Perfection. We all strive for it … whether it’s in our personal lives as parents and partners, in our professional lies, whatever comes to mind. We want to do it right, do it well, and do it to perfection. Building a fantasy football team is no different.
And while perfection is often tough to achieve, I think about what a perfect fantasy football draft would look like every year about this time. Who would I love to have in a pie-in-the-sky scenario, where everything falls my way? Think about how the Dallas Cowboys drafted CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. They each fell to the team in different drafts, proving that a little luck and some fantasy knowledge can happen.
Here’s a look at how my perfect fantasy football draft would look on a round-by-round basis. Which positions or players would I target in each round? Where would I wait and where would I pounce? Check my fantasy brain (ignore the Alice in Chains songs on repeat in there), and the team that I would love to have for 2025.
Wide receiver, Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs: Really, this is the only way to go in the first round. If I don’t get Ja’Marr Chase, I’m taking Robinson next. And if I don’t get either of them due to not having a top-two overall pick, I’m very likely taking a wide receiver or Gibbs. Whether it’s Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown or Malik Nabers, I’ll be happy at wideout. Otherwise, I’ll grab Gibbs in this round.
Wide receiver: Whether I land Robinson, Gibbs or a wide receiver in the first round, I’m almost certain to grab a wide receiver in the second round. Based on ADP data, that means I should have my choice of players in the tier of Garrett Wilson, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, or Ladd McConkey. In a 10-team league, A.J. Brown could be an option.
Wide receiver or running back (Kyren Williams): If I don’t have one running back at this point, I’ll probably look to fill that position. I’ve been able to land Williams in this round in a few drafts, and he’s my favorite running back pick where he’s still available. I’m also not too opposed to going with straight wideouts, especially if a player like Wilson or Smith-Njigba is still on the board. If you do go with three wideouts, take a back next.
Wide receiver or running back: If I have three wideouts, I’m taking a running back here. The best options based on ADP data are going to be Omarion Hampton, Alvin Kamara or Kenneth Walker III. If you have two wideouts and a back coming into the round, you can take the best available back or wideout. Check out my Top 200 player rankings for help.
Wide receiver or running back: Wash, rinse, repeat. The position you draft in this round depends on what you have drafted to this point. If you have three wideouts and one running back, look for runners like Chuba Hubbard, David Montgomery or TreVeyon Henderson. If you have two wideouts and two backs, take the best available player from either position. You might be able to land Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice or Courtland Sutton.
Wide receiver, running back or Sam LaPorta: If LaPorta is on the board in this round, there’s a good chance I’ll take him to fill the tight end position. If he’s not, I’ll continue to load up on running backs and wide receivers. At these positions, the best-case scenarios are Tony Pollard, Jaylen Warren, Tetairoa McMillan or Travis Hunter.
Wide receiver, running back or T.J. Hockenson or Travis Kelce: If I have three backs and three wideouts on the roster, I’m taking Hockenson or Kelce in this round. If I was able to get LaPorta in the previous round, however, I’m getting back to looking at the best runners and wideouts. Emeka Egbuka would be a great pick in this round.
Wide receiver, running back or Kyler Murray: It’s in Round 8 where I’ll start to look for a quarterback. For me, the best one who’s usually on the board at this point is Murray. He’s a mobile quarterback in a talented offense that has one of the easiest schedules based on 2024 data. If I can’t get Murray, I’d consider Baker Mayfield or Bo Nix. However, I’d more than likely grab more running back and wideout depth.
Wide receiver, running back or quarterback: If this is a perfect draft, I’ve already landed Murray at quarterback, three running backs, three wide receivers and LaPorta. That gives me a shot to fill in more runners and wideouts, including sleepers like Ricky Pearsall or Matthew Golden, for depth and player upside purposes.
Wide receiver, running back/handcuffs: There will be plenty of sleepers on the board at this point in most drafts, including guys like Cam Skattebo and Jordan Mason. You can also take shots at risky players like Quinshon Judkins in this round (more than likely in a 10-team league). If you drafted Walker III, for example, this is also the time to get Zach Charbonnet as insurance. Depending on the flow of the draft and the depth at running back, you might also consider a high-end handcuff in the previous round.
Backup quarterback or tight end: Let’s assume you have Murray, LaPorta, four running backs and four wide receivers at this point in the draft. In that scenario, I’m looking to get a backup at quarterback or tight end. The best quarterback options would be guys like Justin Fields or Drake Maye while Tucker Kraft or Jake Ferguson would be preferable at the tight end spot.
Wide receiver, running back deep sleepers: In these three rounds, you want to grab deep sleepers who might not have a clear path to workload but aren’t far from that. At running back, I’ll be taking players such as Brian Robinson Jr., Trey Benson, Braelen Allen or Dylan Sampson. The wide receivers I’d target in this round are Marvin Mims Jr., Rashid Shaheed, Don’t’e Thornton, Kyle Williams or Cedric Tillman.
Brandon Aubrey or defense: For those who still incorporate kickers and defenses, these are the two rounds to target them. Aubrey is the best booter in the league and, obviously, the most attractive player. If you can’t grab a defense that’s in the top 10 of my rankings, like the Broncos, Texans or Steelers, for example, I’d look to grab a defense that has a great matchup in Week 1. The Cardinals (who face the Saints) are my favorite option.
QBs – Kyler Murray, Justin Fields
RBs – Omarion Hamton, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard, Quinshon Judkins, Tank Bigsby
WRs – CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka, Ricky Pearsall,
TEs – Sam LaPorta, Jake Ferguson
K – Brndon Aubrey
DST - Broncos