One of the most common pieces of fantasy football advice on the internet is “know your league settings.” This is for good reason, as even seemingly small changes can make a huge impact in how you should approach a given league’s draft. Today, I’m focusing on one of those changes in particular: League size. The default size around the industry is 12 teams, but plenty of fantasy players play in 10- or even eight-team formats. And, although just adding two teams may not sound like much, a 14-team league is a wildly different beast. Drafting in 14-team (or larger) leagues requires a different approach. If you’re in a 14-team league for the first time this year (or even if you’re a large-league veteran), my number one recommendation is to test out a few different strategies in mock drafts. Of course, 14-team mock drafts against competent opponents can be hard to come by. That’s where the FantasyPros’ fantasy football mock draft simulator, the Draft Wizard, comes into play. Let’s dive into a few of my favorite fantasy football draft picks from a recent mock draft.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Draft Picks to Target
Matthew Golden (WR – GB)
If he were a different prospect, Matthew Golden’s ADP would be multiple rounds higher. He was selected in the first round by a team with no clear No. 1 WR, and has received nothing but rave reviews since arriving in Green Bay.
I’m not saying we should throw out Golden’s prospect profile, which had a few red flags, entirely. But I will absolutely happily grab him as my WR5 in a 14-team league. Highly drafted rookie receivers are consistently some of the best targets for finding late-draft upside, and Golden fits that bill perfectly.
Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)
I was already higher than consensus on Mark Andrews, as he finished 2024 strong after a weird (potentially injury-related) slow start to the season. This season, Andrews doesn’t have a preseason injury. But now his biggest competition does, as Isaiah Likely just underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot.
I’m not expecting Andrews to return to his elite past self. But he is only 29 years old and finished 2024 fourth among all tight ends in PFF receiving grade. That he is consistently available as a back-half TE1 could end up looking like an obvious mistake by the end of the season.
Dylan Sampson (RB – CLE)
Any roster in a league this deep is always going to have some weaknesses. For this team, my obvious weakness is at RB3, as I haven’t selected a back since Omarion Hampton back in the third round. But for waiting this long, Dylan Sampson is a very intriguing player to grab.
The season is essentially a month away, and Quinshon Judkins doesn’t seem particularly close to resolving his arrest for domestic violence and returning to serve as the Browns’ No. 1 RB. If Judkins remains absent, Sampson will likely start the season behind Jerome Ford. But he will also have a very real non-injury-related path to becoming an NFL team’s top back, which can’t be said about many 10th-round picks.
Justice Hill (RB – BAL)
While I do like Dylan Sampson’s upside, there’s also a chance that Quinshon Judkins returns (or Jerome Ford holds him off) and he finds himself an irrelevant fantasy option. With that in mind, this team still needs a backup running back who can be started in a pinch.
Enter Justice Hill. Hill isn’t the kind of player I would target in a smaller league, as he doesn’t have league-winning upside. Even if Derrick Henry were sidelined, his pass-catching role likely wouldn’t change much. But that role was enough for him to average 8.9 PPR points in his healthy games last season. That’s not much, but it could be just what this roster needs if Christian McCaffrey or Omarion Hampton are ever unavailable.
Will Shipley (RB – PHI)
After attempting to bunt for a single with Justice Hill, let’s go right back to swinging for the fences. Will Shipley isn’t locked in as the Eagles’ No. 2 RB, and he needs Saquon Barkley to be sidelined to be at all viable. But the sophomore will almost certainly be a league-winner if Barkley is absent for an extended period and he can claim the lead role in the Eagles’ backfield. The situation in Philadelphia is near-perfect for running back fantasy success.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WAS)
Yes, Jacory Croskey-Merritt was the 245th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There’s a real chance he isn’t active on game days, let alone worth playing in fantasy. But buzz is starting to build around his performances in Washington’s training camp.
This is the time of year when it’s easy to fall prey to preseason hype trains that amount to nothing, but the risk here in the final round is essentially zero. Brian Robinson Jr. is by no means unassailable as Washington’s No. 1 RB. It’s not out of the question that the rookie eventually forces his way not just onto the field, but also up the depth chart.
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Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.
