Football Diehards Magazine Experts Draft: Fabs Lands Amon-Ra St. Brown, De'Von Achane In First Two Rounds

Michael Fabiano | May 21, 2025

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown was Michael Fabiano's first pick in the 2025 Football Diehards Magazine Experts League draft. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When you’re in the fantasy football business like me, “expert” league drafts start early … like in May! That’s the case with the Football Diehard Magazine Experts League, which was held earlier this month.

Before I get into the specifics, I want to mention the founder of this publication, Emil Kadlec, who passed away last year due to cancer. He was a pioneer in this industry and a great man.

The list of participants included myself, Actor/Writer Nick Bakay, Jamey Eisenberg (CBS), Linda Godfrey (WOFF), Marcas Grant (NFL), Adam Krautwurst (FFWC), William Meyer (World Champ), Jody Smith (Full Time Fantasy), Stephie Smalls (SGPN), Derek Stevens (Circa), and Frankie Taddeo (Respected Money).

The draft for this full-point PPR league was 18 rounds, and the weekly starting lineups are all required to consist of one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, one flex (RB/WR/TE), one kicker and one defense/special teams unit.

I had the sixth overall selection in the draft. While I can’t show you the entire draft (you can see it when the magazine comes out this summer), I can give you a look at what my build looks like and how I made the decisions I made throughout the entire 18-round process.

Enjoy!

Football Diehards Magazine Experts Fantasy Football Draft

Round 1, No. 6 -- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions: St. Brown was the top available player on my list, so he was the pick. The unquestioned top option in the Lions' passing game, St. Brown has scored more than 315 fantasy points in two straight seasons. An absolute target hog, he’s a virtual lock to see 140-plus targets in an explosive Lions offensive attack.

Round 2, No. 19 -- De’Von Achane, RB, Dolphins: I was looking for the best available player at either running back or wide receiver here, and Achane was atop my list. He busted out last season, finishing fifth in fantasy points among running backs. He’s a dual-threat player in a powerful Miami offense, so another season with 300-plus PPR points is within reach.

Round 3, No. 30 -- Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers: I wanted a wide receiver in this spot, and I was hoping to land Terry McLaurin or Tee Higgins. Of course, they both went just ahead of me. So, I went with Evans. He might be getting older, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, his 17.2 points-per-game average last season was his best total since 2019.

Round 4, No. 43 -- Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints: I wanted a running back here, and Kamara was the best option on the board. He is entering his age-30 season, but he’s coming off an RB9 finish and remains the top option in the Saints offense. They’ll need Kamara too, especially if rookie Tyler Shough is their starting quarterback. He’s a fine RB2 at this point in the draft.

Round 5, No. 54 -- Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seahawks: Honestly, I didn’t want to draft Walker III because he gets hurt every year. But how could I pass on him in the fifth round? I couldn’t do it, especially after he averaged 16.5 fantasy points in the 11 games he played last year. Getting Walker III does mean that I need to target Zach Charbonnet sooner than later.

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III finished 12th in fantasy points-per-game average among running backs last season. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Round 6, No. 67 – Jerry Jeudy, WR, Browns: Jeudy is coming off a breakout season, scoring 240.9 fantasy points as the No. 1 wideout in Cleveland’s offense. While he might regress a bit without Jameis Winston, I still feel good about him as a fantasy WR3/flex starter on this roster. He comes with risk, so I’ll make sure I add some other good receivers later.

Round 7, No. 79 – Jakobi Meyers, WR, Raiders: Meyers doesn’t elicit a lot of excitement in the fantasy world, but he was among the top 20 fantasy wide receivers last season despite a questionable quarterback situation. With Geno Smith now under center, I can see Meyers posting top 30 totals in 2025. As the WR4 on this roster, I’m happy with the selection.

Round 8, No. 91 – David Njoku, TE, Browns: The tight end position was starting to thin out, as Mark Andrews and Jonnu Smith both went in this round, so I jumped on Njoku. A top 10 player at a very thin tight end position, Njoku should find success … especially if Joe Flacco wins the starting job in Cleveland.  I have him ranked seventh among tight ends for 2025.

Round 9, No. 102 – Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seahawks: Remember when I said I had to get Charbonnet as a handcuff for Walker III? Mission accomplished. I probably grabbed him a round or two before his actual ADP, but I couldn’t risk someone else picking him because Walker III is a near guarantee to miss time. I feel good about having this backfield intact.

Round 10, No. 115 – Jayden Reed, WR, Packers: I whiffed on Reed as a breakout player a season ago, but I have a soft spot for him. The Packers' wide receiver room is crowded, but I still see Reed as their best fantasy option. I like the value here in Round 10, and there’s little risk since he’s the WR5 on the roster. Who knows, maybe he’ll break out this year!

Round 11, No. 126 – Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: I will be waiting on quarterbacks in all of my traditional redrafts, and Prescott was the best option on my board at this point. He’s been a fantasy asset for most of his NFL career when healthy, and George Pickens gives him another weapon in the Cowboys' offense. Prescott has top 12 upside this season.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott could be a fantasy football draft bargain this season. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Round 12, No. 139 – Tyler Warren, TE, Colts: A rookie tight end has led the position in fantasy points in each of the last two years, so taking a first-year player is no longer taboo. Warren could be the best rookie tight end based on fantasy points this season, and I love landing him in Round 12. He could become a fantasy starter or trade bait for this team.

Round 13, No. 150 – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins: Tagovailoa is too unreliable from a statistical perspective to be a fantasy starter, but he’s a fine reserve and matchup-based starter in most leagues. He averaged nearly 17 fantasy points per game this past season.

Round 14, No. 163 – J.K. Dobbins, RB, Free Agent: When you have a draft in mid-May, it makes sense to take a chance on a talented free agent late. And since Jaylen Wright (who I wanted) was drafted ahead of me, I took Dobbins, hoping he lands somewhere soon.

Round 15, No. 174 – Keenan Allen, WR, Free Agent: See my Dobbins explanation! Allen is still a free agent, but he played at a relatively high level even at the age of 32. Now heading into his age-33 season, I’d expect Allen to latch on to a new team during the summer.

Round 16, No. 187 – Devin Neal, RB, Saints: A rookie out of Kansas, Neal has a chance to push Kendre Miller for the second spot on the Saints running back depth chart. And since Miller was taken in Round 15, I took a chance on Neal as a potential Kamara handcuff.

Round 17, No. 198 – Ravens defense: When there’s a defensive requirement in the starting lineup, chances are you’ll be grabbing the best unit available in one of the last two rounds. I went with the Ravens, who added some talent to their defense during the offseason.

Round 18, No. 211 – Wil Lutz, K, Broncos: Lutz re-emerged into a strong fantasy option last season, ranking eighth in points among kickers. The Broncos offense should continue to give him plenty of opportunities to score fantasy points, so Lutz is a nice last-round pick.