Draft day can make or break your season. If you're a beginner, don't worry — we've got you covered with winning fantasy football draft strategies and must-have tools for the 2025 season.
This review will map a draft strategy for beginners that will walk you through the basics. We'll start by going over some of the best fantasy football draft tips, including how to properly use fantasy football rankings.
There are proven fantasy football draft strategies for beginners, and we'll explain how they can work for you. We'll give you a list of the top fantasy football tools 2025 (all of which are part of the powerful RotoWire draft kit), plus additional tips on how you can practice your drafting skills.
Understand Your League Format: PPR vs Standard Scoring
There are two main league scoring types: PPR and standard. In standard scoring, players are awarded points based on yards and touchdowns. In PPR leagues, players get those points plus points per reception.
The PPR points make WRs, TEs and pass-catching running backs more valuable. This valuation adjustment impacts draft strategies and tends to make WRs some of the favorite early picks on a cheat sheet.
Must-Know Draft Basics: Positions, Roster Strategy, and Depth
Running backs and wide receivers will make up the majority of first- and second-round picks in most leagues. This is why those positions take up nearly all of the top spots in custom fantasy football rankings.
An exception is Superflex leagues, as quarterbacks will occupy most picks in Rounds 1-2. This is reflected in auction values and used by managers to guide their draft selections.
Other factors to account for are bye weeks and injuries. You can work around these limitations by using RotoWire's various tools. This is the best draft assistant package available and has plenty of ways to help you navigate these pitfalls.
Proven Fantasy Football Draft Strategy for Beginners in 2025
A mistake many managers make is to try to win the draft. Savvy managers understand that the idea isn't to win the draft – it's to win the league championship. That's why those folks value proven performance over hype.
Here are two other easy to avoid mistakes. Never draft a D/ST until at least Rounds 9-10 (and often later than that). Don't draft a kicker until one of the final two rounds (and the last round is best).
Another good rule of thumb is to use a tier-based drafting system like the one found at RotoWire. It divides players into easy-to-distinguish draft tiers and will let you know when the tiers have shifted as players move off draft boards.
Best Fantasy Football Draft Tools to Use
- Rotowire Draft Kit – Includes cheat sheets, tiered rankings, mock draft support and lineup tools.
- Fantasy Football Glossary – 50+ key terms for you to know.
- Rotowire Depth Charts & Projections – Helps you understand player roles, target share.
- Rotowire Fantasy Football Mock Draft Tool – Practice your strategy and identify values.
- Rotowire Sleeper Rankings – Find high-upside picks.
- Rotowire Dynasty Rankings – Dominate long-term keeper and dynasty leagues.
Practice Makes Perfect: Why Mock Drafts Matter
Whether you are new to drafts or a long-time veteran, it's always a great idea to go through many mock drafts before your actual draft day. The RotoWire fantasy football Mock Draft Simulator is a perfect tool to do this. It's best to set up these mock drafts with the same league settings as your real draft.
Rookie Mistakes to Avoid in Your First Fantasy Draft
A common rookie mistake to avoid is drafting too many players from the same team. That tends to stack bye weeks and make your team too susceptible to an injured quarterback on that club.
Auto-drafting is another avoidable error. The auto-draft software can select high-floor players, but it almost never picks the player you would actually prefer to pick. It also sometimes misses updating player rankings based on the latest NFL news.
Your draft-day strategy should be as flexible as possible. If your picks aren't going as expected, remember that there is a lot of talent in every draft.
Final Draft Tips to Dominate Your Fantasy Football League
There is an old saying in fantasy football that you can't win your league title on draft day, but you can lose it. This is a reminder to play the percentages as often as possible when drafting.
You can master these percentages by subscribing to RotoWire. You will get access to all of the tools mentioned here plus many more. It's a great way to up your game, so be sure to subscribe today!
