A fantasy football mock draft is the perfect way to test different roster constructions, and in this 12-team full PPR exercise, I decided to experiment with an aggressive running back start. From the 1.02 spot, I opened with Jahmyr Gibbs — bypassing Bijan Robinson — and doubled down by adding Bucky Irving and Chase Brown with my next two picks. The result is a build centered around three potential top-12 fantasy backs, with wide receiver depth coming later in the draft.
This approach isn’t without risk, but it creates upside at every level of the roster. Gibbs has overall RB1 potential if his receiving workload spikes under a new offensive coordinator, Irving looks poised for a breakout as Tampa Bay’s featured back and Brown enters 2025 as Cincinnati’s unquestioned workhorse. From there, I pivoted to proven volume receivers like Courtland Sutton and upside plays such as Ricky Pearsall, while finding value at quarterback with Bo Nix and tight end with Tyler Warren.
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Fantasy Football Mock Draft
Here’s a round-by-round look at how the roster came together, and why I think this build can compete in any PPR format.
1.02 – Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
It seems like Bijan Robinson is the popular pick for overall RB1, but I am going with Jahmyr Gibbs for his immense upside. He will still share backfield duties with David Montgomery, but Gibbs has proven to be a high-end RB1 even when splitting touches. For him to deliver the kind of statistical upside to be the overall RB1, Gibbs would likely need to see a big increase in receptions.
Gibbs has averaged just 52 catches over his first two seasons, but new offensive coordinator John Morton had Gibbs working with the receivers this summer in camp. I am leaning into Gibbs continuing to be the most efficient back in football and his receiving role seeing a significant bump.
2.11 – Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
Oh yes, this is the type of start I love. Pairing Gibbs with Bucky Irving with the first two picks gives this roster a solid foundation. Once Irving became the featured back in Tampa Bay, he was outstanding last year. He finished with over 1,200 yards rushing and added 47 receptions.
If the Buccaneers give him more work in the passing game, Irving has the potential to blossom into a top-eight fantasy running back. With Rachaad White seemingly falling out of favor, it isn’t out of the question that Irving could catch 60-65 passes. Starting out RB-RB on this team also allows me to target wide receivers in the middle rounds, a position where there is a lot of value.
3.02 – Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
Tee Higgins was available, but I decided to try a different construction than I have done so far this year. With a porous defense, the Bengals will need to score points this year, and Chase Brown should be heavily featured once again. Like Bucky Irving, Brown became the featured back midway through the 2024 season and never looked back.
Brown was a major piece of the offense last year, averaging 24 touches over his final eight starts. Brown finished as the RB14 in PPR points per game, and with minimal competition for touches, he should produce low-end RB1 numbers with room for much more.
4.11 – Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
For fantasy, Courtland Sutton emerged as one of the biggest wide receiver values of 2024. He led Denver in every statistical receiving category, catching 81 passes for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns. Bo Nix‘s continued emergence as one of the league’s top quarterbacks will be a big boost to Sutton’s production this year.
The hope here is that he continues to see 8-9 targets per game but is more efficient with those looks. If that happens, Sutton will far exceed his current ADP. While the addition of Evan Engram means his target competition is worth monitoring, Sutton should still be a WR2.
5.02 – Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR)
If I could do this pick over, I would have selected Travis Hunter instead. I think Hunter might end up being the best rookie wide receiver, and he is most certainly in a better offensive environment than Tetairoa McMillan. Be that as it may, this is why we do mock drafts.
All that said, I don’t have any issue with McMillan in the fifth round. He is part of a tier that I like in this range. This is partly why I was comfortable with taking a running back with the first three picks. There are a lot of receivers in the fourth through seventh rounds that are going to outperform their average draft position (ADP).
6.11 – Ricky Pearsall (WR – SF)
The 49ers will be without Brandon Aiyuk for probably the first six games of the season. That, combined with the departure of Deebo Samuel, opens up 15 targets per game. Ricky Pearsall turned in 8-141-1 and 6-69-1 receiving lines in his final two games, and he has looked good in the preseason.
His ADP has climbed because of that, making him a more volatile pick than he was earlier this summer. I still think the 49ers will be one of the better offenses in the league. Without a true No. 1 WR, Pearsall has a chance to turn into that.
7.02 – Bo Nix (QB – DEN)
Like a lot of people, I was not high on Bo Nix coming into his rookie season. I didn’t think his skill set would translate to an NFL offense, but obviously, I missed the mark. Nix is the perfect quarterback for Sean Payton’s system, and the runout for him to be a mid-level QB1 isn’t difficult to envision.
Despite a terrible start to the season, where he didn’t eclipse 250 yards passing through his first seven games, Nix finished with over 3,700 yards passing. He also finished with 34 total touchdowns (including seven rushing). Assuming he starts 2025 as well as he finished 2024, Nix is being undervalued in drafts.
8.11 – Tyler Warren (TE – IND)
I don’t mind waiting on tight end, especially when Tyler Warren is going roughly 30 picks later than Travis Kelce. The range of outcomes between the two is probably more similar than that. The Colts don’t have a great situation at quarterback, but unlike most other tight ends in this range, Warren could be a top-five player at the position.
Warren will be fed touches this year, and while he may get there in an unconventional manner, he will outperform at least four tight ends going ahead of him.
9.02 Cooper Kupp (WR – SEA)
Can Cooper Kupp return to his old form? Probably not, but as the WR4 on this roster, I am willing to see if he can’t get close. Kupp still brings good size, strong hands and refined route-running to beat man coverage. Trouble is, he’s lost the burst and acceleration that once separated him from defenders.
Health will be important, but over a seven-game stretch last season, Kupp averaged over nine targets and 18 PPR points per game. The Seahawks will be run-heavy, but with only Jaxon Smith-Njigba to challenge him for targets, he could return WR3 value.
10.11 – Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)
This is an upside pick, but one with sound reasoning behind it. New Jacksonville coach Liam Coen spent a fourth-round NFL Draft pick on Bhayshul Tuten and has no ties to either running back on the roster ahead of him; Travis Etienne is a trade candidate, while Tank Bigsby is a between-the-tackles grinder.
Could Tuten be the Bucky Irving of 2025? It’s possible, although that is probably asking a bit much. The hope is that he ends up being the starter for the latter half of the season, producing RB2 value. His 4.32 speed will be put to good use, and I expect Jacksonville to take a huge leap forward offensively. In the 10th round, he is well worth the swing.
11.02 – Darnell Mooney (WR – ATL)
I have been getting Darnell Mooney pretty consistently in this range all summer. In home leagues, you may need to go a round or two higher than this, but anything after pick 100 seems reasonable. In his first year with the Falcons, Mooney posted 64 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns on 106 targets.
Mooney’s only full game with rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. came in Week 16 against the Giants, when he caught five passes for 82 yards on six targets. Serving as Atlanta’s No. 2 receiver, Mooney provided the offense with a consistent vertical threat and helped stretch defenses, something that meshes well with Penix’s ability to push the ball downfield.
12.11 – Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – NYG)
Wan’Dale Robinson is viable in PPR leagues, but his relevancy will depend on a few variables. Robinson thrives on volume, seeing 140 targets last season. The issue is the efficiency of those targets, as he failed to go over 700 yards on the season despite 93 catches.
Part of the problem was the wretched quarterback play in New York, something that should improve in 2025. If Robinson can hold down the slot receiver role and see even a modest bump to his average depth of target (aDOT), he will make for a reasonable WR4/WR5 in PPR leagues.
13.02 – Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL)
This is purely a speculative pick, but Tyler Allgeier is one of the better handcuffs in fantasy. He doesn’t have much of a pass-catching role, but in deeper leagues, he has some standalone Flex value. Allgeier would not replace the production of Bijan Robinson (for real life or fantasy), but he would be a serviceable RB2.
14.11 – Jake Bates (K – DET)
I don’t typically draft kickers, but for the sake of this article, I did. Normally, I would rather fill my bench with upside lottery tickets as opposed to kickers. If I am going to draft a kicker, I want to target one that plays mostly indoors and is on a high-scoring offense. Jake Bates checks both of those boxes.
15.02 – Woody Marks (RB – HOU)
I listened to an Establish The Run podcast this week that turned me onto Woody Marks, and I have been targeting him with my last pick ever since. The Texans traded a 2026 third-round pick to move into the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select him, taking him over Jaydon Blue, Dylan Sampson and DJ Giddens.
Is there something to that? I think there is. If Nick Chubb‘s knees are all that stands between Marks and 15 touches per game, I am willing to roster him for a few weeks to see if I can get something of value.
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Jason Kamlowsky is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @JasonKamlowsky.
