The safest picks in the second round of fantasy football drafts

With the 2023 NFL preseason finally behind us, fantasy football drafts are beginning to ramp up. While the second round is littered with talent, selecting a player like D'Andre Swift likely ruined your season in 2022. To avoid a similar fate, here are the safest picks in round two of PPR-scoring redraft leagues this season. 

Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys running back (ESPN ADP: 15.4)

Now that his former backfield mate Ezekiel Elliott is in New England, Pollard has a real path to finishing as the top overall running back in fantasy this season. 

Pollard rushed for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022 while also hauling in 39 passes for 371 yards and three scores. Additionally, his 5.94 yards per touch were the second-most among running backs with at least 200 opportunities. Although that level of efficiency may be difficult to replicate as a workhorse back, Pollard should be much more productive from a fantasy perspective.

The extra rushing attempts and receptions will undoubtedly raise Pollard's floor, but the goal-line touches Elliott leaves behind will propel the 2019 fourth-rounder to fantasy superstardom.

Elliott scored nine rushing touchdowns from inside the five-yard line last season, the third-most in the league while accounting for 69.6% of his team's rushing attempts within that range, the fifth-highest. For comparison, Pollard scored just two rushing touchdowns from five yards out and still finished as the RB8 overall in PPR scoring formats. If Pollard gets a few more red-zone opportunities in 2023, his ceiling is as high as anyone's.

Stefon Diggs, Buffalo wide receiver (ADP: 12.7)

Perhaps Diggs' offseason drama has lowered his stock because the All-Pro wideout falls to the top of the second round more often than not. The ADP drop feels excessive since Diggs' situation in Buffalo is largely unchanged, and he remains one of the most consistent wide receivers in the game, making him a fantastic value pick. 

Since being traded to Buffalo during the 2020 offseason, Diggs hasn't finished a season lower than the WR7 overall. In 2022, Diggs was the WR4, which is even more impressive considering that his Week 17 game was canceled after his teammate Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest. 

Diggs also showed he's still one of the most efficient players in the league last season. His 2.49 yards per route run ranked fifth among receivers, and according to Pro Football Network's Jason Katz, Diggs' 2.07 average fantasy points per target were the ninth-most in the NFL. Buffalo might've bolstered its passing attack this offseason, but the additions won't cut into Diggs' volume too much since the Bills should continue to be a top-scoring offense. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions wide receiver (ADP: 21.7)

St. Brown is still bitter about being the 17th wide receiver selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, giving him extra motivation to begin his career on a historic note. The 23-year-old’s 196 career receptions are tied with Minnesota's Justin Jefferson and New Orleans' Michael Thomas for the most ever by a wideout in their first two seasons.

Last season, St. Brown was one of the biggest steals in drafts, finishing as the WR7. Despite this, his performance could have been even better if things played out differently near the goal line. As noted by 4for4 Fantasy Football's John Daigle, St. Brown, who scored six touchdowns, was tackled inside the five-yard line seven times.

With a little more luck and the volume of targets in the red zone is similar to last season, St. Brown could rack up double-digit touchdowns, cementing his status as a top-five fantasy option at the position.