Best Draft Position Fantasy Football: Win Your Draft Before It Even Starts

Your draft position plays a big role in the fantasy football team you’re able to put together.

You can assemble a championship-winning team from any spot. But the data is clear: Some draft positions are more advantageous than others.

Let’s look into the best draft position for 2025 fantasy football drafts -- and how you can combat a bad spot in the fantasy football draft order.

What’s the Best Draft Position in Fantasy Football for 2025?

The best draft position varies from year to year and by scoring system (PPR, half-PPR, non-PPR).

So what’s shaping up as the best spot in the 2025 fantasy football draft order? We ran the numbers … and the results might surprise you.

Best Draft Position for 12-Team PPR Leagues

The best draft position for 12-team PPR leagues changes depending on how closely you follow ADP. Let's look at the differences and how much you can improve your fantasy team by shunning ADP and drafting optimally.

Best Draft Position Based on ADP

The table above shows the total fantasy value (we call it 3D Player Value) you would capture from each draft position in a 12-team PPR league, according to the most recent fantasy ADP data.

Draft positions are ordered from most total 3D Value points to fewest.

We explain 3D Values in the video below. It’s important to note because using 3D Values shows you how to outwit your competition, no matter your draft position.

Here’s a more detailed look at where ADP lands players at each draft position:

Surprise! The No. 1 pick is NOT the best draft position in 12-team PPR leagues if you draft according to ADP.

Instead, it's the No. 11 pick that checks in as the most valuable. The No. 11 pick lands you Ashton Jeanty in Round 1, followed by excellent values in Nico Collins and Alvin Kamara in Rounds 2 and 3.

The No. 7 pick checks in as the second-best draft position, trailing pick No. 11 by less than one 3D Value point. Tetairoa McMillan in Round 5 and Zay Flowers in Round 6 are particularly strong values from this spot.

The No. 9 spot is the worst draft position in 12-team PPR leagues, according to ADP. Our projections show Amon-Ra St. Brown (Round 1), Josh Jacobs (Round 2), and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Round 3) as relatively poor values from this position.

The No. 9 pick captures 9.5% fewer 3D Value points than the No. 11 pick.

Best Draft Position Based on Draft Sharks Rankings

We just looked at the best draft positions if you were picking exactly by ADP.  That's clearly not optimal. You can do better.

How much better?

We ran through the same exercise as above ... but instead of picking based on ADP, we picked the most valuable player at each spot according to the customized dynamic fantasy football cheat sheet on the Draft War Room.

The result: a significant increase in total 3D Value at every draft position.

In 12-team PPR, the best draft position is pick No. 5 or 6

Drafting optimally from the No. 5 or 6 spot in a 12-team PPR draft lands you on the same team -- and nets the most 3D Value points. It's a particularly strong start, with Lamb, Taylor and Higgins all checking in as top-19 overall players in our PPR rankings.

The 359.2 3D Value points using Draft Sharks rankings mark a 10+% increase over the points you'd land by picking straight from ADP from the No. 5 or 6 spot.

Best 12-Team PPR Draft Positions Ranked

Here's how all 12 spots stack up in terms of maximum 3D Value points in 12-team PPR drafts. I've also included the 3D Value at each spot drafting by ADP, plus the percent increase you'll get using Draft Sharks rankings.

Two takeaways from those numbers:

1. It's generally better to be picking in the middle of Round 1 this year. There's not a big drop-off in player values from the beginning to the middle of the first -- and you'll land a significantly better player in Round 2. The one exception is pick No. 1. Because securing Ja'Marr Chase is nice!
2. The Draft Sharks optimal is better by at least 3.8% at every single draft position -- and by 9% or more at six spots.

Best Draft Position for 12-Team Half-PPR Leagues

You can gain a significant edge in your half-PPR draft by landing an optimal draft position. Let's dive into what the data says ...

Best Draft Position Based on ADP

The table above shows the total fantasy value (we call it 3D Player Value) you would capture from each draft position in a 12-team half-PPR league, according to the most recent fantasy ADP data. Draft positions are ordered from most total 3D Value points to fewest.

We explain 3D Values in the video below. It’s important to note because using 3D Values shows you how to outwit your competition, no matter your draft position.

The best draft position in 12-team half-PPR? That honor goes to pick No. 1. But pick No. 11 follows closely as the second-best draft position.

Here’s a look at where ADP places players by draft position in 12-team half-PPR leagues:

The No. 1 pick lands the top overall player in Ja'Marr Chase, plus strong values in Chase Brown (Round 3), James Conner (Round 5), and Tetairoa McMillan (Round 6).

On the flip side, you don’t wanna be drafting by ADP from the No. 8 spot in half-PPR leagues. That spot lands below-average values in Garrett Wilson (Round 4), D'Andre Swift (Round 5), and Bo Nix (Round 6).

Best Draft Position Based on Draft Sharks Rankings

We just looked at the best draft positions if you were picking exactly by ADP.  That's clearly not optimal. You can do better.

How much better?

We ran through the same exercise as above ... but instead of picking based on ADP, we picked the most valuable player at each spot according to the customized dynamic fantasy football cheat sheet on the Draft War Room.

The result was a significant increase in total 3D Value at every draft position.

In 12-Team Half-PPR, the best draft position is pick No. 1

Drafting optimally from the No. 1 spot in 12-team half-PPR drafts lands you a whopping 370.8 points in 3D Value. That's a 4.5% increase over the 3D Value points you'd get picking straight from ADP at that spot.

Best 12-Team Half-PPR Draft Positions Ranked

Here's how all 12 spots stack up in terms of maximum 3D Value points in 12-team half-PPR drafts. You'll also find the 3D Value at each spot drafting by ADP, plus the percent increase you'll get using Draft Sharks rankings.

Pick No. 1 is the best draft position in 12-team half-PPR leagues. You land the top overall player in Ja'Marr Chase and still get nice values at the 2-3 turn in Kyren Williams and Tee Higgins.

Pick No. 2 is the second-best draft position, just barely trailing pick No 1. The only difference is that you're "settling" for Bijan Robinson instead of Ja'Marr Chase in Round 1. Otherwise, you land on the same exact team through six rounds.

The biggest takeaway from this data: Drafting optimally gives you an edge in 3D Value over ADP at every draft position. The Draft Sharks optimal is better by at least 4% at every single draft position -- and by 9% or more at five spots.

Best Draft Position for 12-Team Non-PPR Leagues

The gap between the best draft position and worst in 12-team non-PPR leagues is wide. Let's dig into the numbers and figure out how you can save your fantasy season even from a bad draft spot.

Best Draft Position Based on ADP

The table above shows the total fantasy value (we call it 3D Player Value) you would capture from each draft position in a 12-team non-PPR league, according to the most recent fantasy ADP data. Draft positions are ordered from most total 3D Value points to least.

We explain 3D Values in the video below. It’s important to note because using 3D Values shows you how to outwit your competition, no matter your draft position.

The No. 11 spot checks in as the best draft position in 12-team non-PPR leagues, according to ADP.

Here’s a look at where ADP places players by draft position:

The No. 11 pick lands Ashton Jeanty in Round 1 and then particularly strong values in Nico Collins in Round 2 and Ken Walker in Round 4. You'll net 332.8 total 3D Value points through six rounds -- 10 more than any other draft position.

Compare that to the worst pick in 12-team non-PPR drafts, pick No. 8, which ends up with just 281 3D Value points. That's 51.8 fewer points (or 15.6%) than the No. 11 pick.

Best Draft Position Based on Draft Sharks Rankings

Fortunately, you don't need to draft straight by ADP. In fact, you shouldn't. You can assemble a strong team from any draft position using Draft Sharks rankings and 3D Values.

But what's the best draft position to draft from?

We ran through the same exercise as above ... but instead of picking based on ADP, we picked the most valuable player at each spot according to the customized dynamic fantasy football cheat sheet in the Draft War Room.

The result was a notable increase in total 3D Value at every draft position.

In 12-Team Non-PPR, the best draft position is pick No. 9, 10, 11, or 12

Drafting optimally from pick Nos. 9, 10, 11, or 12 in a 12-team non-PPR drafts lands you on the same team. You'll get a pair of top-6 overall players in Henry and Taylor, another strong value in Walker, and then three solid WRs. You'll net 365.2 3D Value points -- a significant increase over picking straight from ADP.

Best 12-Team Non-PPR Draft Positions Ranked

Here's how all 12 spots stack up in terms of maximum 3D Value points in 12-team non-PPR drafts. I've also included the 3D Value at each spot drafting by ADP, plus the percent increase you'll get using Draft Sharks rankings.

Pick No. 7 closely follows pick Nos. 9, 10, 11, and 12 for best draft position. Generally speaking, you want to be picking at the beginning or back half of Round 1 in 12-team non-PPR drafts. Pick Nos. 4 and 5 are the worst draft positions.

That said, the 350.8 3D Value points you net from pick No. 4 or 5 using the Draft Sharks rankings are significantly more than the 332.8 points you land picking at the best spot from ADP (pick. No. 11).

We see huge gains in 3D value at every single draft position using the Draft Sharks rankings: More than 9% at every spot and 15+% at six spots.

Beat Your Draft Position By Picking Smarter

Most fantasy players aren’t able to choose their draft position. That means you might get stuck in a bad spot.

Here’s the good news: You’re not restricted by ADP. You can draft smarter with a custom, dynamic fantasy football cheat sheet in the Draft War Room.

ADP is just one of 17 value indicators the Draft War Room considers to help you make the best pick every time you’re on the clock.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Draft Position

What is the best draft position in fantasy football for 2025?

The best draft position in 2025 fantasy football varies based on scoring system. You want pick No. 5 or 6 in PPR drafts. In half-PPR, No. 1 is the best draft position. In non-PPR, pick Nos. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are best.

Where is the best place to pick in the snake draft?

The best place to pick in the snake draft varies from year to year and by scoring format. In 2025, you want pick No. 5 or 6 in PPR drafts, pick No. 1 in half-PPR, and pick No. 9, 10, 11, or 12 in non-PPR.

What position should I draft first in fantasy football?

You should draft a RB or WR first in fantasy football. Draft Sharks' 2025 rankings have six RBs and six WRs in the top 12 overall.

Who should I pick first in fantasy football 2025?

Who you should pick first in fantasy football 2025 is Ja'Marr Chase. He scored 86 more PPR points than any other WR last year and returns to a very similar situation this season.

Learn more about how the Draft War Room works.

Next Up

Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: The Dynamic Draft War Room

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Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and in-season tools. He currently ranks ninth among 173 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.