Perfect 10-team, Pick 6 2025 fantasy football draft strategy, round by round 2.0

Fantasy Sports

add

• Brian Thomas Jr. found his rhythm: Over the last seven weeks, Thomas consistently scored fantasy points and had the third-most points among wide receivers during that stretch.
• Start with two wide receivers: After Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are off the board, the strength of the draft is at wide receiver from Picks 6-15.
• Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more!

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

This perfect draft strategy for 10-team, single quarterback, redraft, PPR fantasy football leagues uses a consensus of current average draft positions (ADPs) from ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! to deliver a round-by-round guide for managers picking sixth overall. To find more information about any player mentioned in this article, click on the player’s name to find their fantasy football player profile.

Last updated: Thursday, August 21

Round 1, Pick 6: Draft a wide receiver

Anyone picking from the middle of the first round to the end is either picking their top available wide receiver or a running back like Christian McCaffrey, Ashton Jeanty or Derrick Henry. There are six wide receivers ranked third to eighth, and seemingly no two analysts have the receivers in the same order. All of them could end up as the top overall wide receiver if everything goes well, but all of them are going through some changes with some combination of new play-callers, new quarterbacks and new competition for targets. It’s best to pick the best wide receiver available.

Top Target: Puka Nacua

Nacua averaged 0.216 receptions per route and 0.3 targets per route over the last two seasons, which both rank the best among wide receivers. His target rate of 37.1% last season was the highest among all wide receivers with at least 75 routes run in the last 19 years. His 3.56 yards per route run ranks third best, behind Steve Smith in 2008 and Tyreek Hill in 2023. It’s been difficult for both Nacua and Cooper Kupp to have fantasy value in the same game over the past two seasons, with one wide receiver often shining, while the other struggles to hit 50 yards. This could be even more of a problem with Davante Adams on the roster replacing Kupp.

Possible Targets: Nico Collins, CeeDee Lamb, Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers, Amon-Ra St. Brown

Round 2, Pick 15: Draft a wide receiver

Ten wide receivers have a strong case to finish among the top three at the position, speaking to the strength of the position. During the first half of the second round, there should be a few of those options still available. It’s possible to end up with a great team starting with two wide receivers, so it makes sense to continue adding the best wide receivers available.

Top Target: Brian Thomas Jr.

Brian Thomas Jr. had a strong start to his rookie season and ended it among the league’s best fantasy receivers. In his final seven games, he gained at least 13 PPR points each week and averaged 21.5 points, third behind only Ja’Marr Chase and Puka Nacua. He played at least 84% of his team’s offensive snaps in all but one of those games. The team added Travis Hunter in the draft, and he will see a decent target rate, but typically, two great wide receivers can co-exist as long as there isn’t much more competition for targets. Thomas led all wide receivers in yards per route run out of the slot with 3.12, and new offensive coordinator Liam Coen has found a lot of success with his slot receivers in the past. An increased role in the slot could lead Thomas to remain among the top wide receivers in fantasy football.

Possible Targets: Drake London, A.J. Brown, Tee Higgins, Garrett Wilson, Ladd McConkey

Round 3, Pick 26: Draft a tight end

Throughout the offseason, I generally advocated for a quarterback or a tight end early. However, the ADP for the best sleeper options has gotten earlier, while that hasn’t been the case for the best sleeper quarterbacks. It is also easier to predict which week a quarterback might play well based on the opponent compared to a tight end, making it easier to have two quarterbacks compared to tight end. That means tight end is the better option to target earlier.

Top Target: George Kittle

Kittle has arguably been the best tight end in the NFL during his career. His run blocking has been the best, and his numbers are better than Travis Kelce on a per-play basis. However, the 49ers‘ run-first philosophy mixed with Kittle’s injury history has left Kittle running fewer routes than other elite tight ends. He’s made up for it in recent seasons with Brock Purdy, whose ability to find Kittle down the field led to more big plays from Kittle than any other tight end in recent seasons. This makes him a clear top-three fantasy tight end, but his age, mixed with a chance his average depth of target decreasing, makes him the clear third option between him, Brock Bowers and Trey McBride.

Possible Targets: T.J. Hockenson, Sam LaPorta, David Njoku, Tucker Kraft, Dalton Kincaid

Round 4, Pick 35: Draft a running back

After adding two wide receivers and a tight end, it makes sense to pick a running back at this pick.

Top Target: Kenneth Walker III

Kenneth Walker III has graded among the best running backs in the league, including a 91.3 rushing grade last season. His 0.42 avoided tackles per attempt last season were the most in PFF’s 19 years of statistics for all running backs with at least 50 carries. The next-most with any player with at least 150 carries in a season was 0.31, which is a tie that includes 2014 Marshawn Lynch and 2020 Nick Chubb. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will have an offense that plays to Walker’s strengths with his zone scheme and will prioritize getting him the football more than last season. However, he’s missed 10 games over the previous three seasons due to injury, and his play was negatively affected in several more while playing through injury. If he can stay healthy, he will have his best fantasy season yet, but staying healthy is a big if.

Possible Targets: Omarion Hampton, R.J. Harvey, Alvin Kamara, D’Andre Swift, James Conner

Round 5, Pick 46: Draft a quarterback

In 12-team leagues, if you miss out on the top four quarterbacks, it makes sense to continue waiting for late-round options. In 10-team leagues, Mahomes can be a value because a lot of the best options available in this range will also be available in the next round. That makes it easier to take a chance on Mahomes here, even if the gap between him and guys available in the next few rounds is small.

Top Target: Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl champion and three-time MVP. His fantasy production was elite, but in the last two seasons, his stats have fallen back to Earth. The Chiefs have only done as much as they need to win without blowing teams out. Additionally, their best receiver, Travis Kelce, is on the downswing of his career, and the wide receiver room hasn’t worked as well as planned in either season. Despite this, he’s had a high floor and has stayed healthy, leaving him among the top-12 fantasy quarterbacks. The wide receiver room on paper is the best it’s been since Tyreek Hill was on the team. If they can stay healthy, Mahomes should bounce back compared to the last two years.

Possible Targets: Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Justin Fields, J.J. McCarthy, Trevor Lawrence

Round 6, Pick 55: Draft a running back

R.J. Harvey and Travis Hunter were two of the biggest winners of the NFL draft for fantasy purposes, and their ADP was always a little low relative to their potential. The first week of the preseason showed their teams have big plans for these two players, and they remain two of the biggest steals of the draft. The goal with these next two picks is to pick those two players.

Harvey’s ADP is earlier on Yahoo! and Sleeper, while Hunter’s ADP is earlier on ESPN, which should play into your decision. There are also other excellent wide receiver options to pivot to, like Jameson Williams and Tetairoa McMillan, while there is a larger gap between Harvey and the other running backs. This leads to Harvey being the first pick here, but it’s worth considering Hunter first, particularly on ESPN.

Top Target: R.J. Harvey

Harvey was arguably the biggest winner in the draft at running back because he landed on a team where his skill set could lead to fantasy stardom. Denver Broncos running backs have caught 214 passes over the past two years, which is more than any other team, and Harvey is projected to be the Broncos’ primary receiving back. A top-ten season is within the realm of possibility if he dominates the passing down role and also averages at least eight carries per game. However, the Broncos’ backfield could remain volatile despite the addition of Harvey.

Possible Targets: Jordan Mason, Jaylen Warren, Isiah Pacheco, Aaron Jones Sr., Tony Pollard

Round 7, Pick 66: Draft a wide receiver

As mentioned above, this is the time to take either a high-upside young wide receiver option or R.J. Harvey.

Top Target: Travis Hunter

The sky is the limit for Hunter, a truly unique athlete. He is arguably the best wide receiver and best cornerback in the 2025 draft class. That uniqueness makes it difficult to project how much he can help a fantasy manager at the wide receiver position. Fantasy-relevant wide receivers are consistently playing a minimum of 75% of offensive snaps, and there is a chance Hunter falls below that threshold. His role on offense could be restricted in a way that makes Hunter unstartable, but Hunter could also become the top wide receiver in the NFL and fantasy. He is arguably the most risky player to pick in fantasy drafts, offering both significant risk and reward.

Possible Targets: Jameson Williams, Tetairoa McMillan, DeVonta Smith, Chris Olave, Jaylen Waddle

Round 8, Pick 75: Draft a wide receiver

The strength of this point of the draft is at wide receiver, as all of the clear-cut top running backs are no longer on the board, and every other running back is either fighting for the starting job, in a committee, or there is some uncertainty around their usage. On the other hand, the wide receivers available in this range are obvious starters, with either experience of being a fantasy starter or risky starters who haven’t proven themselves in the NFL yet, but have the upside to be top-10 players.

Top Target: Chris Olave

Olave has the talent to be a top-15 fantasy wide receiver. He scored the 16th-most fantasy points in 2023, and his PFF receiving grade has been at least 82.0 each season. The Saints added Kellen Moore as their head coach, and his slot receivers have been a consistent value in fantasy football. Olave is the wide receiver best suited to line up in the slot. However, Olave has five documented concussions. This makes him both more likely than the typical player to suffer another concussion and more likely to miss significant time if he suffers another one. After Derek Carr’s retirement, the Saints are stuck between three young and unproven quarterback options, which is also working against Olave.

Possible Targets: Emeka Egbuka, Rome Odunze, Ricky Pearsall, Deebo Samuel, Jakobi Meyers

Round 9, Pick 86: Draft a wide receiver

As mentioned above, wide receiver is the strength of the draft, and you can never have too many wide receivers. Egbuka is the player listed here, but there is a chance his ADP will change dramatically with the news that McMillan will miss the first half of the season. If he’s no longer available, move on to the next best wide receiver.

Top Target: Emeka Egbuka

Egbuka was a very talented receiver out of Ohio State, but he was consistently the second wide receiver in Ohio State’s offense. He averaged 2.75 yards per route run against zone defenses over the last three seasons, which places him over the 95th percentile among FBS receivers. With the Buccaneers, he will be the second or third option in the short term. Jalen McMillan is expected to miss the first half of the season due to a preseason injury, while there is a chance Chris Godwin will miss the start of the season. That will give Egbuka an immediate opportunity to succeed.

Possible Targets: Ricky Pearsall, Deebo Samuel, Jakobi Meyers, Jauan Jennings, Stefon Diggs

Round 10, Pick 95: Draft a running back

After focusing on wide receivers in multiple rounds, it’s time to turn back to the running back position. You can ideally draft three backs who are in committees with high upside, and the first comes at this pick.

Top Target: Jordan Mason

Jordan Mason quickly went from undrafted rookie to the top backup running back for the 49ers, despite the team consistently spending mid-to-late round draft picks on running backs. An injury to Christian McCaffrey allowed Mason to be a starter to begin the 2024 season, and he was sixth in fantasy points per game over five weeks before he started dealing with injuries. Mason was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, where Aaron Jones Sr. is the main running back. The two will likely be in a committee that includes Mason receiving significant work in rushing situations, while Jones gets more in passing situations. Jones is over 30 years old and has dealt with multiple injuries over the last two seasons. While Mason might not score enough weekly to start in fantasy in normal situations, if Jones is dealing with an injury or is showing more signs of age, we could see Jones as a weekly player to start.

Possible Targets: Quinshon Judkins, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rhamondre Stevenson, Javonte Williams, Cam Skattebo

Round 11, Pick 106: Draft a running back

There are only a few running backs left who are expected to lead their team in carries, so it makes sense to add yet another running back before these players are no longer available.

Top Target: Rhamondre Stevenson

Rhamondre Stevenson has spent the last four seasons with the Patriots and has been an every-down lead back with a capable veteran backup most of the time. His quality of play is very dependent on the offensive line, and the line had the worst team run-blocking grade last season. He reunites with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was his offensive coordinator in his first season. In 17 of McDaniels’ 18 seasons, the running back who leads his team in rushing attempts is not the same one who leads his backfield in third-down snaps. The Patriots spent the 38th overall pick on TreVeyon Henderson, who was arguably the best receiving back in this draft class. That means Stevenson will likely lose most of his passing-down work. He should still receive double-digit carries most weeks, and the Patriots made multiple changes to the offensive line, which should help his production.

Possible Targets: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Javonte Williams, Tank Bigsby, Braelon Allen, Jaydon Blue

Round 12, Pick 115: Draft a wide receiver

This team is very balanced at this point, and the goal should be to keep on adding running backs and wide receivers. There is a clear tier gap after the first few top wide receivers from this round are no longer available, making wide receiver the position to target first.

Top Target: Darnell Mooney

Darnell Mooney had a strong start to his career with the Chicago Bears for a fifth-round pick, but then Chicago moved him to the slot, which didn’t end up working out. The Atlanta Falcons signed him in free agency prior to the 2024 season, moving him back to the outside, which caused him to be a frustrating WR3 option for fantasy teams. He had seven games with 80 or more receiving yards, and his career-high five touchdowns occurred during those seven games. However, he was held to three receptions for less than 40 yards in six of his games. Michael Penix Jr. has taken over as the Falcons’ starting quarterback, and his quality of play will determine Mooney’s fantasy value. In a small sample, Penix has thrown deep at a high rate with high deep accuracy, which could lead to a huge season by Mooney, but if Penix regresses, then Mooney will be a fantasy backup.

Possible Targets: Josh Downs, Marvin Mims Jr., Michael Pittman Jr., Christian Kirk, Keon Coleman

Round 13, Pick 126: Draft a running back

Croskey-Merritt is the top player with this pick. His ADP is currently much later than this on most sites, but he is also potentially getting drafted earlier than this in a lot of drafts, just depending on how up-to-date your leaguemates are with NFL news. Even if Croskey-Merritt isn’t available, it would be good to add another running back.

Top Target: Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Jacory Croskey-Merritt has consistently improved as a running back from his time at Alabama State to New Mexico, where he significantly improved in both the run and passing game, averaging a first down on 37.2% of his runs and breaking long runs at a ridiculously high rate. After a brief stint at Arizona, he impressed at the Shrine Bowl with 97 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. He further cemented his potential at the combine, finishing in the 80th percentile or better in the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump. Selected by the Washington Commanders, he quickly moved up the depth chart in the preseason, even playing ahead of Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr., suggesting he could be the primary early-down back, especially with trade rumors swirling around Brian Robinson Jr. While his role is likely to be primarily as an early-down runner in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, his talent makes him worthy of being one of the top 32 running backs drafted, though you may not have to draft him that high.

Possible Targets: Tank Bigsby, Braelon Allen, Jaydon Blue, Nick Chubb, Tyjae Spears

Round 14–18: Fill Depth

Use any additional picks to draft a kicker and team defense if required; otherwise, stock up on running backs and wide receivers.

This news was originally published on this post .