Fantasy Football: How to Draft From the 2nd Pick

Holding the number-two overall pick in your fantasy football draft sounds like a nice deal. After all, you're guaranteed to roster your favorite or second-favorite choice, and said selection should earn you some assurance as you work your way through the later rounds.

It might not be that simple in 2025.

Who should you draft at the 1.02 spot and how should it inform your decision-making throughout the draft?

Note: A player's ADP data comes from FantasyPros' half-PPR data. The basis for rounds used in this piece is from 12-player leagues.

Who Do I Take With the Second Overall Pick in Fantasy Football?

There won't be any mystery as to who's on the board by the time the second overall slot rolls around. Ja'Marr Chase is the consensus first overall pick in 2025.

So, Saquon Barkley or Bijan Robinson? Both are tied for the second-highest ADP (2.7).

Saquon's historic 2024 campaign included 2,005 rushing yards, 2,283 scrimmage yards, and 15 touchdowns en route to 388.8 half-PPR points, the second-most among non-QBs behind only Chase (339.5). He enters his age-28 season with the same Philadelphia Eagles foundation that just allowed him to go haywire, and competition doesn't exist in Philly's RB room. But after a taxing season that included a whopping 492 touches, there's real fear that Saquon could break down. The last thing we want is another Christian McCaffrey.

Enter Bijan, a 23-year-old who is gearing up to claim the RB1 crown with Michael Penix Jr. under center. Robinson amassed 1,887 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns in his sophomore effort, notably posting 23.3, 23.3, and 30.3 fantasy points in the three games started by Penix. Barring any injury, it's easy to get excited about Robinson's workload after the young back handled 22-plus carries in all but one of his final six games to end the 2024 season. Put up against concerns surrounding Saquon, and Bijan is the more palatable choice here and has a handcuff in Tyler Allgeier.

You're going to give your next leaguemate up access to one of Saquon, Bijan, or Jahmyr Gibbs. It's a tough decision, but at least you get to make that decision.

Second Pick Draft Strategy in Fantasy Football

With the potential RB1 on your side, the ensuing rounds should be dedicated to leveraging your position in the draft. There are some fun moves you could make with the 23rd and 26th overall picks.

You'll likely miss out on Brock Bowers, but Trey McBride could be a prime target. The eternal touchdown regression candidate would perfectly fill the TE void -- thus allowing you to take some swings on breakout WR candidates in the later rounds. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen could both be available here, too, while wide receivers going in this range include Ladd McConkey, Tyreek Hill, and Tee Higgins.

Whether it's a combination of Robinson-McBride-Jackson, Robinson-McBride-Jackson, Barkley-Hill-Allen, etc., you can leave the third round of the draft with three guys who have legitimate potential to pace their position in fantasy this season. Hill and Higgins are each intriguing, but a RB-TE-QB strategy with the first three picks would help you leverage the late-round value WR options over leaguemates who are still in search of a TE or QB.

By the 4.11 and 5.02 selections, wide receivers such as Courtland Sutton, DeVonta Smith, and Zay Flowers will be calling your name. Once it gets to the backend of the draft, prioritizing fantasy football sleepers, fantasy football value picks, and late-round wide receivers should be top of mind after getting off to a strong start with the other positions.

Futures Day is coming August 26th. Learn more here.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.