Earlier today, we completed and posted the results of a fantasy football mock draft. In addition, we updated our fantasy projections for two teams — the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders.
Embed from Getty Images2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (12th Pick)
The 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, 12th Pick
Starting positions: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 DST; Bench spots: 6
1.12 - Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Father Time may be undefeated, but Henry carried the ball 325 times for 1,921 yards, the second-best (by far) of his career, and a league-high 16 touchdowns in his age-30 season. In addition, he averaged a career-best 5.9 YPC — a half-yard more than his previous high. Yes, his receiving volume was (and will continue to be) low, but Lamar Jackson limits opposing defenses from being able to stack the box to slow him down. Henry was top four across all scoring formats (including full PPR).
2.01 - Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
Collins has missed seven games over the past two seasons, but the now 26-year-old receiver has averaged 85.3 YPG (fifth best), 15.6 Y/R (eighth) and scored a total of 15 touchdowns (tied, 10th) over that span (among wide receivers with at least 100 targets). He has finished among the top three wide receivers in PFF's Y/RR metric in each of the past two seasons — 3.11 (second) in 2023 and 2.87 (third) in 2024, respectively. If Collins can stay healthy for a full season, the emerging superstar could truly make a jump into the top tier of fantasy receivers in 2025.
MORE: 2026 Houston Texans Mock Draft Roundup
3.12 - Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Adams, who was traded midseason from the Raiders to the Jets, still managed to extend his streak of 1,000-yard, eight-TD seasons to five. Even though he turns 33 on Christmas Eve and won't dominate targets the way he had at previous stops, he should have (or come close to having) another 1,000/8 season. Adams is the WR13 in my rankings, and he has plenty of contingent upside if Puka Nacua were to miss any time.
4.01 - George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Garrett Wilson is ranked higher than Kittle in my top 200 fantasy football cheat sheet, but this mock starts two receivers so I pivoted from what would have been my pick with a three-WR starting lineup. While he's not in the same tier as Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, Kittle is one of three elite tight ends that are heads and shoulders above the rest of the position. Kittle finished 2024 with 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which rank either second or third in his career. Injuries to Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey led to greater consistency from Kittle — 40-plus receiving yards in 13 of 15 games played. (Only Bowers had more — 14 of 17 games.)
MORE: Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (12th Pick)
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Dallas Cowboys 2025 Fantasy Football Projections
Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Dallas Cowboys.
Projected fantasy points are based on half-PPR scoring.
| Player | Att. | Comp. | Yards | TD | INT | Rush | Yards | TD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dak Prescott | 575 | 384.1 | 4283.8 | 28.18 | 12.08 | 50 | 195 | 1.55 | 288.71 |
| Joe Milton III | 40 | 26 | 284 | 1.52 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 11 | 0.22 | 18.26 |
| QB Totals | 615 | 410.1 | 4567.8 | 29.7 | 12.88 | 54.4 | 206 | 1.77 | 306.97 |
Dak Prescott: Prescott played only eight games in 2024 and has now missed five-plus games in three of the past five seasons. Prescott went from finishing as the QB3 in 2023 to the QB21 last season in fantasy points per game. It's clear that the trade for George Pickens will make a significant impact to the offense, and his skill set is an ideal complement opposite CeeDee Lamb. Describing himself as "a chill guy" who is "staying humble," Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract and should be motivated to show the best version of himself in 2025.
MORE: Continue reading our Dallas Cowboys 2025 Fantasy Football Projections
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Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Fantasy Football Projections
Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Las Vegas Raiders.
| Player | Att. | Comp. | Yards | TD | INT | Rush | Yards | TD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geno Smith | 545.4 | 373.6 | 4008.7 | 22.63 | 12.82 | 48.1 | 226.1 | 1.83 | 258.82 |
| Aidan O'Connell | 34.8 | 21.9 | 233.2 | 1.22 | 0.66 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 0.09 | 13.9 |
| QB Totals | 580.2 | 395.5 | 4241.9 | 23.85 | 13.48 | 51.2 | 230.8 | 1.92 | 272.72 |
Geno Smith: It's obvious that Smith is an upgrade over the trio of Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder, all of whom made starts in 2024, and a more competent passing attack with benefit Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and the team's pass catchers. While Smith's best fantasy season (2022, QB5 — eighth on a PPG basis) was his first in Seattle with Pete Carroll, he's been a mid-tier QB2 (or worse) the past two seasons. Less useful in single-QB redraft formats, Smith has upside in two-QB or super flex and best ball formats.
MORE: Continue reading our Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Fantasy Football Projections
