Among the many challenges that go along with preparing for a fantasy football draft, stress over one's draft position tends to ring the loudest.
It's a constant worry among fantasy managers, as those who wind up slotted at the back of the order fret about playing catch-up at running back or wide receiver, having missed out on the top picks at those positions. Meanwhile, those who nab the top draft position sometimes prefer the rhythm that comes with a more middling slot.
Wherever you reside on the debate about draft position, you have come to the right place. This column is where I take you through the twists and turns of the draft's first two rounds, providing you a handy roadmap for success. Listed below are recommended candidates for each draft slot, potential combinations for each of your first two picks and ideal selections from each slot.
This edition covers 8-team leagues. For each draft slot, you'll find a "players unlocked" section, which indicates the earliest pick at which you should consider the player listed.
All references to fantasy points are for PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.
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Draft Slot 1
Round 1 (Pick 1 overall): Christian McCaffrey is the consensus No. 1 overall pick. He led all of fantasy in points per game last season, scoring 100.8 more total points (and 3.2 points per game more) than any other running back did. Neither his age (28) nor the calf issue that kept him out of preseason games prevents him from exclusively belonging in this spot.
Players unlocked: McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill
Round 2 (Pick 16): The smaller the league, the more you want an earlier pick. There should be a wealth of talent available from this draft slot, between top-10 running backs such as Kyren Williams, Isiah Pacheco, Travis Etienne Jr. and Derrick Henry, and top-10 wide receivers such as Chris Olave, Davante Adams and Michael Pittman Jr. Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., too, is an outside candidate here, for teams going with a high-ceiling strategy. Going WR-WR in Rounds 2-3 gives a heck of a start with McCaffrey. And keep in mind that the players typically available come picks 32 and 33 (Rounds 4 and 5) include De'Von Achane, Rachaad White, Nico Collins and DeVonta Smith.
Players unlocked: Henry, Harrison, Pittman
Tristan's picks: Christian McCaffrey, Chris Olave
Draft Slot 2
Round 1 (Pick 2): We're still in a wide-receiver-dominant era, as 13 different players at the position scored 300-plus points from 2021 to '23, with Hill and CeeDee Lamb both doing so in each of the past two seasons. They're the clear class at the position, though it's not a steep drop to the next tier. Hill brings a hint more safety currently, with Lamb in the midst of a holdout. For those who prefer to build around running backs, Breece Hall makes the most compelling case and is a fine No. 2 overall pick, after he finished second in scoring at the position to McCaffrey. Hall's New York Jets should sport a more productive offense with a healthy Aaron Rodgers, and Hall had seven games of 20-plus points in 2023 despite Rodgers' lengthy absence.
Players unlocked: Hall, Lamb
Round 2 (Pick 15): Running backs will probably be abundant with this particular pick, including productive candidates such as Jahmyr Gibbs, Williams, Pacheco and Etienne. That said, should a Garrett Wilson or Puka Nacua linger, neither should be allowed to slip past this pick.
Players unlocked: Etienne
Tristan's picks: Tyreek Hill, Kyren Williams
Draft Slot 3
Round 1 (Pick 3): Determining your comfort level with Lamb's holdout should drive this decision, as he's one of only 18 players in history (and three wide receivers) to reach the 400-point plateau, underscoring his similar -- if not equal -- potential to that of Hill. Hill, Lamb and Hall represent an effective "Tier 2" in the overall rankings.
Players unlocked: None
Round 2 (Pick 14): A running back/wide receiver combination with your first two picks makes a lot of sense from this slot. That said, neither Jonathan Taylor nor Saquon Barkley should be allowed to last beyond this pick.
Players unlocked: Pacheco
Tristan's picks: Breece Hall, Puka Nacua
Draft Slot 4
Round 1 (Pick 4): It's a good place to be this season, assured of getting Hill, Lamb or Hall, with a miniscule chance at McCaffrey -- hey, McCaffrey lasting to fourth overall has apparently happened in an NFFC (National Fantasy Football Championship) league! The drawback, however, is that the position acquired gets decided for you in that event. Running-back-oriented drafters might consider Bijan Robinson with the fourth overall pick, and if managers grow increasingly concerned about Lamb's status, the next tier of wide receivers including Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown can come into play here.
Players unlocked: Robinson, Chase, Jefferson, St. Brown
Round 2 (Pick 13): This might be the trickiest draft slot from which to pick in an eight-team draft. A wide receiver seems more likely to be this team's first-round pick, and it's possible that the best running back and wide receiver remaining on the board will be Gibbs and Nacua. That's not to harshly criticize either player, but the dream scenario for this team is that a Taylor or Barkley, or Wilson, somehow sneaks through. As running back (Taylor/Barkley/Gibbs/Williams) seems likely to be the richer position from this particular pick, it's further evidence that you shouldn't let Lamb sneak past your first-round selection.
Players unlocked: Olave, Adams
Tristan's picks: CeeDee Lamb, Jahmyr Gibbs
Draft Slot 5
Round 1 (Pick 5): Running back or wide receiver will be the conundrum that managers slotted third through seventh face this season, with Hall and Robinson lingering around those draft positions alongside those aforementioned excellent wide receivers. So why Robinson, who finished only ninth among running backs in fantasy points, as my recommended pick? Simple: The Falcons' coaching switch, going from Arthur Smith to Raheem Morris, should dramatically change the team's offensive game plan, perhaps best illustrated by Robinson having seen a mere three opportunities (carries plus targets) at the goal line, and 16 on goal-to-go plays, last season, shockingly low numbers.
Players unlocked: None
Round 2 (Pick 12): As there's a bit of a talent drop-off after the top 12 players this season, the team drafting from the 5-slot should be plenty pleased with its second-round return. Wilson is an ideal selection if he lasts, having scored 215.7 and 213.2 points the past two seasons and now set -- with some luck in the injury department -- to finally play with a healthy Aaron Rodgers. If it's Taylor or Barkley who lasts, resulting in an RB-RB start, fret not, considering wide receivers typically available from this slot in the third round include Adams, Pittman and Harrison.
Players unlocked: None
Tristan's picks: Bijan Robinson, Garrett Wilson
Draft Slot 6
Round 1 (Pick 6): This is the longest either Hall or Lamb should last, and in the vast majority of drafts, this slot will grant its manager the choice of wide receivers Chase, Jefferson and St. Brown. You can't go wrong with any of the three, but what stands out with Chase is that, in his three-year NFL career, he has averaged 18.0 points per game, sixth best at the position, while the offseason departure of Tyler Boyd only strengthens Chase's status as the Cincinnati Bengals' top target-getter.
Players unlocked: A.J. Brown
Round 2 (Pick 11): As alluded to with the team drafting fifth, this pick falls within that top-12 tier of elite talent, meaning a probable selection from among the two injury-question running backs or a wide receiver such as Brown or Wilson. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with a WR-WR start in an eight-team draft, though Barkley is my recommendation here.
Players unlocked: Nacua, Williams
Tristan's picks: Ja'Marr Chase, Saquon Barkley
Draft Slot 7
Round 1 (Pick 7): In an eight-team league, the lure of a running back will ring loudly from this draft slot, with Taylor and Barkley the two most logical to squeeze into the first round. That said, the caliber of wide receiver remaining on the board at this draft stage is a definite step ahead of the running backs. Those who recall last year's edition will remember Jefferson occupying the top overall spot, and despite his Minnesota Vikings' shift from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold at quarterback -- yes, rookie J.J. McCarthy's season-ending injury was devastating, when examining the positional change -- as well as the presence of Jordan Addison, I find it difficult to fathom Jefferson's production declining much more than this. Jefferson, who had never been sidelined by injury in his NFL career until last season, is my personal preference ahead of St. Brown, Brown and Wilson in this slot.
Players unlocked: Wilson, Taylor, Barkley
Round 2 (Pick 10): ... annnnd the catch with taking a running back in the first round from this spot is that wide receivers could then go at Picks 8 and 9, leaving this team in the unenviable position of considering taking both injury-risk running backs to start the draft. It's a strategy to resist, especially with a top-shelf wide receiver talent in either Jefferson, St. Brown or Brown guaranteed to remain on the board. Again, I'm taking my choice of wide receiver first, then accepting whichever running back lasts, if not simply going heavy on wide receivers with Jefferson and Brown.
Players unlocked: Gibbs
Tristan's picks: Justin Jefferson, Jonathan Taylor
Draft Slot 8
Rounds 1-2 (Picks 8-9): A six- or seven-slot drafter who goes running back first could put the team slotted eighth in a dream "Zero RB" scenario, leaving two from Chase, Jefferson, St. Brown or Brown available with these two selections. Considering this team's next two picks would be 24th and 25th overall, a point at which running backs such as Joe Mixon, James Cook and De'Von Achane will most likely remain available, the eight-slot is a good place from which to load up at wide receiver. None of those four wideouts should last beyond these two picks, though it'd be understandable if a fantasy manager wanted to diversify positions with a St. Brown/Taylor, Jefferson/Barkley or a comparable combination here.
Players unlocked: None
Tristan's picks: Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown