- Rashee Rice is the top option in the middle of the fourth: Rice was an elite fantasy option in his three full games last season, and he should be healthy with no suspensions this season.
- Trust in Liam Coen: The best option in the first two rounds is a player Coen will be coaching, and a player Coen helped lead last season.
- Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more!
Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
This perfect draft strategy for 12-team, single-quarterback, redraft, PPR fantasy football leagues uses a consensus of current average draft positions (ADPs) from ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! to deliver a round-by-round guide for managers picking first overall. To find more information about any player mentioned in this article, click on the player's name to find their fantasy football player profile.
Last updated: Friday, July 4
Round 1, Pick 6: Draft a wide receiver
Anyone picking from the middle of the first round to the end is either picking their top available wide receiver or a running back like Ashton Jeanty or Derrick Henry. There are six wide receivers ranked third to eighth, where seemingly no two analysts have the receivers in the same order. All of them could end up as the top overall wide receiver if everything goes well, but all of them are going through some changes with some combination of new play callers, new quarterbacks and new competition for targets. In Brian Thomas Jr.’s player profile, I detail why I believe he is the best option of the group, but there are legitimate reasons to pick a different receiver.
Top Target: Brian Thomas Jr.
Brian Thomas Jr. had a strong start to his rookie season and ended it among the league’s best fantasy receivers. In his final seven games, he gained at least 13 PPR points each week and averaged 21.5 points, third behind only Ja’Marr Chase and Puka Nacua. He played at least 84% of his team’s offensive snaps in all but one of those games. The team added Travis Hunter in the draft, and he will see a decent target rate, but typically, two great wide receivers can co-exist as long as there isn’t much more competition for targets. Thomas led all wide receivers in yards per route run out of the slot with 3.12, and new offensive coordinator Liam Coen has found a lot of success with his slot receivers in the past. An increased role in the slot could lead Thomas to remain among the top wide receivers in fantasy football.
Possible Targets: Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Malik Nabers
Round 2, Pick 19: Draft a running back
An argument could be made for any position at this pick. A quarterback could work, but it’s a little early and Jalen Hurts should be available in the next round. It’s similarly early for Trey McBride, and George Kittle is available in the next round. This leaves the top available running back in Bucky Irving, or the top available wide receiver in Drake London. I lean Irving here because a wide receiver was picked in the first round, and there will be options for a great second wide receiver in the fourth round, while it’s harder to start with two wide receivers, and then find multiple running backs in the middle rounds.
Top Target: Bucky Irving
Irving was a fourth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, in his first year, finished fourth among running backs in PFF offensive grade, finishing with an elite grade as both a rusher and receiver. He started the season playing just over 30% of the Buccaneers' offensive snaps and ended playing around 70% of their snaps. He was among the top running backs at the end of the season. Most of his situation is the same this season, except for a change in offensive coordinator. There is a chance the backfield could go back towards a committee approach, but there is also a chance Irving becomes even more of an every-down back.
Possible Targets: Josh Jacobs, Kenneth Walker III, Kyren Williams, Chase Brown, Omarion Hampton
Round 3, Pick 30: Draft a tight end
The main position to avoid in Round 3 is running back. Typically, 10 running backs are selected in the first two rounds. These are a combination of the most talented running backs with the largest roles at the position. Every other option has some red flags, with the possibility of getting benched, a running back committee or an injury history. It’s generally good to get either an elite quarterback or tight end option, which means either Jalen Hurts or George Kittle. It’s difficult for someone picking in the early-mid parts of the first round to find a good value at tight end in other rounds, so Kittle is the top option here.
Top Target: George Kittle
George Kittle has been arguably the best tight end in the NFL during his career. His run blocking has been the best, and his numbers are better than Travis Kelce on a per-play basis. However, the 49ers' run-first philosophy mixed with Kittle’s injury history has left Kittle running fewer routes than other elite tight ends. He’s made up for it in recent seasons with Brock Purdy, whose ability to find Kittle down the field led to more big plays from Kittle than any other tight end in recent seasons. This makes him a clear top-three fantasy tight end, but his age, mixed with a chance his average depth of target decreasing, makes him the clear third option between him, Brock Bowers and Trey McBride.
Possible Targets: T.J. Hockenson, Sam LaPorta, David Njoku, Tucker Kraft, Dalton Kincaid
Round 4, Pick 43: Draft a wide receiver
This team is relatively balanced to this point, so it makes sense to pick the best available player. The top-15 running backs are all off the board at this point, and it’s possible to add a high-upside rookie running back in the next round. There are still several excellent wide receiver options on the board, so wide receiver is the clear option in this round, even if you didn’t follow the usual plan in the first three rounds. There are no quarterbacks or tight ends worth considering in Round 4.
Top Target: Rashee Rice
Rice slowly but surely worked his way to the top of the Chiefs' depth chart as a rookie and was a worthy fantasy starter more often than not after the first month of the season. He was on pace to be a league-winner before, finishing with the second-most fantasy points for a wide receiver in the first three weeks of the season. A torn LCL cost him the rest of the 2024 season. He appears on pace to play at the start of the league year, but he might take a little bit before he can play at his usual level. He will also face more competition for targets from an improved Xavier Worthy and a healthy Hollywood Brown. He has the top-10 upside but could also fall behind in the target pecking order, making it harder to start him.
Possible Targets: Marvin Harrison Jr., D.J. Moore, Jameson Williams, Tetairoa McMillan, Travis Hunter
Round 5, Pick 54: Draft a running back
It's too early to consider any other quarterbacks or tight ends. This leaves running back and wide receiver as the only options. While there are plenty of strong wide receiver options on the board, a lot of them should also be available in Round 6, but the top running back options available now will not be available in the next round. That makes running back the top choice to keep this a well-rounded roster.
Top Target: RJ Harvey
Harvey was arguably the biggest winner in the draft at running back because he landed on a team where his skill set could lead to fantasy stardom. Denver Broncos running backs have caught 214 passes over the past two years, which is more than any other team, and Harvey is projected to be the Broncos' primary receiving back. A top-ten season is within the realm of possibility if he dominates the passing down role and also averages at least eight carries per game. However, the Broncos' backfield could remain volatile despite the addition of Harvey.
Possible Targets: Quinshon Judkins, D'Andre Swift, Aaron Jones Sr., Tony Pollard, Jaylen Warren
Round 6, Pick 67: Draft a wide receiver
After drafting two running backs and two wide receivers, it’s time to add a third wide receiver. There are a few wide receivers with top-15 potential available, while it’s harder to find value at other positions. There will be a few quarterbacks who will likely go off the board between this pick in Round 6 and the next pick in Round 7, including Bo Nix and Jared Goff. Still, there will be plenty of other quarterback options with nearly as much upside available later. That won’t be the case at wide receiver, which is why both picks should be wide receivers, even though quarterback remains a need and a few will likely be selected.
Top Target: Tetairoa McMillan
McMillan is a prototypical X receiver and one of the best X receivers coming out of college in a long time. His 89.5 receiving grade is the fifth-best among Power-Five receivers 6-foot-2 or taller in the last decade. The only receiver with more receiving yards during that time is CeeDee Lamb. He was selected eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers, and could be their top target earner as a rookie. He joins Dave Canales’ offense, who has a history of his X receivers reaching double-digit touchdowns in both his only season with Mike Evans and D.K. Metcalf twice. He is the safest rookie wide receiver option in both redraft and dynasty leagues.
Possible Targets: Chris Olave, Jaylen Waddle, Jordan Addison, Deebo Samuel, Chris Godwin
Round 7, Pick 78: Draft a wide receiver
This is a similar range where wide receivers are the strength of the draft. Running backs like Tony Pollard and Tyrone Tracy Jr. are drafted in this range, but they will be sharing their respective backfields with Tyjae Spears and Cameron Skattebo, both of whom are available a few rounds later. Because there are so many running backs fighting for a starting job or in a committee, you can find some options in later rounds, while building on wide receivers who have proven NFL success but are more risky due to past injury history.
Top Target: Chris Olave
Olave has the talent to be a top-15 fantasy wide receiver. He scored the 16th-most fantasy points in 2023, and his PFF receiving grade has been at least 82.0 each season. The Saints added Kellen Moore as their head coach, and his slot receivers have been a consistent value in fantasy football. Olave is the wide receiver best suited to line up in the slot. However, Olave has five documented concussions. This makes him both more likely than the typical player to suffer another concussion and more likely to miss significant time if he suffers another one. After Derek Carr’s retirement, the Saints are stuck between three young and unproven quarterback options, which is also working against Olave.
Possible Targets: Jordan Addison, Deebo Samuel, Chris Godwin, Jakobi Meyers, Jerry Jeudy
Round 8, Pick 91: Draft a running back
After focusing on wide receivers in back-to-back rounds, it’s time to turn back to the running back position. You can ideally draft two backs who are in committees with high upside, and the first comes at this pick. While quarterback remains a need for the team, you can still wait several more rounds before picking up your first because there are more quarterbacks with top-10 upside than fantasy teams that still need quarterbacks.
Top Target: Jaylen Warren
Jaylen Warren has been a borderline fantasy starter when healthy for the past two seasons and is projected to continue in that role for the 2025 season. His fantasy upside is increased by the possibility of maintaining a significant role over new competition, Kaleb Johnson, primarily in the passing game and potentially in the run game. However, there's also the risk that he could lose playing time if Johnson outperforms the previous competition, Najee Harris. This leaves Warren's fantasy value somewhat volatile and dependent on how the competition plays out.
Possible Targets: Jordan Mason, Rhamondre Stevenson, Cam Skattebo, J.K. Dobbins, Bhayshul Tuten
Round 9, Pick 102: Draft a wide receiver
Round 9 is truly a toss-up. Every draft is different, and various runs on running backs or wide receivers could likely lead to one position being a strength over the other. For the purposes of this draft, we’ll lean toward wide receiver, as there are still a few players who are expected to be the top wide receiver on their team available, which speaks to the strength of the wide receiver position.
Top Target: Matthew Golden
Golden was a polarizing prospect heading into the NFL draft. At Texas, he led the wide receiver room in offensive snaps and routes run in the regular season, but multiple wide receivers earned a higher grade than him. He posted 1.6 yards per route run in the regular season, fifth among Texas‘s top six wide receivers. Then the playoffs hit, and Golden was much more dominant. He caught 19 of 29 passes for 411 yards for 3.37 yards per route run. The Green Bay Packers allow him an opportunity to become an actual number one receiver, a chance he wasn’t going to see with most teams. Golden will be a perfect mid-to-late round dart throw at wide receiver with a lot of upside, but also the risk that he’s never a fantasy starter as a rookie.
Possible Targets: Stefon Diggs, Darnell Mooney, Josh Downs, Marvin Mims Jr., Ricky Pearsall
Round 10, Pick 115: Draft a running back
As mentioned two rounds ago, it would be good to pick a second high-upside running back in a committee. A big reason to choose one here and not wait another round is to ensure you draft Jordan Mason, who is the closest thing to a must-draft player at this point in the off-season, given his high-quality performance with the San Francisco 49ers. He plays in a high-quality offense with the Minnesota Vikings.
Top Target: Jordan Mason
Jordan Mason quickly went from undrafted rookie to the top backup running back for the 49ers, despite the team consistently spending mid-to-late round draft picks on running backs. An injury to Christian McCaffrey allowed Mason to be a starter to begin the 2024 season, and he was sixth in fantasy points per game over five weeks before he started dealing with injuries. Mason was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, where Aaron Jones Sr. is the main running back. The two will likely be in a committee that includes Mason receiving significant work in rushing situations while Jones gets more in passing situations. Jones is over 30 years old and has dealt with multiple injuries over the last two seasons. While Mason might not score enough weekly to start in fantasy in normal situations, if Jones is dealing with an injury or is showing more signs of age, we could see Jones as a weekly player to start.
Possible Targets: J.K. Dobbins, Bhayshul Tuten, Tyjae Spears, Braelon Allen, Roschon Johnson
Round 11, Pick 126: Draft a running back
While nearly all of the running backs who are in committees are off the board at this point, there are still one or two options worth considering. Considering how strong this team is at wide receiver, combined with the risks taken at running back, it makes sense to add another running back to the mix, in the hope that they can work out in a big way. Any running back selected here should be picked for their upside potential rather than their mean projection.
Top Target: Bhayshul Tuten
Tuten was excellent at avoiding tackles in college, with 0.339 avoided tackles per attempt, ranking fourth-best among the rookie running backs. He joins a wide-open Jacksonville Jaguars backfield, where he, Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby will compete for snaps on both early downs and passing downs. Tuten should be viewed more favorably than most handcuff running backs. Like all handcuffs, there is a chance he won’t hold any fantasy value this upcoming season, but there is also a path for significant playing time if he can simply outperform the other running backs on the roster.
Possible Targets: J.K. Dobbins, Tyjae Spears, Braelon Allen, Roschon Johnson, Tank Bigsby
Round 12, Pick 139: Draft a quarterback
After waiting a complete 11 rounds before drafting a quarterback, it’s time to start adding at the position. The quarterback position is incredibly deep this season, as nearly every starter finished in the top 10 at some point in recent seasons, and a few second-year quarterbacks showed a lot of upside this year. It’s possible to go quarterback back-to-back and end up with two players who are in the top 12 of my rankings.
Top Target: J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy, after being selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is poised to be their starting quarterback for the 2025 season following a missed rookie year due to injury. Despite the risks associated with first-year starting quarterbacks with limited rushing upside, McCarthy benefits from an excellent offensive system led by Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings' quarterbacks have been consistent top-10 fantasy options in recent seasons, even when Kirk Cousins was injured. The Vikings also have a strong supporting cast featuring Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, all of whom put McCarthy in a prime position for fantasy success and make him a must-start in superflex leagues and a valuable backup in single-quarterback leagues.
Possible Targets: Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Young, Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith, Cameron Ward
Round 13, Pick 150: Draft a quarterback
As mentioned last round, this is another time to pick a quarterback, so you can start whichever one is having the best matchup each week.
Top Target: Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence has been a somewhat inconsistent fantasy quarterback for the Jaguars over his four seasons, experiencing a peak in 2022 with 25 passing and five rushing touchdowns, but seeing his value fluctuate due to varying play quality and injuries. While he boasts a high big-time throw rate, averaging 1.8 per game over the last two seasons, he also struggles with a high turnover-worthy throw rate. Entering the 2025 season under new head coach Liam Coen, there's optimism for improvement, drawing comparisons to Baker Mayfield‘s success in Coen's system, potentially boosting Lawrence's fantasy output. Brian Thomas Jr.’s emergence, as well as the Travis Hunter addition, adds to the reason for optimism. Lawrence is a high-upside second option in both single quarterback and superflex leagues.
Possible Targets: Bryce Young, Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith, Cameron Ward, Matthew Stafford
Round 14–18: Fill Depth
Use any additional picks to draft a kicker and team defense if required; otherwise, stock up on running backs and wide receivers.
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