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How to approach first two rounds of fantasy football drafts with a top-3 pick
Starting a fantasy football draft off right is critical to winning a league on a year-to-year basis. While you may not win a fantasy league within the first two rounds, you can certainly lose it. Having a good strategy and plan of attack is a serious advantage.
Drafting within the top three picks can come with a lot of pressure given the talent available and the gap between picks in the first and second round. There can also be a lot of noise this time of year with minor injuries and holdouts. This is the perfect way to approach those first two picks from slots 1-3.
* Note: These projections are based on a 12-team PPR league
1.1 & 2.12 – RB Christian McCaffrey & QB Jalen Hurts
Christian McCaffrey was the number one player in fantasy football in 2023 for a reason. This is a pick where it’s simply important not to overthink it. McCaffrey has had over 65 receptions each of the last two years and scored a touchdown in all but three games last season. If the San Francisco 49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk, McCaffrey becomes that much more of a focal point. McCaffrey is king in fantasy football and remains not only the safest pick, but the obvious pick. The only thing to worry about is health and potential drop-off at the position, but he hasn’t missed a game to injury in two years and has shown no signs of slowing down.
The bottom of the second round at the 2-3 turn is where things can get interesting. It’s likely that the top wide receivers will be gone and there won’t be a lot of value at running back. Many seem to be down on the Philadelphia Eagles, but forget that Jalen Hurts was the third best player in fantasy football in 2023. Jason Kelce will be a big loss, but he’s being replaced with a second-round pick who has spent time in the system in Cam Jurgens. The Eagles replaced offensive coordinator Brian Johnson with Kellen Moore. They still have AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. The upside with Hurts is the best dual-threat quarterback in fantasy. A starting duo of McCaffrey and Hurts gives you two players that could win your league.
1.2 & 2.11 – WR CeeDee Lamb & WR Drake London
The options with the 1.2 will be near limitless. McCaffrey or Lamb will be available for the taking. There is also the option of selecting wide receiver Tyreek Hill or even running back Breece Hall. However, the pick here should be Lamb. While he is in a contract dispute, last year he had 1,749 yards on 135 receptions. He was the most-targeted wide receiver in the NFL. Brandin Cooks and Jalen Cropper are the other two other wide receivers competing for targets in the Dallas offense. Lamb has the top quarterback that will find a way to get him the football in Dak Prescott.
Taking Drake London comes with some risk as it’s hard to believe in a Falcons offense that has consistently underperformed in recent years. That being said, this offense has the biggest quarterback upgrade in the NFL with the addition of Kirk Cousins. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson comes from the Los Angeles Rams who in two of the last three years produced Cooper Kupp’s triple crown year and Puka Nacua’s historic rookie season. London is currently being drafted as the WR11, but has top-10 upside. This is a team with a bad defense that’s going to have to score a lot of points. If Lamb and London hit their ceiling, it will be tough to beat this receiver duo.
1.3 & 2.10 – RB Breece Hall & QB Josh Allen
Only Christian McCaffrey scored more fantasy points in the second half of 2023 than Breece Hall. That was with a combination of Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle throwing the football. The Jets also had the 23rd ranked offensive line. Running backs typically don’t succeed on bad teams with bad quarterbacks and one year off of an ACL. Hall managed to do just that. Aaron Rodgers will be healthy and this team made serious upgrades to the offensive line by adding Tyron Smith at left tackle and John Simpson at left guard. It is well within the realm of possibilities that Hall finishes as RB1. Unfortunately, it’s still the Jets.
Josh Allen lost his best receiver in the offseason in Stefon Diggs. However, that could lead to Allen being able to play more free and without the pressure of having to force the ball to a needy target. The Bills offense is going to be the Allen show which should lead to some big fantasy numbers. He’s been the number one fantasy quarterback in three of the past four years. Allen may not have 15 rushing touchdowns again, but remains one of the biggest threats to score in the red zone at quarterback.
