The Best Picks for Every Fantasy Round

Round 2: TE Brock Bowers

Any other year, taking a TE in the second round is a horrible idea. Brock Bowers is an exception that proves the rule.

He put up historic rookie numbers, not just for a TE but for a WR, and looked to have snatched the TE crown in his first year. Bowers broke rookie records in an offensive system much shakier than what he’s working with now. Geno Smith is worlds apart from both Gardner Minshew and Aiden O’Connell. As if Bowers needed any more fantasy value, the Raiders receiving room is in flux a week before kickoff. Bowers is now the Raiders default pass catcher and will have an even larger target share. Bowers is worth the high cost.

Round 3: RB Kyren Williams

Sometimes we can get lost looking for the new, shiny fantasy weapon that we lose track of consistent and reliable options. A Toyota Corolla isn’t as flashy as a BMW, but it’ll be far more dependable.

Kyren Williams is the Corolla of fantasy football. Over the last two seasons, only Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have had more carries then Williams, he’s the only RB to average 17.0 fantasy points per game, and he’s tied for first in RB touchdowns. Maybe he doesn’t have the pass catching of other backs, but he has the trust of the coaching staff and consistently delivers. Williams has had first round production that is, somehow, stuck in round 3 in most platforms ADP. Stafford’s mysterious back injury is even more cause to invest in the Ram’s lead rusher.

Round 4: WR Mike Evans

Rounds 4-7 are where drafts are won and lost. Take risky flyers later where the misses won’t hurt as much.

Another high floor pick in this spot, Evans provides ease of mind as an incredibly solid WR2. The Hall of Fame wideout has obviously never had less than 1000 yards in a season, but Evans has also has the best marker for receiving touchdowns per game at 0.77 over the last two seasons. He also scored double-digit touchdowns for the fourth time in five seasons. The only question regarding Evans is the target share in Tampa. Chris Godwin is a question mark due to injury, and Egbuka looks highly promising, but is still a rookie wideout. If you can stomach his age (32 years-old) and potential competition later in the year, Evans is a great option in this area.

Round 5: WR Rashee Rice

Round 5 is one of the sparsest of the draft, and Rice stands out for a number of reasons. Firstly, the league announced that he will serve a six game suspension to start the season due to violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Rice was convicted for aggravated assault, after causing a multi-car pileup on March 30, 2024. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, and can serve at a time of his choosing.

Ethical and behavioral issues aside, the suspension is a serious knock for his value. However, the positive spin is that Rice will be a guaranteed healthy WR after six weeks who has a track record of high production. Rice is the top option for a very YAC friendly offense and has top-10 upside when on the field. If you can stomach the six weeks of his suspension, Rice will be a steal in the fifth.

Round 6: WR Calvin Ridley

This ones a harder sell than most. At cost, passing Calvin Ridley because he left a bitter taste in your mouth after last year is totally understandable. Ridley had a horrible early season before coming around down the home stretch. The Titans wideout has had a couple shaky years, but his situation has changed for the better.

The best thing going for Ridley is that he will be the number one option without much competition. Volume is everything in fantasy, and Ridley is primed for high volume for catches and targets. His red-zone work is a question mark, but red-zone is a volatile stat for receivers anyway. Ridley’s ceiling will be determined by the play of Cam Ward, who looks to be much more capable than Titans QBs of the past. The top Titans wideout is a safe flex option, who could trend higher as Ward does as well.

Round 7: RB Kaleb Johnson

There’s plenty of reasons to be reticent to adopt the Steelers into your fantasy home. Most of the red flags revolve around the passing game, though. The run game is where the true value is, especially with the 7th pick of your draft.

The Steelers let Najee Harris walk in free agency, leaving a hole of carries that need to be filled. Rookie Kaleb Johnson is their best bet to fill it. Jaylen Warren is more a pass catching, quick game back, and isn’t a traditional three down back. Arthur Smith employs a committee anyway. The Najee Harris snaps have to go somewhere, and Kaleb Johnson has the running back profile and archetype to do it.

Round 8: WR Ricky Pearsall

One year ago Ricky Pearsall was recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest, the next he’s the number one option for the San Francisco 49ers. Only in his second season, Pearsall has lived a lot of football life. Luckily for him, he’s poised for a breakout season. He might not a secret sleeper anymore in fantasy circles, but Pearsall’s ADP hasn’t caught up to his hype.

With the departure of Deebo Samuel and the absence of Brandon Aiyuk, Pearsall is now firmly in control of the 49ers’ receiving room. He finished strong in the final stretch of last season, which is incredible considering the circumstances. He’s now poised to build off that hot end and demand the bulk of the target share, receptions, and production for a mostly healthy 49ers offense. Brock Purdy will give Pearsall the looks to explode, too. Of all full-time starters, Purdy was third in ADOT (average depth of target) with a 8.58, just behind Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson. Pearsall will get to work all over the field, in whatever capacity Purdy and Kyle Shanahan need. If you can get a piece of the 49ers offense, its wise to do so. Pearsall is both the most accessible and best value of any of them.

Round 9: RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

The Twitter cult of Jacory Croskey-Merritt was already noisy and active, but after Brian Robinson Jr. was traded to the Bay Area, it came out in full force. He’s gotten more late off-season buzz than just about anyone, even before seemingly earning the starting role. His ADP has climbed into the early 100s after starting as basically undrafted.

A good chunk of his previous value was dictated by being able to select a teams RB1 in the 15th round. This is no longer the case, but JCM still provided lots of value. He’s going around guys like J.K. Dobbins and Javontae Williams, player who are either splitting work are in danger of shifting down the depth chart as the year goes on. JCM doesn’t have that problem, since he’s already surpassed both his teams RBs.

Reports out of camp are glowing, and he’s looked great in preseason. His pure physicals are out of control, as well. Jacory Croskey-Merritt has lots lining up for him entering the season, and is among the most recommended sleeper picks for a reason.

Round 10: QB Justin Fields

The way to approach QB is all or nothing. Either pay up for one of the top four in Allen, Jackson, Daniels, and Hurts, or wait and throw a dart at later round guys. Fields is the best bet to find himself among the top tier of QB, with an ADP of 117 at that.

First, Fields is a very prolific running QB. He holds the single game QB rushing record with 178 yards that came against the Dolphins in 2022. Fields also is one of three QBs in NFL history to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season, along with Lamar Jackson and Michael Vick. Simply put, Fields will put up rushing numbers in spite of his shaky passing numbers.

The Jets are going to want to play smash-mouth football built off the running game. This is also a boon for Fields. His play style and synergy with the team will give him tons of fantasy value. It might not have seemed like it, but Fields averaged 18.6 fantasy ppg in six starts for Pittsburgh last season. Extrapolated over the season, he would’ve finished as the QB8. Fields is getting overlooked immensely in drafts right now, and could truly be a league-winner. Just don’t watch Jets games.

Round 11: RB Tank Bigsby

At some point, one of these Jacksonville RBs needs to come around. Travis Etienne Jr. was incredibly underwhelming last season, but so was Bigsby’s snap count (38%). It was a very frustrating and confusing situation. The Jags have made promising changes in the offseason, though, and can turn the page in 2025.

New Jags HC Liam Coen has salvaged running games before. In Tampa, his offense produced the 4th overall rushing offense and 5.3 yards-per-attempt. Bucky Irving started behind Rachaad White to begin the year and became one of the fantasy stars of the season. Bigsby is in a perfect position to emulate the Bucky Irving trajectory, and finish as the Jags top back.

The issue is that we all said this last season, and it never happened. Still, its the 10th round, and Liam Coen’s offense has more promise than Doug Pederson’s. We’re going for ceiling in this area, and Bigsby’s got a fairly high one for being drafted like the RB33.

Round 12: QB J.J. McCarthy

QB injuries are a setback every fantasy team must prepare for. For an insurance pick with major upside, J.J. McCarthy stands out.

After missing all of his rookie season with a knee injury, the QB walks into a great situation in Minnesota. Justin Jefferson is a great safety blanket for a young QB, and Adam Thielen comes in to shore up the receiving corps until Jordan Addison’s suspension is over. Brian Flores’ defense is will help ease the pressure on the offense. McCarthy will play under the tutelage of Kevin O’Connell, who’s gotten the absolute most out of his QBs. Since 2021, O’Connell’s QBs have thrown for 29 touchdowns or more three out of four times, and had QBs post a passer rating over 102 three out of four times as well.

Sam Darnold thrived under the same ecosystem, so projecting a similar amount of production for McCarthy isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. There is also an enticing stack opportunity if Jefferson is your WR1.

Round 13: WR Rashid Shaheed

The simple pitch for Shaheed is that he’s a big play specialist who has been a productive fantasy player over his career. He’s the WR2 in NO, but Olave has major health concerns which could lead to Shaheed’s target share increasing. Shahid was in the midst of a career-year before an injury derailed his season. A Kellen Moore offense will help his trajectory point up again.

The Saints’ QB room is definitely in rough shape, but Shahid could range from solid bench option to flex pick for very little cost.

Round 14: RB Ollie Gordon II.

Players and voices who are truly in the weeds of fantasy have fled the Jacory Croskey-Merrit cult, and sought refuge in the Ollie Gordon Jr. one instead. Gordon might be the best sleeper in all fantasy, and is set to contribute immediately.

Fit wise, Gordon is exactly what the Dolphins need. He’s a huge, physical back who will compliment the sleek and quick style of Jaylen Wright and De’Von Achane. Neither of Wright nor Achane is a true three-down back, so Gordon has his niche carved out, especially in goal-line work. He’s had a fantastic camp, and earned respect from coaches. His role should only increase.

What makes Gordon a true league winner is the way the Dolphins RB room is shaking out. Achane has been dealing with a calf injury for most of camp. Dolphins GM Chris Grier assured that Achane would be ready for Week 1, but calf injuries are among the scariest injuries a player can have. Christian McCaffrey is last years warning. Achane’s status for the season is in major question as long as he has the calf injury. The RB2 in Miami, Jaylen Wright, will be sidelined at least multiple weeks after undergoing a procedure on his leg. Gordon is now the RB1 in Miami by default, and was already coming along strong. The Dolphins running game has been a fantasy boon in recent years, and getting their lead back with the last pick of your draft makes Gordon the best sleeper of the year, and a true league winner.