When we compete in large-field fantasy football best ball contests with hundreds of thousands of opponents, there are many ways to differentiate our rosters from the field, but one that consistently proves worthwhile is scooping up the best value players and building around them. Here are some of our favorite early-round draft values to target this summer.
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Fantasy Football Early-Round Draft Picks to Target
Round 1
The Cowboys were the third-highest team in pass attempts per game in 2024, despite losing Dak Prescott from Week 10 onwards. While Prescott was healthy, CeeDee Lamb was averaging 10.5 targets per game, which ranked third behind only Cooper Kupp (12.3) and Malik Nabers (12.0). This dropped to 9.5 once Prescott was injured, and Lamb’s PPR points per game also dropped by 2.0 points. Lamb had been the WR6 over those opening nine weeks but struggled without Prescott, scoring only two more touchdowns for the rest of the season. Lamb might not surpass WR1 Ja’Marr Chase, but are we sure he shouldn’t be ahead of Justin Jefferson, who has a rookie QB coming off a year-long knee injury?
Ceedee Lamb gotta be the best route runner in the league! pic.twitter.com/dkTPhXhoCp
— Dallas Cowboys Plug ???? (@Cowboyz_Plug) May 24, 2025
Round 2
You can make an argument that Brock Bowers should be going in the first rounds of drafts, akin to where Travis Kelce used to find himself not all that long ago. Bowers finished 2024 with 153 targets, 112 receptions, and 1194 yards, along with five touchdowns. All with terrible quarterback play. The Raiders’ ownership knew that the team badly needed an upgrade at the position, and trading for Geno Smith will provide that. Smith ranked fourth in completion percentage (70.2%), a notable improvement on Gardner Minshew‘s 66% and Aidan O’Connell‘s 62%. The Raiders also ranked 26th in Red Zone scoring attempts per game last year, finding their way to the end zone too infrequently to maximize Bowers’s ability. With no noteworthy additions in the passing game, this looks like Bowers can once again repeat as the best tight end in football, and if he adds a few more touchdowns, he can be even more dominant.
Round 3
Starting in Week 9, Brown averaged 20.6 PPR points and 23.6 touches per game. While concerns remain about whether Zack Moss, Khalil Herbert, or sixth-round rookie Tahj Brooks might cut into his workload a bit, there’s a real chance one of them isn’t on the Bengals roster by Week 1. Brown has proven to be an explosive playmaker with the coaching staff’s trust. In best ball formats, we’re looking for players who can deliver big scores and change the game in an instant, and Brown fits that profile.
Chase Brown SZN has been renewed for a second season.
One of the biggest Veteran Fantasy Football winners post NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/QmAtn0zO6G
— Theo Gremminger (@TheOGfantasy) April 26, 2025
Round 4
We’ve all fallen for the unexpected dynamite rookies before, but it feels like Jayden Daniels is being approached with a little too much caution right now. Daniels finished the fantasy season with more rushing yards than any other QB (864), and only Josh Allen (12) and Jalen Hurts (14) had more rushing touchdowns than Daniels’ total of six. With the addition of Deebo Samuel, there is potential for this passing attack to reach the next level and give Daniels a QB1 overall season.
Round 5
How confident are we that Tyreek Hill is still the WR1 on this offense? It might seem slightly hyperbolic, but Hill recently turned 31 years old and hardly seems enamored with being on the Dolphins roster right now, not to mention he continues to live an unsettled life off the field. Waddle had a woe-filled 2024, with only four double-digit PPR performances, but he’s not far removed from performances that led to the Dolphins giving him a three-year $84m extension in May 2024. The Dolphins believe in Waddle, and we’ve seen it before from him. It might not be the most comfortable click, but Waddle’s upside is clear to see.
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