It’s fast approaching a month since the largest 2025 fantasy football best ball drafts have opened, and after the initial couple of days when average draft position (ADP) data is all over the place, things start to settle down and become more consistent.
That’s not to say we haven’t seen sizeable shifts because of coachspeak, trades or other factors. If we look back since the start of May, below are the biggest fantasy football risers and fallers in Underdog ADP.
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Best Ball ADP Fantasy Football Risers & Fallers
Best Ball ADP Risers
Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI) | ADP: 170 (+31.5)
Part of Roschon Johnson’s rise in ADP is due to the pre-draft assumption that the Bears would aggressively target a running back. Now that we’re on this side of the draft and the Bears are left with a running back room of Johnson and D’Andre Swift, people can’t help but dream of a Ben Johnson-led offense benefiting Johnson this year.
Johnson failed to score more than 14.5 PPR points in any game last year, but at pick 170, it’s a fair price for an RB2.
Is it officially Roschon Johnson szn? pic.twitter.com/OPD4doGdXW
— Joseph Herff (@JosephHerffNFL) April 28, 2025
Pat Bryant (WR – DEN) | ADP: 176 (+28.3)
Even among the dynasty and best ball degens pre-draft, Pat Bryant wasn’t a name many people were talking about, particularly after he ran a 4.61 40-yard dash, but getting picked 74th overall will get you on people’s radars, especially with Sean Payton talking all offseason about the need for a weapon.
Bryant, though, might face an uphill battle not to go the same way as Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin did in their rookie years.
Jaydon Blue (RB – DAL) | ADP: 130 (+47.8)
This ADP is only going to keep climbing with people assuming Jaydon Blue has a clear runway to noteworthy touches in the Cowboys’ backfield. Dallas seems intent on going forward with Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders and then the fifth-round rookie.
At 196 pounds, Blue doesn’t have a typical lead-back build, but he has so little competition that if the Cowboys don’t add anyone, maybe he ends up being the steal of draft season.
George Pickens (WR – DAL) | ADP: 56.6 (+19.6)
To say drafters were pleased George Pickens got out of Pittsburgh would be an understatement, with Pickens climbing almost two rounds very quickly once landing in Dallas.
The trade for Pickens also saw Dak Prescott‘s ADP climb 13 spots to 118th overall — a price that still feels fair. Pickens might never be a consistent player in fantasy football, but in best ball, this feels like a fair price for a player with nine games over 16 PPR points in the last two years.
George Pickens first impression of Dak, “He’s very smart.” He says being in Dallas is refreshing in reference to having a fresh start. @CBSSportsTexas @CBSNewsTexas pic.twitter.com/6BVCbng4Ev
— Briana Aldridge (@BreeAldridge) May 20, 2025
Michael Wilson (WR – ARI) | ADP: 174 (+18)
The Cardinals focused their draft attention elsewhere, leaving Michael Wilson as the team’s No. 2 WR behind Marvin Harrison Jr. for the second straight season.
Wilson didn’t sparkle last year, but neither did Harrison. A bet on either of these players is a bet on Kyler Murray continuing to improve in this offense and all of them taking a step forward.
Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT) | ADP: 166 (+13.9)
With Pickens out of town, Pat Freiermuth now has the opportunity to become the second pass-catcher on the team behind DK Metcalf.
The Steelers’ quarterback situation is still suppressing Freiermuth’s ADP, and even if it ends up being old-man Aaron Rodgers under center, Freiermuth’s ADP will still likely climb before the end of drafting season.
Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WSH) | ADP: 88.5 (+13.6)
Another player rising because of inactivity beyond all else, Brian Robinson Jr., was a popular sleeper pick in 2024 but has no momentum this year. Robinson finished between RB11 and 24 on nine occasions last year, but the lack of ceiling games has kept drafters from getting too carried away this year, even if he is on the rise.
Best Ball ADP Fallers
Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL) | ADP: 211 (-35.3)
The last ramification of the Pickens trade is Jalen Tolbert falling three full rounds to the point where he sometimes goes undrafted. Tolbert played his way to becoming the No. 2 WR in Dallas last season after a disappointing rookie season, notching up six games over 40 yards and scoring seven touchdowns, but failing to leave enough of an impact to secure that role into 2025.
Tolbert is a solid draft pick if you’re stacking Cowboys players.
Jerome Ford (RB – CLE) | ADP: 206 (-35.2)
Despite signing a new contract, Jerome Ford has fallen further down draft boards recently. In part because he took a pay cut, but also because the Browns seem committed to rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. Ford will potentially have some early-season value, making him an interesting pick if you’ve gone rookie-heavy, but he’s unlikely to produce for the entire season.
Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB) | ADP: 207 (-21.1)
This time last year, the Packers coaching staff was talking up Dontayvion Wicks as the next Davante Adams, and while Wicks flashed at moments, he let himself down badly with drops. Drops don’t always matter, but if you’re not getting the ball often, they do matter.
Running Back Josh Jacobs said the Packers needed a No. 1 WR this offseason, and the team’s investment in a first-round wideout for the first time since 2002 seemed to imply they might agree with him. Wicks has a much tougher path to relevancy this year, even with Christian Watson potentially out for the entire season.
Najee Harris (RB – LAC) | ADP: 110 (-18.6)
Najee Harris is going almost 70 picks after Omarion Hampton, which feels like quite a substantial gap given that the Chargers handed out the largest running back contract in free agency. This ADP brings back memories of Lions duo Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery from not too long ago, and they both turned into fine values.
Harris is the type of back who can thrive in Greg Roman’s offense, and Roman isn’t famed for giving rookies huge workloads. Harris’ ADP is falling, but should it?
#Chargers rookie RB Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris catching some passes during the last week of Phase 2: pic.twitter.com/iCbO4RGpBp
— Omar Navarro (@OmarNavarro____) May 20, 2025
Christian Kirk (WR – HOU) | ADP: 126 (-16.4)
The Texans pick-swapped their way to Christian Kirk pre-draft, but that didn’t stop them from drafting Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel not long after. Kirk is a solid player but hasn’t consistently delivered upside, and it’s no surprise to see him falling here, 35 picks behind Higgins.
In full PPR formats, Kirk might prove more useful for an offense that may have to throw the ball plenty and quickly in 2025, thanks to their woeful-looking offensive line.
Keenan Allen (WR – FA) | ADP: 180 (-15.2)
Rumors swirled that Keenan Allen could return to the Chargers, but nothing came of them. The time when free agent signings counted against compensatory picks passed, but nothing happened for Keenan Allen then, either.
Now it feels more likely that Allen waits till closer to training camp to choose a team where he can stay relevant. Allen still had some juice last year, but he found himself on a bad offense with a quarterback whom nobody taught how to watch film. With the right landing spot, this ADP could prove smart.
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