I keep saying it, but it finally feels real: we are, indeed, so back. It’s the biggest fantasy football draft weekend of the year. It’s the second Fantasy Football Friday of the year here at DraftKings Network. And I’m here to get you set, in this inaugural 2025 Five Lists of Five, with my favorite players. The ones to which I’m exposing all my teams, and telling all of you to secure before your leaguemates do. We have titles to win, hardware to collect. We have leagues to dominate.
And let’s just roll back into the common refrain, shall we? All I want is for you to be better than your friends. You’re going to be surrounded by them on Sunday, probably. How sweet would it be if you could be sure you’ve checked every box possible that might guarantee you a resounding victory this week? Some kick-your-feet-up insights? I’ve got some.
I know my audience. The smoke-break audience. The quick-scan-of-the-phone-on-the-way-to-the-fridge audience. The give-me-as-much-info-as-possible-as-fast-as-possible audience. I’m a man of the people.
And so: the Five Lists of Five series. Think of these as byte-sized, two-minutes-to-yourself lists to scan during your weekend as you foam at the mouth for any competitive fantasy edge. As much relevant analysis as I can fit into, like, 250 words per player.
Below: Top five league-winners for 2025. These are the most marquee guys on my Fantasy Football Frontlist for 2025 (my version of a fantasy football draft kit).
Here are the other offerings from my Five Lists of Five: 2025 Fantasy Football Draft edition:
– Top five undervalued unsung heroes to draft for 2025 fantasy football
– Top five breakout wide receivers to draft for 2025 fantasy football
– Top five breakout running backs to draft for 2025 fantasy football
– Top five fantasy football sleepers in 2025 fantasy drafts
Follow my handle @dansby_edits for all preseason and fantasy draft kit content—as well as plenty of NFL betting goodies—all summer long. All my other fantasy football draft kit content is at the bottom of this list!
Top five league-winners to snag in 2025 fantasy football drafts
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals (ADP WR17 | My WR12)
I’m all-in on Harrison’s Year 2 leap. He quietly posted a 24.6% target share and 33.2% air-yard share as a rookie, immediately commanding volume in Arizona’s offense. Despite an up-and-down first year (71 catches for ~950 yards on 106 targets), his underlying profile screams breakout. His average depth of target was 12.4 yards, so big plays are coming, and nearly every <2.0 YPRR rookie with 100+ targets at age 22 (think Chris Olave, Jaylen Waddle) exploded in Year 2. With Kyler Murray healthy and no new target competition but for the ascendence of Trey McBride, Harrison’s combination of alpha usage, talent, and growing chemistry makes him a steal at WR17. I’m drafting him for true WR1 upside.
Advanced metrics confirm it: Harrison averaged 2.01 yards per route run over the final six weeks and ranked top-15 in contested catch conversion (64%). He also saw a 38% first-read share in December, evidence that Murray was increasingly treating him as the unquestioned focal point. Critics will point to touchdown variance—just five scores last year—but his 18 red-zone targets forecast double-digit touchdowns if conversion normalizes. Harrison also ranked top-10 among rookies all-time in weighted opportunity rating (0.62), a threshold almost every eventual WR1 has cleared. This is the perfect combination of prospect pedigree, early usage, and offensive environment. At WR17 pricing, I’m getting a locked-in target hog who profiles for 140+ targets and 10+ TDs. That’s league-winning material, and the market hasn’t caught up.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Oakland Raiders (ADP RB5 | My RB3)
Jeanty is my pick for this year’s rookie league-winner. Las Vegas snagged him #6 overall and new coach Pete Carroll plans to feature him as an every-down bell cow. In his final college season he put up a ridiculous 2,601 rushing yards while flashing Marshawn Lynch-like power and soft hands. Carroll himself praised Jeanty’s receiving ability (“caught the ball really well”), hinting at a three-down role. The stats back it up: he earned a 95.4 PFF elusive rating with 4.5 yards after contact per carry and a 12.8% breakaway-run rate, and ran routes on 78% of snaps with 35 catches. Elite dual-threat metrics. Yes, ranking a rookie among the top RBs is aggressive, but behind a strong O-line and in a high-octane offense, Jeanty’s explosiveness and PPR skill set scream league-winner.
His college production was no mirage: Jeanty forced 82 missed tackles in 2024 (third among all FBS backs) and ranked top-five in explosive run rate over 15 yards. In addition, his 2.43 yards per route run led all draft-eligible RBs, showcasing unique receiving chops for his size. Carroll’s track record with feature backs is clear—Marshawn Lynch, Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny when healthy—and Jeanty projects as the next in line. Even if Vegas limits his early-down volume at first, his pass-game role is secure. Add in the Raiders’ 29 red-zone rushes vacated from last season, and Jeanty projects for immediate scoring equity. At RB4 pricing, you’re paying for upside but not ceiling. This is a player capable of top-three RB output as early as Week 1.
RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos (ADP RB24 | My RB18)
I try not to repeat players across a given week’s Five Lists of Five, but Harvey is just too good. League-winning good.
Talk about upside in the middle rounds. I love Harvey’s potential to smash his ADP. Sean Payton was reportedly thrilled to draft Harvey, even calling him “the best RB in the draft not named Jeanty.” The Broncos grabbed him in Round 2 after he posted back-to-back 1,400+ yard seasons at UCF, including 1,577 yards at 6.5 YPC with 14 TDs in 2024. This 5’9”, 208-lb pinball has superb vision (Payton graded his vision best in class) and it showed. He ripped off 54 runs of 10+ yards last year (plus 32 of 15+), and clocked a 4.44 forty for good measure. With Javonte Williams gone, there’s a clear path for Harvey to seize the Denver lead role from Day 1. Early camp reports already note his burst and grasp of the playbook. I get that he’s a rookie, but I’m betting on the talent + opportunity combo. Harvey could easily deliver 1,000+ yards and 8+ TD as a rookie and become the steal of the draft at RB21.
Even more compelling: Harvey forced 72 missed tackles last season and averaged 3.9 yards after contact per carry, ranking top-five in FBS. His receiving profile is just as strong, with 39 catches over his final two college years at 9.4 yards per reception, signaling true PPR potential. Denver’s offensive line ranked 12th in adjusted line yards last year and added reinforcements in free agency. This is a tailor-made environment for Payton to deploy him in Kamara-lite fashion. With RB25 pricing, Harvey’s ceiling outcome is a true RB1 season.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins (ADP WR25 | My WR20)
Waddle is a proven stud who’s about to eat in a new role. In 2024 Miami turned him into a lethal underneath weapon – and it’s PPR gold. He still caught 84 balls for 947 yards, but his average depth of target plummeted to 7.4 yards (from 9.9 in 2023) as defenses took away the deep game. The result? Waddle became a chain-mover with a 77% catch rate on short throws and ranked top-5 in YAC/reception (6.3 yards). He handled 27% of Miami’s third-down targets and finished with a stellar 1.92 yards per route run, while seeing a career-high 17% red-zone target share. Some might worry a low aDOT limits his ceiling, but I see a target hog who will rack up catches and still has the 4.3-speed to house one. With defenses fixated on Tyreek, Waddle is Tua’s trusted underneath go-to. At a WR34 price, he offers an ultra-high floor (think 90+ catches) with week-winning explosiveness.
Waddle’s 32% first-read target share on third downs was 10th best among all wideouts, underlining his reliability. He also led the Dolphins in separation rate versus zone (81%) and averaged 2.4 yards per route against zone coverage, a mark that ranked inside the league’s top 20. His yards after catch over expected (YACOE) finished top-five in the NFL, showing how efficient he is even when schemed short. This is the profile of a player whose floor is WR2 and whose ceiling is top-10 at the position. League-winning upside is staring us in the face.
Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers (ADP WR38 | My WR29)
Again—too good not to repeat for a pre-draft suite of players. Also—go Gators.
I’m pounding the table for Pearsall as a late-round breakout. He might not be on everyone’s radar yet, but the data says he should be. San Francisco shocked many by taking him in Round 1 of 2024, and Kyle Shanahan doesn’t spend first-round picks on skill players unless he has big plans. Pearsall’s college tape showed why: explosive short-area quickness, precise routes, and the versatility to line up outside (40% of snaps at Florida) or in the slot. His rookie season started tragically – a freak gunshot wound sidelined him – but he miraculously returned and immediately carved out a role. By year’s end, he was thriving: he closed with 8–141–1 and 6–69–1 in the final two games and was regularly getting 4+ catches a week. From Week 7 on, his target share nearly mirrored Deebo Samuel’s, showing how involved he became.
Even better, Pearsall is tied to an ascending offense. Brock Purdy led the league in adjusted yards/attempt, and Pearsall is primed for high-percentage looks on those play-action and motion plays Shanahan loves. He was a model of efficiency at Florida (70% catch rate, 2.51 YPRR his final year), and now gets schemed touches in an elite offense. Floor + upside in the double-digit rounds? Yes please. Pearsall also posted a 75% contested-catch rate and only a 1.8% drop rate as a rookie, highlighting his reliability. His usage in Shanahan’s scheme is perfect for PPR: he ran 39% of his routes from the slot and generated 2.01 YPRR in the final three weeks, a threshold that historically predicts Year 2 breakouts. At WR42, this is highway robbery—he can smash that cost by midseason.
Dan Johnson’s full fantasy football draft-kit (Fantasy Frontlist 2025)
If you’re interested in my other rankings, which do inform some of my departures from the industry consensus (FantasyPros) rankings here, check them out:
Fantasy football 2025 WR ranks: Top 30 wide receivers to target on draft day
Fantasy Football 2025 QB ranks: Top twelve quarterbacks to target on draft day
Fantasy Football 2025 RB ranks: Top 25 running backs to target on draft day
And, of course, here’s my Fantasy Football Frontlist for 2025—full rankings, big-board, cheatsheet, everything you need. The white whale!
