The 2024 NFL Draft is underway and we already knew the Chicago Bears were going to go with QB Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. That’s likely who will go first overall in your upcoming fantasy football dynasty league draft. After Williams, things may get a bit tricky. There are plenty of different options available at the No. 2 spot in dynasty drafts depending on the format. We’ll look at some of those options, Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, New England Patriots QB Drake Maye, Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr., and New York Giants WR Malik Nabers being the big names, and try and work you through what should be a tough decision.
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Who should you take with second overall pick?
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
If you’re in a Superflex league (like myself), you’re going to have to consider Daniels and Maye rather than just going with Harrison (who feels like the easy option). Daniels is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and enters into what should be a better situation in Washington with new head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders need to revamp their offensive line and that could be an issue for Daniels as a rookie. But the supporting cast isn’t too bad in terms of receivers.
Daniels will have WRs Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson to throw to, as well as veterans Jamison Crowder and Zach Ertz. It’s a pretty solid group of receivers to jump into the league with for Daniels, who had Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. at his disposal for LSU. Even in a non-Superflex league, Daniels isn’t a bad way to go if you need a QB at the second pick. If QB isn’t a need, you’re likely going with Harrison. If Quinn and Kingsbury can turn things around in Washington, Daniels could be a top fantasy football QB sooner rather than later.
Patriots QB Drake Maye
Maye is intriguing after going third overall to the Patriots. New England has a lot to figure out in terms of the roster. So Maye could be more of a project and not someone to rely on in fantasy football as a rookie. But we know what the franchise was able to build around Tom Brady and that should be the ceiling if things go well with new head coach Jerod Mayo and new OC Alex Van Pelt. His offense should tailor to Maye’s strengths as a passer. The issue is Maye doesn’t really have anyone to throw to.
DeMario Douglas showed flashes of promise as a rookie last season. He’s not a No. 1 WR option. There’s also Kendrick Bourne and KJ Osborn for the Patriots. There’s some depth there but you’re looking at a lot of WRs who are in the WR2-3 range. JuJu Smith-Schuster isn’t a reliable option given age and injuries. So with so many question marks at wide receiver, we have to wait and see if the Pats can get a top option for Maye. If you’re drafting at No. 2 overall in dynasty, even in a Superflex league, Maye doesn’t feel like the way to go.
Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Yes. This is the one. Harrison should be the consensus No. 2 pick in dynasty formats, really any dynasty format. He’s going into a good situation in Arizona where he has an established quarterback throwing him the ball. Say what you want about Kyler Murray, but when healthy, Murray is a top fantasy football QB option. Now, Murray has a legit No. 1 weapon again in Harrison, who is the complete package out of Ohio State.
One thing that may give us some pause is the Cardinals replaced their coaching staff with new head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. The 2023 season was sort of a wash because Murray was out for most of it. We still need to see how things go with a healthy Murray under this new scheme and Harrison in the mix. But if all goes well, Harrison will be a top fantasy football wideout in a season or two. With PPR being so popular and the standard now, you sort of have to go wide receiver in such a loaded WR class draft for dynasty.
Giants WR Malik Nabers
Nabers is worth being in this conversation. New York needed a top wideout badly and have one in the LSU product. Some experts and people in the media will tell you that Nabers is better than MHJ. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if that ended up being the case. But this situation is a bit shaky. While Nabers should get every opportunity to be a WR1 for the Giants, there’s question marks at QB. Daniel Jones is coming off a neck injury and it’s unclear of his future with the franchise past 2024. Even when healthy, Jones wasn’t much of a passer. That could be because his WR options were weak, so with Nabers, we’ll have to see how the offense looks. Nabers has a ton of talent and could revitalize the Giants’ offense.
The other side of that is Jones gets hurt again or is ineffective, forcing the franchise to go in another direction at QB. The 2025 NFL Draft QB class is unclear right now and could be weaker. So that could mean the Giants need to explore a QB in free agency or via trade in the next offseason. That’s a lot of uncertainty to be taking Nabers with the second pick in your dynasty draft. He feels safer at 4-5.
