NFL training camps are set to begin in the coming days, and just like for the players on the field, the key to any successful season is preparation.
The same can be said for fantasy football. Whether you have the first overall pick or the last of the first round, having a sense of who will be available in each round is key.
I will be doing mock drafts throughout the summer, offering scenarios and feedback for each position, starting with the No. 1 pick. The point of these mocks is to prepare for the unexpected.
The mock drafts will assume that 12 teams are in the league with the following roster construction: quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, tight end, a flex (running back, wide receiver or tight end), defense, kicker and seven bench spots. It is a 16-round snake draft in a half-point-per-reception (half-PPR) league. We will mix in 10- and 16-team drafts at some point as well as a Superflex draft.
If you read my draft guide, you know I am not a fan of drafting kickers and defense if it’s not necessary. I would rather add a few running backs who could end up being a starter in case of an injury. However, for the sake of this exercise, I will round out each draft by doing so. Remember, do not draft either before your final two picks!
Most important of all, be creative with your mock drafts. Do not take the same players in every mock. Your favorite sleeper is probably someone else’s, too.
The draft is just the start of the season. If you are drafting early, work the waiver wire to your advantage if any major injuries arise. If you are a fantasy nerd like me, make sure to turn on notifications from your favorite NFL insider for breaking news around the league. But the draft is where you build the foundation of your roster, and the goal is to have as deep a roster as possible.
Here is my third mock draft of the 2025 season with more fantasy analysis to come.
(See also: No. 1 pick, No. 2 pick)
Here is my roster:
Round 1, Pick 3: Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Round 2, Pick 10: Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Round 3, Pick 3: Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Round 4, Pick 10: Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Round 5, Pick 3: Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Round 6, Pick 10: Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Round 7, Pick 3: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
Round 8, Pick 10: Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Round 9, Pick 3: Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Round 10, Pick 10: Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders
Round 11, Pick 3: Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
Round 12, Pick 10: Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins
Round 13, Pick 3: Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
Round 14, Pick 10: Will Shipley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Round 15, Pick 3: Jake Bates, K, Detroit Lions
Round 16, Pick 10: Arizona Cardinals D/ST
Observations:
Ja’Marr Chase and Bijan Robinson are widely considered the top two choices, but No. 3 comes down to everyone’s personal preference. You can make a case for Jahmyr Gibbs or Saquon Barkley here if you want to go running back in the first round. I have Justin Jefferson as my third-ranked player after he posted 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns with Sam Darnold at quarterback last season. Let’s face it, it does not matter who is throwing him the football. Jefferson is going to post ridiculous numbers that warrant being one of the top picks in fantasy.
The running backs came flying off the board in the second round. I considered taking Chase Brown with my second pick, but I opted for Ladd McConkey instead. McConkey is the clear No. 1 receiver in a Justin Herbert-led offense. The Chargers are a run-first team, but McConkey is going to get 120-plus targets with little competition at the position. As for Brown, he was an easy choice in the third round. The Bengals back was RB6 once taking over as lead back in Week 4.
I was then able to land four players I am coveting in all fantasy leagues this summer. Chuba Hubbard is ranked far too low after his terrific 2024 season. Jameson Williams is coming off his first 1,000-yard season, and I expect him to be even more dynamic for the Lions. Isiah Pacheco and Jerry Jeudy are the perfect pickups in the middle rounds who may not offer much upside, but they are solid starters in the event of injury and bye week fill-ins.
This is certainly another year you can punt at quarterback and tight end if you do not land one of the elite options at either position. I used my eighth-round pick on Mark Andrews, who is being drafted as TE8 despite finishing last year as TE5. I am not a fan of taking two tight ends, but Kyle Pitts is too good of a talent not to be rostered. He is still just 24 years old, and the hope is Michael Penix Jr. is finally the signal-caller to get the best out of the dynamic tight end.
Jared Goff was the pick in the 11th round at quarterback, but the truth is, I probably could have waited even longer. There is a long list of QBs who go late in drafts or even undrafted that have the potential to finish as a QB1 this season. If you do not land one of the core four — Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels or Jalen Hurts — keep stockpiling at other positions and land someone like Goff, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Cam Ward in the later rounds.
The other four picks are a group of running backs who are second on the depth chart but have stand-alone value in deeper leagues and high upside in the event of injury. Zach Charbonnet was an elite handcuff when Kenneth Walker missed action last season. Austin Ekeler is the third-down back for what is expected to be one of the league’s best offenses in 2025. Jaylen Wright and Will Shipley would become must-start players if De’Von Achane or Saquon Barkley were to miss time. These are the types of players I am looking for with my final picks.
This team has championship potential, but it is not nearly as strong as the prior two mock drafts. I do have arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver in Jefferson, and I am high on McConkey this season, but exiting with just four receivers in a half-PPR setting is worrisome. The running backs do dry up quickly in the second round, and I lucked into landing Chase Brown in the third. Jefferson and McConkey are incredible, but the more drafts I have done this summer, the more I am leaning towards taking an elite back like Robinson or Barkley with the early picks of the first round. The talent at receiver has more upside than having to pick what is left over at running back in the second round.
What do you think of this roster? Let’s discuss on Twitter @JoeSerp.
You can do your own mock draft in seconds by clicking here.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox