Fantasy Football Last Second Rankings and Insights: Joe Burrow, Bucky Irving, Nico Collins and Others

Some of us are in the weeds in the fantasy football game from the second the NFL Draft occurs to opening day, but many aren’t. Don’t sweat it. I was that way in high school and needed a last-second, bail-out resource on more than one occasion.

So here you go. My updated redraft PPR rankings with a few notes at each position. Pull this article up when you’re on the clock, and hopefully, we can build you a playoff team!

Fantasy Football QB Rankings

Be careful. These are the names you know and that drive many casual managers to overfill the position.

Don’t get me wrong, we have a Big Four this year that is worthy of strong draft capital, but if you don’t land one of them (the third round is as early as I’d go for any of them), waiting on the position is the play.

And I’m not talking about waiting until you fill out the rest of your starting lineup. I’m talking about waiting until the final five rounds of your draft.

1) Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills
2) Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens
3) Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles
4) Jayden Daniels | Washington Commanders
5) Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals
6) Kyler Murray | Arizona Cardinals
7) Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers
8) Bo Nix | Denver Broncos
9) Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears
10) Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs
11) Baker Mayfield | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
12) C.J. Stroud | Houston Texans
13) Justin Fields | New York Jets
14) Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys
15) Jared Goff | Detroit Lions
16) Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers
17) Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars
18) Drake Maye | New England Patriots
19) Brock Purdy | San Francisco 49ers
20) J.J. McCarthy | Minnesota Vikings
21) Tua Tagovailoa | Miami Dolphins
22) Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams
23) Michael Penix Jr. | Atlanta Falcons
24) Sam Darnold | Seattle Seahawks
25) Bryce Young | Carolina Panthers

Joe Burrow isn’t in that top tier for me because I think we’ve seen the best he has to offer, and his lack of rushing upside (he has 76 fewer career rushing yards than Lamar Jackson averages per season).

Caleb Williams, I think, is the most underpriced by the market (ninth round pick, QB15), and that means that if you’re using my rankings, you’re landing on Chicago’s second-year QB with regularity.

Ben Johnson is calling the shots for the Bears after leading the Lions to a borderline historic offensive season. Williams’ athleticism isn’t something he had access to in Detroit (Jared Goff had more passing TDs than rush attempts in 2024). After the first month of his first season, Williams was at a pace that rivaled what only Cam Newton, Deshaun Watson, and Kyler Murray had done early in their careers.

If you really want to get creative, a better strategy for deeper leagues, the Frankenstein QB approach is live. This means you draft two late-round quarterbacks, understanding that at least one of them has a positive matchup every week of the season. I’ve done the legwork for you. Here’s the best tandem to draft if this plan is appealing:

If these two quarterbacks simply produce what the defenses surrendered last season, we are looking at the 10th-highest-scoring quarterback in the league at virtually no cost. If these two are just 12% better than that projection, we are talking about QB7, and should they develop in a new situation (+25%), this tandem could threaten the top tier at the position.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings

This position has been devalued across the NFL, and that’s resulted in it being very valuable in our game: There are simply not a ton of names you can rely on, thus giving you an edge if you land one (or two) of them.

I enter my draft room with the plan to have at least one running back rostered by the end of Round 2 and two by the end of Round 4. If the draft falls a certain way, I’m not against the idea of filling your Flex position early on with a third back.

1) Bijan Robinson | Atlanta Falcons
2) Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit Lions
3) Saquon Barkley | Philadelphia Eagles
4) Bucky Irving | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5) De’Von Achane | Miami Dolphins
6) Derrick Henry | Baltimore Ravens
7) Ashton Jeanty | Las Vegas Raiders
8) Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers
9) Chase Brown | Cincinnati Bengals
10) Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts
11) Josh Jacobs | Green Bay Packers
12) James Cook | Buffalo Bills
13) Kyren Williams | Los Angeles Rams
14) Kenneth Walker III | Seattle Seahawks
15) Omarion Hampton | Los Angeles Chargers
16) D’Andre Swift | Chicago Bears
17) TreVeyon Henderson | New England Patriots
18) RJ Harvey | Denver Broncos
19) James Conner | Arizona Cardinals
20) Chuba Hubbard | Carolina Panthers
21) Isiah Pacheco | Kansas City Chiefs
22) David Montgomery | Detroit Lions
23) Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints
24) Tony Pollard | Tennessee Titans
25) Breece Hall | New York Jets
26) Kaleb Johnson | Pittsburgh Steelers
27) Aaron Jones Sr. | Minnesota Vikings
28) Tyrone Tracy Jr. | New York Giants
29) Tank Bigsby | Jacksonville Jaguars
30) Jaylen Warren | Pittsburgh Steelers
31) Jordan Mason | Minnesota Vikings
32) Javonte Williams | Dallas Cowboys
33) Jacory Croskey-Merritt | Washington Commanders
34) Braelon Allen | New York Jets
35) Tyler Allgeier | Atlanta Falcons
36) Zach Charbonnet | Seattle Seahawks
37) Travis Etienne Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars
38) Rhamondre Stevenson | New England Patriots
39) Ray Davis | Buffalo Bills
40) Cam Skattebo | New York Giants
41) Austin Ekeler | Washington Commanders
42) Quinshon Judkins | Cleveland Browns
43) Jaydon Blue | Dallas Cowboys
44) Dylan Sampson | Cleveland Browns
45) Najee Harris | Los Angeles Chargers
46) Woody Marks | Houston Texans
47) Bhayshul Tuten | Jacksonville Jaguars
48) Brian Robinson Jr. | San Francisco 49ers
49) Jerome Ford | Cleveland Browns
50) Rachaad White | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bijan Robinson is not only my top-ranked player at the position, but he’s also my first overall pick. There’s a top-tier at the position, and they are all great, but Robinson’s offense is trending up in every way imaginable.

Michael Penix Jr. stands to develop as the season wears on, and Robinson’s blend of efficiency/versatility is rare. The former Texas star has racked up over 3,500 scrimmage yards on 5.3 yards per touch in two seasons. The 23-year-old has yet to miss a game in his professional career and is the back, I believe, most likely to do in 2025 what Saquon Barkley did in 2024.

I feel strongly about drafting Bucky Irving over Josh Jacobs, which you should have no problem executing, given that Jacobs’ ADP is currently seven spots higher.

The other strong take from my ranks resides with Alvin Kamara. He fought off Father Time last season (1,493 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns), which has him hovering in the RB13-16 range in most drafts.

Don’t be fooled. All of his efficiency metrics are trending away from him, and scoring opportunities in New Orleans will be challenging to come by. Instead, can I interest you in the discount version?

Sean Payton spent years elevating Kamara to elite fantasy levels and he decided to draft RJ Harvey with the 60th overall pick in April as the main man in Denver. The Broncos are a team on the rise and have a backfield that is the rookie’s to control.

Harvey averaged 11.8 yards per catch during his college career, and while the volume wasn’t great in that regard, my hope is that the Payton system allows him to overachieve the way Kamara did for years. That doesn’t mean he’s an elite option, but my ranking is very different from an industry that is taking Kamara eight running back spots (25 overall spots) ahead of Denver’s dynamic newbie.

If you’re parachuting in, the Breece Hall ranking probably sticks out. There’s been talk of a near full-on committee in New York this season. When you combine the impact of Justin Fields (not just his rushing abilities, but the fact that his offenses have, on average, operated 3% slower than league average throughout his career), Hall offers as much risk as reward.

Braelon Allen’s ADP is nearly 100 picks behind that of Hall, and that’s the dart I’m throwing on this backfield. He showed some spark as a rookie, and while his exact role is unknown, the discounted price shifts the risk/reward equation in his favor.

Fantasy Football WR Rankings

This is the deepest position in the sport, and it’s not close. That doesn’t mean you have to pass on the expensive options. Still, it does mean that, depending on your league setup, you can acquire quality depth in the second half of your draft, something that should impact the aggressiveness with which you address the position early.

1) Nico Collins | Houston Texans
2) Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati Bengals
3) Justin Jefferson | Minnesota Vikings
4) CeeDee Lamb | Dallas Cowboys
5) Amon-Ra St. Brown | Detroit Lions
6) Puka Nacua | Los Angeles Rams
7) Brian Thomas Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars
8) Ladd McConkey | Los Angeles Chargers
9) Tee Higgins | Cincinnati Bengals
10) Malik Nabers | New York Giants
11) Drake London | Atlanta Falcons
12) A.J. Brown | Philadelphia Eagles
13) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks
14) Terry McLaurin | Washington Commanders
15) DJ Moore | Chicago Bears
16) Mike Evans | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
17) Davante Adams | Los Angeles Rams
18) DeVonta Smith | Philadelphia Eagles
19) Marvin Harrison Jr. | Arizona Cardinals
20) Tyreek Hill | Miami Dolphins
21) DK Metcalf | Pittsburgh Steelers
22) Garrett Wilson | New York Jets
23) Jameson Williams | Detroit Lions
24) Courtland Sutton | Denver Broncos
25) Rashee Rice | Kansas City Chiefs
26) Chris Olave | New Orleans Saints
27) Zay Flowers | Baltimore Ravens
28) Travis Hunter | Jacksonville Jaguars
29) George Pickens | Dallas Cowboys
30) Jaylen Waddle | Miami Dolphins
31) Tetairoa McMillan | Carolina Panthers
32) Xavier Worthy | Kansas City Chiefs
33) Emeka Egbuka | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
34) Rome Odunze | Chicago Bears
35) Calvin Ridley | Tennessee Titans
36) Khalil Shakir | Buffalo Bills
37) Jerry Jeudy | Cleveland Browns
38) Ricky Pearsall | San Francisco 49ers
39) Josh Downs | Indianapolis Colts
40) Jayden Reed | Green Bay Packers
41) Christian Kirk | Houston Texans
42) Jordan Addison | Minnesota Vikings
43) Jakobi Meyers | Las Vegas Raiders
44) Matthew Golden | Green Bay Packers
45) Jauan Jennings | San Francisco 49ers
46) Deebo Samuel Sr. | Washington Commanders
47) Cooper Kupp | Seattle Seahawks
48) Michael Pittman Jr. | Indianapolis Colts
49) Marvin Mims Jr. | Denver Broncos
50) Rashid Shaheed | New Orleans Saints
51) Stefon Diggs | New England Patriots
52) Keon Coleman | Buffalo Bills
53) Keenan Allen | Los Angeles Chargers
54) DeMario Douglas | New England Patriots
55) Brandon Aiyuk | San Francisco 49ers
56) Luther Burden III | Chicago Bears
57) Darnell Mooney | Atlanta Falcons
58) Cedric Tillman | Cleveland Browns
59) Joshua Palmer | Buffalo Bills
60) Wan’Dale Robinson | New York Giants
61) Pat Bryant | Denver Broncos
62) Kyle Williams | New England Patriots
63) Quentin Johnston | Los Angeles Chargers
64) Rashod Bateman | Baltimore Ravens
65) Darius Slayton | New York Giants
66) Jalen Coker | Carolina Panthers
67) Romeo Doubs | Green Bay Packers
68) Adam Thielen | Minnesota Vikings
69) Amari Cooper | Las Vegas Raiders
70) DeAndre Hopkins | Baltimore Ravens
71) Ray-Ray McCloud III | Atlanta Falcons
72) Hollywood Brown | Kansas City Chiefs
73) Dyami Brown | Jacksonville Jaguars
74) Tre’ Harris | Los Angeles Chargers
75) Jaylin Noel | Houston Texans

Right at the top is where the hot takes begin. Ja’Marr Chase is the 1.01 industry-wide, and I don’t even have him ranked as the top player at his position!

Chase is great, there is no two-way about that, but not one of his receiving yards from 2024 counts for 2025. Nico Collins has less target competition, less potential for offensive balance, and much more room for quarterback improvement.

It wouldn’t shock me if Collins threatens triple crown status, and if that’s the case, he will be a steal at his current ADP (13th overall). I’m drafting Bijan Robinson first overall, but once Atlanta’s star is off the board, I think you can click on Collins and feel good about it.

Davante Adams and DK Metcalf are two names you know, but on different teams than you remember if you’re just checking back. I’m in line with the industry on both of them, favoring Adams thanks to Matthew Stafford’s WR track record. Of course, that train of thought hit a speed bump this summer with a back injury to the veteran QB, and that makes avoiding both of these receivers plenty viable.

The case for Metcalf is straightforward – Aaron Rodgers wanted him in town, and there isn’t much in the way of target competition. I can buy that, but we are looking at a slow-paced offense that likely will struggle with consistency. I think both Adams and Metcalf offer a similar floor (their elder QB falls off a physical cliff), but Adams’ proven ability to excel in scoring situations makes him not only my higher-ranked of the two, but the one I’m drafting at cost.

If you take nothing else from this article, you need to be aware of the current status of big names.

• Brandon Aiyuk (knee) will open the season on the PUP list. That means he’s going to miss the first month of the season at a minimum, but the expectations seem to be closer to Halloween for his return.
• Chris Godwin (ankle) was able to pass his final physical, and that’s great, but this serious injury is going to require time. Like Aiyuk, a single September snap seems unlikely, but Godwin’s ramp-out period could be a bit longer.
• Jordan Addison has been suspended for three weeks (Minnesota traded for Adam Thielen, further complicating this situation)
• Rashee Rice has been suspended for six weeks (the Chiefs have their bye in Week 10, and that’s a pain, but I’m more encouraged by the final six weeks than the first six)

I’ll state something that has slowly become obvious: Travis Hunter is legit. Yes, you know his name because he’s going to play on both sides of the ball, but all talk out of Jacksonville is that we should expect a heavy dose of him as a receiver (80% of offensive snaps) and in a system we trust (Liam Coen was the architect of the 2024 Buccaneers), that makes him a steal at his current industry wide ADP (70th overall).

If you’re just looking for late-round options to fill out your roster …

1. Darius Slayton, New York Giants (15 yards per catch for his career, and the Russell Wilson/Jaxson Dart combo stands to give him weekly upside, while Malik Nabers attracts attention on the other side of the field.)
2. Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers (Adam Thielen’s trade opened up targets in Carolina. Could Year 2 of Coker be what Year 2 of Jordan Addison was in terms of upside?).
3. Pat Bryant, Denver Broncos (the Broncos traded away some WR depth this summer, paving the way for this third-round pick that averaged 18.2 yards per catch at Illinois last season)

Fantasy Football TE Rankings

The tight end position projects to be deeper than in years past and thus looks a lot like the quarterback position: spend on a star or wait. This summer, Brock Bowers is a second-round pick, Trey McBride a third, and George Kittle a fourth. After that, I’m a big fan of letting the board come to you.

1) Brock Bowers | Las Vegas Raiders
2) Trey McBride | Arizona Cardinals
3) George Kittle | San Francisco 49ers
4) Sam LaPorta | Detroit Lions
5) Evan Engram | Denver Broncos
6) Mark Andrews | Baltimore Ravens
7) T.J. Hockenson | Minnesota Vikings
8) David Njoku | Cleveland Browns
9) Tyler Warren | Indianapolis Colts
10) Colston Loveland | Chicago Bears
11) Jake Ferguson | Dallas Cowboys
12) Travis Kelce | Kansas City Chiefs
13) Tucker Kraft | Green Bay Packers
14) Dalton Kincaid | Buffalo Bills
15) Kyle Pitts | Atlanta Falcons

Evan Engram is the player I’m most different than the industry on (ADP: TE9). Can you tell I have a thing for this Sean Payton offense? His per 17-game pace during three seasons with the Jaguars was 93 catches, a total that I think is in play for the Broncos.

Jake Ferguson is my favorite of the “all other teams already have a TE and I’m going to plan on streaming the position” tier. Why? Dallas is a lot like Cincinnati in that they can’t defend and figure to be throwing the ball all over the yard. George Pickens was added to the mix, but after him, who is soaking up usage among Cowboys pass catchers?

Here’s 55 seconds worth of Jake Ferguson embarrassing people pic.twitter.com/X7dXQDuPKm

— FergSZN (@FergSZN) August 5, 2024

Ferguson went 71-761-5 back in 2023 with a healthy Dak Prescott. If he can simply repeat those numbers, you’re getting production that outpaces his current cost, and if he’s even a little better in his fourth NFL season, we could be looking at one of the best producers at cost among all TEs.