NFL preseason games are over, drafts are happening constantly and average draft position (ADP) is moving daily. If you’re picking at the 1.09 or perhaps want to do some research into what your opponent might do at that spot, this is the article for you.
This series will give you an overview of what you can expect to see, no matter which first-round pick you draw. In what feels like a very strong first round, nailing your picks will be more important than ever.
- Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2025 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Let’s dive into our approach for the fantasy football 1.09 pick for upcoming drafts. We look into the players likely to be available, those to target/avoid and a mock draft from the pick to help you prepare for your fantasy football draft. All ADP is taken from our new Real-Time ADP tool, so we can be sure to show you exactly what is actually happening.
Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Pick 1.09
Players to Consider at 1.09 Fantasy Football Draft Pick
Here are players likely to be available when you make your selection:
- Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
- Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
- Derrick Henry (RB – BAL)
- Nico Collins (WR – HOU)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)
Players to Target at 1.09 Fantasy Football Draft Pick
We’re edging into the back end of drafts, and the great news this year is that it means you’ll almost certainly walk away with two quality players in the first two rounds. Unfortunately, it does mean that you’ll miss out on the highest tier of players, but there are plenty of attractive options that aren’t far behind.
Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
This comes down to risk tolerance, and for some, spending a first-round pick on a 29-year-old running back who has only played over 11 games once in the last four years might be a stretch too far. When healthy, Christian McCaffrey is as good as anyone in this league and has won people fantasy championships plenty of times over, but the injury record is cause for concern.
According to reports, McCaffrey took part in everything at organized team activities (OTAs), including some drills most veterans sat out, indicating he’s over his Achilles issues he suffered through in 2024. If he is healthy, then it’s hard to fade an elite pass-catcher and game-breaking talent.
Isaac Guerendo also impressed last year, to the point that the 49ers were willing to trade Jordan Mason to the Vikings. Guerendo averaged 16.3 PPR points in the games where he saw double-digit touches, and he could also be in for an increased role in 2025. Even if it’s not Guerendo, Brian Robinson Jr. offers another path to fewer touches for McCaffrey after the 49ers acquired him via trade. While that could be viewed as a negative, if it helps keep McCaffrey healthy for longer, it could be good news.
Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
One of the true bright spots of 2024 fantasy football was Malik Nabers, who broke Puka Nacua’s record for rookie receptions with 109. If it weren’t for Brock Bowers getting to 112, he might be talked up even further.
The argument against drafting Nabers last year was his poor quarterback situation, and while it isn’t exactly perfect this year, Nabers showed enough to assuage any doubts. Current reports suggest it’s a true battle between Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart for the QB1 job, with Jameis Winston a distant third choice.
Any of those options could be better than last year’s quadrant of poor options. Among quarterbacks with 50+ dropbacks, Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle all ranked in the bottom 20% of yards per attempt (YPA), and only DeVito ranked above 40th in quarterback rating (33rd).
Wilson ranked 16th in quarterback rating and 18th in YPA, while the Giants believed in Dart enough to spend a first-round pick on him. Nabers continues to have minimal competition around him, with Wan’Dale Robinson the most noteworthy. Nabers should be set for another top-10 positional finish, having finished as the fantasy WR6 in 2024.
Nico Collins (WR – HOU)
Since the start of the 2023 season, Nico Collins has led all wide receivers in yards per route run versus man coverage, and his journey from zero to hero has been truly impressive. There are still reasons to doubt his ability to crack the top of the wide receiver chart, but he’s an interesting upside swing at this point in the draft.
Collins is the clear alpha in an offense featuring two new rookie receivers, the often-injured Christian Kirk and Tank Dell, who potentially could miss the entire season. According to FantasyPoints.com, Collins is the only wide receiver to have ranked inside of the top 10 in yards per route run versus zone and man coverage in back-to-back years.
In Weeks 1-5 last season, Collins was the WR2 overall, averaging 21.6 points per game before missing time with a hamstring injury. The injury history might be enough to put some people off, but one thing we’ve learned in fantasy football is that you’re injury prone until you’re not, and that presents an opportunity.
Derrick Henry (RB – BAL)
A month ago, Derrick Henry’s ADP wasn’t this high, but with more drafts happening, his ADP has begun to climb. Henry is coming off 1,953 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024, but he is 31 and has the lowest target share of any running back in the top two rounds (4.4%).
Henry is an excellent talent, and your decision likely comes down to how running back-heavy your league is. If you’d rather not be left behind at the position, Henry is fine, but there are good running backs available in round two you could pair with a wide receiver in this range.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)
One of the more divisive picks of the first round is Amon-Ra St. Brown, who some people view as potentially in trouble due to the emergence of Jameson Williams, as well as a healthy offseason for Sam LaPorta.
However, St. Brown has seen 140+ targets in each of the last three seasons, as well as seeing his touchdowns have increased each year in the league to a career-high 12 in 2024. In the coming days, we’ll have more of an idea how much of an issue St. Brown’s offseason knee surgery truly is. If he’s out there practicing fully, he could be liable for a price increase.
In full PPR formats, St. Brown will be an easier click than in half-PPR leagues. Ultimately, how much should you worry about a receiver who has finished as the WR3 in total points for the last two seasons?
Players to Avoid at 1.09 Fantasy Football Draft Pick
Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
A few weeks ago, Puka Nacua wasn’t falling to this range, but then a few weeks ago, we hadn’t lived through the point in time when some Rams fans questioned if Matthew Stafford was still alive. It’s true. There’s a very weird corner of the internet out there full of Weekend at Bernie’s memes.
The Rams have put a large chunk of their faith in Nacua after moving on from Cooper Kupp. Davante Adams should help alleviate some of the pressure from Nacua, with him ranking 58th in ESPN’s open score metric, compared to Kupp, who ranked 108th out of 116 qualifying receivers. Nacua has averaged 6.6 receptions per game over his two seasons and consistently delivered.
The only area Nacua could improve is touchdowns, with nine combined across two seasons, which, in truth, is a pretty big deal. Stafford has practiced in full for two consecutive days, but it remains to be seen how effective he can be, and as Christian McCaffrey drafters from 2024 will tell you, spending a first-round pick on a player with an injury situation hanging over them isn’t much fun. It might be unfair to put that on Nacua, but it’s also worth remembering his starting quarterback will be Jimmy Garoppolo if Stafford isn’t healthy.
Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAX)
A true league-winner in 2024 and available in the mid-rounds after coming up big down the stretch, Brian Thomas Jr. heads into his sophomore season with a new head coach in Liam Coen, who was one of the most desired offensive minds this offseason.
The trouble for Thomas is that his 10 touchdowns did carry his fantasy points at times, and touchdowns year to year aren’t always sticky, particularly with a new offensive scheme. While people are divided on Travis Hunter‘s fantasy outlook, it’s fair to say that even 60% of the offensive snaps for Hunter would represent a significant upgrade on the target competition Thomas had in 2024.
Make no mistake, Thomas belongs in the top 15 picks, but not quite as high as some of the wide receivers before him.
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
After Jonnu Smith was traded to the Steelers, De’Von Achane started to creep higher in drafts, and he seemed to be gaining popularity, but then he injured his calf, and things began to cool somewhat.
After a prolific first season in efficiency metrics but lacking in volume, Achane took it up a step in 2024 despite the Dolphins being a miserable mess. Achane led all running backs with 78 catches, while also leading the position with 591 receiving yards and tying with Rachaad White in receiving touchdowns (six apiece).
Achane had 70% of the Dolphins’ carries inside the 5-yard line, a higher number than Bijan Robinson. His only downside was a lack of touches. If Achane can recover in time for the season and not deal with any hangovers from the calf injury, he could be a league winner, but that’s a big if for your first-round pick.
Roster Constructions to Consider at 1.09 Fantasy Football Draft Pick
The 1.09 opens up many roster construction possibilities, but it will largely come down to how you start your draft for how you want to proceed. If you take Nico Collins, there will still be top running backs available when the draft board makes it back to you — players like Bucky Irving and De’Von Achane — and you’ll have access to the top-end quarterbacks and tight ends.
If you go running back to start the draft, the receivers who make it back are a little less appealing, with Drake London and A.J. Brown both having enough doubt about them to stop them from being first-round talents. Because of this, you might find it easier to go with a Hero RB build and draft your RB1 in the first or second round. If you lean into a Dual RB build, it can become much harder to build a nice wide receiver room.
Fantasy Football Mock Draft From the 1.09 Pick
We used our FREE fantasy football mock draft simulator to show you an example of a draft from the 1.09 position. You can sync your league for free and mock draft against your fantasy football league settings to prepare more specifically for your draft.
Here’s how our fantasy football mock draft from the 1.09 position turned out:
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