Draft Strategy: 2nd Spot in a 12-team Half-PPR League
Drafting toward the top of your fantasy draft comes with pros and cons. The most obvious pro is that you are guaranteed an elite, game-changing player to build your squad around. But at the same time it’s a long time before you get to make your second pick so it becomes even more important to get your first pick right. Wherever you’re drafting from, though, remember to remain flexible. While creating a plan is smart, you also want to be able to adjust to the way your opponents are drafting. Let’s look at what drafting from the 2nd spot may look like and who you should ideally be targeting.
Round 1
Christian McCaffrey’s calf strain could scare some people away from taking him 1st overall. If that happens, grab him, but as long as the injury doesn’t turn out to be worse than has been reported, he will likely be the top pick. That leaves CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, and Breece Hall as the only names I would consider. If Lamb’s contract situation gets settled, he is the clear pick here. But that situation at the moment seems very precarious and it is unclear when or if there is any resolution coming. You could go with Hall, but I think No. 2 is early for him. He is a good hero-RB target, but I’d rather get him at No. 4 or No. 5. So I’d lean toward Hill. In 16 games, Hill caught 116 passes (of 171 targets) for 1,799 yards and 13 (yes, 13) touchdowns. He is 30 years old but has shown no signs of slowing down and should soak up targets.
Top Target: CeeDee Lamb (if his contract situation gets settled before the season.)
Next Best: Tyreek Hill
Rounds 2 and Round 3
After landing an elite WR, this is a great time to take your RB1. Derrick Henry, Isiah Pacheco, and De’Von Achane could be available. Achane would not be an option for me. In 2023, he was efficient to a level that will be nearly impossible to repeat and played far less in close games than he did in blowouts. My preferred option is Henry. The Ravens like to run the ball and now arguably have the best running back they’ve had in years. He should get a ton of work, especially around the goal line. If he’s unavailable then I would grab Pacheco who should be heavily involved in one of the best offenses in the league. In Round 2, I would be targeting a wide receiver. My favorite target in this range is Chris Olave. Yes, he is still catching passes from Derek Carr, but Olave has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons, and I still believe in the talent and opportunity. If he’s gone then I’d go with Deebo Samuel. If Brandon Aiyuk gets traded then Samuel would be ahead of Olave. Samuel should be a key cog in a high-powered offense and would be a great WR2 with WR1 upside.
Ideal Picks: Derrick Henry, Chris Olave
Next Best: Isiah Pacheco, Deebo Samuel
Round 4 and Round 5
In Round 4 I’d once again look to the WR position. There is some great RB value later in the draft and having three potential top 12-15 WRs would be a major advantage. My top option is DeVonta Smith. Smith is technically the WR2 on his team, but he’s closer to a 1B than a true WR2. In 2023, Smith had 81 receptions for 1,066 yards and 7 TDs. Not bad for a flex play. Then in Round 5, I would look to fill my TE spot with Trey McBride. McBride has the upside to challenge for the top target in his offense and finish as the overall TE1. If Smith is unavailable then I’d take my TE a round earlier and draft Mark Andrews. Andrews had a down season in 2023 but should be able to regain his prominence in the Ravens’ offense and his dominance in fantasy. Then in the fifth round, I prefer James Conner to any of the pass catchers in this range. Conner is 29 years old, but he was the RB18 last season, has a stranglehold on lead-back duties in Arizona, and should be heavily involved as long as he’s healthy.
Ideal Picks: DeVonta Smith, Trey McBride
Next Best: Mark Andrews, James Conner
Round 6 and Round 7
Now is the time to look to get your RB2. The top two options are Raheem Mostert and Tony Pollard. Mostert’s age (32) scares me so I’d opt for Pollard. Pollard has looked great so far and even in a timeshare (with Tyjae Spears) could produce as a mid-range RB2 with upside. In round 7, I would secure my QB by drafting McBride’s teammate Kyler Murray. Now fully healthy, I expect Murray to challenge for a top 5-7 finish. Plus, having a weekly stack with McBride and the rushing upside Murray provides could prove very fruitful. If Pollard is gone then I would select Mostert. Mostert was incredible last season (1,187 total yards and 21 total TDs) and didn’t show any signs of his age. The risk of injury is real, but as long as he’s on the field he should produce. After Mostert, I would select Jordan Love as my QB. Love was a revelation last season throwing for 4,159 yards and 32 TDs while leading the Packers to the playoffs, including a decisive win over the Dallas Cowboys. He could be even better in 2024.
Ideal Picks: Tony Pollard, Kyler Murray
Next Best: Raheem Mostert, Jordan Love
Round 8 and Round 9
My top target in the eighth round is Carolina’s Diontae Johnson. He is the clear No. 1 target on a team that should have to pass a lot. Bryce Young did not look good last season, but Johnson has an uncanny ability to get open and that makes for a great value play in half and full-PPR formats. After grabbing Johnson I would turn to Washington RB Brian Robinson Jr. Getting a starting RB this late in the draft is a steal. The presence of Austin Ekeler doesn’t scare me. His best seasons are behind him and he has a much different skill set. Robinson is the back-to-own in Washington. If Johnson is unavailable I would target Ladd McConkey. McConkey could be the No. 1 target for Justin Herbert (assuming Herbert is ready to go Week 1) which has produced great numbers in the past. After McConkey, I’d select Chase Brown. I’m not a big believer in Zack Moss. Brown could win the job outright. If that happens he would be one of the biggest steals in the draft, and even if he doesn’t, he could be a weekly difference-maker if something were to happen to Moss.
Ideal Picks: Diontae Johnson, Brian Robinson, Jr.
Next Best: Ladd McConkey, Chase Brown
Late Rounds/Recap
After the ninth round, the key is to build depth and take some risks. I rarely back up my starting QB. The one exception is if I have a solid but unexciting starter, like Jared Goff or Brock Purdy. In that case, I will draft one of the top two rookie QBs (Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels) but that’s the one exception. I also never back up my TE. I don’t see the value in it. Other than that, your late-round selections should be a combination of wide receivers and running backs who are either rookies who could work themselves into prominent roles, players with breakout potential, or key backups who could become special if something happens to the starter ahead of them. Some great targets are Gus Edwards, Curtis Samuel, Romeo Doubs, Khalil Shakir, Zach Charbonnet, Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, Ty Chandler, and Brian Thomas Jr.
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