Fantasy Football Pick-or-Pass in Rounds 1-5
If your Fantasy Football Drafts are coming up, you want every advantage you can get to raise the ceiling of your squad. Knowing which players to pick and which ones to pass on early in the Draft will help you maximize your team’s potential. With that in mind, here are 5 players to draft and 5 to avoid over the first 5 Rounds of Drafts this season.
Note: ADPs and Positional Rankings mentioned below are gathered from fantasypros.com consensus ADP board. Round determination is for 12-team Draft.
ROUND 1
PICK: Saquon Barkley | ADP: 2.7 OVR | POS: RB1
Don’t let Barkley’s monstrous 2024 workload scare you off from investing in the Eagles superstar this season. Barkley is uniquely suited to handle the physical demands of his position, and he didn’t take the beating you’d think he would have after 480+ touches because the Eagles OL is so good. They’ll be good again, and so will Barkley.
PASS: Puka Nacua | ADP: 10.3 | POS: WR5
A lot of factors here, but you have to start with Nacua’s injury history. He’s missed significant time over his first 2 seasons, and now with QB Matthew Stafford’s health in question, things get even murkier. He did finish 2024 as WR5 in Fantasy points per game (FPPG), but with these concerns I’m avoiding him in Rd. 1.
ROUND 2
PICK: Brian Thomas Jr. | ADP: 14.3 | POS: WR8
BTJ was WR3 in FPPG over the final 6 weeks of 2024, and he only got more help this season with Liam Coen now directing the offense and Travis Hunter added to the WR room. Thomas has WR1 potential if Trevor Lawrence, who missed 7 games last year, stays healthy and the offense gets more dynamic overall.
PASS: AJ Brown | ADP: 21.3 | WR10
AJ Brown going as WR10 for Fantasy just doesn’t make sense. Brown is the classic “better in real life than for fantasy” player. Last season, he finished the year as WR18 in total fantasy points and tied 12th in FPPG. There are higher-ceiling WRs available in Round 2.
ROUND 3
PICK: George Kittle | ADP: 36.7 | TE3
Age is a factor here, no doubt, but Kittle was the fantasy TE1 by FPPG in PPR leagues last season. He’ll once again be counted on to lead the passing attack with Brandon Aiyuk ailing. If he’s there for you in Rd. 3, you take him.
PASS: Breece Hall | ADP: 32.0 | RB13
Hall’s 2025 is difficult to predict. On one hand, this should be one of the most run-heavy offenses in the league. On the other, Braelen Allen really became the short yardage back for NYJ last season, and now you add Justin Fields who will poach a lot of the Red Zone rushing workload. New HC Aaron Glenn comes over from Detroit’s highly successful RB rotation system. All this has me out on Hall for a 3rd round investment.
ROUND 4
PICK: DK Metcalf | ADP: 49.0 | WR21
Is it really that hard to imagine DK Metcalf as a Top 5 WR this year in targets and target share for a Steelers team who’s next best pass-catcher is a TE? Metcalf should post career highs in those categories this season, making him a high floor, high ceiling play for PPR leagues.
PASS: Alvin Kamara | ADP: 39.7 | RB11
I really don’t hate anybody in the 4th Rd range in Drafts this season, but I had to pick someone, so I’m going with Kamara. The perennial fantasy stud is now entering his age 30 season and will be playing for one of the league’s worst offenses. History tells us a drop off could be coming, so I’ll gamble elsewhere with my 4th Rd pick.
ROUND 5
PICK: TreVeyon Henderson | ADP: 60.0 | RB22
Henderson is a Rookie, yes, but he will be used literally everywhere for a Patriots team that needs a spark in this offense. We saw the 100-yd kick return in Preseason Wk. 1 on his first touch as an NFL athlete, and that speed and explosion will translate on offense as well. Mark him down as the lead back for NE with a large workload as both a runner and receiver.
PASS: Joe Mixon | ADP: 60.0 | RB22
DO NOT DRAFT JOE MIXON! So many concerns here, health and otherwise, for Mixon. He’ll be unavailable to start the season because of his “frustrating foot injury” and even if he does hit the field sometime this season, the OL isn’t good, and he’ll have competition for touches. I’m out on Mixon for 2025.
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