FantasyPros Staff | Fri, Aug 29th 2025, 3:11am EDT

Fantasy Football Last-Minute Draft Advice (2025)

We’ve made it through the preseason. Next stop: Real football. FantasyPros analysts Mike Maher, Derek Brown, Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice conclude a series of preseason roundtables by discussing last-minute advice for fantasy drafters.

Fantasy Football Roundtable: Last-Minute Fantasy Football Draft Advice

Here’s a chance to offer some final words to fantasy managers who have drafts in the coming days. Which one player do you most want to urge them to draft, and why? Which one player do you most want to urge them not to draft, and why?

Draft Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR) & Avoid Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE)

Derek Brown: Tetairoa McMillan is the bet I’m making to be one of the players who will define the fantasy football season. He has the talent and opportunity to be this year’s Malik Nabers.

The vibes have been pretty bad around Judkins for weeks. He missed camp with off-the-field issues and remains without an NFL contract. Judkins was an interesting pick earlier this offseason before all of this surfaced, and he looked like a strong bet for volume on a bad offense.

With all of these precious camp reps missed, Judkins could be stuck in a three-way committee backfield in Cleveland even when he does finally suit up. At his cost in drafts, that’s not someone I’m interested in. The upside doesn’t justify the risk.

Draft Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA) & Avoid Trey McBride (TE – ARI)

Pat Fitzmaurice: Draft Zach Charbonnet in the eighth round. The Seattle running game is going to be much improved this year under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Charbonnet is a good pass-catcher, too. He’ll have Flex value right away and will absolutely smash if Kenneth Walker III (not the most durable fellow in the league) were to miss time.

Don’t draft Trey McBride. The Cardinals must get receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. going, and a Harrison breakout season would likely mean a statistical haircut for McBride. Plus, McBride’s touchdown allergy dates back seven years to his freshman year at Colorado State. Bypass McBride in the late second or early third round and draft Omarion Hampton instead.

Draft: J.J. McCarthy (QB – MIN) & Avoid: Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)

Mike Maher: Whether it be as a high-upside QB2 or your QB1 in a late-round quarterback strategy, J.J. McCarthy is going so late in drafts that he is essentially free. But we all saw the season Sam Darnold had last year in this offense, and folks, McCarthy is going to be a lot better than Darnold.

McCarthy has some rushing upside to boot. He’s currently QB20 in FantasyPros ECR, and that is just too low. Either double-tap quarterback with McCarthy as your QB2, or punt the position entirely until you start getting closer to his ADP and then snatch up the value.

Don’t draft Breece Hall. There is too much smoke coming out of New Jersey right now about Braelon Allen having a bigger role. Justin Fields should open things up for that running game, but even in a best-case scenario, Hall is sharing touches with Allen and losing red-zone touches to both Allen and Fields. Hall’s price is too expensive for those question marks.

Draft: Drake London (WR – ATL) & Avoid: Joe Mixon (RB – HOU)

Andrew Erickson: Drake London is the best click in round two and a dark horse to be the overall fantasy WR1 this season.

It seems obvious, but don’t draft Joe Mixon. Don’t fall for the “value” he might seem to be. He’s just going to burn a hole in your roster and be underwhelming even if he actually comes back. Friends don’t let friends draft Joe Mixon.

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