It’s the Ides of August, which means fantasy football draft season is about to kick into its highest gear. With that in mind, here are my favorite “targets” and “fades” in each of the first eight rounds of fantasy drafts using Fantasy Pros’ composite ADP (0.5 PPR), starting with a young wide receiver I expect to be the most coveted pick in next year’s drafts.

Round 1 (Picks 1-12) Target: Malik Nabers, WR, NYG (ADP 12)

Nabers earned the second-most targets (170, a rookie record) in the league despite missing multiple games, playing injured through others and having Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock and Tim Boyle as his quarterbacks. He was also just 21 years old! Nabers enters 2025 with lingering concerns about New York’s quarterback situation, but Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston (Yahtzee!) and Jaxson Dart are undoubtedly an upgrade. Wilson and Dart both throw good deep balls, while Winston led all quarterbacks with 226.1 catchable air yards per game last season — the Giants QBs ranked 29th (133.7 yards).

Nabers is my favorite to be fantasy’s top overall pick in 2026. Of course, fantasy managers need Nabers’ toe to cooperate, making this a situation worth monitoring.

Fade: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET (11)

Jared Goff is due for touchdown regression, and he’ll find life harder without cheat code OC Ben Johnson and longtime center Frank Ragnow. The Lions play many more games outdoors in 2025, and Jameson Williams had a higher rate of designed targets last season. Williams is also a candidate for the offseason’s most hyped player award. There’s a real chance Williams’ role continues to grow in an offense sure to score fewer points in 2025.

St. Brown is a terrific wide receiver with a nice floor; this isn’t to say he’s some sort of fantasy bust. However, he’s going slightly too high as fantasy’s WR5 in such a loaded tier. Alternatives such as Nabers, Brian Thomas, Nico Collins and even Drake London have higher ceilings.

Round 2 (Picks 13-24)Target: Brian Thomas, WR, JAX (15)

Chase Brown (ADP 24) is also undervalued in this range, but Thomas is the target in Round 2. BTJ was fantasy’s WR7 after Week 4 last season as a rookie despite dealing with poor coaching and a lot of Mac Jones as his quarterback. Thomas netted 2.45 yards per route run last season while the rest of Jacksonville’s WRs managed just 1.06! Travis Hunter’s addition will help Thomas move more around the formation, while the Jaguars were also among the league leaders in vacated targets this offseason.

Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been the prince we were promised, but the Liam Coen effect will be dramatic in Jacksonville. Thomas’ slot rate jumped from 29% last season to 42% during the Jaguars’ first preseason game with Coen — BTJ led the NFL in fantasy points per route run from the slot last year. Both Chris Godwin (2.38) and Mike Evans (2.43) posted career bests in yards per route run under Coen in 2024, and neither had a better rate than Thomas as a rookie (h/t Jacob Gibbs). Thomas is being drafted as the WR8, but he’s my WR4.

Fade: Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL (23)

Jackson is obviously one of the best players in football, but if we wanted to nitpick for 2025 fantasy, his league-leading 8.7% TD rate is sure to regress. Jackson somehow saw an NFL record 50% of his red-zone passes result in touchdowns last year, which more than doubled his previous three seasons. His 41 passing scores came with 28 “expected” passing TDs. Jackson also had zero rush attempts inside the five-yard line last year after Derrick Henry arrived in Baltimore.

There’s also a real opportunity cost of drafting a quarterback this early. Securing a top-tier fantasy QB provides advantages, but the second round is steep. Drafting Chase Brown or Ladd McConkey is more advisable given Justin Fields, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy, J.J. McCarthy, Jordan Love and Drake Maye all have ADPs outside 100.

Round 3 (Picks 25-36)Target: Ladd McConkey, WR, LAC (26)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (ADP = 30) was also tempting to go with here, but he loses the tiebreaker thanks to the very real chance Jalen Milroe is his quarterback during the fantasy playoffs. McConkey was fantasy’s WR11 after Week 8 last season, and he finished seventh in yards per route run (2.56). McConkey also excelled outside as a rookie, but fantasy managers want him to see most of the work in the slot. It was a big relief to hear that newly signed Keenan Allen is slated to play “Z” receiver in Los Angeles, freeing McConkey for more layup targets.

Fade: Breece Hall, RB, NYJ (32)

Hall would normally look like a buy-low candidate given his pedigree and ADP fall from last season, but there’s concern that the constant drumbeat of Braelon Allen seeing significant work is real. Hall can be a dynamic receiver, but loses value in half-PPR formats. Fields will also be a factor on the ground, and the Jets are projected to be among the league’s lowest scoring teams in 2025. It’s probably safest to avoid this possible committee.

Round 4 (Picks 37-48)Target: Kenneth Walker, RB, SEA (44)

Walker will benefit from new OC Klint Kubiak’s outside zone scheme and increased receiving work. Walker quietly ranked third among RBs in first downs per route run last year, so there’s untapped upside. The Seahawks drafted three offensive linemen, and their defense could be elite this season. Seattle plans on running heavily. Target K9.

If Walker’s foot issue persists or scares you off, then Omarion Hampton (ADP 37) is another intriguing option here, although Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh have a shaky track record for fantasy RB success.

Fade: Alvin Kamara, RB, NO (39)

Kamara could be a workhorse, especially early in the season. But he’s 30 years old and has missed multiple games every season since his rookie campaign in 2017. New Orleans’ new coach, Kellen Moore, prefers to spread out his designed targets, and his offense ranked last in the league in screens last season. It’s not an ideal system for Kamara, who relies so heavily on receiving work. Moreover, only the Browns are projected to score fewer points than the Saints this season. It’s wild that Kamara is being drafted ahead of Hampton and Walker in 0.5 PPR leagues.

Round 5 (Picks 49-60)Target: Xavier Worthy, WR, KC (60)

Worthy averaged 21.6 fantasy points over his final seven games (including the playoffs), when he also posted elite per-route metrics. Worthy now gets a runway to earn a major role with Rashee Rice, who is expected to be suspended for four to six games. Worthy was among the league leaders in uncatchable air yards percentage last season, including a whopping 47% of open air yards. His fantasy production would’ve looked dramatically different if Patrick Mahomes hadn’t missed connecting downfield with him on a number of occasions.

Worthy has better odds than Collins, Thomas, McConkey and Puka Nacua to score 12+ touchdowns this season. He’s the WR26 in aggregate ADP, but Worthy is my WR15.

TreVeyon Henderson (ADP 58) is another excellent target this round.

Fade: Joe Mixon, RB, HOU (56)

Mixon could again fall into a heavy workload if Nick Chubb is done, but he’s 29 years old and finished 43rd out of 46 qualified backs in success rate last season. Moreover, the Texans likely have the league’s worst offensive line, and Mixon is currently sidelined for “an extended period” with a foot injury that has his status for Week 1 in question. Mixon is going 2+ rounds later in NFFC Online Championship drafts over the past week.

Round 6 (Picks 61-72)Target: George Pickens, WR, DAL (68)

Pickens goes from a Pittsburgh offense that forced him to run GO routes 25% of the time last season to a Cowboys team that ranks first in WR fantasy points and expected WR fantasy points over the past two years. He gets to play indoors for a team with a high pass rate over expectation. Pickens’ target share rose to 30% when he was on the field last season, and it’s safe to project far more routes in Dallas. Pickens ranked sixth in air yards share but just 46th in routes run last year in Pittsburgh. And just imagine Pickens’ contingency upside should CeeDee Lamb go down. Pickens is the WR29 in composite ADP, but he’s my WR22.

Round 6 is loaded with preferred targets, who also include Tetairoa McMillan (ADP 64), Travis Hunter (ADP 71) and Calvin Ridley (ADP 72).

Fade: Baker Mayfield, QB, TB (67)

Mayfield is one of my favorite players to watch in the league, but don’t buy-high coming off a career year and now losing Coen. Mayfield posted an unsustainable 34.5% TD rate in the red zone last season, as he averaged the same fantasy points per dropback outside the red zone as in 2023. Coen is a quarterback guru and has gone to Jacksonville, while Mayfield will also miss star left tackle Tristan Wirfs at the beginning of the season.

Mayfield ran more last year, but it’s typically not shrewd to bet on a primarily pocket-passing fantasy QB with so many other intriguing options available much later. Quarterback has never been deeper.

Round 7 (Picks 73-84)Target: Jaylen Waddle, WR, MIA (73)

Waddle averaged 83.7 catches, 1,128 receiving yards and six touchdowns over his first three years in the league despite missing multiple games. He was a fantasy bust last season, but it’s easy to envision Waddle being a much bigger part of Miami’s offense in 2025. Jonnu Smith is gone, Tyreek Hill remains a major question mark, and De’Von Achane is an elevated injury risk. We need Tua Tagovailoa to stay healthy, but Waddle’s target share jumped to 25% with Smith off the field last season. And there’s top-10 fantasy WR upside should the already injured Hill (oblique) miss time.

Fade: Chris Godwin, WR, TB (79)

Godwin greatly benefited from designed targets and working the slot under Coen, but the coach left for Jacksonville, and new first-rounder Emeka Egbuka will see plenty of action in the slot. Mayfield is also due for TD regression, but most worrisome is Godwin’s ankle injury, which required a second procedure this spring. Godwin will certainly be slowed once he returns, while Tampa Bay teammates have been positively effusive in their praise for rookie Egbuka.

Round 8 (Picks 85-96) Target: Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders (ADP = 92)

Meyers averaged 9.3 targets with a 27% target share after Davante Adams was traded last season. He finished among the league leaders in end-zone target share and now gets a massive upgrade with Geno Smith replacing Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder. Meyers will also experience a coaching upgrade with Pete Carroll, typically sporting a high pass rate over expectation, and new OC Chip Kelly ranking first in pace during all four years in the NFL.

Jauan Jennings (ADP 93) is another player to target this round.

Fade: Jared Goff, QB, DET (95)

As I stated earlier, Goff is due for touchdown regression, and he’ll find life much harder without OC Johnson and longtime center Ragnow while playing many more games outdoors in 2025. Goff benefited from seeing the highest percentage of pass attempts thrown to a receiver with a step or more of separation and almost never being quickly pressured in Johnson’s system.

Paying for quarterbacks who don’t run at all is risky, especially following an outlier season like Goff’s. It’s especially curious to do in the deepest quarterback class in fantasy football history. Goff shouldn’t be drafted ahead of Purdy, Fields and Prescott. I have McCarthy, who’s available 35 picks later, ranked ahead of Goff this season.

(Photo of Malik Nabers: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)