,500 receiving yards for the third time and tying his highest touchdown output with 10. Whether it’s J.J. McCarthy or Darnold feeding him, Jefferson is going to eat.
Pick 2.09: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
I can’t speak for everyone, so instead, I recommend you ask yourself if you’re aware of how good Jonathan Taylor was down the stretch last season. He finished as the RB9 overall despite missing three weeks with a high-ankle sprain and was the RB5 in PPG.
Taylor rushed for 627 yards and six touchdowns across the last four weeks of the season, averaging 25.1 half-PPR PPG in that time. Having just turned 26, he’s got plenty of good football ahead of him. Although wide receivers are a priority on Underdog Fantasy, I love grabbing an anchor running back before circling back to the position later.
Pick 3.04: Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)
There’s no way around it: Garrett Wilson was a disappointment last season. Still, he finished as the WR11 overall and WR23 in PPG in the dysfunctional Jets offense.
Aaron Rodgers was supposed to take him to new heights, and while that didn’t happen, we saw the talent on display frequently. Getting a receiver like Wilson in the third round, who was a first-round pick a year ago, is a no-brainer. He’s got the upside and is young enough to have a major breakout season but with a relatively safe floor.
Pick 4.09: Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI)
Typically, if I take a running back early I would wait a bit longer on quarterback but grabbing the last elite player at the position was too tempting, especially with the hopes of grabbing his receiver in the next round.
The quarterback position is relatively deep, but the value of a dual-threat quarterback like Jalen Hurts, who produces high scores consistently is impossible to overlook. He’s finished as a top-six quarterback in each of the last three seasons and is coming off his first Super Bowl win, but he’s not satisfied. I don’t expect a hangover from Hurts and the Birds.
Pick 5.04: DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)
Stacking is key in large field best ball tournaments, and while we do not have the schedule yet and can’t stack for Week 17, it’s always a good idea to stack a quarterback and his pass-catchers.
I was fortunate to get DeVonta Smith here. I bet he goes earlier in most drafts, but he often flies under the radar as the Eagles’ secondary wide receiver. He was the WR17 in PPG last season and is as consistent as they come.
Pick 6.09: Omarion Hampton (RB – North Carolina)
Omarion Hampton will continue to rise throughout the offseason but he’s too good to pass up here. The consensus is that he is closer to the RB1 in the NFL Draft than he is to the RB3.
I like to continue stacking receivers in this range, but running back does dry up quickly. I believe Hampton will be a three-down back this season and will be drafted much higher than this as we near the season.
Pick 7.04: T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN)
Admittedly, I’m always a bit indecisive when it comes to drafting tight ends. I’m a fan of drafting a few late with upside, but it feels like T.J. Hockenson should be going earlier than this.
Plus, stacking him with Jefferson gives me a strong Vikings stack. Hockenson has been a menace since joining the Vikings, finishing as the TE2 and TE4 before last season. He could very well be in the mix for TE1 this season.
Pick 8.09: Ricky Pearsall (WR – SF)
When drafting early in the offseason, I try to focus on players who could rise throughout the offseason and seem to be at the lower end of their value. After the trade of Deebo Samuel, Ricky Pearsall will continue to rise up draft boards. With Brandon Aiyuk expected to miss a significant chunk of the season, Pearsall may emerge as the top target in the offense.
While he started the season slow after suffering a gunshot wound, Pearsall emerged late and showed why he was a first-round draft pick. He ripped off 210 receiving yards and two touchdowns over the last two games of the season and could pick up right where he left off.
Pick 9.04: Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA)
With running back thinning out quickly, I wanted to grab an RB3 I know will get some work this season with the upside for more.
Zach Charbonnet has been an ideal best-ball running back as he has some standalone value next to Kenneth Walker and can post strong numbers in any given week. With Walker’s injury history, we’ve seen Charbonnet lead the backfield plenty of times.
Pick 10.09: Rashid Shaheed (WR – NO)
Through the first six weeks of the season, Rashid Shaheed was the WR17 overall and WR27 in PPG. A torn meniscus would sideline him for the rest of the season, but Shaheed has proven he’s capable of producing in an every-down role.
Shaheed should return to his WR2 status on the team. With Kellen Moore taking over the offense, we just might get his best season yet.
Pick 11.04: Travis Hunter (WR – Colorado)
Travis Hunter is a complete wild card at this point. There’s a case to be made he should be drafted much earlier and one to be made for much later.
I’m willing to take a chance on him playing receiver here as my WR6. Even if he plays both sides of the ball, he’s capable of paying off in best ball with some big weeks.
Pick 12.09: Trey Benson (RB – ARI)
At this point in the draft, I’m looking to round out my running back room with backs who have the potential to pay off big. Although I’m a James Conner believer, the wheels have to come off at some point.
The Cardinals spent an early third-round pick on Benson last offseason. I’d suspect they have a role for him with the potential to take on more as the season goes along.
Pick 13.04: Audric Estime (RB – DEN)
Audric Estime showed some flashes last season but could never quite take over the Broncos’ backfield. It’s unlikely he will be their No. 1 RB as we enter the 2025 season, but Javonte Williams is as good as gone and Jaleel McLaughlin is extremely undersized.
Depending on who the Broncos add to the running back room this offseason, Estime could have a large role in the offense, a small role or no role at all. I’ll play the upside game here.
Pick 14.09: Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB)
I’ve long been a Dontayvion Wicks believer. With Christian Watson set to miss the first half of the 2025 season, we may finally get the breakout season we’ve been waiting for from Wicks as he is slated to be an every-down player.
Many don’t realize that Jayden Reed is a part-time player exclusive to the slot, while Romeo Doubs, Watson or Wicks play outside. Wicks will finally get that outside role to himself this season.
Pick 15.04: Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI)
Getting a second tight end and a stacking partner for my quarterback is good business here.
Pick 16.09: Jordan Whittington (WR – GB)
Another example of a player I expect to go much earlier than his average draft position (ADP) as the offseason goes along, Jordan Whittington should take over a large portion of Cooper Kupp‘s role, depending on what else the Rams do with the wide receiver position.
In the four full games Whittington played without Kupp, he tallied 265 receiving yards, catching 19 out of 25 targets.
Pick 17.04: Kendre Miller (RB – NO)
With Dennis Allen out of the picture, we finally got to see Kendre Miller on the football field again late last season.
There’s no doubt this offense will look better next season under Kellen Moore. If the Saints don’t add to the position, Miller is in line for No. 2 RB duties behind next to an aging Alvin Kamara.
Pick 18.09: Parker Washington (WR – JAX)
We’re mostly throwing darts this late in the draft, but Parker Washington has some legitimate upside. He topped 50 yards in three of his final six games last season and cleared 100 yards once while scoring three touchdowns in that time frame.
I also made this pick thinking of the potential for the Jags to move Christian Kirk, whom they have now traded to the Texans.
Pick 19.04: Sam Darnold (QB – FA)
Having two Vikings pass-catchers, I wasn’t sure if I should take Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy. Since I have an elite quarterback, I don’t like to invest in a third quarterback, so I’ll take Darnold and stick to two.
If Darnold returns to Minnesota, it gives me a strong stack, but if not, I’m confident he will be playing somewhere, whereas McCarthy carries the risk of not playing next season.
Pick 20.09: Ja’Tavion Sanders (TE – CAR)
Ja’Tavion Sanders will be overlooked this season, but he was quite good when Tommy Tremble was out of the lineup last season.
With Tremble hitting free agency, there’s room for Sanders to be a focal point and rise up draft boards as we get into training camp.
Draft Wizard Insights & Full Roster
Roster
QB: Jalen Hurts
RB: Jonathan Taylor
RB: Omarion Hampton
WR: Justin Jefferson
WR: Garrett Wilson
WR: DeVonta Smith
TE: T.J. Hockenson
FLEX: Ricky Pearsall
Bench
WR Rashid Shaheed
RB Zach Charbonnet
TE Dallas Goedert
WR Travis Hunter
WR Dontayvion Wicks
RB Trey Benson
WR Jordan Whittington
RB Audric Estime
RB Kendre Miller
QB Sam Darnold
WR Parker Washington
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
