We held the 40th anniversary draft of my long-time league, the OFFL, Tuesday night — and what a night it was. The Proving Ground Bar & Restaurant in Highlands, N.J., rolled out the red carpet for us. Between the top-notch food and drink and the stunning views of the Manhattan skyline peeking over Sandy Hook, it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful spot on the Jersey Shore. Huge thanks to Krystal, the manager, along with our bartenders Brandon and Chad (Supreme Ruler) for taking such great care of us.
And yes, I once again landed Josh Allen for my team, the Buffalo Soldiers. That alone made the night even sweeter.
Now, let’s get to my 2025 Draft Day Tips:
OFFENSIVE LINE RANKINGS MATTER
Want to draft like a champ? Start in the trenches. At FantasyGuru.com, you’ll find tons of analytical tools, including the all-important offensive line rankings, compiled by senior analyst Armando Marsal. If your Fantasy players are running behind turnstiles, you’re in for a long season. For the low price of this fine newspaper, I’ll share Armando’s best and worst lines for 2025:
Grade A
Baltimore Ravens: All starters from 2024 return. Raven RBs led NFL in yards per carry.
Buffalo Bills: All starters from 2024 return. Allowed a league-low 14 sacks.
Denver Broncos: Best line in NFL. Even their backups could start on most teams.
Los Angeles Chargers: Poised to take a significant step forward in 2025.
Philadelphia Eagles: The unit excels in the Tush Push. Check the status of LT Landon Johnson, who was injured last Sunday.
Grade C- to D
Dallas Cowboys: Group needs some work and must avoid injuries. Projected starter rookie LT Tyler Guyton is out five weeks.
Cleveland Browns: Allowed second most sacks in NFL and were bottom five in run blocking. Maybe Nick Chubb was better than we thought?
Houston Texans: Unit lacks any star power. Hard to be optimistic for 2025. Chubb’s new home. D’Oh!
Tennessee Titans: Ranked 31st in Jeff Mans’ Smash Report, the only upgrade was the addition of OL coach Bill Callahan.
Giants: To quote Armando, “This group sucked last year, and it’s not much better this year.”
Miami Dolphins: With key players retiring, this worst line in the NFL will rely heavily on young linemen.
GET YOUR QB EARLY
Elite QBs Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts are projected to top 430 fantasy points. The next tier (starting with Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes) projects closer to 340–350 points. That 80–90-point drop is massive and tough to make up elsewhere.
ACT YOUR AGE
To quote Fantasy Guru Jeff Mans, “Derrick Henry will be 32 years old this season, and since 1946, there has been exactly one season of 300+ fantasy points by a running back age 31 or 32. That was Curtis Martin in 2004 with the Jets. In fact, there have been just four seasons ever by a 31- or 32-year-old RB of 250+ fantasy points. Henry is great, and maybe he defies science for another season, but it seems foolish to pay top price for an elderly RB who doesn’t play on passing downs with a super mobile QB that can steal short-yardage touchdowns.”
HANDCUFF YOUR RBs
I stress this every year. If you have a great RB on a quality team, snag his backup in the draft. The folks that handcuffed Jordan Mason with the oft-injured Christian McCaffrey last year were rewarded with Mason’s top ten efforts in September and October. More prime handcuffs: Bijan Robinson/Tyler Allgeier, James Conner/Trey Benson, Breece Hall/Braelon Allen and McCaffrey/Isaac Guerendo.
WHO’S OUT?
Questionable for Week 1: QB Matthew Stafford, RBs Joe Mixon, Najee Harris, Tyjae Spears, WRs Darnell Mooney, Christian Watson, Brandon Aiyuk, Chris Godwin, Terry McLaurin, TE Isaiah Likely.
Out for the entire season: RBs Jonathan Brooks, Alexander Mattison, WR Rondale Moore.
Facing suspensions: WRs Rashee Rice (TBD) and Jordan Addison (will miss the first three weeks).
DRAFT DAY SURVIVAL KIT
Bring cheat sheets, notepads, and a charged phone or tablet.
Don’t forget a pen (yes, people still use them).
Know your league rules. Ask for a rulebook. If it doesn’t exist, write one.
Draft with your head, not your heart. Don’t stack your team with players from your favorite NFL team.
Don’t panic if your target gets taken. Stay sharp and flexible. No one likes a draft-day whiner.
Want the Edge? Grab the FantasyGuru.com 2025 NFL Draft Guide today! Enter the code NEW30 for 30% off the subscription. It’s the ultimate Fantasy toolkit featuring: Roster Construction, Scoring Dependencies, Two-QB Superflex strategy, Coaching/Scheme Breakdowns, Offensive Line Rankings, Auction Strategies, Players to Fade/Target, NFL Betting Guide, and best of all, Jeff Mans’ Fantasy Football Draft Plan: The Mansifesto!
Bill Reinhard appears weekly on This Week in Pro Football (YouTube), is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a columnist for FantasyGuru.com.
