Did you start your draft with Jahmyr Gibbs? Or did you go with Bijan, Saquon, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry? Was the lure of Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Puka Nacua, or Malik Nabers too strong to ignore? Or do you like to live dangerously and plant your flag on Brock Bowers? Locking in that first pick is a tremendous feeling, the vibes couldn’t be more immaculate in that moment.
So now what?
The second round is where your team gets its personality.
Going double running back with your first two picks sends a distinct message to your leaguemates: Give me the guys that get the ball the most, and, also, I have a hairy chest. A WR-WR start says Do you like to party, because I like to party? RB-WR or WR-RB? You can’t have a good home without a strong foundation. And you already know the Bowers drafters are rocking the Suns Out, Guns Out tank.
Starting a draft with Ja’Marr Chase and coming back with Ladd McConkey in round two is a powerful thing. Same goes for a Puka Nacua-Drake London combo. Going with Bijan and Jonathan Taylor or De’Von Achane will no doubt get an audible reaction from someone else in the room. Doubling up at a position gives your roster an immediate strength. That will be the first thing your opponents clock each week. It sends a message. Most importantly, it sends a message to you and you need to be ready to receive it.
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Great. But What Should I Do In Round 2?
My natural inclination is to take whoever I think is the best player available. I tend to favor receivers and break ties in that direction, especially early in drafts when the stars are still on the board. Of course, I’ve gotten in trouble in the past when I let my biases take the wheel. The most important thing a double-dip start tells you is that you’ve invested primo capital in one particular area at the expense of the other positions. That doesn’t mean you need to automatically go elsewhere with the next pick, especially if the clear best option leads you to triple-tapping a position. But that’s a problem for another round.
Your second round pick gives your roster shape. If I take Brian Thomas Jr. and I’m staring down Nico Collins or Derrick Henry as my second pick, that’s a pivotal decision. If I go with Collins, I’m immediately thinking receivers will be my team’s strength. I can mentally prep for a Zero-RB start, and punt running backs altogether until Round 5.
Or I can tell myself that a start like that allows me to focus elsewhere for a bit because my two stud receivers are holding me down at that position. If I go with Henry, that opens the door for a Hero-RB build, where I bank on Henry carrying the RB1 spot on my team and trust myself to draft a grab bag of RB2 options. Or I can let BTJ play the Hero-WR role and stack Henry with another back and turn that area into a strength. You get the idea.
So Just Take The Best Player? That’s It?
I used to lean hard into the idea of grabbing a receiver and running back. My thinking was that if I give myself a chance to have the RB1 and the WR1 then my team would be unbeatable. Just get the best player at each position, easy game.
The roster balance that comes with that kind of start makes you feel like you’re in control. It’s the safe way to start. You won’t fall behind at either position. It’s like trying to bowl right down the middle of the lane every time no matter how the pins are laid out. The problem with this approach was that I was predetermining my moves before I began. I wasn’t being flexible and flexibility is absolutely crucial to a good draft. Drafts used to stress me out because I was pretty rigid in my targets and ideas and when the chaos of the draft hit I wasn’t ready to adapt. Somewhere along the way I figured that out, and drafting became so much more fun for me.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go back to daydreaming about a CeeDee Lamb–A.J. Brown start.