You may have noticed that the headline for this article refers to it as an early mock draft, not a “too early” mock draft.
Early is good. We’re all hopeless fantasy football junkies, so fantasy content can never arrive “too early.” There’s an insatiable demand for it year-round.
Week 17 ended a few days ago. You’ve had time to celebrate your championship or mourn the end of a disappointing season. It’s time to turn the page.
Let’s run through a five-round mock for 2025. We’ll assume it’s for a half-point PPR league where each team is required to start one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE and a flex.
You’ll disagree with the ordering of some players. You might disagree with the ordering of a lot of these players. I’ll do my best to explain my reasoning for each selection.
Some of the players listed here will gain or lose value based on how Week 18 and the postseason play out.
And please pay no attention to how the so-called “teams” in this mock draft are balanced at various positions. There are no teams in this mock. This is just an approximation of where players will land in fantasy drafts.
2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft
Round 1
1.01: Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN)
Chase is on pace to win the pass catchers’ triple crown, leading the league in receptions, receiving yardage and TD catches. If Tee Higgins leaves Cincinnati in free agency, it’s not outrageous to think that Chase could flirt with 200 targets next season.
1.02: Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI)
It’s almost unfair that a running back as talented as Saquon gets to run behind an offensive line as good as Philadelphia’s. Barring injury, another 2,000-yard rushing season is very much in play.
1.03: Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)
Bijan has racked up 13 touchdowns and more than 1,700 yards from scrimmage, and yet it feels like there’s still meat left on the bone. To watch Bijan run is to appreciate RB artistry. I wouldn’t argue with anyone who wanted to take him No. 1 overall.
1.04: Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)
Over his five-year career, Jefferson has averaged 6.5 catches and 97.1 receiving yards per game. There were concerns earlier this year that Jefferson’s numbers might decline with Sam Darnold at quarterback. Jefferson currently sits at 100 catches, 1,479 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Remember the absurdity of the “But Sam Darnold” fears when you hear “But J.J. McCarthy” as a reason to fade Jefferson in 2025.
1.05: CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)
Lamb is a top-five fantasy scorer at wide receiver, even with QB Dak Prescott missing half the season. Over the last three years, Lamb has averaged 114 catches and 1,434 receiving yards.
1.06: Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
Since returning from injury in October, Puka has averaged 7.5 catches and 95.5 receiving yards a game. He’s such a target monster that he managed to make Cooper Kupp irrelevant late in the season.
1.07: Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
Has there ever been a more valuable timeshare RB? That’s a rhetorical question. The answer is “no.” It doesn’t matter that Gibbs shares the Detroit backfield with David Montgomery. Gibbs is so outrageously talented that he can still post high-end RB1 numbers even when he’s averaging 16 touches a game (as he was through the first 10 weeks of the season).
1.08: Brock Bowers (TE – LV)
Remember the debates about whether Travis Kelce should be a first-round pick? There’s no debate here: Bowers should be a first-round pick. Bowers has 108 catches and 1,144 receiving yards as a rookie with a suboptimal QB situation. There are only three or four stud TEs, and Bowers is the studliest of those studs. There’s a case to be made that Bowers is worth a top-five pick. Sliding one of the game’s brightest young stars into a troublesome position is undeniably appealing.
1.09: Derrick Henry (RB – BAL)
Henry turns 31 on Jan. 4. Some fantasy managers would never spend a first-round pick on a 31-year-old RB who doesn’t catch passes. But Henry is a different species. In his age-30 season, he’s produced the second-best yardage total and third-best TD total of his career. Bet against him at your own peril.
1.10: Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)
St. Brown’s target and yardage totals are slightly down this season, but he’s made up for it with a career-high 12 touchdowns. Part of the appeal is that St. Brown plays in one of the NFL’s best offenses.
1.11: Nico Collins (WR – HOU)
Despite missing five games with a hamstring injury, Collins is close to 1,000 yards. Over the last two seasons, he’s averaged 87.1 receiving yards per game. With Stefon Diggs due to become a free agent and Tank Dell likely out for most of 2025 due to a gruesome knee injury, Collins is in line for a massive target share in 2025.
1.12: Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAC)
Thomas enters Week 18 with 80 catches for 1,179 yards and 10 touchdowns. And he’s played almost half the season with a backup quarterback. He checks all the boxes, shining as a route runner, at the catch point, and after the catch.
Round 2
2.01: Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
The Giants’ QB situation has been a dumpster fire this season, yet Nabers has 104 catches for 1,140 yards and six catches — despite missing two games with a concussion.
2.02: De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
After averaging 7.8 yards per carry as a rookie, Achane has averaged a mere 4.1 yards per carry in 2025. He’s more than made up for it as a pass catcher, with 78 catches for 592 yards and six touchdowns. Achane’s speed and contact balance are extraordinary.
2.03: A.J. Brown (WR – PHI)
Still one of the most physically imposing receivers in the game, Brown has 1,079 yards and seven TD catches in 13 games. He’s topped 1,000 yards in 5-of-6 pro seasons, only missing when injuries limited him to 13 games in 2021.
2.04: Josh Jacobs (RB – GB)
The marriage of Jacobs and increasingly run-obsessed Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has been a happy one, with Jacobs rolling up more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage and punching in a career-high 15 touchdowns.
2.05: Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
The fourth-round rookie from Oregon has been a revelation, rushing for more than 1,000 yards and piling up more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage. Irving has exceptional vision and contact balance, and he has moves that leave defenders grasping for air. His pass-catching ability makes him even more appealing.
2.06: Trey McBride (TE – ARI)
He’s scored only one touchdown this year despite catching 104 passes. But never mind that. McBride is a reception and yardage machine at a position where reliable production is scarce.
2.07: Ashton Jeanty (RB – Rookie)
The incoming rookie from Boise State ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in his final college season and has extraordinary contact balance. He’s a special RB prospect.
2.08: Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
High-risk, high-reward. Age and injury history make McCaffrey a risky bet for 2025, especially after a season in which Achilles tendinitis and a knee injury limited him to four games. But a healthy McCaffrey is a force of nature. If he’s healthy next August, he isn’t getting out of the second round in fantasy drafts.
2.09: Kyren Williams (RB – LAR)
Kyren was less efficient in 2025 than in 2024, and the advanced metrics don’t paint an entirely flattering picture of his game. But Rams head coach Sean McVay seems to love Kyren, who’s averaged 21.9 touches a game this season and has scored 16 touchdowns in 16 games.
2.10: Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)
As talented as Hall is, it’s colossally disappointing that he’s only RB18 in fantasy scoring. Blame it on the Jets and their train wreck of a season. Unfortunately, the Jets might not be any less of a train wreck in 2025.
2.11: Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
Ever since the Bengals lost Zack Moss to a season-ending injury, Brown has averaged 23.6 touches and 116 scrimmage yards per game. He’s shown that he can be effective as a workhorse. The question is whether the Bengals will make a significant RB addition in the offseason.
2.12: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
Taylor was a monster in the fantasy playoffs, rolling up 450 rushing yards and five touchdowns from Week 15 through Week 17. However, Taylor also missed three games due to ankle issues that seem to have become chronic. He’s fabulous when healthy, but good health can’t be taken for granted.
Round 3
3.01: Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
Free agency will give Higgins a chance to be a lead receiver somewhere other than Cincinnati if he so chooses, but where? Frequent soft-tissue injuries are a concern, but Higgins is a terrific receiver who’s scored a career-high 10 touchdowns this season.
3.02: James Cook (RB – BUF)
We knew Cook was due for some friendly touchdown regression after he had only two TD runs on 237 carries in 2023. I suppose he’ll be due for some unfriendly touchdown regression after notching 15 TD runs on 197 carries this season. The bottom line is that Cook is a talented run-catch threat who plays on a very good offense.
3.03: Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)
After exceeding 1,700 receiving yards in both 2022 and 2023, Hill sits at 939 receiving yards going into Week 18 despite not missing any time with injuries. A four-game absence for QB Tua Tagovailoa had something to do with that. But Hill will be entering his age-31 season, so there’s some age-related risk here. And Tua’s concussion history further ratchets up the risk level.
3.04: Josh Allen (QB – BUF)
He’ll go even higher in some home leagues. Despite being short on pass-catching firepower early in the season, Allen has thrived, averaging 24.1 fantasy points per game. Allen never disappoints.
3.05: Mike Evans (WR – TB)
Aging like a fine wine, Evans stands on the brink of an 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season despite having missed three games with a hamstring injury. Evans and QB Baker Mayfield have terrific chemistry. And with WR Chris Godwin headed for free agency, Evans should be in line for a big target share.
3.06: Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL)
Jackson has followed up an MVP season with another MVP-caliber season. He leads all quarterbacks in fantasy points per game with 25.7.
3.07: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)
A mild disappointment for the first 1.5 seasons of his NFL career, Smith-Njigba erupted midway through the 2024 regular season. Over his last nine games, he’s had 59 catches for 802 yards and five touchdowns. Getting him in the middle of the third round might be a steal.
3.08: Alvin Kamara (RB – NO)
Kamara has never had a 1,000-yard rushing season, but he’s one of the best pass-catching running backs the league has ever seen. That business model should continue to work for Kamara as he heads into his age-30 season.
3.09: Joe Mixon (RB – HOU)
Mixon was a monster early in the 2024 season but ran low on gas in December. The slowdown might be partly attributable to Houston’s bad offensive line. Mixon will be 29 next season, elevating the risk level.
3.10: Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA)
Two games into the 2024 season, Walker had 225 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. However, injuries and inconsistency derailed what looked like a career year for this talented RB. The talent still justifies an early-round pick.
3.11: George Kittle (TE – SF)
Kittle enters Week 18 as the top tight end in half-point PPR fantasy scoring, just 0.2 points ahead of Brock Bowers. Kittle has gone over 1,000 yards in his last two seasons and scored 25 regular-season touchdowns over the last three years.
3.12: Drake London (WR – ATL)
London has 90 catches for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns, yet his 2024 season still seems mildly disappointing. He could reach new heights in 2025 paired with young QB Michael Penix Jr., whose remarkable arm talent could fully unlock London’s potential.
Round 4
4.01: Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)
The rookie quickly became Justin Herbert‘s go-to receiver. McConkey creates separation with ease and has sure hands. He’s only missed one game this season, but durability might be an issue for a 185-pound receiver.
4.02: Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR)
It seemed as if Hubbard would be a mere placeholder for the Panthers until rookie RB Jonathon Brooks recovered from the torn ACL he sustained in his final college season. But Hubbard was terrific in 2024. The Panthers signed him to a contract extension, and then Brooks tore his ACL again shortly after making his NFL debut. Hubbard is now positioned to be a workhorse for Carolina in 2025.
4.03: Jayden Daniels (QB – WAS)
Daniels has been a revelation as a rookie. A dual run-pass threat, Daniels is averaging 22.5 fantasy points per game, making him QB4 in fantasy scoring. The future is bright.
4.04: Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI)
Hurts is the quarterback for the run-heaviest team in the league, which normally wouldn’t bode well for his fantasy value. But Hurts provides much of the running goodness himself. He has 14 touchdown runs this year and has run for double-digit touchdowns in four consecutive seasons.
4.05: Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS)
McLaurin averaged 5.0 touchdowns over his first five NFL seasons while playing with a hodgepodge of mediocre quarterbacks. He’s scored 12 touchdowns this season and has notched his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season thanks to a magical pairing with rookie QB Jayden Daniels.
4.06: Tony Pollard (RB – TEN)
After a disappointing campaign in Dallas a year ago, Pollard has put together a fine season for the Titans, rolling up 1,255 yards from scrimmage.
4.07: James Conner (RB – ARI)
Conner will be 30 next season and has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, but he’s productive when healthy. Conner was mostly healthy in 2024 and amassed 1,094 rushing yards, 1,508 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns.
4.08: George Pickens (WR – PIT)
The mercurial Pickens has otherworldly talent but can also disappear at times. If he puts it all together, he can be a cornerstone of a fantasy roster. But Pickens is an undeniably risky selection.
4.09: Joe Burrow (QB – CIN)
Burrow leads the league in completions, passing yardage and TD passes. He’s averaging 290.1 passing yards and 2.6 TD passes a game. Burrow doesn’t provide much rushing value, but when you’re putting up Dan Marino-type passing numbers, who cares?
4.10: Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)
Every year, the football gods throw banana peels in Garrett Wilson‘s path, and every year, Wilson responds with a 1,000-yard season. Imagine what he could do if he had a good quarterback with whom he saw eye to eye.
4.11: Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)
Flowers has become Lamar Jackson‘s go-to receiver. He’s an electric playmaker capable of a 10-TD season even though he’s scored only nine touchdowns in 32 NFL games.
4.12: Davante Adams (WR – NYJ)
In a strange season that took him from the Raiders to the Jets, Adams had spurts that reminded us of how great he’s been throughout his career. But Adams just turned 32, and he might not be paired with longtime partner Aaron Rodgers next season.
Round 5
5.01: Jordan Addison (WR – MIN)
Addison has caught fire down the stretch, with 41 catches for 577 yards and seven touchdowns over his last seven games. He’s scored 19 regular-season touchdowns in his first two years with the Vikings despite sharing targets with Justin Jefferson. The question is whether Addison will sustain this production level if the unproven J.J. McCarthy replaces Sam Darnold as the Vikings’ quarterback.
5.02: David Montgomery (RB – DET)
A TD machine since joining the Lions, Montgomery has scored 25 touchdowns in 28 regular-season games with Detroit. The MCL injury he sustained this month shouldn’t be a long-term concern, but being paired with the electric Jahmyr Gibbs in the Detroit backfield limits Montgomery’s yardage potential.
5.03: D.J. Moore (WR – CHI)
Moote hasn’t clicked with rookie QB Caleb Williams this season, but Moore has been able to thrive in the past despite playing with worse quarterbacks. He’s too good not to bounce back from a disappointing year.
5.04: Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC)
Pacheco fractured his fibula in Week 2 and hasn’t been effective since returning in Week 13. Still, Pacheco was a dynamic contributor in 2023, and it’s appealing that he plays with QB Patrick Mahomes in an offense choreographed by Andy Reid.
5.05: Sam LaPorta (TE – DET)
After a sensational rookie season, LaPorta started slowly in 2024 but picked up steam in the second half of the season as he started drawing more targets. He’s still one of the more appealing options at the challenging TE position.
5.06: Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC)
It’s strange that Mahomes hasn’t been a particularly valuable fantasy contributor over the last season and a half, even though he’s one of the best passers to ever play in the NFL. Fading him seems imprudent.
5.07: Rashee Rice (WR – KC)
A torn LCL wiped out Rice’s season, and he could face a multi-game suspension for a street-racing crash in early 2024. But Rice was phenomenal as a rookie in 2024 and would probably be a second-round pick if there were no legal or medical concerns.
5.08: Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
Injuries kept Williams from achieving liftoff in his first two NFL seasons, but his 2024 launch has been something to behold. He’s on the cusp of his first 1,00-yard season and has scored eight touchdowns. The explosive Williams averages 18.6 yards per catch and 11.7 yards per target.
5.09: Aaron Jones (RB – MIN)
The 30-year-old Jones is aging well. He’s rolled up 1,471 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns for the Vikings this season.
5.10: D.K. Metcalf (WR – SEA)
It’s been a disappointing season for Metcalf, and the emergence of Jaxson Smith-Njigba might limit Metcalf’s fantasy potential. But Metcalf is still one of the most remarkable physical specimens in the game, and he’s never had fewer than 900 receiving yards in any of his six NFL seasons.
5.11: Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
The Bo Nix-Courtland Sutton pairing has been unexpectedly fruitful, with Sutton racking up 76 catches, 983 yards and seven touchdowns.
5.12: Tyrone Tracy (RB – NYG)
Tracy was a ray of light for the downtrodden Giants this year, showing immense potential as both a runner and pass catcher.
Near misses: Baker Mayfield, J.K. Dobbins, Omarion Hampton, Jerry Jeudy, Chris Godwin, Jaylen Waddle, Brandon Aiyuk, Chris Olave, Rome Odunze, Tetairoa McMillan, Mark Andrews
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