Draft Recap 2025

Jul opened with Ja’Marr Chase at 1.01, which is standard, but his 5th-round pick of DK Metcalf stood out. Metcalf remains an elite receiver, but moving to a new team introduces plenty of uncertainty. If he quickly adapts to his new quarterback and system, it could be one of the steals of the draft — but if the transition is rocky, it could leave Jul scrambling at WR depth.

Peter took Ladd McConkey in the 3rd round, which was right in line with his consensus value — a solid selection rather than a reach. His more questionable move came in the 8th round when he drafted Matthew Golden. Golden is still unproven and doesn’t yet project for a big role, making that pick a clear gamble compared to safer WRs still on the board.

Jared took Saquon Barkley at 1.03, which is reasonable, but his 6th-round pick of Kaleb Johnson, another rookie RB, was aggressive. Johnson has upside but no guarantee of touches. Jared also added Zach Charbonnet in the 11th, who remains a risky handcuff behind Kenneth Walker III.

Buber had a solid start with Jahmyr Gibbs in round 1, but his round 11 pick of the New York Giants defense (NYG DEF) was questionable. Taking a defense that early is almost always a reach, especially when there were still useful flex players available. On the upside, his 7th-round choice of Chris Godwin was strong value, giving him a proven WR at a spot where other managers were chasing riskier rookies.

Logan went high-risk in round 6 with Baker Mayfield. While he flashed last year, taking him this early when better QBs were still available is risky. He also invested in rookies like Luther Burden III in the 11th, who has exciting upside but is far from proven.

Aiden made a sharp start with CeeDee Lamb, but his 10th-round pick of Jayden Higgins was a bit of a reach. Higgins has upside but isn’t locked into a top role yet, making that selection riskier than other WRs available. Overall, Aiden leaned on young talent with big upside but also plenty of uncertainty, which could make his roster volatile week to week.

Jeff had one of the safer early drafts with Amon-Ra St. Brown, but his round 4 pick of Travis Hunter is a classic “name” reach. Hunter is exciting, but he’s still a rookie with a dual WR/CB profile in college—not a sure fantasy bet yet. More importantly, Jeff went very WR-heavy overall, stacking his roster with pass-catchers early and often. While this could give him elite weekly firepower, it left him thinner at RB than most other teams. If one of his wideouts doesn’t pan out, Jeff may find himself scrambling for running back production later in the season.

David leaned into upside with rookies, but his round 12 selection of Matthew Stafford felt odd. Stafford isn’t a bad QB, but at that point in the draft, teams usually grab higher-ceiling options. Taking Keon Coleman in the 6th was also a risky bet on rookie production.

Tom built his team around Christian McCaffrey, which was a safe and strong foundation. However, his roster took a questionable turn with his 8th-round pick of Cameron Dicker. Grabbing a kicker that early is almost always a wasted opportunity, as plenty of impact position players were still on the board. While CMC gives him a reliable anchor, the early kicker pick could come back to haunt him.

Vince went with Malik Nabers in round 1—a bold rookie WR choice that’s high-risk/high-reward. He doubled down on rookies with Quinshon Judkins in round 7. These picks could win him the league or sink him depending on early returns.

Edwin grabbed Tee Higgins in the 3rd round, which was earlier than his consensus value. While Higgins is talented, his role in Cincinnati’s crowded WR room makes him more of a risky WR2 than a lock. He also took DJ Moore in the 6th round, which was a solid stabilizing pick, but then followed it up with Tank Bigsby in the 9th round—another gamble on a player buried on Jacksonville’s depth chart.

Aaron opened with Nico Collins in the 1st round, which is right in line with his ADP, making it a fair pick rather than a reach. He spent a 3rd-round pick on Jalen Hurts, which is fine for upside but comes with some risk compared to QB values later in the draft. His 14th-round selection of Brayshul Tuten, a rookie RB, was a pure upside swing with no guarantee of touches this year.