2014 Fantasy Football Draft: Second Round Picks

With the first round completed, it’s time to keep it going and see who is the next pick to pull of the board as we start the second round of 2014 fantasy football draft.  Keep in mind, at this point, I’m assuming all of the guys in the first round are gone, but in case any of them are still available I would immediately jump on them with any of the next spots.  The guys I called out in the first round are the true number one picks and should be taken by this point.

Going into the second round, there will be plenty of opportunities to get the next level running backs and wide receivers , but understanding on where guys are going will play a big part.  Also, depending on which position was grabbed in the first round will play a role into where to go for the second round as well as what options are on the board.  I’m taking this draft by position and will reflect on the past decision and how that will play into this round.

#13 pick: Having two picks in a row really helps. Not only can you plan for the first round pick, you can grab your second round pick without a click from another player.  After selecting Dez Bryant as the 12th pick, which was a good value in that spot, the next choice would be to most likely go with a solid running back. With only a few more possible top 10 backs on the board, now would be the time to grab one because there won’t be a shot when it comes back around 22 picks later. There are a couple of good options here, and the top candidates would be Ball, Bell, Murray, Foster, or maybe Morris.  I think I’m leaning heavily towards Ball or Bell here. They are both young, talented, and the featured backs on their teams. This gives them a great opportunity to do some good things in fantasy, but they are both young and kind of unproven in terms of putting up those types of numbers.  Ball recently had an emergency operation, and although they say he should be ready by week 1, he is not practicing for several weeks and it leaves a little question mark about how he will perform. Plus, Hillman is now taking first team reps so there could be a little more share going on when the season opens. Bell on the other hand is healthy and ready to go. He came into the camp in shape determined to do more and with only 13 games last year he was able to put up 863 yards and 244 carries. If he gets a full season that will certainly push him over 1000 yards rushing, not to mention his nearly 400 receiving yards last season with 45 receptions.  This guy could easily finish in the top 5 this year if he stays healthy and the Steelers run their type of ball.  For this pick the best option would be LeVeon Bell.

#14 pick: Selecting AJ Green for the 11 pick means it’s probably wise to get a top back as well. This would leave most likely Ball, Morris, Foster, or Murray. I think in this case I might be leaning towards the experience and healthy player. DeMarco Murray right now is very healthy and capable and should be a beast for the Cowboys. He will be one of their primary options and should see a lot of opportunities as Romo is coming back from back surgery.  Murray put up over 1000 yards last year in only 14 games with just over 200 rushes. He has a remarkable 5.2 average per carry and had 10 touchdowns total last season. He is a very solid pick and certainly a good value in this spot.

#15 pick: Getting Thomas first round means it’s good to get a top back. The question is which of the two top workhorses left would you feel more comfortable with. Ball seems to be the more likely choice here given the fact he is on Manning’s team and will get a lot of opportunities when he is on the field.  Foster on the other hand has experience and was one of the top rushers before injuring his back.  Last season, both put up similar numbers, but this year Ball is expected to take on a bigger role, which should give him quite a boost in numbers. Foster on the other hand could put up huge numbers if healthy as well so both have a big upside, but some risk.  My gut says to go with Peyton. He is on a mission and all of the guys around him will need to step up including Ball. Montee Ball is the one I would take in this position.

#16 pick: The man that got Peyton Manning in the first round now has a huge question to answer. Should this pick be a receiver, running back, or maybe a tight-end? Keep in mind there will be almost 20 picks before it comes back around so a lot of guys will be gone. Don’t be afraid to reach in this spot for a guy you want because this is an important pick. The best choices on the board will be either Foster of course, Marshall, Jones, Jeffery, and maybe Morris, but that would be a reach.  I think I would be leaning on Brandon Marshall. Having one of the top receivers now would be solid because they will most likely be gone where the running backs that are left could put up numbers similar to the group in the next round.  Marshall is really solid having put up over 1000 receiving yards for seven straight  seasons. You can pretty much bank on it.

#17 pick: First round was Calvin, so it would make sense to maybe grab a running back here and get that locked before it comes back, but there might be some thoughts about getting a QB like Brees or TE like Thomas.  My thought is that it’s not worth a QB here because the numbers from guys going in the next few rounds will be very close to Brees whereas the difference in points between the next round backs would be more risky.  I would be considering a top back here and looking at either Foster, Morris, Bernard, or maybe Stacy.  I think my first impression was to go for Foster, but Morris is really the better choice. Alfred Morris has put over 1200 rushing yards the last 2 seasons and carried over 275 times in each of them. Foster has only played all 16 games once in the last 3 seasons while Morris rushed for more yards than Foster in each of the last 2 seasons that Morris has played.  I think Morris is the better option here.

#18 pick: This guy really jumped and grabbed Jimmy right off the bat. Smart move. Now it’s going to get fun because the board is open. Where to go from here?  A QB, RB, or WR.  If you really want to continue bucking the trend here, you could take a QB and just not worry about getting an offensive player, but I think that wouldn’t be wise.  Again, a guy like Brees or Rodgers might be tempting, but it’s just not worth it.  You can get one on the way back  that could put up great number so be smart and grab an offensive player. My pick here would be Antonio Brown. He was second last year in receptions and receiving yards and will be a huge part of the offense again this year. He might finish as the top receiver this year so he would be a great pick here. He is lower in rankings, but not in drafts, so don’t sleep on him.

#19 pick: Having picked up Lynch, this would be a good chance to either get a top receiver or grab a QB and be done with it.  One other suggestion would be to really lock up the backs and possibly hoard some top guys.  Getting a guy like Foster or Stacy would be smart because they won’t be there coming back around.  However, with guys like Jones and Jeffery on the board as well it makes me hesitant.  I am leaning towards the receivers. They can be much more productive in this spot and there will be a chance to get another good back in the next round.  I think I would go with Alshon Jeffery. He has almost 150 targets last year and over 1400 receiving yards. The number of targets and yards was higher than anything that Julio Jones has done so far in his career.

#20 pick: This is where guys are starting to look at Brees and Rodgers really hard. I think it might be good at this point to consider picking up one of the top QBs because the guys on the board are not as promising as Brees would be. Drew Brees would be a good option at this point and give the person that got Lacy a really solid QB.

#21 pick: The guy that took Forte would be looking at either a top back or receiver at this point, but might consider Thomas at tight-end.  I think getting Thomas now would be reaching, and Rodgers doesn’t make sense here, so I would be looking at one of the backs or possibly receivers. The best options on the board are either Jones, Nelson, Foster, and maybe Matthews.  I think it would come down to either Jones or Foster.  Both coming off injury years, but both are capable of putting up huge numbers.  There is risk here, but lots of upside.  Having already gotten a top back, I think the better option here is getting a top receiver so Julio Jones would be a really good pick right here.

#22 pick: Having scored with getting Charles, it’s now time to get another pick after almost 20 picks.  There are a few options here now that Jones is gone. Do you reach for a good receiver like Nelson, Cobb, and Cruz, or do you get a top back that is left. I think as the receivers go, the backs will go. If you don’t select one here, they will be most likely be gone over the next 4 picks or so.  The best option on the board is Arian Foster and that is who I would take here. Having a 1-2 punch like that would be a huge upside and there would be plenty of other receivers to get when it comes back.

#23 pick: It would be hard not to consider one of the last workhorses in terms of carries. There are only a couple of them left and getting one would be pretty nice, but getting 2 picks over the next 4 means that you have some wiggle room. To me, the best guys on the board right now are either Rodgers, Nelson, Matthews, Stacy, Martin, Bernard, and Cobb.  The question here becomes is getting a QB really that important now or can it wait till later rounds like 5-8. Yes, there are good options later on and in fact Rodgers is not worth it here. His numbers have declined each of the last 3 seasons including QB rating, completion percentage, and yards.  He is a decent 3rd round pick, but not 2nd round pick.  I would most likely pick Ryan Matthews here. He was 4th last year in rushes and 7th in rushing yards.  He is going to be putting up similar numbers again this year if he can stay on the field all year like last season.

#24 pick: Here we are at the end of the second round. There has been some tough decisions and some reaches as well as some good guys still left on the board. I think however the guys that have gone so far are really the most valuable and if any of the guys before this are still here at this spot, they are worth looking at. With that said, it would make sense at this spot to either get a top back or receiver.   I think the backs are the better option but you’ll have two picks in a row so it’s really a double pick. With 1 you can go running back and the other receiver.  I think the first choice would be easier and that is getting a back. There are really only a couple of good options for backs left on the board so getting one would be crucial because they will be gone.  The best choices here would be either Bernard, Stacy, or maybe Martin. Martin is interesting because he was a top pick just a year ago before getting injured and is really to assume his role as the lead back.  If he can repeat a similar performance like he has in 2012, it would have made him the leading rusher last season with 319 carries and second in rushing yards at over 1400.  With Bernard not even being the highest paid back on the team, it makes me wonder if he is going to produce the kind of numbers that Martin will.  I would be going with Doug Martin in this spot because he is very underrated.