Clay's Playbook: A game plan for your draft day

The 2025 fantasy football season features significant changes due to offseason moves, including rookie running backs like Ashton Jeanty entering the league, Davante Adams joining the Los Angeles Rams, Derek Carr's retirement, and quarterback relocations for Justin Fields, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson.

Daniel Dopp's "The Playbook" provides a position-by-position strategy guide for draft preparation, targeting average-sized redraft leagues while noting future coverage of dynasty, keeper, superflex, and best ball formats in Part 2. This annually updated resource leverages years of fantasy experience and research.

At quarterback, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Jayden Daniels form an elite "Big 4" tier due to their dual-threat rushing production (averaging 741.8 yards and 9 TDs in 2024). Their rushing edge separates them from passers like Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield, who needed 40+ passing TDs to compete. While Burrow, Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, Kyler Murray, and Brock Purdy remain solid QB1 options, the significant drop-off after the top four makes securing one worth a third- or fourth-round draft investment.

For running backs, impact performance remains crucial despite wide receivers' rising priority. The deep 2025 rookie RB class is expected to contribute substantially, while historical data shows top-15 fantasy RBs average 25.1 years old, with only 9.3% aged 29+ at season start. Though exceptions like Derrick Henry succeeded in 2024, a regression toward younger backs is anticipated for 2025.