Fantasy football: The best picks for each draft slot in Rounds 1 and 2 in 12-team leagues

Amidst 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 road map 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 12-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.

Are you in a league of a different size?
Check out the best picks for 8-team leagues | 10-team leagues

Draft Slot 1

Round 1 (Pick 1 overall): Christian McCaffrey is the consensus No. 1 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 24): For the ultimate risk/reward team, a manager selecting McCaffrey will back him up with De'Von Achane at 24th or 25th overall. It's not a bad idea, especially considering that as many as 19 running backs might already be off the board by the time the one-slot team's fourth-round pick arrives. There's a lot of high-upside WR talent who should be here at these Round 2 to 3 bookend picks, too, between Marvin Harrison Jr ., Drake London and Nico Collins . It's why I wouldn't recommend a team slotted here consider the quarterback or tight end positions, which can adequately be filled cheaply in later rounds.

Players unlocked: DeVonta Smith , Jaylen Waddle

Tristan's picks: Christian McCaffrey, Drake London

Draft Slot 2

Round 1 (Pick 2): We're still in a WR-dominated era, as 13 different players at the position scored 300-plus points from 2021-23, with Hill and CeeDee Lamb doing so in both of the past two seasons. They're the clear class at the position, although it's not a steep drop to the next tier. Hill currently brings with him a hint more safety, as Lamb is 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 finishing second in RB scoring behind McCaffrey. Hall's New York Jets should sport a more productive offense with a healthy Aaron Rodgers . Plus, Hall did have seven games of 20-plus points in 2023 despite Rodgers' lengthy absence.

Players unlocked: Hall, Lamb

Round 2 (Pick 23): To make the Harrison case -- and it's important to do so, as he shouldn't escape the second round of a 12-team draft -- rookie wide receivers have accounted for two of the 15 best single-season point totals in the past three years, as well as 14 instances of a 200-point campaign. Harrison is one of the most touted prospects at the position to enter the league, and he'll immediately slide in as the Arizona Cardinals ' top target. Should he be gone already, however, at least that means a Derrick Henry , Michael Pittman Jr . or Joe Mixon should still be there.

Players unlocked: Stefon Diggs

Tristan's picks: Tyreek Hill, Joe Mixon

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 just 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 22): If you indeed went running back in the first round, some diversification of positions is wise from this draft slot. Here's where I'd ideally select the rookie Harrison, though perhaps a Chris Olave or Pittman might make it to this pick.

Players unlocked: None

Tristan's picks: Breece Hall, Marvin Harrison Jr.

Draft Slot 4

Round 1 (Pick 4): This is a good place to be this season, as you're assured of getting Hill, Lamb or Hall, with a minuscule chance at McCaffrey -- hey, McCaffrey lasting to No. 4 has apparently happened in an NFFC (National Fantasy Football Championship) league! The drawback, however, is that the position you will acquire gets decided for you in that event. RB-oriented drafters might consider Bijan Robinson with this 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 21): I might be as anti-Henry as you'll find, but he's in a fantastic situation for his skill set, as a back with minimal competition in a run-run-run offense, and he did finish eighth in RB scoring as a 29-year-old last season. He shouldn't be allowed to slip beyond this point.

Players unlocked: Sam LaPorta , DK Metcalf

Tristan's picks: CeeDee Lamb, Derrick Henry

Draft Slot 5

Round 1 (Pick 5): "Do I open with running back or wide receiver?" That will be the conundrum that, generally speaking, managers slotted third through seventh will face this season -- especially with Hall and Robinson lingering around those draft positions alongside those aforementioned excellent, excellent wide receivers. Why, then, is Robinson, who finished only ninth in RB fantasy points, my recommended pick? Simple: Atlanta's coaching switch, going from Arthur Smith to Raheem Morris, should dramatically change the team's offensive game plan. This is perhaps best illustrated by Robinson having seen a mere three opportunities (carries plus targets) at the goal line and only 16 on goal-to-go plays, last season. Those were shockingly low numbers. Additionally, in a 12-team league, wide receivers tend to be the best second-round values, the top-12 running backs are all typically gone by this team's third-round pick and those available in Rounds 4-5 are often players such as Rhamondre Stevenson and Aaron Jones . If you're not willing to go light on the position, Robinson's your man.

Players unlocked: None

Round 2 (Pick 20): Again, this and the No. 6 slot can be tricky positions from which to draft, because of how the running backs fall into place when these teams are on the clock. No. 5 slot managers who take Robinson first are often going to land Olave, Pittman or London with their second picks, but passing on the Falcons' sophomore back might mean taking a chance on Henry here.

Players unlocked: Jalen Hurts

Tristan's picks: Bijan Robinson, Michael Pittman Jr.

Draft Slot 6

Round 1 (Pick 6): This is the lowest point to which 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. Meanwhile, 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 19): As with the previous pick, WR-WR isn't a bad way to start your draft, especially if the two are names such as Chase and Olave. Merely keep your fingers crossed that a Mixon, Achane, Cook or White makes it back to you in the third round.

Players unlocked: Collins, Josh Allen , Rachaad White

Tristan's picks: Ja'Marr Chase, Chris Olave

Draft Slot 7

Round 1 (Pick 7): Those who recall last year's "best picks" will remember Jefferson occupying the No. 1 spot. 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. I find it difficult to fathom Jefferson's production declining much more than this. Jefferson missed seven games and parts of two others last season with injury, marking the first time he had been sidelined in four NFL seasons, yet he still scored the fifth-most WR points per game. At a position that almost assuredly will be a wide receiver in most drafts, Jefferson is my personal preference ahead of St. Brown, Brown and Garrett Wilson in this slot.

Players unlocked: Wilson

Round 2 (Pick 18): We're getting to that point where drafting Harrison, the most popular pick from this year's rookie class, begins to make sense. After all, this is the point in the second round where most of the more proven and higher-upside running backs are already off the board, leaving a good crop of wide receivers. I'm not personally quite at that point where I'm ready to take Harrison, but it's approaching. That said, at least one of the teams slotted sixth, seventh or eighth in the order is going to wind up being best off going WR-WR, and if that means a Chase-Olave, Chase-Harrison, Jefferson-Olave or Jefferson-Harrison combination, that's quite a strong start with top-eight positional ceiling options for both picks.

Players unlocked: Travis Kelce , Achane

Tristan's picks: Justin Jefferson, Travis Etienne Jr .

Draft Slot 8

Round 1 (Pick 8): Another draft slot that will almost assuredly wind up being a wide receiver for most, Jefferson or St. Brown will probably most commonly be the clear "class of the position" remaining. Here's a fun St. Brown fact: Since he burst onto the scene in Week 13 of 2021, his 19.7 points per game are third best among wide receivers. This isn't to say a running back cannot be selected, as this is the first slot from which either Jonathan Taylor or Saquon Barkley should be a candidate, but the production of either of those wide receivers (or even Brown) is tough to overlook.

Players unlocked: Taylor, Barkley

Round 2 (Pick 17): I might be one of the bigger believers in Isiah Pacheco in the industry, but how can you go wrong with a clear starting running back for one of the game's best offenses? He had at least 20 points in three of his final four regular-season games, then followed it up with a standout postseason (93 touches, 373 total yards, 3 touchdowns), and had seven of the Chiefs' 10 goal-line carries for the season. Don't let him slip past this spot, but if he's gone, one of Jahmyr Gibbs , Puka Nacua , Kyren Williams or Davante Adams is a fine consolation prize.

Players unlocked: London

Tristan's picks: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Isiah Pacheco

Draft Slot 9

Round 1 (Pick 9): It's challenging to draw the No. 9 slot this season, being that all of the top-five wide receivers, as well as the clear top-three running backs, will probably already be off the board, leaving just Brown and the running backs with extensive injury histories. Taylor, after all, has missed 13 games over the past two seasons, while Barkley has missed 25 over the past five years combined. If you're a "Zero RB" drafter, as I have been frequently thus far in drafts, Brown will probably be your man. Taylor would be my pick if you're going with the more balanced approach.

Players unlocked: None

Round 2 (Pick 16): I've got a clear top-eight overall for 2024 before we hit the first noticeable talent tier drop-off. It's for that reason that teams drafting from the nine-spot in 12-team leagues this season need to be mindful about their positional balance in the first two rounds. Should you take Brown, then dipping into what will be a deep RB pool makes a heck of a lot of sense here. If Taylor was your target, and a Nacua, Adams or Olave is available, pounce at the opportunity.

Players unlocked: None

Tristan's picks: Jonathan Taylor, Davante Adams

Draft Slot 10

Round 1 (Pick 10): Should Brown go ninth, with the ADP sticking for the first eight picks, this slot faces a decision between taking either injury-risk running back (Taylor or Barkley), a wide receiver such as Wilson or Nacua, or going entirely off the board with a personal-preference player. The former arrangement flies in the face of the "Zero RB" strategy, although it's also important to know that the typical running backs available come this team's third-round pick (No. 34 overall) will reside outside the position's top 12, meaning Josh Jacobs / James Cook / Kenneth Walker III types. Going wide receiver here probably means being committed to the traditional definition of the strategy, filling one or more RB lineup spots with late-round fliers.

Players unlocked: Gibbs, Nacua

Round 2 (Pick 15): Similar to the No. 9 slot, managers slotted 10th should be mindful about their positional balance in the first two rounds, barring a firm decision going in to adopt a specific strategy ("Zero RB," "Hero RB" or "Zero WR," for example). Brown's status as the Philadelphia Eagles ' No. 1 receiver, in a high-octane offense, affords an opportunity to take more of a chance on Williams, who has a lesser track record, is in a less potent offense and now has some competition for carries.

Players unlocked: Pittman, Evans

Tristan's picks: A.J. Brown, Kyren Williams

Draft Slot 11

Round 1 (Pick 11): For me, the 11th pick in a 12-team draft comes down to who remains among Taylor, Brown, Barkley and Wilson. In all likelihood, it will mean a decision between the last two, with Barkley a high-probability prime pick after going between eighth and 14th in our Mock Draft project , and 11th and 19th in recent NFFC drafts. Bear in mind that this spot -- and to a degree the two that sandwich it -- often falls directly in line with where the top two tight ends (Kelce and LaPorta) should be drafted. If that influences your positional strategy, keep it in mind.

Players unlocked: Williams, Olave

Round 2 (Pick 14): Gibbs, Williams and Pacheco all warrant consideration here, especially if you went wide receiver in the first round. Otherwise, Nacua, Adams and Olave are typically the strongest wideouts on the board. I'd let this pick come down to whether or not you trust Nacua, whose preseason knee issues could scare others off (not me), or if you'd rather solidify running back with one of those three options.

Players unlocked: Henry, Harrison

Tristan's picks: Saquon Barkley, Puka Nacua

Draft Slot 12

Rounds 1-2 (Picks 12-13): Remarkably, I've actually enjoyed my times picking from the 12-slot in 12-team drafts thus far. Wilson and Gibbs tend to be ideal bookend selections here. Both are younger, up-and-coming players who had a great 2023 season and reside in offenses that could rank among the league's most productive. Wilson scored 215.7 and 213.2 points the past two seasons and is now set -- with some luck in the injury department -- to finally play with a healthy Rodgers. Potentially having a Taylor or Barkley slide is a bonus, and if you're afraid of going RB-RB with these two picks, bear in mind that the turn from Round 3 to 4 in a 12-teamer is typically rich in both wide receiver (Collins, Metcalf, Diggs, DeVonta Smith) and tight end (Kelce, LaPorta) talent.

Players unlocked: Adams, Pacheco, Etienne

Tristan's picks: Garrett Wilson, Jahmyr Gibbs