Who Should I Draft with the 2nd Pick in Fantasy Football

To nail your fantasy football draft, you need the right strategy, along with savvy player takes. This article outlines the best player to draft with the second overall pick, along with tips for filling out the remainder of your roster based on ADP and specific scoring settings.

Our Perfect Draft series covers multiple draft spots in various scoring formats and league sizes using Draft Hero software. Find your perfect draft today!

Standard League: CeeDee Lamb, WR (DAL)

CeeDee Lamb

averaged 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns per season through his first three years. He then erupted in his fourth NFL season for 1,862 total yards and 14 touchdowns. Only Christian McCaffrey scored more standard fantasy points than Lamb in 2024.

Note: If Christian McCaffrey isn’t taken with the first pick, he should be your selection here, and you can read more about his profile in the 1st Pick Perfect Draft article.

The situation in Dallas is still ideal for fantasy points, with a very competent quarterback in Dak Prescott who just led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns. The target competition is minimal too beyond the aging Brandin Cooks and the solid, but unspectacular, Jake Ferguson. That being said, while McCaffrey is the chalk pick at 1.01, Lamb isn’t as much of an obvious selection here – though he probably should be the favorite. Lamb’s NFL-leading 135 receptions added zero fantasy points in this format since only yards and touchdowns are rewarded in standard leagues.

Looking at 2023 fantasy points per game, Lamb’s 15.8 was overshadowed by Tyreek Hill’s 16.1, as well as McCaffrey (20.3), Kyren Williams (18.6), and Raheem Mostert (16.2). So, while Lamb is the second player off the board by ADP and a very safe pick, he doesn’t have the upside that a few others (namely RBs) do. Looking at last season, eight running backs, four wide receivers, and zero tight ends reached 200 standard fantasy points. Only one tight end, Sam Laporta, even reached 150 points (153). Because overall scoring is depressed in standard, quarterbacks become relatively more valuable, since they score equal fantasy points across all the main fantasy formats. Seven signal callers reached 300 total fantasy points, a number that only McCaffrey reached among flex-worthy players in 2023.

Assuming you begin your draft with the Cowboys WR1, focus on landing at least one, if not two, high-workload running backs in the next three to four rounds, along with an elite quarterback. Two to three more receivers should be added by the sixth round, too. Standard leagues are the one format where you can build strength through the running back position and even flex them often.

Best Alternative Picks: Bijan Robinson or Breece Hall

Robinson and Hall both offer higher upside than Lamb, though running backs will generally carry more injury risk and uncertainty than receivers. There is a strong chance one of these players out-scores Lamb in standard 2024 leagues. Both these runners offer an all-purpose skill set on above-average offenses.

PPR Scoring: CeeDee Lamb

PPR is really where Lamb’s star shines brightest, unlike standard scoring leagues. His NFL-leading 135 receptions added eight fantasy points per game to his resume last year. Lamb was the highest-scoring receiver per game, along with out-scoring every flex-worthy player not named McCaffrey. Lamb’s 23.7 fantasy points per game were barely behind Josh Allen’s league-leading 24.2.

Note: If Christian McCaffrey isn’t taken with the first pick, he should be your selection here, and you can read more about his profile here.

Building a strong receiver core is arguably the most important aspect of nailing a PPR draft since wide receivers generally catch more passes than running backs and tight ends. Starting with Lamb provides some flexibility to take a running back in the second or third round, but we still need to draft two to three receivers over the next five rounds. In the past two seasons, 13 running backs, 22 wide receivers, and just one tight end have reached 250 PPR fantasy points. Turning to fantasy points per game, we have 16 receivers with at least 17 fantasy points per game over the past two seasons compared to 11 at the running back position. A wide receiver in the flex is usually the key to winning a PPR league.

Elite quarterback strategy can still be effective in PPR formats, but it’s definitely not as critical compared to standard scoring leagues. Tight end can also be considered after the first four rounds, once receivers with obvious fantasy WR1 upside are off the board.

Best Alternative Picks: Tyreek Hill/Ja’Marr Chase

Hill and Chase project similarly to Lamb, with heavy volume in well above average offenses. However, both Hill and Chase have more target competition in their respective offenses. PPR drafts are the most effective place for those interested in employing the Zero RB strategy, where three to four receivers, plus an elite quarterback and tight end, are selected before filling out the running back room.

Half-PPR Scoring: CeeDee Lamb

Once again, Lamb is the recommended pick here. All the stats mentioned about him in the standard and PPR sections hold true in half-PPR formats. Tyreek Hill (19.8) did narrowly out-score Lamb (19.7) in this format last year, but Hill is now 30 years old, and he has several difficult defenses down the stretch – Jets, 49ers and Browns comprise three of Hill’s final four fantasy matchups.

In a half-PPR league, a blend of the standard and PPR formats is recommended. Elite quarterbacks and tight ends fall in the middle here, where neither are slam dunk picks, but they can both be part of a well-rounded fantasy roster with upside. Make sure to have three to four wide receivers by the sixth round in a half-PPR league to make sure you’re not boxed out at the position.

Three running backs and four wide receivers reached 17 fantasy points per game in half-PPR last season. This is roughly three to four additional points per game compared to a low-end fantasy RB1 or WR1.

The gap between an elite tight end and a low-end fantasy TE1 is slightly narrower, at about three points per game. Hence the slight focus on running backs and receivers in this format. Quarterback has the highest discrepancy between the elite performers and the fringe top-12 starters, at around six to seven fantasy points per game. Grabbing a quarterback in rounds four through six is a solid strategy in half-PPR formats.

Best Alternate Picks: Bijan Robinson, Breece Hall, Tyreek Hill or Ja’Marr Chase

Those looking for a running back alternative to Lamb should consider Robinson and Hall. Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers are both coming off Achilles tears, so their mobility should be impacted, especially at their advanced ages of 35 and 40. This should lead to a heavy dose of Robinson and Hall in the passing game – historically, mobile quarterbacks are less likely to involve running backs since they can just run for the first down themselves.

Hill and Chare are in a similar tier to Lamb, though they have slightly more target competition. Hill has Jaylen Waddle while Chase has Tee Higgins. Brandin Cooks and Jake Ferguson are not in the same realm as target earners, so Lamb might be targeted once every three Dallas pass plays.

Superflex: Josh Allen

Superflex drafts are far less predictable than the other 1-QB formats, but the safest way to begin your draft is with a quarterback, and Josh Allen’s the only one to with at least 24 fantasy points per game in each of the past four seasons. He was the highest-scorer at the position last year, though he has a diminished supporting cast, with Stefon Diggs (Texans) and Gabe Davis (Jaguars) no longer on the team.

TE Dalton Kincaid and rookie wideout Keon Coleman are an exciting nucleus for the future, but it’s unclear if they’ll be an above-average top-two during the 2024 season. With Diggs struggling down the stretch last year, we can get a window into what Allen’s stat lines may look like in 2024.

In the final six games of the regular season, Allen threw nearly as many picks (6) as passing touchdowns (7). That’s a 17-game pace of just 20 passing touchdowns after he’s averaged 34 over the past four seasons. However, Allen’s rushing became more aggressive at the goal line during this period, and he averaged 10 carries, 44 rushing yards, and more than one rushing touchdown per game. There’s a good chance we have depressed passing, yet increased rushing numbers from Allen – which should buoy his fantasy value.

Note: If Jalen Hurts isn’t taken with the first pick, he should be your selection here, and you can read more about his profile here.

It’s important to read the room in a superflex draft. Once you’ve selected Allen, you don’t need to force a second quarterback immediately. Watch for runs at the position, and identify four or five quarterbacks you’re comfortable with as your QB2. Don’t let more than one or two of those players slip away, otherwise, you might be dumpster diving with a Bryce Young type in your superflex spot.

Through five or six rounds, aim for two to three strong wide receivers, along with one or two running backs should be the focus, in addition to getting that QB2. High-end fantasy running backs and receivers can rival quarterback scoring, but it’s rare to see a tight end perform like a top-12 quarterback in fantasy. If you need to de-prioritize a starting spot in superflex, make it your tight end or second running back if going particularly wide receiver heavy.

Best Alternate Pick: Josh Allen or Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey shows up here once again because he can actually out-score all the quarterbacks in a given season. Allen has recorded at least 24 fantasy points per game in four straight seasons, but that also coincided with Stefon Diggs’ arrival. With a depleted supporting cast, Allen’s fantasy season could look a lot like Patrick Mahomes from last year.

Top Late-Round Targets

Late-round picks should complement your draft strategy from the early and middle rounds. For example, if your team includes several early receivers, take more shots on running backs late.

These ground rules for your fantasy bench should help you stay on track towards the end of your draft:

• If you took an elite quarterback or tight end, a second one is not needed

• Always keep at least two handcuff running backs on tap in case of injury

  • Prioritize your opponents’ backup running backs, as opposed to your own

• Stash at least one rookie or second-year player

• Wide receivers should be under the age of 29

• When deciding between two players, choose the younger option or the one on the better offense

Before outlining a couple of players that fit these bullet points, if your league starts a kicker and defense, wait until the final two rounds to fill these slots.

Blake Corum: The rookie third-round pick was brought in to lighten Kyren Williams’ workload with the Rams, but he’s a true talent in his own right, too. Corum garnered top-10 Heisman consideration each of the past two seasons at Michigan, and he’s reliable in all phases of the game. Should anything happen to Williams health-wise, Corum has fantasy RB1 upside.

Dontayvion Wicks: The Packers’ fifth-round rookie had 581 receiving yards in a complementary role last season, showcasing a strong connection with Jordan Love. While he’s likely the team’s WR4 to begin the season, he was one of the NFL’s more efficient receivers last year, and injuries happen over the course of a season. When looking at his six starts last year, Wicks’ full-season pace would have been 62 receptions, 827 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

Below, you can see a realistic 16-round draft with the second overall pick. The following table provides the round you can expect to draft each player in a typical, 12-team half-PPR fantasy league.