The 2nd and 3rd Round of Fantasy Drafts Are All Wrong

This episode is Josh and Hayden's follow-up to their "first round is all wrong" show, this time running through picks 13-36 (rounds two and three) with their live rankings compared against Yahoo ADP, best ball ADP, and expert consensus. The throughline: the hosts are consistently well ahead of the market on several backfield and receiver values, while pumping the brakes on names the public is drafting as locks, arguing rounds two and three are where fantasy managers should be hunting mispriced talent rather than just chasing name recognition.

The arguments

Omarion Hampton and Chase Brown anchor round two on offensive environment, not just talent. Josh ranks Hampton 24th overall (RB12) betting on Mike McDaniel's scheme to mask pass-protection concerns, while Hayden worries about a three-back committee with Kamani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell diluting touches. Both have Chase Brown around pick 14-15, citing his RB5 usage with Joe Burrow healthy and a Bengals offensive line that keeps improving.

Derrick Henry defies the running-back age cliff. Both hosts rank him 16th overall despite his age, pointing to league-record touchdown pace, RB1 rush-yards-over-expected last season, and comparisons to Walter Payton and John Riggins as one of the best-ever age-31/32 fantasy backs.

Ashton Jeantty and Devon Achane split the hosts on offensive context versus talent. Josh ranks Jeantty just 17th overall, well below consensus top-12 and best-ball first-round pricing, because the Raiders' offensive line and quarterback situation worry him despite Jeantty's 84% backfield touch share last year. Hayden counters that Jeantty is simply the better player and shouldn't fall that far. Both push Achane down (13th and 18th) versus his RB5 finish last year, nervous the post-McDaniel Dolphins environment costs him touches and scramble-created targets.

Brock Bowers is a true difference-maker at tight end. Both hosts rank him top-20 overall (18th and 19th), comparing his target-share ceiling to prime Travis Kelce and arguing Clint Kubiak's heavier personnel groupings in Seattle/New Orleans previously could funnel volume to Bowers similarly to how JSN benefited last year.

Rashee Rice and Malik Nabers show how health news should move rankings in real time. Josh ranks Rice 26th overall on per-game scoring even discounting for a limited route tree, while Hayden fades him to 43rd over knee-surgery concerns and Kenneth Walker/Xavier Worthy competition. On Nabers, both hosts flipped bullish (22nd/23rd overall) once reports confirmed he's on track for Week 1 after appearing headed for PUP just weeks earlier — both are far ahead of consensus (30th overall) and best-ball/Yahoo ADP (end of round three).

T.J. Higgins and Zay Flowers profile as safe, high-floor picks in this range. Both hosts land on Higgins at 30th overall, citing his WR4 pace in full Joe Burrow seasons and improved underneath usage. Flowers gets 31st from both, capped below Amon-Ra St. Brown-tier red-zone usage but with upside if Declan Doyle's scheme opens up more end-zone looks.

Travis Etienne (Achane's Saints counterpart) is Hayden's biggest market disagreement. Hayden ranks him 33rd overall — far above other Yahoo colleagues' rankings in the high-40s/50s — pointing to a top offensive line, elite neutral-pace numbers, and dismissing Alvin Kamara as a real threat to his role.

What it means for your roster

• Prioritize Chase Brown and Derrick Henry as locks in the pick 14-16 range; both hosts independently landed near-identical spots on them.
• Fade the market on Ashton Jeantty if he's going in the first round of your draft — Josh has him 17th overall and won't roster him in 90% of leagues at that ADP.
• Target Malik Nabers aggressively once you confirm he's cleared for Week 1 — both hosts have him 22nd-23rd overall versus a 30th-overall consensus price, calling it a clear market inefficiency.
• Treat Rashee Rice as a volatile third-round dart: Josh will draft him at 26th overall, Hayden won't touch him before pick 43 over knee and role concerns — decide your risk tolerance before draft day.
• Consider Travis Etienne a late-round-three flag plant per Hayden, who has him nearly a full round ahead of other Yahoo rankings (33rd overall vs. 48th-52nd elsewhere).
• Don't reach for Josh Allen in round two; both hosts prefer him as a round-three "tiebreaker" pick (28th-32nd overall) given quarterback depth this year.