No one needs more stress in their lives.
Strange as it might sound, among the more anxiety-inducing parts of the fantasy football experience centers on one’s draft position. Whether it’s fretting that your most desired player won’t be there by the time you get to pick, the bother of not knowing your slot until an hour beforehand (as is the case in ESPN default leagues), or the fear that you’ll pick the inevitable “first-rounder who goes bust” and be openly ridiculed by your counterparts, we collectively exhaust far too much energy sweating this particular topic.
Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place. It’s here where I annually walk you through the twists and turns of your draft’s first two rounds, helping ease your mind and maximize your chances at starting your team off strong. After all, we all know that age-old fantasy mantra, “You can’t win your league in the first round, but you can certainly lose it.”
Below is an outline of the specific candidates for selection from each draft spot, the potential combinations for your first two picks, and my ideal selections from each slot in your league.
This edition covers 12-team ESPN standard leagues with PPR scoring. Under each draft slot, you’ll find a “players unlocked” section, which highlights the earliest pick at which you should consider selecting that player (this does not mean that you should select him, but rather that you could if you wish to).
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Draft Slot 1
Round 1 (Pick 1 overall): Ja’Marr Chase is coming off one of the most prolific seasons by a wide receiver, he’s a prime-age 25, and his Cincinnati Bengals return a near-identical offense for 2025. Chase’s 403.0 fantasy points last season were fourth best in history by a wide receiver, his 23.7 points per game was 12th since the merger, and he joined Charley Hennigan (1961), Isaac Bruce (1995) and Davante Adams (2020) as the only wide receivers to score 40-plus points in a game three times in a season. Chase at No. 1 is a no-brainer.
Players unlocked: Chase, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley.
Round 2 (Pick 24): The biggest drawback to selecting Chase first is that it makes it darned-near imperative to take a running back with either this or the next pick (Pick 25). I’ve done many drafts where running backs were drafted aggressively early, and those typically available when the Round 4/5 turn came around were Chuba Hubbard, D’Andre Swift and David Montgomery. Don’t let Chase Brown or Kyren Williams — if not a higher-ranked RB — make it past picks 24-25.
Players unlocked: Jalen Hurts.
Tristan’s picks: Chase and Williams.
Draft Slot 2
Round 1 (Pick 2): You’ll notice both Bijan Robinson and Saquon Barkley alongside Chase among “unlocked” players at No. 1 overall, in large part due to the perennial debate about the impact and scarcity of three-down, 360-touch running backs (they’re the only ones with at least that many in 2024 and in our 2025 projections). Barkley averaged the position’s most fantasy points per game (22.2), while Robinson’s 341.7 total points were 11th best by any second-year running back in history, making either a viable choice for managers who prefer to prioritize the position. I’m not going running back at No. 1 but I would from this spot with Robinson preferred between the two.
Players unlocked: Justin Jefferson, Jahmyr Gibbs, CeeDee Lamb.
Round 2 (Pick 23): What better way to start your draft than to go RB-RB with two of the younger backs as your combo? From Week 9 forward last season, Chase Brown scored 165.0 fantasy points, sixth most among running backs. That’s second-round material.
Players unlocked: None.
Tristan’s picks: Robinson and Brown.
Draft Slot 3
Round 1 (Pick 3): If you’re a Saquon Barkley believer — and I’m not, concerned that players of his age (28) coming off his 2024 workload (482 total touches, including the postseason) have a poor track record of repeating (detailed in my video above) — you shouldn’t let him sneak past this draft slot. Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson and Barkley are projected for 100-plus more points than the No. 21 player at their positions, the only running backs and wide receivers who can claim that.
This is a year, however, where personal opinion can come into play at picks 3 to 6, meaning Justin Jefferson, Jahmyr Gibbs and CeeDee Lamb, all “unlocked” at the previous slot, are fair game. I’m among the most pro-Jefferson fantasy managers around, pointing out his wide receiver-record 1,492.4 fantasy points through his first five NFL seasons.
Players unlocked: None.
Round 2 (Pick 22): As with the first round, this draft slot affords flexibility with the positions you target, but keep in mind that in the third round, running backs such as Josh Jacobs and Chase Brown will probably be off the board, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba might be the best wide receiver remaining. I’ve picked WR-WR here primarily because I’m fine with reaching for running backs such as James Cook or Omarion Hampton, if need be, in Round 3.
Players unlocked: Garrett Wilson.
Tristan’s picks: Jefferson and Ladd McConkey.
Draft Slot 4
Round 1 (Pick 4): Jahmyr Gibbs ultimately outscored Saquon Barkley last season (362.9 to 355.2), and while Barkley sitting out the Week 18 finale contributed, Gibbs’ performances in Weeks 15-18 and the divisional round gave him the look of a player ready to take his game to another level. If Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson and Justin Jefferson are already off the board, this slot should come down to your Gibbs/Barkley personal preference.
Players unlocked: None.
Round 2 (Pick 21): Don’t let any of the running backs from the Derrick Henry/Bucky Irving/Josh Jacobs tier or the wide receivers from the Nico Collins/A.J. Brown/Drake London tier slip beyond this pick. Every one of these would represent a huge win for this team. RB-RB is a viable strategy for this team, especially with wide receivers such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tyreek Hill and Tee Higgins routinely available at this slot in the third round.
Players unlocked: Davante Adams, James Cook.
Tristan’s picks: Gibbs and Jacobs.
Draft Slot 5
Round 1 (Pick 5): Don’t get me wrong, my fading of Saquon Barkley is no hater’s angle. The 5-slot is the furthest I’d let him slide in any 2025 draft of 10 teams or greater. Any more than that and you run the danger of gifting your competition a massive value pick … kind of like Barkley wound up being in 2024.
Players unlocked: None.
Round 2 (Pick 20): Brock Bowers is the one tight end who warrants second-round consideration this season, having scored 12.9 more fantasy points than the second-best TE and 114.2 more than the 11th best last season while projecting for 100-plus more points than the No. 11 tight end for 2025. Understand, however, that this is more of a diversification pick to avoid beginning with a pair of running backs with 1,800-plus career touches (Josh Jacobs or Derrick Henry here), but also not dipping deeper into the wide receiver pool if that position was hit harder earlier in the second round. A Barkley-Bucky Irving start, for instance, would be great from the 5-slot.
Players unlocked: Tee Higgins, Tyreek Hill, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jayden Daniels.
Tristan’s picks: Barkley and Bowers.
Draft Slot 6
Round 1 (Pick 6): If it’s not either of the top two draft slots, this is my preferred position for 2025 as the first point at which there’s a noticeable drop-off in terms of talent. Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, Justin Jefferson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkey and CeeDee Lamb comprise the top tier of six, meaning you should select the one remaining from this slot. For those feeling super-bold, this is the earliest possible slot from which you should even consider drafting the top-ranked rookie, Ashton Jeanty.
Players unlocked: Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Christian McCaffrey, Malik Nabers, Jeanty.
Round 2 (Pick 19): We’re at the point where you could make the case for breaking the seal on either the quarterback or tight end position, but there are enough of the former in the top tier and the latter has historically unearthed enough low-cost breakthroughs to warrant draft patience that I’m not doing either with my teams. Running back remains the way to go from this slot, with Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor and Bucky Irving often the names available. Taylor, for all his injury risk, is one of the most reliable three-down backs. He has had more than 20 touches in a game 15 times in the past two seasons, trailing only Saquon Barkley and Kyren Williams (17 apiece).
Players unlocked: None.
Tristan’s picks: Lamb and Taylor.
Draft Slot 7
Round 1 (Pick 7): Picks 7 through 11 overall come down largely to personal preference from the trio of wide receivers (Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Malik Nabers) and the two high-ceiling running backs (Christian McCaffrey and Ashton Jeanty) unlocked in the 6-slot. I’ve vacillated between the receivers in my own early drafts, though St. Brown, the only one at his position to score 300-plus fantasy points in each of the past two seasons, has most often risen to the top of my board.
Players unlocked: None.
Round 2 (Pick 18): Bucky Irving is the most intriguing second-round running back, at least relative to what are generally modest projections. I can formulate a case that he almost scratches the top-10 overall picks, though many people rank him outside the top 20. This seems like the sweet spot for him, but don’t be afraid to reach with one of the lower draft slots if you share similar optimism.
Players unlocked: Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Trey McBride.
Tristan’s picks: St. Brown and Irving.
Draft Slot 8
Round 1 (Pick 8): Puka Nacua is the next wide receiver on my draft board. He has a more reliable quarterback throwing him the football than Malik Nabers, and he has scored 15-plus fantasy points in 17 of the first 28 games of his career. Nacua also finished last season on a high note, scoring 159.4 fantasy points over the final eight weeks (third best among wide receivers despite sitting out the finale).
Players unlocked: De’Von Achane and Brian Thomas Jr.
Round 2 (Pick 17): I’m fading Derrick Henry more than most — more on why under draft slot 10 — but this is about as far as I’d allow him to slip in any draft, regardless of league size. Running backs will be plentiful from this spot in drafts where the Brian Thomas Jr./Nico Collins/A.J. Brown/Drake London wide receiver tier goes early in the second round, and Henry is a cut above Bucky Irving, Jonathan Taylor and Josh Jacobs.
Players unlocked: None.
Tristan’s picks: Nacua and Henry.
Draft Slot 9
Round 1 (Pick 9): Here is where fantasy managers face their toughest draft decision as Christian McCaffrey, despite the glut of top-six wide receivers, becomes too difficult to pass up. Over the past seven NFL seasons, covering the time he has been a full-time starter, he has averaged a league-leading (among all players) 23.7 fantasy points per game. Yes, McCaffrey is now 29 years old, with 1,871 career touches on his résumé, and he averaged barely half that per-game rate in his four games played last season, but the upside of a healthy McCaffrey is unquestionably first-round talent. I wouldn’t fault anyone for picking any of the earlier wide receivers (if still available) or Ashton Jeanty over McCaffrey, but this is the furthest I would allow him to slip in any draft.
Players unlocked: Nico Collins, Derrick Henry.
Round 2 (Pick 16): As there’s not much valuation differential between Brian Thomas Jr., Nico Collins, A.J. Brown and Drake London — any of the four should be readily available from this slot. That’s where selecting the running back in Round 1 helps, because it’ll prevent you from a likely reach for a lower-ranked player with this pick.
Players unlocked: Chase Brown, Kyren Williams.
Tristan’s picks: McCaffrey and London.
Draft Slot 10
Round 1 (Pick 10): This slot should come down to a choice between Malik Nabers or Ashton Jeanty, assuming none of my earlier recommendations remain on the board. That said, once Christian McCaffrey is gone, it’s time to bring up the other highly debatable running back, Derrick Henry. Henry was fourth in scoring among RBs in 2024, and he’s a three-down back for one of the most run-friendly offenses in football. That said, among the previous 20 players with at least as many as Henry’s 2,529 career touches through his age-30 season, only Walter Payton (3), Ricky Watters and Curtis Martin enjoyed a season of 220-plus fantasy points at an older age. Henry is a risk/reward pick, and I’m not yet ready to take the chance.
Players unlocked: Bucky Irving, Jonathan Taylor.
Round 2 (Pick 15): The danger for this particular team is finding that wide receivers are the best players on the board with each of its first three picks, meaning you should enter with a plan. If you didn’t take Jeanty in the first round, then Henry is fine here, or James Cook would be an acceptable Round 3 selection, but decide up front whether you’re OK with any of those three. Note that from this slot, I’ve most commonly begun my draft WR-WR.
Players unlocked: Ladd McConkey.
Tristan’s picks: Malik Nabers and A.J. Brown.
Draft Slot 11
Round 1 (Pick 11): Malik Nabers shouldn’t be allowed to slip beyond this pick with the possible exception that you’re a firm believer in Derrick Henry and play in a league that’s notoriously RB-heavy in the first round. Ashton Jeanty, in terms of both potential workload and production, compares well to the Saquon Barkley/Jonathan Taylor/Najee Harris/Bijan Robinson-caliber rookie performances of the past decade and is a legitimate first-round talent.
Players unlocked: A.J. Brown, Drake London.
Round 2 (Pick 14): If you’re more pro-Henry than I am, selecting him here makes a bit of sense, even if you took a running back in the first round. I prefer one of the Brian Thomas Jr./Nico Collins/Brown/London wide receiver quartet, but as long as you’re not selecting a running back ranked beneath De’Von Achane or Henry, you’re starting off fine. Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Davante Adams are typically among the wide receivers available from this slot in the third round.
Players unlocked: None.
Tristan’s picks: Jeanty and Collins.
Draft Slot 12
Round 1 (Pick 12): My valuations indicate there is a gap between the top 11 picks and the next tier that includes Brian Thomas Jr., Nico Collins and De’Von Achane, meaning that if any player targeted for earlier slots makes it this far, snatch him up quickly. The 12-slot brings with it the challenging question of “to Zero-RB or not to Zero-RB?” Thomas and Collins provide an excellent one-two wide receiver punch to start off, but beware that Rounds 3 and 4 (picks 36 and 37 overall) typically see running backs such as James Cook, Breece Hall, Omarion Hampton and Alvin Kamara available, but almost never anyone ranked higher at the position.
Players unlocked: Josh Jacobs, Brock Bowers.
Round 2 (Pick 13): I’m an Achane fan, so I must point out the following: Since his breakthrough game in Week 3 of 2023 (but not including that one), he has averaged 16.8 PPG, eighth best among running backs. That’s production I can’t pass up in the hopes of piecing a Zero-RB strategy together in the later rounds.
Players unlocked: None.
Tristan’s picks: Thomas and Achane.