Best (and Worst) Fantasy Draft Picks Per Round
We all want value with our fantasy football draft picks, but it’s never guaranteed. More than value, we want our top dawgs to pan-out. We all think our rosters are peak on draft day. We all leave our drafts thinking we have the best chance to make moves in our leagues. Well, obviously it doesn’t always work like that. As important as finding value later in drafts is, choosing those players that will end up staying healthy and producing is even more paramount. Here are the best (and worst) players from each round per the 2025 ADP.
ROUND 1 (Picks 1-12)
Best: Christian McCaffrey – ADP 1.08 / Finish RB1 and the top scorer in PPR leagues (yes, including quarterbacks). CMC had 416 total PPR points which is 24.5 PPR points per game. He won weeks and leagues. A “value” pick as the 8th player selected in the First Round.
Worst: Malik Nabers – ADP 1.11 / Finished with a torn ACL/meniscus in Week 4. I usually wave pliers from injuries when recapping a season, but when we’re talking ADP winners and losers, how can you not factor them in? Nabers was WR2 Week 2. Then, done. The Giants are powering up with John Harbaugh and a young nucleus. Hopefully, Nabers bounces back in a big way in 2026.
ROUND 2 (Picks 13-24)
Best: Puka Nacua – ADP 2.03 / Finish WR1. There’s a few gems in the 2nd Round – Nacua (WR1), Josh Allen (QB1), Jonathan Taylor (WR1 over the first half) and Brock Bowers (TE2). Nacua takes it though. He, like CMC, outscored everyone (including QBs) with 375 PPR points and 23.4 PPR points per game. He led the first, second and fantasy playoffs in scoring. Whoa.
Worst: Brian Thomas Jr. – ADP 2.09 or Bucky Irving – ADP 2.10. This is a toss up depending on which direction you chose to go. Breakout candidate WR who ended 2024 on fire, or breakout candidate RB who was sure to dominate touches. Yikes. Both blew you up. BTJ had 10 PPR points per game and Bucky had 14 PPR points per game. Neither got going and both left sour tastes in our mouths heading into 2026.
ROUND 3 (Picks 25-36)
Best: Trey McBride – ADP 3.11. TE1 by a full touchdown per game. Elite production on a mid offense. Career-high across the board and set the record by most receptions by a TE. It takes stones to draft a QB/TE with the first three rounds. McBride paid off in a major way.
Worst: Alvin Kamara – ADP 3.07. There’s a few players here that let you down, but nobody bombed like Kamara. Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels and Omarion Hampton got hurt early. AJ Brown took the first half of the season off. McConkey and the Chargers never hit their stride. Kamara played 11.5 weeks, but his “best” game was 16 PPR points in Week 2. He used to put up 16 PPR points in a half. I’m afraid one of the best fantasy RBs in the last 10 years may be out to pasture.
ROUND 4 (Picks 37-48)
Best: Jaxon Smith-Njigba – ADP 4.04. If not for Nacua, JSN would have run with every receiving category in 2025. WR2 and electric over the first half. Shout out D’Andre Swift here too – ADP 4.12.
Worst: Mike Evans – ADP 4.01. Evans went down in Week 4. He returned in Week 15. He was fine when he played, but he and Baker Mayfield just didn’t recreate the 2024 magic. Now, Tyreek Hill – ADP 4.03 – was lost for the season only a month in, but he gave you 13.5 PPR points per game. Evans had just over 10 PPR points per game. You make the call.
ROUND 5 (Picks 49–60)
Best: Courtland Sutton – ADP 5.03. Sutton’s 2025 was nearly identical to his showings in 2024 and 2019. He was WR13 in PPR which is a great get in the 5th Round. Garrett Wilson – ADP 5.05 – would have been here with 14+ PPR points per game, but we lost him for the season in Week 5.
Worst: Sam LaPorta – ADP 5.12. This might be a bit harsh, but drafted as the 4th TE off the board and the expectations following 2024, LaPorta let us down. He went down for the season in Week 10 and was therefore TE27 on the season. I can let some of that slide due to injury, but he was TE7 when healthy. Now, 7th ranked at any position should be good, but not when you’re drafted TE4 in the 5th Round. Dallas Goedert was TE7. He was drafted in the 11th Round. LaPorta was fine, but not for a 5th Round Pick.
ROUND 6 (Picks 61-72)
Best: You could have waited one more pick for the best TE of this era; Travis Kelce – ADP 6.01. Did you know Kelce finished as the TE3 in PPR? That shocked me. It never felt like Kelce was “Kelce” this season. The Chiefs struggled and Kelce just felt… old. Well, in PPR points per game, he was TE9. Meh. However, if we’re going to bash dudes for getting injured. We have to reward those that stayed healthy. Mr. Swift did just that playing all 17 games accumulating 193 PPR points (11.4 pprpg). That puts him behind only McBride and Kyle Pitts. If this is in fact Kelce’s last hoorah, it was better than I remembered.
Worst: Calvin Ridley – ADP 6.07 (had to do it for the kids in the audience). For reals though, what a disaster. The hype around Ridley was absolutely real; myself included. That backfired majorly. He played only seven games and was buns the entire time other than a random WR14 performance Week 5. I loved him in Atlanta and at times with Jacksonville, but he can’t stay healthy and the Titans are a mess. Too bad.
ROUND 7 (Picks 73-84)
Best: Chris Olave – ADP 7.06. As read above, Kamara was a bust. On the other hand, Olave broke out and was a league-winner. He was drafted 78th overall and WR35, yet finished WR6 and was the best value at the position; especially during the fantasy playoffs.
Worst: Kaleb Johnson – ADP 7.04. If you just thought to yourself, “who?” That explains it. Johnson was drafted as the RB28 and the first Steelers back off the board. Oops. The fantasy industry was obsessed with Johnson being a better “Najee Harris”. Instead, he played in 10 games and never had more than six carries in a game. His best fantasy performance was 2.2 points. That’s not a typo. 2.2. He was dropped in redraft quickly and is probably free in Dynasty leagues.
ROUND 8 (Picks 85-96)
Best: Travis Etienne – ADP 8.08. I wrote him off too. Drafted RB30 after ending 2025 RB36 seemed fair. A career-high 13 touchdowns elevated him to RB10. 10 games of 15+ PPR points was a pleasant surprise for drafters. I’m excited to see if he can repeat with Bhayshul Tuten increasing his workload in 2026.
Worst: Ricky Pearsall – ADP 8.01. Ricky P was on many breakout lists in 2025. Yikes. Not so much. He missed seven games and parts of two others. When he did play, he averaged 9 PPR points per game and landed WR72. Let’s hope the 49ers feature him healthy in 2026.
ROUND 9 (Picks 97-108)
Best: Javonte Williams – ADP 9.11. Javonte was drafted RB36, but finished RB12 with 15 PPR points per game. He saw career-highs in total yards and touchdowns. You drafted him as an RB4 and bye week filler, but he quickly became a starting option. Reliable running backs this late are league-setters/league-winners.
Worst: Chris Godwin – ADP 9.06. I get it. I drafted him everywhere willing to stash on IR and wait it out. The issue is, we waited for nothing… He didn’t play until Week 4, got hurt in Week 5 and didn’t play again until Week 12. We had just 9 PPR points per game. He’s played a total of 16 games over the last two seasons. I’m afraid the one-time WR2 overall is a mere shell of himself on a team with plenty of receiving talent.
ROUND 10 (Picks 109-120)
Best: Caleb Williams – ADP 10.11. I faded Caleb. I still think he’s far from a polished quarterback, but he makes plays. He scores fantasy points. That’s all we care about in this article. He was drafted QB15 and finished QB6. He had nine Top10 finishes and two QB1 overall finishes. He added 400 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. We love that. I’ll give a closer look in 2026.
Worst: Joe Mixon – ADP 10.07. Dude didn’t play; at all. Doesn’t get “worst” than that. Mixon was coming off a RB13 season with 1,300/12 in 2024. It’s uncertain that he’ll play at all in 2026. Yikes. Full fade as of now.
ROUND 11 (Picks 121-132)
Best: Drake Maye – ADP 11.03. The kid was QB2 behind only Josh Allen. Drafted QB16, he wasn’t expected to produce in single-quarterback leagues. Boy did he ever. At the time of this article writing, he’s an MVP nominee and a game away from the Super Bowl. Shout out Kyle Pitts – ADP 11.12 here too. Drafted TE14 and finished TE2 (finally).
Worst: Jayden Reed – ADP 11.04. Reed had some excitement coming into 2025 with the opportunity to take over the lead or at least WR2 role in Green Bay. Nah. He played in six games and averaged 4 PPR points per game. When healthy, he’s a weapon for the Packers, but they have a crowded receiving corps. We’ll keep an eye on him heading into 2026.
ROUND 12 (Picks 133-144)
Best: Jake Ferguson – ADP 12.04 and Dallas Goedert – ADP 12.08. Ferguson and Goedert were drafted four spots apart as TE15 and TE16 respectively yet Ferguson finished TE5 overall and Goedert finished TE6 in PPR points per game. Late round tight ends win leagues every year. Seven of the Top10 TE finishers in PPR were drafted after Round 10. Keep that in mind.
Worst: Braelon Allen – ADP 12.02. Allen was a top-end handcuff to backup Breece Hall. Allen played four games and never saw more than eight total touches. Handcuffs are important, but if they bust, it’s often a wasted draft pick entirely. This one was.
ROUND 13 (Picks 145-156)
Best: Jayden Higgins – ADP 13.06. Rough round in general, but Higgins did play every game and was the best second option behind Nico Collins. Higgins also put up 17 PPR points in the fantasy semis. The Texans have many questions on offense. Higgins could move up, but will it matter?
ROUND 14 (Picks 157-168)
Best: Trevor Lawrence – ADP 14.02. T-Law was drafted QB20, but finished QB4 finally showing the upside we’ve all been waiting for since he entered the league. He was the QB1 overall during the fantasy playoffs and went on a tear down the stretch with six Top7 finishes over the final seven games with 22 total touchdowns during that time.
ROUND 15 (Picks 169-180)
Best: Matthew Stafford – ADP 15.11. Drafted QB23. Finished QB3 overall. A career-high 46 touchdowns. Most passing yards since 2021. In the MVP race with Drake Maye and got the Rams back in the heat for another Super Bowl. He had the most fantasy points of his career with 358. The OG can still sling it.
Undrafted
Best: Michael Wilson – ADP 22.05 (lol). Wilson was a waiver pick up with an ADP of WR82. He didn’t really get his chance to breakout until Week 11, but from that point on, he was WR2 with 21 PPR points per game behind only Nacua. Wilson had five Top10 finishes in eight games; two of those were WR2 overall finishes. There’s absolutely a case to be made that he’s Arizona’s best wide receiver. If Marvin Harrison Jr. moves on, it’s wheels up for Wilson.
Be sure to check out Razzball Football’s updated rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF
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