With one season of fantasy football coming to a close, the 2025 NFL season can feel so far away. If your team won it all and you’re looking to repeat, it’s time for some early research on next year’s group of players. If you fell a bit short, there’s even more incentive to get started early.
However, your team ended the year, so it’s never too soon to start game planning for next season’s fantasy football draft. Getting one step ahead can give you an early advantage over your league mates. After all, it’s undeniable that a fantasy football championship is worth putting in a little extra work in the offseason. That being the case, let’s get into a way-too-early mock draft for the first round of next year’s fantasy football drafts. The settings will be PPR (point-per-reception) scoring with 12 teams.
1.01 - Ja’Marr Chase
(WR, CIN)
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been everything he was drafted to be in 2024. The fourth-year receiver won the triple crown this season, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He also set career-high marks in all of those categories, locking in this season as the best of his professional career so far. Chase has likely earned himself a massive payday.
Chase is not only ridiculously talented but also continues to shine in tandem with quarterback Joe Burrow, his college teammate. Burrow also put together the best statistical season of his now five-year career, and together, the pair almost carried the Bengals to the NFL Playoffs with the help of a few other offensive weapons.
Unfortunately, a lackluster Cincinnati defense prevented Chase from a playoff appearance, but that doesn’t take away how fantastic he was this year. His dominance was not only explosive but consistent. He registered nine games with 20+ fantasy points and only one with under 10 fantasy points. Chase also led the NFL in targets, notching 175. He is easily locked in as the 1.01 for 2025.
1.02 - Saquon Barkley
(RB, PHI)
After signing a three-year, $37.73 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason, Saquon Barkley seems to have reached his full potential. Barkley rushed for over 2,000 yards, becoming the ninth running back in NFL history to do so in a single season.
In a season marked by the return of the running back position, Barkley showed the NFL why elite players at his position deserve large contracts. They can change the trajectory of an entire offense. After signing with a division rival, Saquon Barkley was put in the best offensive situation of his career with an elite offensive line, resulting in an unbelievable fantasy season.
Saquon will likely be a finalist for the NFL MVP award, so his impact on the Eagles organization has been far from minimal. In any other year, Barkley would likely return as fantasy football’s first-overall pick. However, I just can’t rank him ahead of Ja’Marr Chase.
1.03 - Justin Jefferson
(WR, MIN)
Justin Jefferson was doubted by many heading into 2024, but with the breakout of quarterback Sam Darnold, Minnesota’s top wide receiver finds himself in the top three picks in fantasy football drafts going into next season.
Jefferson turned in yet another lucrative campaign with the help of Darnold, who put up career-high numbers across the board. Over the last few years, Jefferson has become one of the safest picks in fantasy football while retaining his high ceiling. When he’s on the field, he’s going to produce; that’s as simple as it gets.
Similarly to this Fantasy Trading Room Weekly Ranking, Jefferson was regularly viewed as the second-best fantasy receiver in the NFL this season. Regardless if the Vikings decide to roll with Darnold or first-round pick J.J. McCarthy at quarterback in 2025, Jefferson will remain an elite fantasy option.
1.04 - Bijan Robinson
(RB, ATL)
Falcons running back Bijan Robinson put it all together this season in Atlanta, finishing fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage. Robinson shouldn’t be slept on in 2025; he is the undoubted lead back for the Falcons and has put up insane numbers across the board, even logging 14 rushing touchdowns in his second season as a pro.
Robinson put up double-digit fantasy points in every game this season, cementing his spot in the top half of first rounds in 2025 fantasy football drafts. The 22-year-old will likely continue to improve as time goes on and has an overall RB1 finish in his future.
1.05 - Jahmyr Gibbs
(RB, DET)
Similarly to Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs registered double-digit fantasy points in every outing this season, becoming one of the best running backs in the NFL during his second professional season. It’s pretty hard to decide between Gibbs and Bijan, but you can’t really go wrong by selecting either of them. They both present elite upside along with a history of RB1-level production.
Jahmyr Gibbs will likely see an extremely slight decrease in carries in 2025 compared to what he received in Weeks 16-18 of this season with the return of fellow Detroit running back David Montgomery.
That being said, Gibbs’ fantasy value is still ridiculously high even with Montogomey in the lineup, so the young running back should be selected in the first round of 2025 fantasy drafts without hesitation. Even though this Yahoo Sports 2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft places Gibbs at the 1.07, I don’t think he should be allowed to drop outside of the top five picks.
1.06 - Amon-Ra St. Brown
(WR, DET)
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has been the model of consistency since arriving in Detroit in 2021. The 25-year-old continues to log steady yet top-tier production now four years into his career. In 2024, St. Brown scored 12 receiving touchdowns, which was a career-high mark.
Even if Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is hired as a head coach elsewhere this offseason, the Lions receiver will still be the top target in the NFL’s best offense, making him an easy selection in the first round. St. Brown is an elite red-zone target and has now scored 300+ PPR fantasy points two years in a row. He’s an easy pick at the 1.06 next season.
1.07 - CeeDee Lamb
(WR, DAL)
It’s a fact that this was a down year for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys as a whole, but Lamb still finished as a top-five scoring wide receiver despite catching footballs from a backup quarterback for the majority of the 2024 season. Lamb’s production, despite Dallas’ offensive struggles, should give fantasy managers hope for an even stronger 2025 campaign once quarterback Dak Prescott is back under center.
Lamb is one of the league’s top receivers, and despite an elite fantasy season, he could fly under the radar next year. There’s real potential that CeeDee Lamb could go in the later part of the first round, and if that happens, he’s a massive steal on draft day for any team.
1.08 - Puka Nacua
(WR, LAR)
Rams wideout Puka Nacua followed up a historic rookie season with a bit of a disappointing year in 2024. He missed five full games after injuring his knee in the season-opener at Detroit, leading many to doubt that he could return to fantasy stardom.
However, a fair analysis of Nacua’s 2024 season requires reading between the lines. After returning from injury, Puka Nacua logged 90+ receiving yards in seven out of nine full games played. He’s also received eight or more targets in every full game since returning from injury.
All the evidence points to Puka Nacua returning to elite production in 2025. He is still the top weapon in Los Angeles’ offense and will receive plenty of volume. Nacua became a top-three option at his position towards the end of the year, which is reflected in this Fantasy Trading Room Weekly Ranking.
1.09 - Brian Thomas Jr
(WR, JAX)
Amidst a disappointing season in Jacksonville, rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. made his mark as one of the best receivers in the NFL in his first season in the league. Shining early on, Thomas managed to maintain fantasy relevance even after Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence was lost for the season with an injury sustained in Week 13 against the Houston Texans.
With Mac Jones under center, Thomas put up three straight league-winning performances in the fantasy playoffs, proving himself as one of the NFL’s rising stars. Thomas is the focal point of Jacksonville’s offense, and with Lawrence back in 2025, the rookie wideout will likely improve in many statistics, making him an obvious selection near the end of the first round.
1.10 - Nico Collins
(WR, HOU)
There’s no doubt that it was a tough year in Houston regarding injuries, and the team’s top receiver was no exception. Nico Collins was placed on IR with a hamstring injury in Week 5, causing him to miss the next five games. While that was definitely a setback in fantasy production, Collins still turned in a decent end to the season, posting a few great performances once he returned to the lineup.
With Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs set to hit free agency this offseason, Nico Collins will be the Texans’ only major weapon at receiver to open next season, assuming Tank Dell returns midseason after his devastating and unfortunate injury he sustained in Week 16. Collins is set up well for a bounce-back season next year, and if Houston improves their offensive line, the wide receiver could end up having a career year if quarterback C.J. Stroud has time to get him the ball.
1.11 - Malik Nabers
(WR, NYG)
Rookie wideout Malik Nabers had a phenomenal introductory season in 2024, posting 1,100+ receiving yards on a whopping 162 targets. Similarly to these Fantasy Points 2025 Rankings, I have Nabers ranked inside the top 12 players for fantasy drafts in 2025. Assuming New York is able to roster a more competent quarterback in 2025, Nabers should improve on his strong rookie campaign, securing a spot as one of fantasy football’s best wide receivers.
The rookie made some fantastic plays this year and should be the team’s top offensive weapon going forward. Even if Nabers sees a decrease in targets in 2025, his big-play ability will keep his ceiling high and maintain his position as a first-round fantasy selection.
1.12 - Josh Jacobs
(RB, GB)
Josh Jacobs was one of many NFL running backs to find success on a new team in 2024 after moving from Las Vegas to Green Bay. Jacobs tallied the second-most carries in his career while rushing for a career-high 15 touchdowns in 2024.
It’s obvious that Jacobs has become one of the most volume-heavy running backs in the NFL, and Green Bay was quick to continue that after signing the veteran running back in free agency this past offseason. If this remains the case in 2025, Josh Jacobs will finish as a top-12 fantasy running back yet again and is well worth a first-round pick.