2025 Fantasy Football Pick 1 Strategy: Ja’Marr Chase & Late-Round Running Backs

Holding the No. 1 pick in fantasy football leagues can be a blessing and a curse. If used correctly, teams with the first pick can land the top fantasy asset for the upcoming season.

It does, though, come at the expense of not picking again for nearly two full rounds. If a manager lands a player who underperforms or gets injured at No. 1, it can be very difficult to recover.

But we're here to help. Let's go through the strategy fantasy managers with the top pick should use in drafts this fall.

Ja'Marr Chase the Obvious Choice at No. 1 in Any Fantasy Football Draft

There is a bonus to having the No. 1 pick this year.

Sometimes, there's three or four running backs and/or wide receivers who are worthy of consideration at No. 1 overall. This year, the choice is rather easy. Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase should be the top choice in any format.

Not that Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb and Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson aren't worth thinking about at No. 1. Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson will also a great player to grab early in the first round.

But Chase holds the edge over those three other players. Chase has consistently been a top fantasy asset since he entered the league in 2021 and should once again be on a top offense with the Bengals.

Last season, Chase led the NFL with 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He made first-team All-Pro for the first time behind those numbers, but Chase has produced at least 1,000 receiving yards every season in the league.

In fact, the Bengals top wideout has averaged 99 catches, 1,356 receiving yards and 11.5 touchdowns per season. That average includes the 2022 campaign in which Chase only played 12 games.

If Chase and Joe Burrow are both healthy for all of 2025, it's hard to bet against Chase not repeating those averages and finishing among the top three fantasy wideouts again. He has the potential to lead the league in receiving once more too.

RBs, Other WRs to Target Late in the Second Round

The only thing fantasy managers with the top pick can control is who they grab at No. 1. After that, it's very difficult to project what to do next because so many selections will be made before fantasy managers with the No. 1 pick are on the clock again.

The best thing for fantasy managers to do is make a list of players they will feel comfort selecting in the second and third round. Let me further explain.

In a 12-team league, fantasy managers with the No. 1 pick will select again at No. 24 and 25 overall. Therefore, their list of top players should include 25 names.

Fantasy managers will be guaranteed three players on that list.

In a perfect world, managers will grab two running backs and one wide receiver among those 25 players. That's the perfect setup because running back is a thinner position than receiver.

But with Chase at No. 1, it's likely fantasy managers will land two receivers and one running back in the first three rounds. Managers should just do everything they can do make sure at least one of the three selected players is a running back.

Here's my list of top 25 players if I'm picking first overall in a 12-team PPR league:

Tier 1
1. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
2. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
3. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
4. Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons
5. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions
6. Puka Nacua, WR, Rams
7. Malik Nabers, WR, Giants
8. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
9. Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles
10. Nico Collins, WR, Texans

Tier 2
11. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jaguars
12. Drake London, WR, Falcons
13. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders
14. De'Von Achane, RB, Dolphins
15. Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers
16. A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles
17. Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders

Tier 3
18. Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets
19. Derrick Henry, RB, Ravens
20. Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers
21. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks
22. Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
23. Bucky Irving, RB, Buccaneers
24. Josh Jacobs, RB, Packers
25. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

At No. 24 and 25 overall, fantasy managers will probably see Irving and/or Jacobs as the top running back choices on the board. Both are projected to be low-end RB1s, but having each in a starting lineup with Chase should give fantasy managers a terrific roster foundation.

If any running backs ahead of Irving and Jacobs surprisingly fall, then perhaps fantasy managers could grab McCaffrey or Henry at No. 24 overall and then another back at No. 25.

In addition to the overall list, I also divided the 25 players I feel most comfortable targeting in the first three rounds while holding the No. 1 pick into tiers.

Again, the objective is to come away with either two running backs or wide receivers and one of the other position. But if Bowers is surprisingly still on the board at No. 24 overall, then the Raiders tight end provides great enough value to break away from the three RB/WR strategy.

If every running back, wide receiver and Bowers are off the board at No. 25 overall, then owners should feel confident in targeting Jackson. I prefer to wait on quarterbacks in my fantasy drafts, but Jackson will provide value at No. 25 overall in the event all other preferred options at running back, receiver and tight end are taken.