The preparation for your perfect 2025 fantasy football draft begins now.
Have a battle plan when you show up for your in-person draft or fire up the laptop for your online draft. But don’t make it a rigid plan.
Fantasy drafts are unpredictable. Average draft position goes out the window. Your competitors will make unexpected picks. You’ll occasionally get snaked on a player you wanted.
Be flexible. Be nimble. Be prepared.
And get those reps in before draft season arrives! Test your draft strategies by mock-drafting with the FantasyPros Draft Simulator.
Here’s an overview of the battle plan our analysts will be using for their 2025 fantasy football drafts.
- Fitz’s Perfect Draft Strategy
- DBro’s Perfect Draft Strategy
- Erickson’s Perfect Draft Strategy
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
Perfect Fantasy Football Draft: Strategy, Advice & Targets
DBro’s Favorite Middle-Round Draft Targets
Round 5 Targets
RJ Harvey (RB – DEN)
RJ Harvey is set to explode in his rookie season. The runway is clear for takeoff. Sean Payton just put second-round capital behind a back that enters a room with Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, and J.K. Dobbins. No, I’m not worried about Estime or McLaughlin when they couldn’t carve out consistent roles last year with only the ghost of Javonte Williams standing in their way.
Dobbins will assist Harvey on early downs so Denver doesn’t run their talented rookie into the ground, but I don’t project him taking away passing down work or high-leverage opportunities. It’s hard not to love a player like Harvey, who has ranked inside the top 20 among FBS running backs in each of the last two seasons in breakaway percentage and elusive rating, per PFF.
Add in Payton’s running back usage, and Harvey looks primed to smash. Over the last two years, Payton has ranked fifth and first in running back target share. Harvey is a strong RB2 who could finish as an RB1 this season.
Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
As Bo Nix‘s No. 1 WR last year, Courtland Sutton finished as the WR24 in fantasy points per game, commanding a 23.3% target share and 44.9% air yard share. Among 85 qualifying wide receivers, he ranked 26th in receiving yards per game (63.6), 28th in yards per route run (2.13), and 15th in first downs per route run, per Fantasy Points Data.
Sutton should reprise his role as Nix’s security blanket. He will face competition for the weekly lead in targets with Evan Engram, but it’s comfortably Sutton and Engram at the top of the mountain, while the rest of the receiving options fight for the remaining targets. Sutton is a strong WR2/WR3.
Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR)
The Panthers finally gave Bryce Young a true No. 1 WR this season with the addition of Tetairoa McMillan. The Carolina Panthers selected McMillan inside the top 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft. McMillan could be a wonderful volume hog this year in what looks to be an ascending passing offense.
Last year, in Weeks 12-18, when Young was hitting his stride, the Panthers ranked 13th in neutral passing rate. We could see that number increase this year, with a true number one option leading the way. Last year, during that same stretch, Young ranked eighth in CPOE, fifth in deep throw rate, 12th in highly accurate throw rate, and second in hero throw rate, per Fantasy Points Data.
McMillan is an incredibly talented receiver who can step up quickly. During his final two collegiate seasons, he ranked 17th and 21st in yards per route run. He’s a battle-tested man coverage beater as well. In 2023-2024, McMillan had the third-most and the 10th-most man coverage targets (among FBS wide receivers) while also ranking eighth and 10th in yards per route run against man coverage, per PFF.
Don’t be surprised if McMillan is a WR1/WR2 in his rookie season.
TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE)
The Patriots drafted TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft to challenge Rhamondre Stevenson from the jump. Stevenson isn’t going anywhere, but Henderson will play a prominent role in 2025 as, at worst, the 1B in this backfield. As we move through the season, Henderson will eat into Stevenson’s workload, if not quickly supplant him as the backfield leader.
Henderson has the talent to do so. In two of his last four seasons in college, Henderson ranked in the top 10 in yards after contact per attempt (seventh, eighth) and in the top 20 in breakaway percentage (10th, 18th). He will operate behind an improved offensive line that added Garrett Bradbury, Will Campbell, and Morgan Moses in the offseason. Henderson should be the team’s passing-down back immediately, which is great news for his floor and ceiling.
Across his last two collegiate seasons, Henderson has ranked 21st & 22nd in receiving grade, per PFF. Josh McDaniels will feature him through the air. In McDaniels’ last five full seasons of directing NFL offenses, he has ranked inside the top 10 in four of those years, with 20-36.2% of the passing attack flowing through the backfield. Henderson could be New England’s version of Jahmyr Gibbs.
Round 6 Targets
Travis Hunter (WR – JAX)
Travis Hunter should be Brian Thomas’s running mate from the word go in Jacksonville. The Jaguars paid a hefty price, but they got their guy in Hunter. The Jags have stated that Hunter will begin his NFL career with the main focus being on the offensive side of the ball, which makes sense. It’s not impossible, but improbable that a team would make an aggressive move of this magnitude for a full-time cornerback. Hunter looks to be a full-time wide receiver with TBD status next to his corner usage.
Hunter still has some substantial growth to make as a wide receiver, but he’s in good hands with Liam Coen and company. I’m curious how much slot usage Hunter will get in his rookie season, but I’m guessing it could be at least 40-50% of his snaps. This will be immensely helpful for a player who, last year (among all FBS wide receivers with at least eight slot targets), ranked fourth in slot yards per route run, per PFF.
Overall, in his final collegiate season, Hunter ranked 38th in yards per route run (YPPR) and sixth in receiving grade. Jacksonville’s passing attack should flow through Hunter and Thomas, with each sniffing a target share north of 23%. Hunter is a WR2/WR3 who could easily crush his fantasy football average draft position (ADP).
James Conner (RB – ARI)
Last year was the first season since 2021 that James Conner played more than 13 games. He finished as the RB15 in fantasy points per game, racking up 283 touches and 1,508 total yards (nine scores). Conner didn’t look like he was slowing down at all, so I don’t see him relinquishing his workhorse role in 2025.
Assuming he can remain healthy again this season, Conner is set to smash. Last year, he was second in missed tackles forced per attempt, 11th in yards after contact per attempt, and sixth in explosive run rate, per Fantasy Points Data. He also retained his passing game excellence, sitting sixth in yards per route run and seventh in receiving yards per game. Conner could be a wonderful value in fantasy football again in 2025.
David Montgomery (RB – DET)
David Montgomery remained the Lions’ early-down hammer and preferred goal-line option last year when healthy. Before he was sidelined in the back half of the 2024 season with a knee injury (Weeks 1-14), he was the RB11 in fantasy points per game, averaging 16.3 touches per game and 83.1 total yards.
Last year, Montgomery ranked 17th in missed tackles forced per attempt and 25th in yards after contact per attempt, per Fantasy Points Data. When healthy, he dominated work inside the 10-yard line with 33 carries to Jahmyr Gibbs’ 16. It’s wonderful to be the goal-line king in an offense that led the NFL in points per game and red-zone scoring opportunities per game last year.
While Ben Johnson’s departure will have an impact on Detroit, this offense should still sit somewhere in the top-five/top-10 scoring offenses in the NFL. Montgomery is best viewed as a solid RB2 with obvious RB1 upside if he continues to spike touchdowns at a ridiculous rate.
Jaylen Waddle (WR – MIA)
Jaylen Waddle’s 2024 season was a huge disappointment, but all hope is not lost. The talent is still there, and Waddle is primed for a big bounce-back season. Last year, in the 14 games he played at least 70% of the snaps, his numbers don’t look amazing, but they were solid as he had a 16.3% target share, 1.79 yards per route run, 53.1 receiving yards per game and 0.092 first downs per route run, per Fantasy Points Data.
If we look at just the numbers he accrued with Tua Tagovailoa under center and Waddle as a full-time player, we get a clearer picture of Waddle’s talent through the context-distorting muck. In that sample of games, Waddle had 2.14 yards per route run, 64.6 receiving yards per game, and 0.114 first downs per route run.
Last year, among wide receivers with at least 200 routes run, those numbers would have ranked 27th, 23rd, and 13th. If Tagovailoa can stay healthy this year, Waddle can revert to the strong WR2 with WR1 upside receiver we have loved in previous seasons (WR21, WR12, WR15).
George Pickens (WR – DAL)
George Pickens has been freed from the horrid quarterback play that he has been saddled with since entering the NFL. There’s no doubt that Dak Prescott will be the best quarterback Pickens has played with during his NFL career. Last year, Pickens finished as the WR35 in fantasy points per game.
Pickens proved he could operate as a number one option, ranking 16th in target share (23.9%), 25th in yards per route run (2.18), ninth in first-read share (32%), and 24th in receiving yards per game (64.3, per Fantasy Points Data). His numbers were even better in Weeks 1-13, before his hamstring injury, when he ranked 18th in separation, eighth in yards per route run (2.53), and 25th in route win rate.
Pickens should enjoy the bump in passing volume as CeeDee Lamb‘s running mate. Last year, Pittsburgh had the fourth-fewest passing attempts, while Dallas had the third-most. Pickens should settle in as a strong WR2 this season, who could easily post a career-best season.
Jerry Jeudy (WR – CLE)
Jerry Jeudy finally had the breakout season we have all been waiting for. Last year, he finished as the WR21 in fantasy points per game while securing 90 of his 144 targets with 1,229 receiving yards. Among 85 qualifying wide receivers, he ranked 14th in receiving yards per game, 33rd in target share, and 45th in yards per route run, per Fantasy Points Data.
The rollercoaster he endured with quarterback play did impact those numbers. In Weeks 8-18, with anyone outside of Deshaun Watson throwing him the ball, he ranked 15th in target share, 20th in yards per route run, and first downs per route run, and second in receiving yards per game behind only Ja’Marr Chase (among 95 qualifying wide receivers). The uneasy quarterback situation in Cleveland is pushing Jeudy down draft boards, but the talent and volume are there for Jeudy to crush expectations again in 2025.
Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN)
Calvin Ridley had to suffer through horrible quarterback play last year en route to a WR36 finish in fantasy points per game. Among 85 qualifying receivers, Ridley finished 78th in catchable target rate.
Ridley finished 31st in target share and receiving yards per game, 32nd in yards per route run, and 33rd in separation and route win rate, per Fantasy Points Data. He was the WR28 in expected fantasy points per game. If Cam Ward can hit the ground running, Ridley could see a big boost in his stat line in 2025. Ridley is a volume-based WR3 who could be a weekly WR2.
Round 7 Targets
Kaleb Johnson (RB – PIT)
The Steelers jettisoned Najee Harris and drafted his replacement as their lead back in the third round of the NFL Draft. Last year, Harris operated in an offense that was fourth in rushing attempts as Harris soaked up 299 touches (10th-most). If we lower those expectations for Kaleb Johnson, even 250 touches would have ranked 21st in the NFL.
Johnson brings a big-play ability that has been lacking over the last 2-3 years. Not only did he rank fifth in breakaway percentage last season, but he was also eighth in yards after contact per attempt and 14th in elusive rating, per PFF. My love for Jaylen Warren hasn’t dissipated, but we have to listen to the Steelers with their move to acquire Johnson’s services.
Warren will likely operate in his usual role while Johnson does the heavy lifting for Arthur Smith’s run-centric offense. Johnson is an RB2/RB3 who could be an RB1 down the stretch in 2025 if he can distance himself further from Warren better than Harris ever could.
Tony Pollard (RB – TEN)
Tony Pollard had a strong 2024 season as the Titans’ workhorse starter. He ranked ninth in snap share, opportunity, and weighted opportunities. Pollard finished as the RB22 in fantasy points per game while ranking 18th in explosive run rate and sixth in yards after contact per attempt, per Fantasy Points Data.
The pitiful nature of the Titans’ offense last year, outside of Pollard, crushed his season. He was only 22nd in red-zone touches and was the RB15 in expected fantasy points per game. If Cam Ward can elevate this offensive ecosystem and Pollard can retain this awesome role, he could finish as a high-end RB2 this season.
Jakobi Meyers (WR – LV)
Jakobi Meyers will reprise his role as Brock Bowers‘ running mate, leading the Raiders’ passing attack. Last year, after the departure of Davante Adams, Meyers was the WR18 in fantasy points per game. During that stretch, among 98 qualifying wide receivers, he ranked 19th in target share (23.5%), 13th in receiving yards per game (75.4), 34th in first downs per route run (0.096), and 11th in first-read share (32.6%, per Fantasy Points Data).
I’m not expecting Meyers to be a consistent WR2 this season again, but it’s not outside of the range of outcomes. He’s best viewed as a strong WR3/Flex with upside.
Ricky Pearsall (WR – SF)
If I were to tell you that there’s a wide receiver entering his second season in one of the best offenses in the NFL, that’s a former first-round NFL draft pick who flashed in the final weeks of his rookie season, that’s dirt cheap in fantasy football drafts… you’d tell me I was insane.
Well, I present to you Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall’s rookie season was derailed early by camp injuries and then off-the-field circumstances that were out of his control. All of these factors delayed Pearsall from flashing his immense talent, but eventually, the cream rose to the top.
In the final two weeks of the regular season, Pearsall finished as the WR7 and WR14 in weekly scoring while seeing a 21.7% target share, a 30.4% first-read share, and producing 2.84 yards per route run, per Fantasy Points Data. Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a torn ACL in 2025, and Deebo Samuel is gone. If Pearsall can establish himself as the 1B in this passing attack behind George Kittle, he’ll crush his fantasy football ADP and help plenty of fantasy players to titles in 2025.