Most years, there is a consensus No. 1 overall pick to select in your fantasy football draft. In other words, picking the top player in your draft is easy. Yet, determining who should be the second overall pick is where things can get pretty tricky.
Here are some players you should consider selecting with the second overall pick in your fantasy football draft in 2024.
Which Players Should You Consider Picking No. 2 Overall?
WHO SHOULD BE WHICH PICK?: 1st | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb’s 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 TDs made him an elite fantasy performer and produced the first WR1 overall finish of his young career. Quite frankly, this upward trend has been present in all three years in the league with his receptions, receiving yards, and TDs increasing.
Additionally, Lamb is a very underrated RAC threat, route runner, and formation-versatile weapon who is quite literally the engine to the entire Dallas Cowboys passing game, which was one of the most productive units in the league with players like Brandin Cooks, Jake Ferguson, and Jalen Tolbert as the ancillary options.
Lamb is in search of a new contract at the moment, which casts a small cloud of uncertainty over his 2024 outlook. Yet, his elite target share, usage in the red zone, and outstanding overall production every year of his career make him an incredibly safe investment in the first round of a full-PPR format.
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
When your minimum statistical production is 119 receptions for 1,700+ yards over a two-year span, you’re unquestionably a bargain at 1.05 in a full-PPR format.
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is one of the few players who does have a legitimate case as a 1.01 overall pick regardless of format with his exceptional play and fit in Mike McDaniel’s offensive scheme.
One could argue Hill’s role in this offense has helped revolutionize pre-snap motion across the NFL. It may be a copycat league, but NFL offenses simply can’t duplicate what Hill does to opposing defenses with his dynamic speed.
Some fantasy managers may have age-cliff concerns for smaller receivers whose game is driven by game-breaking speed. However, until Hill shows signs of slowing down, it’s increasingly difficult to pass on a player with his insanely safe fantasy floor at No. 2 overall.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Lamb may be a bit higher on this list, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider taking a running back at No. 2 overall. If you are playing in a 12-team league, the running-back landscape can get a little dicey by the time you are picking at No. 23 overall.
Some may question whether or not fantasy managers can trust Bijan Robinson with this high of draft capital after a disappointing rookie season, but let me present my case.
The Atlanta Falcons’ offense was a confusing mess last year, with head coach Arthur Smith refusing to feature Robinson and the substandard quarterback play of quarterback Desmond Ridder. Well, both of those issues have been resolved this offseason.
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The Falcons addressed the quarterback position this year by signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year deal and using the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on QB Michael Penix Jr., essentially doubling down on upgrading the position this offseason.
Additionally, the team brought in Zac Robinson — who worked under Sean McVay as a member of the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff last year — as their new offensive coordinator. This feels like good news considering the Rams weren’t shy about featuring Kyren Williams, who was right next to Christian McCaffrey in total touches per game in 2023, as their bell cow back in 2023.
If Zac Robinson’s offense can generate more scoring opportunities with improved quarterback play and Bijan justifiably sees an uptick in usage (he still finished the year as the RB12 in non-PPR formats last season), we could see a huge jump into the fantasy elite in 2024.
Who Should Go No. 2?
The debate can be made for multiple players to be the pick at 1.02, but the 1.01 feels much simpler to me.
McCaffrey’s 2,023 total yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage made him head and shoulders the highest-scoring non-QB by a wide margin in 2023. His 67 receptions last year proved he still has a great floor in full-PPR formats, which makes it very difficult to build any plausible case against the All-Pro back entering the 2024 NFL season.
Outside of him approaching the age cliff, there is nothing about his performance or situation that suggests McCaffrey shouldn’t be the top overall selection in fantasy drafts.