What kind of experts league would push away from the pier this early in August? The kind that seeks to benefit you, dear reader.

At 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time on August the 8th, 2025, the inaugural Fantasy Index Invitational put its first-ever drafter on the clock. A true 'we all remember where we were' moment, to be sure.

Four rounds are in the books, and the teams are coming together. Andy Richardson scored a pretty sweet value on Jalen Hurts, 'Blackout Ben' took a couple of wideouts with 24,000 yards between them, and Ian Allan took a breather from his running back binge. With the 'elite' options depleted at every position, we descend into the all-important middle rounds that will separate the great rosters from the good ones...

1st Round

1st Round Commentary

• How much trepidation over who to take at two? What wound up being the deciding factor to go with Barkley?
  TPats: None, I made up my mind yesterday. His situation is exactly the same as last year: Rinse, repeat.
  
• Justin Jefferson at five qualified as a mild surprise, Andy. What was your thought process there?
  Andy Richardson: He's the second-best wide receiver. I was hoping one of the three running backs at 2-3-4 would fall, but they didn't; if Chase and those three running backs go in the top 4, as they did here and probably will in most drafts, then pick 5 is not the best draft position. Oh well, I still think Jefferson will be great.
  
• WHOA, our first bombshell of the draft and it is a doozy! Moss, can you explain how you summoned the intestinal fortitude to take Christian McCaffrey at seven overall here?
  Moss: If he plays, he is RB1 in all formats and a perennial top 2 pick. Home run swing to get the 1.01 at the 1.07, or I could just be Casey at the bat.
  Andy Richardson: I think sometimes people fret too much about rankings when players are close. The difference in points in our projections between WR2 and WR8 is nine points. Over a full season. There's a margin of error in these things, so when looking at Lamb-Jefferson-Puka-etc., it's basically personal preference.
  
• I know you and I both had Nabers in our top 5 at the position. Were you more excited to get him at eight or more concerned to get forced off of RB?
  Boards: Little bit of both actually. Realizing it's 2RB, I was debating taking an RB there who I have ranked higher than consensus, but ultimately opted to take someone I consider a top 3 WR talent and the unquestioned alpha on his team, regardless of the QB concerns. He was in a worse QB situation last year.
  
• Andy Richardson: Straight off his board, Ian would have drafted Jacobs as high as fifth overall. Would have been stunning if he selected anyone else.
  

2nd Round

2nd Round Commentary

• Fitz, looked like you had Nacua and Brian Thomas queued up and ready to go when the board got to you at 11 and 14, respectively. Having seen how the first round has played out, any regrets there or changes to your queue for the next two rounds?
  Pat Fitzmaurice: No regrets, Luke. Did consider Jeanty but couldn't resist getting a pair of the top WRs because I don't love the talent drop-off that's going to happen at the position soon.
  
• ARSB and Jeanty at the turn Ben, nice. How much did those picks makes themselves?
  Ben Prator: Tricky, really. You know I don't get gaga for rookies and the Raiders could be bad. There are backs I am a bit more confident about later, but I was sure as hell taking an RB here. Volume floor should protect me and the upside is there. Couldn't convince myself that Collins is a better bet for 9+ TDs than ARSB, but I tried. Probably the only league where Jeanty falls into my lap this year, too.
  
• Ian, are you remotely surprised that you wound up with the RB-RB open? You're rather bullish on Nico Collins, but opted to leave him on the board here.
  Ian Allan: I like Collins. Had I been going WR, he would have been my guy. With only 2 starting WR and the double flex, I thought best to just take the two biggest point scorers.
  
• Sweet Lou: Moss, loved the intestinal fortitude you showed drafting CMC.
  Luke Wilson: You just want company on your one-way ticket to fantasy purgatory in our dynasty league if he goes belly up again.
  Sweet Lou: Haha, no I tend to have CMC higher ranked than others. Or so I thought.
  Luke Wilson: Gotta admit, I'm surprised at the appetite for risk on CMC in the first round. He is a weekly advantage if he plays 14+ games, sure, but he doesn't win you the league. But if he implodes before Halloween he can sure lose you a league like this (duh).
  TPats: Historical season or no season. That's basically it, and honestly this was exactly the league in which to take that kind of risk.
  Sweet Lou: Definitely a risk. But honestly, any RB drafted early can get injured. If CMC is healthy, he will be a huge part of that offense.
  
• Boards, you just had the first major on the clock dilemma of the draft, Collins vs. Achane. What ultimately got you to go Achane?
  Boards: Went with the upside. I do like Higgins and believe Kirk is going to be a bigger factor than his ADP currently is saying, so I don't see that top 5 upside for Nico. He would've been a safer play though, admittedly. But this draft room has been RB-hungry so far, wanted an upside RB before the drop-off.
  
• Ben Prator: Bucky Irving at 2.08 is nuts.
  Luke Wilson: Feels like the kind of pick that we could easily be looking back at months from now going 'Yep, that's what did it alright.'
  
• Tom, you got Jahmyr Gibbs at 4 and Tee Higgins at 21, the RB3 and WR9 respectively for this scoring in FI's rankings. Any thoughts on that duo?
  Tom M.: I like Tee Higgins' floor in Cincinnati's high volume passing offense. Feel it’s a plus to have a part of that Chase/Higgins tandem. Gibbs brings the rushing and red zone usage and large receiver role, in another high scoring group.
  
• Loved the Bowers pick, Todd - I’ve taken him in the early second a couple of times already. Were you sitting dead red on him like a belt-high fastball there?
  Boards: I like the Bowers pick, for sure.
  TPats: He was who I was taking with my next pick if he had made it to me (I'll be saying that a few more times before this is through).
  Boards: I was between him (Bowers), Bucky, Nico and Achane with my last pick. Hence the indecision.
  
• Luke Wilson: We might see Andrew take Burrow and McBride at the turn, here. That would give him the Chase-Burrow 'stack' and three of FI's positionally top-ranked players in this format... for the small price of starting Javonte Williams and Tyjae Spears for the next four months.
  

3rd Round

3rd Round Commentary

• TPats: Wow, he actually did it (McBride-Burrow picks/zero RB start).
  Sweet Lou: Damn, Luke over here looking into the future.
  Luke Wilson: Punting running back that hard is certainly not for the faint of heart, but with how the board played out coming back to him it does make a certain sense. Nobody's going to be looking forward to facing that Burrow-Chase tower of terror.
  
• Circling back to the McConkey pick for a moment: You said that Bowers would have been the pick over McConkey - but you didn't take McBride there, implying you may have a decent gap between the consensus top two tight ends.
  TPats: Put it this way: If it was full peep (PPR), I'd have taken McBride. I don't think the dip in value from Bowers to McBride is all that significant. Ladd is Herbert's go-to guy in a WR room with question marks everywhere else - Keenan signing doesn't scare me at all. I also went WR there so that I didn't skip them altogether with my next two picks. Seems like a bad idea to be skipping out on them early in this draft.
  
• Todd, how pleased were you to see A.J. Brown make it to as your WR1 at 27th overall? He went much earlier in most PPR formats last year.
  Todd Zola: Pleased in the sense that the rankings I am using "like the pick", but I can't go too in depth with it at the moment. I'll have more "personal" opinions in season.
  Luke Wilson: A.J. Brown posted the largest recorded target share of the decade last year. Pretty durned hard to argue with that!
  
• Moss, looks like we saw the board the same way there. What made you go with the early QB selection, and specifically why Lamar over Allen?
  Moss: Similar to the CMC argument before. When there is a chance that won't come again to have what perennially will be a distinct advantage, you take it. Two ultra elite QBs, with very little chance that they make it back. I don’t see a difference in any of the flex position players there such that I care to leap for the first one in a tier. I'll take from the same pool on the way back most likely. As for Lamar vs. Allen: He plays the Bengals in week 15. They both have the Pats in the FF playoffs, whereas Josh Allen has the Eagles in week 17 but Lamar has Green Bay. I thought one would go before my pick and I'd take the one left, didn’t expect to be able to choose which.
• You didn't seem to pull the trigger on the Omarion Hampton pick with a ton of conviction. Any hesitation there?
  Boards: No hesitation. [Nerves] of steel.

4th Round

4th Round Commentary

• Ben takes a couple of vintage-but-Canton-bound wideouts at the 3-4 turn. Which pick felt better?
  Boards: Those are very "Ben" picks. Figured he would.
  Luke Wilson: Clearly Ben is abreast of our team-by-team training camp notes. Most recent one had an interesting morsel about Mike Evans from Todd Bowles. Surely that must have swayed Blackout Ben.
  
• Sweet Lou: Ouch, starting my morning off with a ping when you took Garrett Wilson right in front of me.
  Moss: Didn't want you to be awake for that. Was an act of kindness.
  Luke Wilson: I looked at my cousin Garrett, but was really between Rice and Kamara there. Really planned on it being Kamara there, but lost my nerve last second. Two running backs in their thirties just felt like dancing with the train.
  Moss: Also looked at Kamara but just couldn't do it. If this had been full PPR, different story.
  Sweet Lou: Felt like it gave me a safe floor at the flex spot. Somewhat worried about the age, but he looked good last season and the Saints paid him.
  Moss: He was a good pick, I just already have a dusty RB. And I don’t want to be caught pants down with WRs this year. I predicted when I made the pick that a run on receivers is coming. We shall see.
  Boards: I wanted no part of 'G-Wil' there. Lots of landmines, so I opted for QB.
  Sweet Lou: Can definitely understand a lack of trust in that offense, but I'm a believer.
  Boards: Don't see there being enough passing volume for it to work.
  Moss: My reasoning was that basically, as the WR19 in the 4th round if he has a subpar season he will still likely finish around WR19-24. So, at this ADP risk is minimized. I've seen him go around the 2-3 turn, guess some people are betting he chases 180+ targets this year. Either he is what he is - this ADP - or he will be what we hoped he is, and I gained a WR1 for the price of a WR2.
  Boards: The talent is certainly there. I just don't think Fields can maximize it/him.
  Moss: Wilson was on pace for 180+ targets at one point last year, and finished WR11. Would have finished higher if not for the Davante Adams trade.
  Sweet Lou: I’m banking on the Fields-Wilson connection from Ohio State and the enormous target share. How many of those targets will be good ones, well...
• TPats going back to the well with Marvin Harrison here, mildly surprised. I know he burned you in at least one league as a rookie.
  TPats:Talent too good to be a flop again. Plus, he fell absurdly far in here, worth the risk where I took him. Cardinals saying that they want him way more involved this time around.
  Sweet Lou: I love the fact that he bulked up this offseason. The Cardinals and Kyler need to make it a point to involve him in the offense more. If they don't make it happen in 2025 then I think heads will roll.
  TPats: Kyler can definitely support a top WR, we've seen it before with DeAndre Hopkins.
  
• Luke Wilson: What length of suspension do we think is baked into Rice's ADP right now? Where would he be going if it came down that there would be no suspension in 2025?
  Boards: Late 2nd, early 3rd if not for the likely suspension. He'd move Ladd down.
  Moss: Ladd's a good comp. One round bump.
  TPats: If Rice weren't facing suspension I'd have taken him over Ladd.
  

5th Round

5th Round Commentary

• TPats: Round 5 is gonna be interesting. Not loving this tier of WRs, to be honest.
  Moss: Told ya.
  Boards: It (round 5) will sure be spicy. Could see it being the “golden” round, if you catch my drift...
  
• TPats: Damn, he took Terry (McLaurin).
  Luke Wilson: McLaurin this late is... well, scary.
  TPats: They're obviously gonna sign him before the season. That's how these situations basically always go.
  Ben Prator: Dang, I considered Scary Terry way back at the 3/4. I'm kind of trying to minimize risk and chase TDs in here. Not to the exclusion of volume but Evans/Adams with 100-130 targets and 10+ TDs apiece seems like a good balance, compared to chasing Terry's outlier season or hoping Fields/Wilson works out perfectly.
  
• Boards: Ah man, good pick (responding to Andy taking Henderson).
  Luke Wilson: If it's any consolation, he wasn't going to make it to ya.
  Moss: Or to you.
  TPats: I really thought about Henderson over Pickens.
  Andy Richardson: When I took Hurts there were 3-4 RBs left I liked and was sure 1-2 would make it back to me. Concerned when the next 2 picks were 2 of them. I’m not entirely sold on New England featuring him but pretty clear he’ll be playing a bunch. TPats: Andy, he is BY FAR the most explosive player that they have. But yeah, the role and volume he gets is still a question mark. Long-term he's a better version of James White.
  Luke Wilson: How dare you liken him to James White. Does your Patriots' fandom know no shame, sir?!
  Boards: He's the next Gibbs*.
  TPats: In full PPR I'll be more bullish on him.
  Luke Wilson: Oh you're bullish, alright. I'm calling bullish on the James White comp right now!
  TPats: Isn't that what got me in here?
  
• Surprised you're that big on Worthy, Moss. Any oomph behind that pick?
  Moss: Not really, just trying to survive out of the seven-hole. I struggled with some competing thoughts on this pick. But I just don't want too many potentially bad teams' players... already got a Falcon and a Jet so I had to pivot away from McMillan, whom I was also considering.
  Luke Wilson: That's what really kicked me out on Kamara in the previous round. Yes, he's been surroundings-proof forever but he's a grizzled vet on a potential dumpster fire of a team where the new head coach will undoubtedly get a pass if they stink - so Moore won't need to grind out a meaningless December win or two to save his job, like a Brian Daboll or Brian Callahan might. I'm not betting on it, but Kamara's a December shutdown candidate - again.
  
• Sweet Lou: As for my 'Jame-o' pick, I'm in on the offseason hype. I think he adds a huge boom potential to my lineup on a weekly basis.
  Luke Wilson: Is there a word for when a player who sometimes booms, does the opposite? Feel like it also starts with a 'B'...
  Sweet Lou: ... Breaks out?
  Luke Wilson: Kinda how it felt taking Devonta Smith. Although he at least doesn't have to run around as long in the shower to get wet.
  
• Luke Wilson: Think I'm cashing in my chips on David Montgomery at ADP. I could absolutely be cutting bait a year early, but this is already an offense trying to keep two fantasy juggernauts fat and happy, and now here comes Jameson Williams to make his play. Plus, LaPorta is a redzone problem that is not going away. Just not sure how much longer being the fifth-best player in the offense pays this well. Just ask Rachaad White.
  TPats: Eh, Montgomery's still fine as an RB2 in my opinion. Running the ball is what the Lions do best.
  Luke Wilson: Yeah, but how long does an elite two-headed backfield remain in perfect balance like this though? Struggling to think of recent examples remotely like this one.
  TPats: I guess we'll find out. I think they run it back at least one more year.

6th Round

6th Round Commentary

• Moss: Not a fun pick. I might have to do something I never thought I would. Flip-flopping at the moment still.
  Sweet Lou: I like that pick (Swift).
  Boards: I considered it.
  Moss: I just felt like Swift was among the last lead backs with a decent-sized contract that had to lose the job rather than being a straight committee back, or that had to earn more reps. Plus Ben Johnson, or whatever. He was on my DND list after 2022 or 2023, whatever year it was that he was a top 20 pick and missed a ton of games.
  TPats: I agree, Swift was the pick there. Pacheco feels sketchier to me.
  Moss: Worthy pick would have made Pacheco even more sketchy for me, too.
  Luke Wilson: Pacheco has some residual luster as a house favorite last year. At this price I’m not as mortified as last year, but I agree, he’s playing for his football life here.
  Andy Richardson: I do not love Pacheco, considering injury risk and the 'spread it around' KC offense in general. But I like him more than the remaining running backs, and Swift, by a decent amount.
  Boards: It’s a safer pick than taking rookies like I did. I don’t hate it.
  LukeIndex: Fair. Not a ton on hand behind Pacheco on the depth chart to meaningfully threaten him either. But as a Pacheco owner I’d prefer that Elijah Mitchell got hurt sooner rather than later.
  Moss: It was definitely between Swift and Pacheco for me.
  Andy Richardson: I think he has been written off to the point that’s he’s undervalued now. KC has no one else to be a main runner. The exhibition game showed they don’t think much of Mitchell, to me. And I can’t take Hunt seriously anymore beyond third down guy.
  Andy Richardson: (I do kind of hate defending the guy too much, but wanted to say it’s not residual Index fondness. If anything, I’d shy away in bitterness. But seemed the best value left.)
  Moss: Both have multiple round upside.
  TPats: Don't get me wrong, I think Pacheco is fine as a third RB (in fantasy). It's just - how much usage is he even gonna get? I was holding out hope that Swift made it back to me, but I knew those odds were real slim.
  Moss: I thought for sure I had Pollard in the bag for this pick. Then I got Fitz'd.
  TPats: Pollard is a smash pick now with Spears hurt.
  Moss: I didn't even know Spears had another injury until Fitz made his pick, was not following. I ran to see what must have happened and saw the news. I was banking on Spears getting injured, just not this fast.
  
• Boards: I thought about Pearsall at my pick, but had some hope he would make it back with how RB-hungry this has been. Alas.
  Tom M.: I had Pacheco in the queue but when he went, I pivoted to Pearsall.
  
• Sweet Lou: Damn, love the Kaleb (Johnson) pick.
  Moss: If I'd had two solid backs in place already I would have gone Zay (Flowers) or Kaleb.
  TPats: That team is gonna run, run, run. Hence why I passed on DK Metcalf for Pickens earlier.
  Luke Wilson: Hard to see the path to enough receiving and touchdowns for him to break fully into RB2 status, but certainly love the player.
  Moss: Yeah, that’s why as depth/RB3 in a 'robust RB' build he makes sense. Hope for the back half of the season payday.
  Luke Wilson: They (Pittsburgh) certainly want to pound the rock - but they always want to do that. Wantin' ain't doin'.
  Boards: Wonder which way Andrew goes here.
  Andy Richardson: Is there something below Zero RB? Because he's working on it.
  Luke Wilson: That strat is called "the Dallas Cowboys".
  

—FI Staff