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Joey Pollizze's fantasy football mock draft for 12-team, single-QB leagues. His projections and picks for the top 12 fantasy football players in 2025.
The first round is the best part of fantasy drafts. These are the players who are going to lead your team throughout the year and could carry you to a potential fantasy championship. However, that doesn't mean these early-round players can't bust in fantasy football. Just look at Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, and Breece Hall last season.
As we head into the beginning of July, now is a great time to look at how the first round of 2025 fantasy football drafts might go. In this article, we will go through a 12-team, single-QB mock draft to determine how the first 12 picks should go.
So, let's dive in and look at how the first round of fantasy football drafts could go in your league.
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First-Round Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Teams, Single-QB
1.01- Ja'Marr Chase, WR Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in drafts this season. He just finished as the overall WR1 in 2024 behind a 127-catch, 1,708-yard, 17-touchdowns campaign and was one of just two players to score over 400 PPR fantasy points in 2024 (joining Lamar Jackson). The All-Pro wideout also had three different games of at least 40 PPR fantasy points.
JA'MARR CHASE AGAIN. @BENGALS SCORE. pic.twitter.com/N3CqUCI2ti
— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2024
With the Bengals not showing significant improvement on defense this offseason, they will likely have to continue airing it out to stay competitive in games. That makes Chase much deserving of the top pick in most fantasy drafts. Let's just hope he doesn't fall victim to the 1.01 curse, as seen in McCaffrey (2024), Justin Jefferson (2023), and Jonathan Taylor (2022) over the past three years.
1.02- Bijan Robinson, RB - Atlanta Falcons
Fantasy managers can't go wrong with taking Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson or Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley at this point. Robinson, though, might be the better pick at No. 2 overall. He just finished as the RB3 in PPR formats, and no running back averaged more fantasy points per game than he did from Week 6 onward.
Robinson averaged 22.8 PPR fantasy points in his final 12 games, which included 10 different contests of at least 20 PPR fantasy points. The Pro Bowl running back is the clear workhorse back in Atlanta's offense and finished with the second-most touches (365) among all running backs in 2024. As a result, an overall RB1 finish is certainly possible for him in 2025.
1.03- Saquon Barkley, RB - Philadelphia Eagles
With Chase and Robinson off the board, Barkley was the easy choice at No. 3. He just had one of the greatest running back seasons in NFL history and finished as the RB2 in PPR formats. The 28-year-old rushed 345 times for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, missing out on Eric Dickerson's 1984 rushing record by just 100 yards.
While there are some concerns about how Barkley will look after handling 482 touches in 2024 (including playoffs), it's hard to pass on him early in drafts. He averaged 22.2 PPR fantasy points per game last year and gets to run behind one of the best offensive lines in football. The Eagles running back will definitely finish as a top-3 fantasy running back once again, assuming he stays healthy.
1.04- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB - Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs should be the next pick at No. 4 overall. Even though he has split almost evenly with David Montgomery out of Detroit's backfield, he has still been one of the best fantasy running backs. Gibbs finished as the overall RB1 in PPR formats last season while averaging 21.4 PPR fantasy points per game.
Many believe that the departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could hurt Gibbs' fantasy value a bit, but it shouldn't affect him too much. He will remain a strong RB1 fantasy option in 2025. The Lions running back had 10 different games of at least 19 PPR fantasy points, including in seven of the final eight weeks of the 2024 season.
1.05- Justin Jefferson, WR - Minnesota Vikings
It hasn't mattered who has been under center for the Minnesota Vikings in Jefferson's career. He has dominated with every quarterback in his first five years. He finished as a top-6 fantasy wideout in his first three seasons with Kirk Cousins, just finished as the overall WR2 with Sam Darnold in 2024, and even averaged 22.1 PPR fantasy points in the final four weeks of the 2023 season with Nick Mullens.
The best WR on in-breaking routes in 2024:
Justin Jefferson ➡️ pic.twitter.com/hmF14yu15m
— PFF (@PFF) June 21, 2025
Therefore, Jefferson should be the second wide receiver selected in fantasy drafts. The All-Pro caught 103 passes for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, and quarterback J.J. McCarthy should lean on his top playmaker throughout the season. Although McCarthy has no NFL experience, Kevin O'Connell's offensive system should help Jefferson finish as a top fantasy option again.
1.06- CeeDee Lamb, WR - Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is the perfect target in the middle of the first round. He has finished as a top-5 fantasy wide receiver in two of the past three seasons and is just two years removed from an overall WR1 finish (2023). While Lamb only finished as the WR8 in 2024, injuries to his shoulder and quarterback Dak Prescott prevented him from finishing higher in fantasy.
However, we should expect Lamb to finish higher than he did last year. The addition of George Pickens could lead to fewer double teams for Lamb, and it wouldn't be shocking to see the Pro Bowl playmaker finish as a top-3 fantasy wideout in 2025. That makes him an easy target at No. 6 overall in drafts.
1.07- Puka Nacua, WR - Los Angeles Rams
Some fantasy managers might be wary of selecting Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua after the team signed wide receiver Davante Adams in free agency. Adams should earn a nice target share in his first year with the team and could take opportunities away from Nacua. Still, the third-year wideout is a fantastic pick at the 1.07.
Even with Cooper Kupp earning a 26.2% target share in 2024, Nacua was still one of the best fantasy wideouts when healthy. He averaged 18.8 PPR fantasy points across his 11 contests, which ranked second among all fantasy wide receivers with at least 10 games played. Given that the Rams have one of the friendliest passing offenses in the NFL, the young wideout is a smash pick at this spot.
1.08- Malik Nabers, WR - New York Giants
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers put together a strong rookie campaign in 2024. He totaled 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns, all while catching passes from Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito. Those numbers helped Nabers finish as the WR6 in PPR formats. Now, he will be catching passes from quarterback Russell Wilson in 2025.
That's a nice quarterback upgrade for the LSU product, considering Wilson ranked second in deep ball completion (46.7%), fourth in true passer rating (107.2), and second in deep ball accuracy rating (6.1) among all quarterbacks last year. With the Giants failing to add another wide receiver to this offense in the offseason, Nabers could be in store for another 170-target season.
1.09- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR - Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has become one of the most consistent fantasy options. He is the only wideout to finish top-3 at the position in back-to-back years after finishing as the overall WR3 in PPR formats in both of those campaigns. In 2024, St. Brown averaged a solid 18.6 PPR fantasy points and scored at least 18 PPR fantasy points in 10 of 17 contests.
As a result, fantasy managers can't go wrong with St. Brown toward the back end of the first round. He has caught at least 115 passes and totaled over 1,200 receiving yards in consecutive seasons, and that shouldn't change in 2025. Even though Johnson is no longer calling the plays, the two-time All-Pro wideout is one of the safest picks in the first round.
1.10- Derrick Henry, RB - Baltimore Ravens
There's no doubt that Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry is built differently. He ran for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns in his age-30 season and finished as the overall RB4 in PPR formats. Henry was truly a dominant fantasy option for managers last season, scoring at least 14 PPR fantasy points in 14 of his 17 games.
Absolutely nobody:
Us: EVERY SINGLE DERRICK HENRY TD FROM THIS PAST SEASON 😤 pic.twitter.com/ZL8LRA8m43— NFL (@NFL) May 23, 2025
Although Henry just turned 31 years old, now is not the time to fade the future Hall of Famer. He is the clear RB1 in Baltimore's backfield and continues to stay healthy. The five-time Pro Bowler has played in 50 of 51 possible games over the past three years. Given that the Ravens ranked second in rush rate (53.6%) last season, Henry will continue to be a strong RB1 play each week.
1.11- Nico Collins, WR - Houston Texans
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was on pace for a career year in 2024 before he suffered a hamstring injury that caused him to miss five games. However, his 2024 campaign shouldn't go unnoticed. He averaged 83.5 receiving yards per game, and his 17.6 PPR fantasy points per game ranked tied for eighth among all wide receivers.
So, Collins is a solid pick at No. 11 overall. He will remain C.J. Stroud's go-to target in the passing game and will be competing for targets with two rookie wide receivers (Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel). That makes the 26-year-old a sneaky first-round target. He totaled at least 17 PPR fantasy points in six of his 12 games last year.
1.12- Ashton Jeanty, RB - Las Vegas Raiders
There are a lot of different ways fantasy managers could go with the last pick in the first round. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane were certainly potential choices at this spot. However, Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty is the best selection to round out the first round.
Jeanty was taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and has the potential to see 280 touches in Year 1. Even though head coach Pete Carroll hinted at a possible committee this year, neither Raheem Mostert nor Sincere McCormick poses a threat to Jeanty out of the backfield. Since he will be the clear RB1 on an offense that wants to establish the run, the rookie could be a slam-dunk pick.
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