DALLAS, TX – JANUARY 14: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on January 14, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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Fantasy football mock draft season is officially here. In order to help you prepare for your fantasy football leagues, I’ll be covering the ideal mock draft for each spot. This article covers pick three.
We’ll be basing this on one of the most popular home league platforms, ESPN. The format we’ll be drafting in today is PPR, but this general advice carries over to half PPR as well.
2025 Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Pick 3
With the third pick, you’re going to have a few long waits in the draft room. For example, after selecting at the 1.03, you don’t select again until the 2.10.
However, you’ll have picks close together once you get near the turn. From the 2.10, you pick next at the 3.03. The main point here is that you shouldn’t be afraid to “reach” on players, especially at positions of need.
If you try to wait to grab your RB2, you could be in a world of pain if there’s a run on running backs in that stretch where you have a long wait.
Round One: CeeDee Lamb
Round Two: Chase Brown
Round Three: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Round Four: Breece Hall
Strategy for Rounds 1-4
To start out your draft, it’s best to take the best value available. CeeDee Lamb was my 2nd ranked player, but Bijan Robinson is a great option as well.
Chase Brown is simply a must-draft player in ESPN leagues. Draft him every time in this spot. With the third spot, it’s extremely important to draft a balanced team.
That’s why I decided to draft two running backs and two wide receivers in my first four rounds. Round three typically has better wide receiver value than round four.
Round Five: Rashee Rice
Round Six: T.J. Hockenson
Round Seven: Chris Olave
Round Eight: Josh Downs
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 15: Chris Olave #12 of the New Orleans Saints looks on during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
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Strategy for Rounds 5-8
After building the foundation for your team in the first four rounds, these next four are all about taking value. While your roster should come into play slightly, it’s all about the best player available.
These rounds are great for wide receiver value, as you can see here. If you’re drafting Rashee Rice, which you should be able to do in this spot, follow a very similar strategy. Rice is likely going to miss time, so make sure your depth is strong.
Round Nine: Cam Skattebo
Round 10: Trey Benson
Round 11: Drake Maye
Round 12: Bhayshul Tuten
Strategy for Rounds 9-12
While the last rounds were great for wide receivers, these are great for running backs. This four-pick stretch was extremely simple.
We followed the late round quarterback strategy, took a fantastic target in Cam Skattebo, and loaded up on high upside backs. This team is extremely balanced.
Round 13: Kyle Williams
Round 14: Adonai Mitchell
Round 15: Brandon Aubrey
Round 16: Chicago Bears D/ST’
Strategy for Rounds 13-16
Now that your team is essentially set, just take the best value on the board. These are players that may be cut in the near future, so make sure they’re players with a ton of potential.
For the last two rounds, the only major tip is to draft your kicker before your defense. When drafting a defense, make sure you target them based on the week one matchup. With that being said, this was a very successful fantasy football mock draft.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebradshaw/2025/08/15/2025-fantasy-football-mock-draft-how-to-draft-from-pick-3/