Big Blue View
True story: We’re almost halfway through August. The big wave of drafts in redraft leagues starts in about a week, so it’s time to sharpen your pencils. Two of my favorite columns to write each season are this one, and its sister, Red Light: Players to Avoid (coming next).
Here’s a link to where you can find my other preseason fantasy football content here at Big Blue View, including my July rankings, the biggest fantasy question facing each NFL team, and much more: Fantasy Football Hub.
This column lists some of the players that I’m most interested in targeting. I’m looking to take these guys at or around their current Average Draft Position (ADP) if possible, or even a little earlier. You’ll notice that my rankings on every player listed in this column are either equal to or higher than the market. That’s the idea. This isn’t a breakouts or sleepers column, but rather a list of players who I think offer solid value at current pricing, and are excellent building blocks for a strong team. If a player isn’t listed, that doesn’t mean I’m out on him. I can’t list everyone, and there are a lot of good players I’m happy to take at cost.
I’m not going to discuss first-rounders. I’m mainly focusing on players going AFTER the first 15 or so picks, but still inside the first 130. The early-middle and middle rounds of a draft are critical, as that’s where you’ll build the foundation of your starting lineup. The picks in these rounds are all about finding good values and avoiding landmines. After Round 10 or 11, you’re getting deeper into your bench, and sleeper territory. For those who play in auction leagues, (a) more power to you, and (b) I’m interested in the same players in that format, if I can get them at a fair price.
ADPs listed are as of August 12, 2025, and ADPs, rankings and points reflect Half PPR scoring, on a points per game basis. Note that ADPS are a little all over the place right now. I’m using a consensus of ADPs, but your mileage may vary.
Last year’s column was a mixed bag, but generally positive. A few top hits: Jayden Daniels, Jared Goff, Josh Jacobs, Chase Brown, James Cook, Malik Nabers, JSN, Brian Thomas, Jr., and Chris Godwin (until his season-ending injury). Of course, there were big misses too. Thank you, Anthony Richardson, Isiah Pacheco, Jaylen Waddle, and Cooper Kupp (among others).
Dak Prescott (ADP 101: My Ranking 94) and Justin Fields (ADP 102: My Ranking: 91). I’m listing these two together not because of any similarities in their play style but because they’re sitting next to each other in ADP, outside the first 8 rounds. If you don’t pay to get one of the top four dual-threat QBs, or Burrows, then I like waiting past the next group of QBs and targeting these two. They’re two of my favorite value...
