Can you feel it? June is about to begin, but that only means we are inching closer and closer to peak fantasy football season! While dynasty or devy fantasy football leagues are still the trend right now. It’s never too early to look at redraft fantasy football leagues!
So, the In-Between Media (IBT) team and friends decided to do a Redraft Points Per Reception (PPR) 15-round fantasy football mock draft! We are using the standard Sleeper roster: 1QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1TE, 2FLEX, DST and K.
Now, let’s dive right in and evaluate everything about this mock draft! If this isn’t enough, we also broke it down in the latest episode of “The In-Between Media Fantasy Football Podcast.”
Draft Order:
- John English (Fan)
- Steve Lawson (IBT Podcast Co-Host)
- Will Starliper (IBT Staff Member)
- Tyler Bradley (IBT Business Director)
- Ben Siebert (Me)
- Eric Romoff (IBT General Manager)
- Austin Woolcock (Fan)
- Chris Udovich (Fan)
- Jake Parry (IBT Podcast Co-Host)
- James Danielson (IBT Staff Member)
- Seth Woolcock (IBT Founder, Content Director)
- Bo McBrayer (IBT Staff Member)
Early 2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft (Redraft) | 12-Team, PPR
Early Rounds (1-4)
Split Strategies: First Four
When we get closer to drafting our teams, the No. 1 question I get asked is “What’s the strategy for this pick?” The strategies are split into thirds by looking at the board and current Average Draft Position (ADP).
The first four picks are pretty much set in stone with it being Saquon Barkley, Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson and then the second highest wide receiver of a player’s choosing. But when they end the second round and start the third round, there’s a boatload of running backs to choose from. Six running backs were taken in those eight picks from 2.09 to 3.04. From Christian McCaffrey to Kyren Williams, you’re likely filling up your two running back spots by the third round if you are in the first third of the draft. According to Sleeper’s ADP, all the running backs selected were pretty reasonable, as there are six running backs with an ADP of 23-33.
The two exceptions were De’Von Achane, who fell to 2.10, with an ADP of 15. Kyren Williams, being the other one, was drafted at 3.04 but has an ADP of 38. I’m not the one to argue about the Williams pick. He didn’t return many punts and had the third-most rushing attempts for a running back last season.
Split Strategies: Middle Four
When you’re in picks five-eight, you’re either starting the run or ending the run of a certain position. In the first round, except for Jahmyr Gibbs (1.07) and possibly Ashton Jeanty, you’re likely going to select a top-five wide receiver and continue the wide receiver run.
The question then becomes: Do you start the running back run in the second round or end it in the third round? Personally, when it was my selection at 2.08, I decided to end the running back run in the third round, mainly because A.J. Brown fell to me at 2.08 with his ADP of 13. I knew there was a likely chance of a running back falling to me, which happened with Bucky Irving and Chase Brown.
We also saw a mini-run of quarterbacks, as QB2 and QB3, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels, were taken with picks 3.07 and 3.08. That made total sense, as they both finished in the top five with at least 21.5 fantasy points per game. You could also argue that if Daniels hadn’t been nursing that rib injury in the middle of the season, it would be a top-three finish instead of top five.
Split Strategies: Last Four
For picks nine-12, you have to be a difference-maker. You’re seeing all sorts of strategies in play here. Did you notice that in picks 1.09 from 2.01, except for Nico Collins, a rookie or a second-year star was chosen? Even though Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr. were all rookies last year, that did not stop them from finishing in the top six in their position. So, why not invest in them again and prove that last year was just a stepping stone to a bigger and better season?
You also see two quarterbacks go: Josh Allen as QB1 at 2.03 and Jalen Hurts as QB4 at 4.04. Maybe the assistance of a “Tush Push” helps, but these quarterbacks can run and score touchdowns. That equals more fantasy points, so grab them now, knowing they likely won’t come back to you 12 picks later. They were the only two quarterbacks last season with single-digit interceptions and both double-digit passing and rushing touchdowns.
The top two tight ends are also selected here. Brock Bowers at 1.12 and Trey McBride at 3.09! McBride fell from his ADP of 19, so to be snagged in the third round is just a steal. The only complaint is that they need to score more touchdowns. They didn’t even finish in the top five for touchdowns scored by tight ends last season! What carried them to finish first and second in tight end scoring was that they were essentially the top pass-catchers for their team, both seeing 110+ receptions and 1,140 yards.
Running Backs Are Back!
Sorry to any zero-RB enthusiasts out there. Last year, the running backs, well, ran back into the spotlight. We had five running backs score 299+ PPR fantasy points for the whole season. The last time that happened was in 2018. Nine teams secured at least one running back by the third round, and by the time we got to 4.05 with Chuba Hubbard, all teams had selected a running back.
You can still take a chance and go with the zero-RB strategy. Just know that out of the 16 running backs in the top 48 of Sleeper’s ADP, only five non-rookie running backs (De’Von Achane, Bucky Irving, Chase Brown, James Cook and Alvin Kamara) were not in the top 48 last year. Other than James Cook and Alvin Kamara barely missing the cut last year, it’s more of a season-long luck play to really hit on a running back that scores huge fantasy points.
Middle Rounds (5-8)
The “One-&-One” – A New RB Strategy?
One of the main topics of this year’s NFL Draft was how stacked the running back class was, and it also showed in this fantasy football mock draft. What is this “one-and-one” strategy? It’s one veteran and one rookie running back as your starting RB1 and RB2.
Multiple teams did this, grabbing their veteran first and then their rookie. After grabbing Irving at the 3.05, I was the last team to secure their RB2 spot and did so by selecting rookie Kaleb Johnson at the 8.08! Eric snagged Brown at the 3.6,0 then “stayed in Ohio” by grabbing the rookie running back from Ohio State, TreVeyon Henderson at the 6.07. Continuing with Ohio State running backs, Jake selected Quinshon Judkins at 5.09 to make him his RB2, after selecting Derrick Henry at 2.4.
That’s not all! Bo went in reverse order and charged into Los Angeles. He grabbed Omarion Hampton at 4.01 and then grabbed his handcuff in Najee Harris at the 7.12. I will also note that with the following pick, he did snag Brian Robinson. Seth also went a little differently and instead grabbed two rookie running backs. After taking Ashton Jeanty at the 1.11, he selects R.J. Harvey at the 5.11. Just under half of the people invested in rookie running backs in their middle rounds, and the “one-and-one” strategy might be the one.
Travis Hunter (WR/CB, Jacksonville Jaguars): The Unicorn
Did you think I’d go a whole mock draft article without mentioning one of the most intriguing players of this fantasy football season? That, of course, is two-way player Travis Hunter.
The former Jackson State Tiger and Colorado Buffalo was the WR1 or WR2 on most rookie boards. That is, if he stayed playing the wide receiver position. He won the Heisman Trophy last year because of his amazing skill set at both wide receiver and cornerback. According to the reports, he will play more snaps on offense and also see some defensive snaps. That is the big concern here. We haven’t dealt with many players like this in a game, let alone season-long.
I agree with Seth, liking him as a top 65 player in PPR leagues. If we knew he’d only play offense, he’d be selected much higher. Also, I’m going to dismiss the whole “running routes concern” that was trending, as it can go in the same false pre-season rumor pile of “Ja’Marr Chase can’t catch” and “Kyren Williams will return punts”.
Quarterback Shortage
In the early rounds, you saw four quarterbacks go! However, they all shared a commonality. They all had 2,900+ passing yards, double-digit passing touchdowns, single-digit interceptions and were in the top five for rushing yards for quarterbacks. That’s why they are in a separate tier and were drafted earlier.
Only two quarterbacks were selected in these middle rounds. Bo selected Joe Burrow at 6.01, and I selected Patrick Mahomes at 7.05. Now, they might not have the rushing upside of the upper tier, but they have something that makes them stand out as the last two quarterbacks to consider before investing in a quarterback later.
Last season, Joe Burrow led the league with 4,915 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns, finishing third in fantasy points per game with 22.5 behind Allen and Jackson. What you lose in rushing, you get back in passing with Burrow. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes finished outside the top 10 for the first time ever last season when he started double-digit games. That had to do with an offensive line that looked less effective, injuries to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashee Rice, plus Xavier Worthy taking time to develop. Some seasons are just an anomaly. With Mahomes getting his weapons healthier and a workable offensive line, I can see him finishing back in the top eight, as he has every other season, justifying my selection at QB6.
Tight End Surplus
There might have been a shortage of quarterbacks selected in these rounds. Meanwhile, we saw a surplus of tight ends drafted in the middle rounds. Bowers and McBride are exceptions to this case because they’re expected to be drafted in the first four rounds.
Eight tight ends were selected in these middle rounds, with at least one selected in each of the rounds five-10. It all began with George Kittle, the tight end who averaged the most fantasy points per game last season at 5.4, by Tyler. Immediately after, at 5.05, I selected T.J. Hockenson, who was in the top six for most receptions, targets and yards since returning from injury in Week 9. He now has a new quarterback in J.J. McCarthy. Chris selected Sam LaPorta at 6.05, despite his not finishing nearly as close to the TE1 numbers he posted in his rookie season. He still managed to put up a TE8 overall season, with the sixth-most receiving yards and tied for the fourth-most receiving touchdowns for the position.
If the first five tight ends don’t float your boat, you can’t wait that much longer to miss out because in rounds 7-8, the bottom five of the top-10 tight ends drafted go. John goes Travis Kelce at 7.01, immediately followed by Steve selecting Evan Engram with the pick after. Then it waits a bit, and James picks Jonnu Smith at the 8.03. That prompted a mini-run in the last two tight ends with Mark Andrews being selected at 8.06 by Austin and Dalton Kincaid at 8.07 by Eric.
If you don’t plan to select a tight end by the eighth round, you may be out of luck!
Please Pick Receiver (PPR)
When you get a point per reception, the most important position becomes the wide receiver. So, that’s why you see eight teams select at least four wide receivers by the time the eighth round ends. If they didn’t draft four, at least all the teams selected three!
Last season, 54 wide receivers averaged double-digit fantasy points per game in this format. That would be the most in a season since 2020. From Chase to Cooper Kupp, 46 wide receivers go off the board. Names like Jaylen Waddle and Chris Olave barely missed the cut of averaging double-digits last year. However, you see Austin and Jake spend either a sixth-rounder or a seventh-rounder on them, hoping their WR2s average that double-digit potential they have.
A bunch of receivers are averaging that double-digit threshold compared to other positions. It’s smarter to invest in at least three by this point. The safer route is to have half of your picks be wide receivers by the end of the eighth round.
Late Rounds (9-13)
Invest in Rookies
Rookies started to fly off the board in the later rounds. From Rounds nine-13, at least one rookie was selected per round, with multiple rookies picked in three of those five rounds. This is smart because, while you might not earn the points at the beginning of the season, you may earn more at the end, whether due to injuries or having the time to adjust to the professional league.
We saw a trio of wide receivers go in the ninth round with Matthew Golden, Emeka Egbuka and Tre Harris. In the 10th round, Luther Burden and Cameron Skattebo went back-to-back. Jaylin Noel was the only rookie to go in round 11. Tyler Warren, Jayden Higgins, Kyle Williams and Dylan Sampson all go in the 12th round. Then, the only rookie drafted in the 13th round is Colston Loveland.
Why Emeka Egbuka (WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) & Dylan Sampson (RB, Cleveland Browns)?
I want to quickly overview the two rookies I selected: Egbuka and Sampson. Yes, Egbuka did not go to a prime position for fantasy football when the Buccaneers drafted him with the 19th pick, fitting in as the WR3 behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. It may not be all bad, though. See, from Weeks 1-6, before Evans and Godwin went down with injuries in the Week 7 game against the Ravens, there were two games where the Buccaneers had three wide receivers score double-digit fantasy points. Half of those six games saw a trio of wide receivers scoring seven-plus fantasy points. It’s not much, but you give Baker Mayfield another weapon to throw to and potential to become a flex play if you need it!
Unlike similar rookie running backs selected, Sampson is not behind an aging RB1. So, what makes him intriguing to me? Well, the quarterback situation is crappy and without Jameis Winston, Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku among others lose their value. Insert the new RB2 in Sampson, who is small but mighty. I don’t necessarily trust the receiving game for the Browns, so if there’s one thing that’s low-risk but has potential, it’s the Browns’ rookie running game with Judkins and Sampson.
“It’s Gonna Be Maye”
Well, after the shortage of quarterbacks in the middle rounds. There was a reason why 16 quarterbacks were drafted in these late rounds. It’s become a huge strategy now that you grab a quarterback in these later rounds. The reason is that it’s a one-off position and, alongside DSTs and kickers, is easily streamable.
You might be struggling to find a sleeper quarterback in redraft this season, just like Drake can’t figure out who’s calling his Nokia. Well, maybe if he changed his ringtone to *NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me”, he and you would find out that “It’s Gonna Be Maye.” The two picks I love the most out of the 16 quarterbacks came in the 13th round with Steve’s selection of Drake Maye and Chris’s selection of Dak Prescott.
I have already written about Dak Prescott and my reasons for liking him following the George Pickens trade. It’s now time to write about Maye. After a shaky beginning to free agency, it’s been good news for the Patriots quarterback since March 25, when they signed WR Stefon Diggs. Then they selected all offensive players in the first two days of the NFL Draft, snagging offensive linemen like Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Kyle Williams.
RELATED: Fantasy Football Impact of George Pickens Traded to the Cowboys
In Weeks 9-16, when he was fully healthy, Drake Maye finished QB15. That might not sound great, but remember what he was working with. He also flashed with his huge rushing upside. In that span, he had the fourth-most rushing yards for a quarterback with 275, even more than Lamar Jackson in the same number of games. So now that they helped him, how about he helps us by becoming a league-winning quarterback?!
Three’s a Stack
Don’t be afraid to stack in the later rounds if you feel a position is weak. Players in this range have a lower chance to hit, but might provide huge points like others drafted in earlier rounds. Cue the “So, you’re telling me there’s a chance” from “Dumb and Dumber” GIF. Five teams in this draft went three straight picks at the same position.
With the running backs, I decided that Irving and Kaleb Johnson were not enough to fill my running back need. Therefore, I spent my 11th-13th round picks on Rachaad White (for the handcuff), Dylan Sampson and Blake Corum. Austin added J.K. Dobbins, Rico Dowdle and Zach Charbonnet to handcuff with Kenneth Walker and paired them with Jahmyr Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco. Chris stacked Isaac Guerendo, Cameron Skattebo and Trevor Etienne after only selecting Chuba Hubbard and Aaron Jones prior.
Transitioning to the wide receivers, Jake grabbed Malik Nabers with the ninth pick. He waited until the sixth round to draft Chris Olave and started his seven-round stack of drafting wide receivers. He went from veterans like Michael Pittman Jr., Darnell Mooney and DeAndre Hopkins to rookies in Burden, Noel and Higgins. Meanwhile, Bo grabbed Jalen McMillan, Christian Kirk and Rashod Bateman from the 11th-13th round to help his previous wide receiver corps of Brian Thomas Jr., Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jordan Addison.
Final Thoughts
Doing a mock draft like this is fun, especially with people who talk or write about this for a living, even if it’s this early! You learn some things, and it’s also a way to test out new strategies you’ve made up or read about in this or other articles. So, get to mockin’, that way you can win your fantasy football draft!
Thanks for reading our”Early 2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft (Redraft) | 12-Team, PPR.” If you’re looking for more fantasy content like this or need help with the last-minute fantasy football start/sit decisions for your roster, you can find me on Facebook at “Fantasy Sports Start or Sit’Em Questions,” Twitter/X @FSSOSEQ or on BlueSky!
*Photo Credit: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union – USA TODAY Sports*
