We have a full slate of preseason games this week, and the heart of fantasy football draft season is just ahead. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and begin our draft prep in earnest.
FantasyPros analysts Derek Brown, Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice continue a series of preseason roundtables by discussing some of the rookies drawing training camp buzz, players they’re nervous about getting wrong and quarterback strategy.
You can find the first article in our roundtable series here.
Fantasy Football Roundtable
Of all the rookies drawing training-camp buzz, who are you much more interested in drafting now than you were a few weeks ago?
Andrew Erickson: Jacory Croskey-Merritt (aka “Bill”), a seventh-round rookie running back for the Washington Commanders, has been generating a ton of hype out of training camp, confirming what I saw from him during the pre-draft process.
Corskey-Merritt fell to the seventh round because he barely played last season (one game because of eligibility concerns), not because of talent. In 2023, Croskey-Merritt recorded more than 1,200 total yards and scored 18 touchdowns at New Mexico (with a 33% dominator rating) as Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) fourth-highest graded running back.
Meanwhile, incumbent Brian Robinson Jr. is just an average, replaceable back on an expiring deal. Robinson was a bottom-five running back in efficiency over his final 11 games of 2024. Croskey-Merritt might take that No. 1 RB job sooner than you think.
Derek Brown: I was never anti-Dont’e Thornton, but now I’m much more interested in taking the plunge in the final round of my drafts than I was previously. The athletic makeup and big-play potential are there, especially when you look at the pairing with quarterback Geno Smith.
While Thornton likely won’t be a high-end target share earner, he’ll have plenty of spike weeks, which can put you over the top at a Flex spot since he’s paired with Smith, who last year ranked first in catchable target rate and sixth in highly accurate throw rate on downfield targets, per Fantasy Points Data.
Pat Fitzmaurice: It was easy to like Emeka Egbuka as a prospect coming out of Ohio State, and it was attention-grabbing that the Buccaneers spent a first-round pick on him despite already having Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan in their wide receiver room. The question was whether Egbuka could earn enough targets to be a useful fantasy asset in Year 1.
Egbuka has drawn raves for his performance in training camp — including, notably, from Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. With Godwin reportedly behind schedule in his recovery from a dislocated ankle, Egbuka might have a chance to make fantasy-relevant contributions immediately.
Name a player you’re bullish on for 2025 but also harbor some doubts about. Who do you like that has you most concerned that you’re making the wrong call?
Pat Fitzmaurice: I’ve got Malik Nabers sitting atop Tier 2 at wide receiver — a tier that also includes Puka Nacua, Brian Thomas Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, Nico Collins and Drake London — and I’ve already taken Nabers in the first round of a couple of drafts.
But I’m nervous about Nabers’ lingering toe issue. Might the Giants shut him down early (right around the fantasy playoffs, perhaps) if their season is a lost cause? I’m also nervous that a midseason/late-season Jaxson Dart audition could bode ill for Nabers’ production.
Andrew Erickson: Keon Coleman has been stacking strong training camp practices and looks poised to make a leap in 2025. However, the Bills have a crowded receiver room and live or die by the mantra “everybody eats.”
I want to bet on Coleman’s profile — second-year wide receiver, attached to an elite quarterback, strong efficiency before the injury last season, red-zone upside — but I fully acknowledge it could be another Bills pass-catcher who breaks out (Khalil Shakir, Josh Palmer, Dalton Kincaid, Elijah Moore, etc.).
Derek Brown: Kaleb Johnson’s recent struggles in camp with pass protection have raised some worries for him down deep in my soul. I expected Pittsburgh to operate with a committee backfield, but I thought Johnson would get some run on passing downs as he gained the trust of Aaron Rodgers.
If Johnson continues to struggle in this area, he could be limited to early downs only and be much more game-script sensitive. With the Steelers’ strong defense, Johnson will still have plenty of opportunities to rack up volume, but it could make him more volatile week to week as an RB2/RB3 rather than a strong weekly RB2 option.
Name a player you’re down on for 2025, but nervous you’re making the wrong call.
Derek Brown: With Rashee Rice to miss an undetermined amount of time this season because of an impending suspension, Xavier Worthy could be leaned on more heavily, especially in the early going, while Rice is out. With Marquise Brown‘s health always up in the air, Patrick Mahomes‘ trusted weekly weapons could be condensed to Worthy and Travis Kelce.
I’m usually all in with talented sophomore wide receivers in fantasy, but Worthy’s usage, Mahomes’ deep-ball struggles and Worthy’s uninspiring peripheral metrics from last year (for much of the season) have kept me lukewarm, at best. I’m currently still fading Worthy, but I’m willing to consider the possibility I could be wrong about him and his 2025 outlook.
Pat Fitzmaurice: Jets head coach Aaron Glenn won’t stop talking about wanting to use multiple running backs, and Braelon Allen is reportedly having a strong camp. I also worry that Breece Hall might not have as much pass-catching upside as he’s shown us in recent years, since quarterback Justin Fields has averaged only 25.1 pass attempts over 44 career starts.
But I hate fading good players, and I still believe Hall is among the most talented running backs in the league.
Andrew Erickson: I’m not necessarily down on Breece Hall — my ranking of him is aligned with expert consensus rankings (ECR)/average draft position (ADP) — but I can’t make up my mind about him.
On one hand, I want to bet on an explosive pass-catching running back entering a contract year. On the other hand, the Braelon Allen hype is impossible to ignore, and the fact that there is zero allegiance to Hall under this new coaching staff makes him seem extremely boom-or-bust.
I always advocate for upside, so I am hesitant to fade Hall, but this feels like a make-or-break year for Hall and his fantasy managers.
I also want to mention Deebo Samuel here briefly. I was fading him hard, but the Terry McLaurin holdout/trade request is forcing me to move up the former 49ers receiver. I still don’t love him long-term after his dramatic fall-off last season, which makes me think he’ll be a sell-high player if he gets off to a hot start.
What is your quarterback strategy in 1-QB drafts, and which one or two quarterbacks do you expect to draft most often?
Patience Pays
Andrew Erickson: I’m waiting at quarterback. There is a gargantuan tier of quarterbacks from QB8 to QB20 where you can find starters with rushing upside. My top targets are Justin Fields and Drake Maye (my QB7 and QB12, respectively).
Healthy Ecosystems
Derek Brown: In 1-QB formats, I’ll happily wait and draft both J.J. McCarthy and Dak Prescott. Each has the talent, supporting cast and projectable passing volume to be a top-10 fantasy quarterback (if not higher) this season.
Maye Day
Pat Fitzmaurice: Although I understand the appeal of drafting an elite quarterback, I’d rather lay the cornerstones of my roster at wide receiver and running back in the early rounds and wait to address the quarterback position.
Drake Maye is my preferred target. His ECR is QB16, but I think Maye’s rushing potential is immense, and I have him ranked inside the top 10 at the position. Brock Purdy, Jordan Love and J.J. McCarthy also look like solid values.
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