RADIO
How will the NFL landscape look seven months from now regarding fantasy football drafts? Today, we are recapping an annual series that predicts the first rounds of Underdog drafts for the following season. Who will this year's surprise breakout player be, and how much will free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft impact the fantasy landscape?
This exercise aims to look at players potentially ascending and descending in value for the upcoming fantasy football season. While a lot can change over the next seven months, we are going to do our best here to find players who are mostly secure in their roles and offer the type of league-winning type that we need.
Here's the landscape for these 2025 fantasy football draft projections. Underdog rosters consisting of 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WR, 1-TE, 1-Flex, and 10 bench spots in Half-PPR scoring. Underdog drafts have always been heavy on wide receivers, but the 2024 season saw the return of the elite running back to even up the landscape. Here are my predictions for the first two rounds of 2025 Underdog drafts. Now, let's dive in!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings (redraft)
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
- 2025 NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
- Best ball fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
Round 1 Mock - 2025 Underdog Fantasy Football Drafts
1.01. Ja'Marr Chase - WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase has quarterback security for a very long time, and his connection with Joe Burrow is undeniable. His fantasy ceiling is elite, and he has the type of high-floor, high-ceiling type of upside that we are looking for in best ball. Chase scored 20.0 fantasy points per game in 2024 and posted 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. Sheesh.
He turns into a natural runner with the ball in his hands and can take one to the house at any given time. The fact that Burrow and Chase will be watching the NFL Playoffs from their television this year just feels wrong.
Here's every Ja'Marr Chase TD from this season
— Faux Joey Brrr (@FauxJeaux) January 6, 2025
There's a pretty big tier break between Chase and all the other receivers right now.
1.02. Saquon Barkley - RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Barkley went nuclear in his first season in Philadelphia, a move most didn't see coming. While we always knew he was a very talented back, going over 2,000 yards put him in league MVP consideration, and he became a 2024 league-winner.
Saquon Barkley’s 2024 season stats are shockingly similar to Adrian Peterson’s MVP year. 👀 pic.twitter.com/IBpVnLBkZu
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 3, 2025
Barkley went over 21.0 ppg in half-PPR formats and finished as the overall RB1. In Philadelphia's high-octane offense behind an offensive line led by Jeff Stoutland, it's hard to bet against Barkley, even if he'll be 28 years old soon. Some players are genuinely just built differently, and Saquon is undoubtedly that.
The only area for concern is that Barkley had just 33 receptions on the season for 278 yards and two touchdowns, but his rushing ability is simply too great to deny.
1.03. Bijan Robinson - RB, Atlanta Falcons
There's no denying Bijan's sensational dual-threat abilities out of the backfield. He rushed 304 times for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024, on top of catching 61 passes for 431 yards and another score. The Falcons have transitioned from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, but that's likely a good thing for Robinson heading into 2025.
The Falcons offensive coaching staff are all returning, which is good for Bijan. There will probably be some who say that a certain running back from the Lions should go above Bijan here, but it's easy to forget just how split that backfield is when both running backs are healthy. With Robinson, we don't have that problem.
1.04. Justin Jefferson - WR, Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson proved many of the doubters wrong and showed that he is pretty much quarterback-proof in head coach Kevin O'Connell's scheme. Quarterback Sam Darnold had a fantastic year, but it's fair to question if he will return in 2025 on a long-term deal. Rookie J.J. McCarthy is waiting in the wings, and a quarterback change doesn't move the needle much for Jefferson either way.
Jettas finished 2024 with 103 receptions for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns, and it already feels like he's on his way to being one of the best receivers ever.
1.05. Jahmyr Gibbs - RB, Detroit Lions
The top five or six picks on Underdog are going to be heavily coveted this year, and it's pretty clear how much Gibbs could completely break fantasy while fellow teammate David Montgomery was injured at the end of the 2024 season, giving Gibbs a higher share of the touches.
However, the Lions recently re-signed Monty to an extension, and we should still expect him to be a big part of the offense in 2025 if he is healthy.
Jahmyr Gibbs has recorded 70+ yards from scrimmage in every game this season.
He is the first player in NFL history to do that in a 17-game season.
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) January 6, 2025
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is probably the head coach of another team in 2025, but with all the weapons Detroit has, we can still feel very good about their offense being an elite unit.
1.06. CeeDee Lamb - WR, Dallas Cowboys
2024 was a frustrating season for Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys. He held out for much of the summer over a contract dispute, and the team simply waited too long to sign quarterback Dak Prescott to an extension, leaving them without any wiggle room to make an impact in free agency.
Dak was injured halfway through the year and the Cowboys slumped to a 7-10 finish, and there are questions if head coach Mike McCarthy will be back.
Lamb still finished with 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns over 15 games in 2024. We don't have to worry about who his quarterback will be and he still projects as a high-end target hog for 2025.
1.07. Amon-Ra St. Brown - WR, Detroit Lions
A model of consistency mixed with upside, the Sun God had another fantastic season, posting 115 receptions for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had three weekly finishes as a top-3 WR or better, including WR1 finishes in Week 7 and Week 11.
Amon-Ra. plays a big role for the Lions and will always see plenty of volume where he still mostly lines up in the slot. He might not have some of the same upside as the other wide receivers, but he's always a solid bet to make in fantasy.
1.08. Puka Nacua - WR, Los Angeles Rams
Despite being a bit banged up in 2024, Nacua still produced and appears to have taken over the team's WR1 role from fellow teammate Cooper Kupp.
He played in just 11 games, but Puka had an impressive stat line with 79 receptions for 990 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams need to find a long-term replacement for quarterback Matthew Stafford at some point, but retirement doesn't appear on the horizon anytime soon. Any injury issues aside, Nacua is a solid bet for 2025.
1.09. Nico Collins - WR, Houston Texans
Collins was a complete beast in 2025. averaging 14.7 fantasy PPG despite missing five games on the season (hamstring). He posted 68 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns. Many were worried about his ADP coming into 2024 after the team acquired wideout Stefon Diggs, but no one knows if Diggs will return to Houston in 2025.
Nico is a legit WR1 with a very good quarterback and projects well going forward. The Texans' offensive line was bad in 2024, and the hope is that many of their offensive woes will be fixed over the offseason. Collins and Stroud are an elite connection still worth betting on.
1.10. Christian McCaffrey - RB, San Francisco 49ers
This one will be hotly debated for 2025. CMC will be 29 by the time the season starts, but we already know that head coach Kyle Shanahan and just about all of the 49ers' offensive weapons will be returning next season. McCaffrey played in just four games after suffering an Achilles injury in training camp, and some in the fantasy landscape might just avoid him altogether after being burned again.
However, we know the kind of upside that CMC has for fantasy due to his incredible abilities as a pass catcher. CMC has four seasons in his NFL career with 80-plus receptions, and his receiving prowess out of the backfield should still make him a relatively safe bet for fantasy, assuming his health is there.
1.11. Malik Nabers - WR, New York Giants
The Giants will have a new quarterback under center in 2025, but that's likely a good thing for Nabers. The Daniel Jones experiment went south, and the team shuffled through the likes of Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito, yet Nabers still had a monster season for fantasy.
In 15 games, he put up 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. Imagine what's going to happen once Nabers gets even average quarterback play. He's an explosive wide receiver who can win downfield on top of being a YAC monster, making him nearly impossible to defend. Nabers is a big play waiting to happen with every reception, which is exactly what we want in best ball.
1.12. Ashton Jeanty - RB, Boise State (Incoming Rookie)
This one might seem high for now, but it feels inevitable that Jeanty will go in the first 40 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft. While we don't yet know his landing spot, Jeanty had a monster final season at Boise State, rushing 375 times for 2,595 yards and 29 touchdowns! He finished that up with 23 receptions for 138 yards and another score.
In 2023, Jeanty was used more as a receiver, finishing with 44 receptions for 578 yards and five touchdowns. He profiles well as a complete three-down back at the next level and should see close to the bell-cow type of usage, depending on where he is drafted. In 2023 Underdog drafts, Bijan Robinson went around the 1.08, and Jahmyr Gibbs went at the 1-2 turn as rookies, so this feels about right for Jeanty.
Round 2 Mock - 2025 Underdog Fantasy Football Drafts
2.01. Brian Thomas Jr. - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
2.02. A.J. Brown - WR, Philadelphia Eagles
2.03 Brock Bowers - TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Bowers had a phenomenal rookie campaign in 2024 and saw his volume explode after wide receiver Davante Adams was traded to the New York Jets.
He broke rookie tight end records, finishing with 112 receptions for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. While we still don't know who Bowers' quarterback is going to be for 2025, he has the potential to completely break the TE position for fantasy, much like prime Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski did.
According to PFF, Bowers played 72.2% of his offensive snaps either from the slot or lined out wide. In reality, he's just a very talented wide receiver who happens to qualify as a tight end. As long as he continues to be used that way, he's an absolute cheat code for fantasy.
2.04. Derrick Henry - RB, Baltimore Ravens
2.05. Trey McBride - TE, Arizona Cardinals
2.06. Tyreek Hill - WR, Miami Dolphins
2.07. Breece Hall - RB, New York Jets
2.08. De'Von Achane - RB, Miami Dolphins
2.09. Josh Jacobs - RB, Green Bay Packers
Many of the fantasy experts came into the season expecting Packers head coach Matt LaFleur to divvy up the running back touches in much the same way as he did with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon in years past, but that didn't materialize.
Jacobs was a true bell cow in the Packers' offense, partially aided by rookie MarShawn Lloyd missing almost all year with injury and no other back stepping up to take away any of his touches. Jacobs finished with 301 carries for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 36 receptions for 342 yards and another score.
2.10. Kyren Williams - RB, Los Angeles Rams
2.11. Tee Higgins - WR, Cincinnati Bengals
2.12. Jonathan Taylor - RB, Indianapolis Colts
These predictions come to a total of 11 RBs, 11 WRs, and two TEs in the first two rounds of 2025 Underdog Fantasy drafts, so pretty even!
Honorable Mention
- Bucky Irving, RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Ladd McConkey, WR - Los Angeles Chargers
- Mike Evans, WR - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Chase Brown, RB - Cincinnati Bengals
- Drake London, WR - Atlanta Falcons
Conclusion
2024 was the year of the running back, not only in real life but in fantasy as well. Will we see the ADP landscape correct a bit in 2025 in favor of running backs, or will we still see wide receivers continue to dominate the early rounds of Underdog drafts? How was this list? Who was too high, and who was too low?
The NFL regular season might be over, but don't forget to follow me on X all offseason long for all the latest buzz around the 2025 NFL Draft and how free agency will undoubtedly alter the fantasy football landscape. Regardless of your personal feelings about a player, it's always important to step back each offseason and take a bird's eye view of how the landscape might look in the following year.
Happy drafting, and I hope you have a safe and happy 2025 new year!
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
