Your 2025 fantasy football guide

The GIST: Taylor Swift has her ring, but the chase is just beginning for the NFL’s 32 teams. The season kicks off in just over a week (!!!), meaning fantasy football drafts are in full swing as millions of people assemble their imaginary rosters.

• Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned vet, you take care of the (maybe Swiftie-inspired) team name and let us help with the rest. Here’s a cheat sheet to make draft day a breeze.

✅ Select running backs (RB) and wide receivers (WR) in the early rounds: Top-tier RBs and WRs are drafted early and often, and for good reason — they accumulate the most points compared to other positions. That said, beware of injuries: Last year’s consensus No. 1 pick, San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, spent most of the 2024 season injured. Oof.

💪 Top players for your draft day wishlist: Based on last year’s fantasy dominance, RBs Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles), Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons), and Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions) are topping draft boards while Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals), Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), and CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys) are holding it down for the WRs.

• Notably missing from the top player picks? Quarterbacks (QBs). Though they’re the most important players on actual NFL rosters, don’t waste an early fantasy football pick on a signal-caller — most starting QBs will get the job done.

⭐ Most importantly, update your lineup weekly: Injuries, opposing matchups, and bye weeks all impact which players you should start (the ones that are eligible to contribute points to your team’s total) and which ones will be riding the pine. You can also trade, drop, and add players to your lineup all season long. Happy managing, and may the draft order odds be ever in your favor.