Most fantasy owners know their first-round draft targets, but who are the best players to target in the second round? Last season, owners who drafted Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry in the second round retained significant value considering their average draft position heading into the season. Here is a list of this season’s top three second-round draft picks in a 12-man full point per reception fantasy league that can turn into the next Barkley or Henry.
Heading into the 2025 season, Bucky Irving is in the perfect position to add to his incredible start to his career. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense has seen only a few notable changes, including the addition of a new offensive coordinator and the drafting of Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the NFL Draft. With only a few changes, this sets Irving up to surpass his projected 2025 statistics.
Some may feel anxious about Irving’s fantasy value with the team’s new offensive coordinator. It’s worth noting that Josh Grizzard previously worked with the Miami Dolphins as an offensive quality control coach, where he effectively utilized Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane in 2023. He also served as the passing game coordinator for the Buccaneers in 2024. Having experience with dual-threat running backs while understanding the scheme from 2024, he will put Irving in a position for another dominant fantasy season.
Being projected to rush for 1,166 yards with eight touchdowns and collect 344 receiving yards from 44 receptions, Irving is already a must-draft in the second round. His value will significantly increase throughout the season once he demonstrates to the organization that he is a more well-rounded running back than Rachaad White and fully takes over the backfield. Once everything works out for him in 2025, he will surpass 1200 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards with 60-plus receptions.
After surpassing Travis Kelce and establishing himself as the top tight end in the NFL, Brock Bowers is set to dominate the league once again in 2025. With numerous changes to the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense this season, including the hiring of coaches Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, as well as the trading, signing, and drafting of several new starters, Bowers now has a solid supporting cast. These significant improvements will lead to even better results for him than his projected statistics for 2025.
The Raiders’ offensive strategy this season may be difficult to predict, but with a dynamic tight end like Bowers, they are sure to find creative ways to get him the ball several times each game. With a new offensive coordinator in Kelly, who emphasizes running the ball and also drafted top college running back Ashton Jeanty this offseason, it may seem that Bowers will experience a decline in usage. The opposite will happen.
Jeanty will excel in the run game, which will open up opportunities for Bowers downfield during play-action, resulting in bigger chunk plays and touchdowns. Not only will he be open more downfield, but the newly traded-for quarterback Geno Smith will be able to connect with him better than any other quarterback on the roster last season.
Having a projection of 103 receptions for 1103 yards with 5.9 touchdowns, Bowers is a no-brainer to draft in the second round this season. Choosing a tight end early in a draft might seem like a stretch to some, but when a player is producing statistics better than some teams’ best wide receiver, it becomes a worthwhile risk. He will finish the season breaking his preseason projections and end with over 1200 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
In 2024, Josh Jacobs secured his third Pro Bowl selection and dominated the league in his first season with the Green Bay Packers. With an emphasis on the run game, Jacobs was used the second most in his career, with 301 carries for over 1300 yards. With the same offensive coordinator in place and an improved offensive line—highlighted by Elgton Jenkins moving to center following Josh Myers’ departure, and the addition of Aaron Banks as the new starting left guard- Jacobs will have more opportunities to find running lanes and exceed his projections for 2025.
Not only is the offensive line undergoing a revamp from last season, but the Packers also sought to increase depth in the passing game. They drafted Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third round of the NFL draft. Neither of these players can compare to the injured Christian Watson, who is expected to miss significant time in 2025 due to injury. Both still provide valuable depth at wide receiver and take pressure off their star running back.
Having depth at the wide receiver position is a great luxury, but without a star like Watson, it will result in the team reverting to a run-first scheme. If Watson makes a return early or in the middle of the season, Jacobs will have a year similar to 2024. Without Watson, he will run the ball over 325 times, gain over 1,400 yards, and score 13 or more touchdowns. Having this much value on the ground alone, plus having great pass-catching abilities out of the backfield, Jacobs is the best player to draft in the second round of fantasy football.
Every fantasy owner is different and has a unique way of drafting their team. Some might consider selecting Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to solidify a dual-threat quarterback early. This year, there are too many quarterbacks who could provide significant value to teams to justify that decision. In my opinion, the best way to go about drafting in the second round is to load up on running backs or wide receivers, with the exception of Bowers.
If you’re lucky enough to have an early second-round pick, I’d select Jacobs without a doubt. Having a revamped offensive line with the same offensive coordinator who knew how to utilize him perfectly a season ago calls for another big season from this seven-year pro.
In the middle of the second round, the best option is to go after Bowers. Being a tight end that brings more value to fantasy teams than most NFL teams’ best wide receiver, he gives any fantasy owner the advantage in the tight end position throughout the entire season. On an offensive unit that is ready to take the league by storm in 2025, he is set up for another huge season.
If you end up drafting last in the second round, hopefully, you were smart in selecting Ja’Marr Chase with the first overall pick and can sit back and wait for Irving to be your starting running back. With such an incredible rookie season, another fantasy owner may draft him before this position. Out of these three players, he is the only one with the possibility of lasting this long in the draft.
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