Today is a day that ends in y, which means it’s a great day to fire up a fantasy football mock draft using FantasyPros’ Draft Wizard. I’ll be doing a half-PPR mock draft (the superior format), picking as the final of 12 teams. Roster settings for this mock will be 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WR, 1-TE, 1-Flex and six bench slots.
I’ll also be mixing things up for this mock draft by drafting against consensus average draft position (ADP) instead of FantasyPros’ expert consensus rankings (ECR). I recommend making this switch if you’re preparing for a more casual league; ADP is a more accurate predictor of these leagues than ECR, even if it isn’t quite as sharp. With all that out of the way, click here if you would like to see the full draft board, and read on for my breakdowns of each pick (or pair of picks).
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Mock Draft
1.12/2.01: Nico Collins (WR – HOU) & De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
First things first, I am going to be grouping each pair of back-to-back picks. Each time I was on the clock, I decided on both players I wanted before selecting either, and I only randomly chose who I technically selected first. With that in mind, it doesn’t make sense to separate them (and by the way, you should always use this approach when faced with back-to-back picks).
With that said, this first pair of picks was pretty easy. Especially drafting against fantasy football ADP, which tends to be more running back-heavy than expert rankings, I knew I wanted to select at least one running back at this turn. But Nico Collins, an elite talent with legitimate WR1 overall upside, was the clear top player on my board.
That meant the only real decision here was whether I wanted to take De’Von Achane or Derrick Henry as my RB1 to pair with Collins. And, although I love King Henry, it’s hard to bank on a 31-year-old non-pass-catcher in any kind of PPR format. Achane, meanwhile, has shown he can provide elite fantasy numbers with either elite rushing efficiency (which he did as a rookie) or absurd receiving volume (which he did last year).
3.12/4.01: Davante Adams (WR – LAR) & Omarion Hampton (RB – LAC)
This was another relatively easy decision, as I didn’t have to think much before grabbing these two new residents of the City of Angels. I don’t know if the ADP I drafted against included a dip in Davante Adams’ value in response to Matthew Stafford‘s current injury situation, but I am happy to scoop that value if so.
Adams would be more impacted by Stafford missing time than Puka Nacua. As of now, I don’t think Stafford will miss time. That leaves Adams as the clear No. 2 WR on an efficient Sean McVay offense that targets receivers more than any other team in the league.
As for Omarion Hampton, he was already an excellent bet as a first-round rookie with a three-down skill set. But now things are only getting better for him as it looks less and less likely that Najee Harris will be ready in time for Week 1. If that is the case, we don’t have to worry about Hampton starting slowly in his NFL debut. Taking him over established vets like Alvin Kamara feels risky now, but it could very easily be a no-brainer just a few weeks into the season.
5.12/6.01: Tony Pollard (RB – TEN) & Xavier Worthy (WR – KC)
At the round five/round six turn, I decided to go with one running back and one wide receiver for my third straight pair of picks. The only time this was intentional was with my first two picks, but I’m not mad that it turned out this way. I often like to have a running back in my Flex in half-PPR, and this league had three starting receiver spots. With three backs and three receivers, I’ve filled out my core positions through six rounds.
As for the players in particular, Xavier Worthy is one of my favorite receivers this year. A 22-year-old former first-rounder heading into his second year with Patrick Mahomes would already be an exciting breakout bet. Add in that he exploded to finish his rookie year and should start the season as the Chiefs’ No. 1 WR with Rashee Rice suspended, and there’s very little not to like.
Unlike Worthy, Tony Pollard isn’t someone I’ve been targeting all offseason. But I moved him way up my fantasy football rankings after Tyjae Spears suffered a high-ankle sprain that will cause him to miss at least the rest of the preseason. Those injuries linger, and Pollard averaged 17.8 expected half-PPR points per game in five weeks without his backfield mate last year. Especially if the Titans’ offense levels up with Cam Ward under center, the veteran back could dominate as long as Spears is limited.
7.12/8.01: Jauan Jennings (WR – SF) & Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)
I’m straight back to playing the hits with this turn, as Jauan Jennings and Mark Andrews are two more players I love this season. Jennings is currently dealing with a calf issue, but that injury likely wouldn’t be an issue if not for his current contract dispute. I expect him to be ready in time for Week 1 to pick up where he left off as the No. 1 WR in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Andrews is another beneficiary of one of the many injuries cropping up around the league. Fellow tight end Isaiah Likely just had surgery on a fracture in his foot. In the one game Likely missed last season, Andrews posted an 86% route share, far above his 60% season average. In that role, Andrews could return to his days as a truly elite fantasy tight end. I liked his chances for a bounceback even before Likely went down.
9.12/10.01: Justin Fields (QB – NYJ) & Jerome Ford (RB – CLE)
The fantasy football community has gotten much better at properly valuing quarterback rushing production. But for some reason, that doesn’t seem to extend to Justin Fields and his QB12 ADP. Say what you will about his abilities as an NFL quarterback, but Fields has an excellent skill set for racking up those sweet, sweet fantasy points. Even last year, playing on a hyper-conservative Steelers offense, he was the QB6 with 19.1 points per game after his sixth and final start of the season. I will happily grab him as one of the final QB1s off the board in every draft where I have that option.
As for Jerome Ford, you could argue that selecting him here was a bit of a reach. He is ranked well behind this in both ADP and ECR. But it is looking more and more likely that Ford will be the Browns’ starting running back. The season is just three weeks away, and Quinshon Judkins doesn’t seem remotely close to signing. Dylan Sampson will be involved, but the fourth-round rookie is clearly behind Ford (who was quietly efficient last season) in the pecking order. Ford is still a low-ceiling player, as the Browns’ offense is set to be unexciting, to be polite. But I’m not going to look too hard at the gift horse of a potential starting running back in the 10th round.
11.12/12.01: Luther Burden III (WR – CHI) & Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL)
If drafting Jerome Ford was settling for an infield single, I swung for the fences with my next pick. Luther Burden’s path to targets is murky on a crowded Bears offense; there’s a real chance his role is too small to provide any fantasy value. But he was an exciting prospect and received solid second-round draft capital.
We know from history that highly drafted rookie receivers are some of the best possible upside bets late in fantasy drafts. It might take a while (and an injury or two) for Burden to become a usable fantasy asset, but I won’t need him to start right away as my WR5 and 10th Flex-eligible player.
As for Tyler Allgeier, I don’t have anything groundbreaking to say. He is a pure handcuff, one of the best in the league. For what it’s worth, I think he would start on plenty of teams around the NFL, and I am always happy to add him to my roster near the end of a draft.
13.12/14.01: Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI) & Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WSH)
After a relatively smooth draft, Dallas Goedert was the pick I agonized over the most (as much as one can agonize over a 13th-round pick in a mock draft). I normally don’t like drafting a backup tight end when I already have a top-six option. But I simply couldn’t pass on Goedert this late in the draft.
If we remove Goedert’s injury-shortened Week 7, he averaged 9.4 half-PPR points per game in 2024. That would have ranked him as the TE6 for the season; that was on an Eagles offense that hardly threw the ball. He also has proven contingent upside if either DeVonta Smith or A.J. Brown misses time. He might end up redundant if Mark Andrews starts strong, but I can easily move on from my second-to-last pick if that is the case.
The great thing about drafting at this stage of the year is that you can often snag value players on their way up draft boards. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is exactly one of those players. He is still a seventh-round rookie, so there’s a real chance he never turns into anything. But he’s behind two uninspiring veterans in Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler and has generated tons of hype in camp. He also missed all but one of the games in his final college season due to a weird eligibility issue, so there’s a chance his true talent is higher than that of a traditional seventh-rounder. Even putting that aside, there’s zero risk and plenty of upside in taking him with my final pick of the draft.
Final Thoughts
The theme of this draft was choosing when (and when not) to react to preseason news. With players like Jennings and Adams, I faded potential injury concerns. But with Hampton, Ford, Andrews, Pollard, Worthy and Croskey-Merritt, I’m buying the hype. More specifically, I like the opportunity all of these players are set to see early in the season as their teammates are injured, suspended, or not even technically teammates because they haven’t signed a rookie contract yet.
Yes, production late in the year and in the fantasy playoffs is always more valuable than early-season production. But the NFL season is short, and inertia is a real thing. Especially for some of these younger players, getting a larger-than-expected workload early on could kickstart a breakout that lasts for the whole season. Plus, starting hot can put you in a position of power in your fantasy league, with the ability to make roster moves looking toward the playoffs instead of clawing for every win.
Add in two absolute studs at the start, thanks to picking at the loaded round one/round two turn, and this team is looking very exciting. Fields as my QB1 with no backup does stand out as a potential weakness, but I made sure to watch the quarterbacks left in the last few rounds. If Fields falters, there are some intriguing names on the waiver wire, from another potential dual-threat stud in Anthony Richardson to safer bets that still have plenty of upside like Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa.
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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.
