FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: The Perfect Draft Challenge | See How Your Team Stacks Up! (Ep. 1923)

Release Date: January 6, 2026
Hosts: Joey P. (Joe Pisapia), Andrew Erickson

Overview

In this episode, Joey P. and Andrew Erickson dive into the annual "Perfect Draft Challenge," using the FantasyPros Perfect Draft simulator to draft the optimal fantasy football team retroactively for the 2025 NFL season. The hosts reflect on lessons learned, key player performances, and best-ball drafting strategies. They walk listeners through each pick from the sixth draft position, discuss player values, regrets, and what would have made a true "perfect draft."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Explaining the Perfect Draft Challenge (00:44–03:26)

• Purpose: The simulator lets fantasy managers "redo" the 2025 season, drafting the highest-scoring team knowing all season outcomes.
• Format: 12-team, half-PPR, best-ball. Optimal lineups are set weekly with no waivers or trades.
• Main Goal: Outscore other users for leaderboard bragging rights and potential prizes.
• Quote:

  “Every year, we have this fun little gadget called the Perfect Draft, where you can go back and relive 2025 by drafting the very best team ... Perfect Draft is brought to you by DraftKings.” —Joey P. (01:04)

2. Draft Preparation & the Number Six Slot (03:26–04:46)

• Draft Spot: Picking sixth overall.
• Top Priority: Lock up Trey McBride, 2025’s only truly elite tight end.
• Insight:

  "The gap between him (McBride) and Kyle Pitts who is tight end 2, was closer to Cade Otton at TE27 than Trey McBride as TE1. So when it came to elite tight ends, there was only one." —Andrew Erickson (03:31)

• Bench Talk: Consider adding Kyle Pitts due to his one huge week; best-ball accommodates outlier performances.

3. Drafting Each Round – Step-by-Step Breakdown

First Six Picks (04:46–11:02)

a. Round 1 - Christian McCaffrey (RB, SF) [04:46]

• Reasoning: Highest-scoring RB, stayed healthy all year.
• Caution: Hosts say 2026 might be too soon to draft him again due to heavy workload in 2025.
• Quote:

  "CMC is going to be atop my do not draft list after he piled up 500 billion touches in 2025." —Andrew Erickson (04:46)

b. Round 2 - Trey McBride (TE, ARI) [05:09–05:35]

• Locked in: Clear-cut TE1, massive positional advantage.

c. Round 3 - James Cook (RB, BUF) [05:39–06:05]

• 2025 Leader: Led league in rushing yards, highly consistent.
• Quote:

  "James Cook is the lock of all locks here in the third round ... Derrick Henry came very, very close at the end to catching James Cook, but it was not enough." —Andrew Erickson (05:39)

d. Round 4 - George Pickens (WR, DAL) [06:31–06:56]

• Best-Ball Value: Multiple top-5 weeks, benefited from Dallas’ offense.
• Notable Line:

  "Not just a wide receiver. One of the best you could have picked, especially in best ball ... George Pickens making sure he’s going to get paid this offseason. Will he return to Dallas?" —Andrew Erickson (06:31)

e. Round 5 - Chris Olave (WR, NO) [09:49–10:03]

• Breakout: Drafted as WR27, finished WR6.
• Process: Chosen over “landmine” options like Jerry Jeudy or Mark Andrews.

f. Round 6 - Travis Etienne Jr. (RB, JAX) [10:54–11:02]

• Rationale: Mid-season turnaround, strong finish.

Mid- to Late-Rounds: Depth, QBs, More Receivers (11:21–15:44)

• Quarterbacks: Waited but secured Dak Prescott and Trevor Lawrence, both flashed big weeks.
• RB Depth: Picks included Javonte Williams and Judkins.
• WR Depth: Michael Pittman Jr. (good early season), Michael Wilson (splash weeks).
• Best-ball Strategy: Preference for two QBs (flexibility on boom weeks), and later two defenses (for bye weeks).
• Quote:

  “We usually do want to draft two quarterbacks ... it’s like the easiest way to capitalize on points.” —Andrew Erickson (13:13)

• Sleeper Hits: Liked picks of Olave, Pittman, Dowdle (RB), and Wilson for unpredictable best-ball upside (18:56).

Final Bench Spots and Defense (15:00–17:04)

• Tight Ends: Added Kyle Pitts (huge one-game upside in best ball) to pair with McBride.
• D/ST Selection: Ended up with Houston Texans D/ST (highest scoring); considered Seahawks, Broncos, Vikings.
• Strategic Regret: Didn’t take two defenses, leading to incomplete lineups on certain bye weeks.
• Quote:

  “Maybe we should have had another defense. I think that was the trick too. You gotta do two defenses ... we had incomplete lineups for defense in week 6 and week 11 ...” —Joey P. (18:56)

4. Reflections on the Perfect Draft Simulation (17:04–19:29)

• Team Finished with: 2,627 points—not enough for the leaderboard (needed ~2,800).
• Key Lessons:
  • Needed more WR firepower early.
  • Best-ball requires extra attention to depth and byes, especially for DST.
  • Even with the benefit of hindsight, "perfect" is hard!
  • Notable analysis of values: Olave, Pittman, Wilson all major upgrades over draft cost.
• Quote:

  "I would say with this one we probably needed one more wide receiver early. I just don't know what that code was to crack ... maybe we waited just a tad too long." —Joey P. (18:14)

5. Memorable Quotes

• On the Fun of the Simulator:

  “Isn’t it fun to go back and look at all the things that went right and wrong?” —Joey P. (18:10)

• On the Elusiveness of Perfection:

  “If you think you can do better, go ahead. That's why it's there. FantasyPros.com Perfect Draft. Go check it out today. It's free. It's fun.” —Joey P. (14:37)

• On Positional Advantage:

  "There was only one elite tight end ... His name was Trey McBride." —Andrew Erickson (03:32)

• On Best Ball Unique Challenges:

  "You have to check all the bye weeks if you want to score big on this." —Joey P. (19:20)

Notable Timestamps

• 00:44–03:26: Introduction to Perfect Draft Challenge and its mechanics.
• 03:26–04:46: Draft planning, emphasis on Trey McBride.
• 04:46–06:05: Early rounds: McCaffrey, McBride, James Cook.
• 06:31–06:56: Pickens selection and best-ball WR value.
• 09:49–10:03: Olave as a "sleeper" home run.
• 14:21–15:27: WR depth dilemmas, Pittman and Michael Wilson picks.
• 16:45–17:04: D/ST debate and regret over only drafting one.
• 18:14–18:56: Post-draft analysis, lessons learned, best values.
• 19:20–19:29: The need to manage byes and deep rosters in best ball.

Closing Thoughts

Joey P. and Andrew reflect on the fun—and frustration—of trying to "nail" the perfect fantasy draft, even with all the hindsight the simulator provides. They emphasize strategic flexibility, targeting breakout values, and learning from both wins and missteps. The podcast encourages listeners to try out the Perfect Draft tool for themselves, chase leaderboard glory, and keep the fantasy football spirit alive even after the season ends.

Final send-off:

“Fantasy football never ends here on the channel. Make sure you subscribe ... That’ll do it for us, but the story of the game goes on. For Andrew Erickson, I’m Joey P.—we’ll see you next time, kids. See if you can have the Perfect Draft for 2025.” —Joey P. (19:48)

Quick Draft Board Summary

QB: Dak Prescott, Trevor Lawrence
RB: Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, Travis Etienne, Javonte Williams, Judkins, Rico Dowdle
WR: George Pickens, Chris Olave, Michael Pittman Jr., Michael Wilson
TE: Trey McBride, Kyle Pitts
D/ST: Houston Texans

Try your hand at the Perfect Draft Challenge at FantasyPros.com/perfectdraft
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This summary captures the flow, main topics, and lessons from the episode, providing value to both listeners and readers new to the show.