8 Fantasy Football League Winners: Top Picks of 2025

The 2025 fantasy football season is over, so it’s time to reflect on where the league-winning picks came from. There were plenty of late-round running back average draft position (ADP) values this year, but that’s not to downplay how incredible some of the wide receivers were. Come September, it’s fair to say these players might be drafted in a drastically different area than where they were in 2025. Here are a few of the top fantasy football league winners of 2025.

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Best Fantasy Football Draft Picks of 2025

Round 8: Javonte Williams (RB – DAL)

Another running back people left for dead was Javonte Williams, drafted as the RB35, with people thinking Jaydon Blue and Miles Sanders would take work away from him. Sanders averaged five rush attempts per game before getting injured in Week 4 and missing the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Blue was often a healthy scratch and didn’t reach double-digit PPR points across the whole fantasy regular season, finishing with eight total PPR points from Weeks 1-17. Williams had the eighth-highest success rate among running backs and finished with career highs in attempts, rushing yards, touchdowns and longest career rush. He’s been healthy for two straight seasons and should be a good draft pick in 2026, depending on where he lands in free agency.

Round 7: Chris Olave (WR – NO)

Let’s talk about a league-winner. Chris Olave was exactly that this year. Not only was he a great value pick, being drafted as the WR35 and finishing as the WR7 in PPR points per game, but he also put together his best performances right when fantasy managers needed it.

Olave scored 20.50 points in Week 15, finishing as the WR9, then 36.8 in Week 16, which got him to WR2 and he again finished as the WR2 in Week 17 with 25.9 points. Olave finished with career highs in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns, in an incredible first season with Kellen Moore in charge.

Round 6: Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAX)

Liam Coen rejuvenated the Jaguars’ running game and Travis Etienne. Etienne has long been a half-season warrior, struggling for consistency across a whole season, but kept it together this season.

Etienne finished as the RB10 in total points while leading the Jaguars in receiving touchdowns across the fantasy season. Etienne is a free agent this offseason, but given his relationship with Trevor Lawrence all the way back to college, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Jaguars try to keep him around.

Round 5: George Pickens (WR – DAL)

Another free agent this offseason is George Pickens, who absolutely made some money this season. Coming out of Pittsburgh, plenty of people wondered if he could put it all together, and he emphatically answered the call.

Pickens was tied with Ja’Marr Chase for the fourth-most fantasy points per game and had the third-most receiving yards. Regardless of whether Pickens lands back with the Cowboys or somewhere else, he’s a top talent going forward.

Round 4: Davante Adams (WR – LAR)

Another surprise entrant to the top 12 wide receivers was Davante Adams, who finished as the WR9 with 14 touchdowns, three more than any other wide receiver. It wasn’t all about the touchdowns, though.

Adams finished with a higher yards per reception than Drake London, Chris Olave, Rashee Rice and Ja’Marr Chase. He balled out and now has 10 straight seasons with 100+ targets. As long as Adams and Matthew Stafford are back in L.A. next year, we should be drafting them both.

Round 3: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)

Perhaps the biggest league-winner of them all, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, finished as the WR2 in points per game and was only four points behind Puka Nacua in total points.

Smith-Njigba had over 150 more yards than any other wide receiver, the third-most receptions of 20+ yards with 22, the third-most receiving touchdowns at 10 and only had two weeks finishing outside of the top 13 wide receivers. He balled out.

Your 2025 receiving yards leader #JSN pic.twitter.com/nvsEgCqnoJ

— Caleb Davis (@caleb23davis) January 5, 2026

Round 2: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)

Plenty of people thought that the quarterback situation in Indianapolis would be too unpredictable for Jonathan Taylor to have great success. Others thought DJ Giddens could be too much of a burden on Taylor’s workload for him to reach his full potential. Both sets of people were wrong.

Taylor had the second-best season of his career and notched a career-high 53 targets. Things did drop off over the last few weeks without Daniel Jones, as he finished outside of the top 12 in Weeks 12-16, and only just squeezed into the RB12 position in Week 17. Taylor likely climbs back into round one of drafts next year.

Round 1: Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)

And lastly, over a full point clear of Bijan Robinson, Christian McCaffrey had another vintage season with a massive 102 receptions, which is more than Chris Olave and George Pickens. That helped offset his worst yards per carry mark since 2021 of 3.9.

McCaffrey finished with 413 touches, so get ready for an offseason of wondering if he’ll see a similar dip in efficiency to what Saquon Barkley experienced this year. For now, we can bask in the glory of McCaffrey’s ninth season being one of his best. Without him, the 49ers would have been toast.