2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (1st Pick)
Updated: Sunday, August 24, 2025The best way to become good at something is to practice. So, what should you do if you want to draft a better fantasy football team?
Practice, of course!
Leading up to the start of the 2025 NFL season, we will use the fantasy football mock draft simulator to complete fantasy football mock drafts. And we will do so using a variety of scoring formats — point per reception (PPR), half-PPR, standard scoring and even 2-QB leagues — and league sizes. The goal is to provide you with a good representation of the team that you may be able to draft given your league settings while also providing the rationale of why we made the picks we did.
> Our 2025 mocks will be centralized here: Fantasy Football Mock Drafts.
That said, nothing beats practicing yourself so (check out the simulator) and complete a mock in a matter of minutes.
Half-PPR Mock Draft: 12 Teams, 1st Pick
Starting positions: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 DST; Bench spots: 6
Embed from Getty Images1.01 - Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Especially in a format that starts three receivers (like this one), Chase is the easy click at 1.01. Posting career highs in his age-24 season, Chase led the NFL in receptions (127), yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17) in 2024 to become the fifth triple crown winner since the league merger. Chase had at least five catches and/or 50 yards in all but one game in 2024, but he also had several monster games. There were nine 35-point wide receiver performances league-wide in 2024, and Chase had three (one-third) of them.
2.12 - Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
McConkey finished as a top-12 fantasy wide receiver (the WR16 on per-game basis among those who played at least eight games) in 2024 and he was especially productive from Week 8 on. Over his final 11 games including the team's playoff loss, he racked up 67 catches for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns on 87 targets.
3.01 - Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
After Zack Moss was injured, Brown handled 189 touches (23.6/G) over his final eight games. During that eight-game stretch, Brown was top five in fantasy points (both overall and PPG). Bringing back Samaje Perine, who was a Bengal from 2019-2022, waiting until the sixth round to draft a running back (Tahj Brooks) and releasing Moss all bode well for Brown's grip on a workhorse role and outlook.
MORE: 2025 Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Football Projections
4.12 - DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Smith missed four games in 2024 and while his numbers were down year over year, his per-game averages of 5.2 catches and 64.1 yards were very similar to the averages of his first three seasons (4.8/63.6). Smith finished the year as the WR17 on a per-game basis, and he should continue to be viewed as a mid-tier WR2 in fantasy.
5.01 - TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
As NFL.com's Lance Zierlein noted, Henderson "might be the best pass-protecting running back in this draft class." While running backs don't accumulate stats from pass protection, struggles (or lack of trust) in pass protection is a common reason why rookie running backs don't get as many snaps as expected. Perhaps Rhamondre Stevenson will handle a larger share of early-down carries, but Henderson will be the team's most valuable back with plenty of upside.
6.12 - Travis Hunter, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
One of the rarest prospects to enter the NFL, Hunter played 753 offensive snaps and 776 defensive snaps for the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024, per PFF. Even though Hunter "does not tire," as Jaguars GM James Gladstone notes, he appears destined for a full-time offensive role with (potentially) a lesser role on defense.
MORE: 2026 NFL Mock Draft
7.01 - Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
There are a few concerns with Olave (his concussion history and the team's quarterback situation), but he's an excellent fantasy value if his health cooperates. Excluding two games with single-digit snaps, Olave played six full games in 2024 and finished those contests with 30/382/1 on 42 targets — that's equivalent to an 85/1082/3 pace. Olave eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in his first two seasons as well.
8.12 - Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Speaking in reference to his devastating 2022 knee injury, Williams has said that he feels "completely like myself." Williams averaged 4.4 yards per carry in 21 games before the injury and although he played 33 games over the past two seasons, he averaged only 3.6 YPC during that span. Williams and fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue should be the two primary options in an almost completely revamped backfield.
9.01 - Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders
Ekeler missed five games in his first season with the Commanders, but he was efficient with his touches — 4.8 yards per carry (six-year high) and 10.5 yards per reception (five-year high). While he averaged nearly three catches per game (2.9), that was a six-year low and that makes sense playing with a dual-threat quarterback (Jayden Daniels). The biggest beneficiary of Brian Robinson Jr.'s trade to the San Francisco 49ers will be rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but it could lead to a few extra touches for Ekeler as well. Either way, he's undervalued when comparing my rankings and projections to his current ADP.
10.12 - Rashid Shaheed, WR, New Orleans Saints
Yes, his 2024 season was cut short to a season-ending knee injury (meniscus). And yes, he'll likely be catching passes from rookie Tyler Shough. But Shahid is one of my favorite values at wide receiver. Shaheed appeared in only six games, but he had 20 catches for 349 yards (17.5 Y/R) and three touchdowns on 41 targets, added six carries for 29 yards and returned a punt for a score. He was the WR17 (WR27 on PPG basis) through Week 6. He has added some weight this offseason to help him hold up better against contact.
MORE: 2026 New Orleans Saints Mock Draft Roundup
11.01 - David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
Even though Njoku averaged a career-low 7.9 yards per reception in 2024, he averaged career highs in targets (8.8) and receptions (5.8) and his 45.9 YPG were the second-most of his career. While the quarterback situation creates uncertainty (assuming Joe Flacco doesn't remain the starter all season), Njoku is a clear top-two option in the passing game along with Jerry Jeudy.
12.12 - Justin Fields, QB, New York Jets
The same year (2022) that Fields threw for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, he finished as fantasy's QB6 in points per game and overall. Of course, it was the elite rushing production (160/1143/8) that outweighed his anemic passing stats that year. Even before the Steelers benched him in favor of Russell Wilson in 2024, Fields was the QB6 in fantasy points per game through his six starts. I considered Fields much earlier than here, so I'm a bit surprised (but not complaining) that he lasted this long.
13.01 - Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills
Davis finished his rookie season with 130 touches including 17 receptions, 631 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns. If James Cook were to miss any time, Davis would become a weekly RB2.
14.12 - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence missed seven games last season, but there are reasons for optimism heading into his age-26 season. Despite Shane Waldron's role as passing game coordinator, I trust Liam Coen to get the most of Lawrence. Brian Thomas Jr. is one of the league's best young receivers and Travis Hunter is a significant upgrade opposite him.
15.01 - Buffalo Bills DST
16.12 - Evan McPherson, K, Cincinnati Bengals
MORE: View full mock