Has RB Drafting Strategy In FF Changed?

RBs have always been the safest and best strategy in the first few rounds because they see the bulk of the action and therefore afford you the most opportunity for points. But with more and more teams going to a 2 RB offense and splitting the carries up the number of elite RBs with heavy workloads has diminished.

Look at this article:

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football/ffl/story?page=nfldk2K8_manifesto

So is it now better to go after WRs earlier or with the uncertantity at RB load up on as many as you can early and hope for a breakout season?

 

QB's always have the most in the top 30, but the thing is most leagues start 1, so there are plenty to choose from. While most leagues start 2-3 RB's, their value is much greater. I still use the RB early philosophy, I just think people don't like to stay the same, they are always looking for the next fad in approaches to fantasy.

RB early is the safest way to go from most draft slots, there are other approaches that you need to consider when drafting, considering what players are available and where you are drafting from.

With the amount of players available at WR and QB, RB will always be the hottest commodity

 

I always draft my starting allotment of RB's (2/2 or 3/3 etc) first then a WR, QB, WR, then it depends what's left.

 

Always pick a Kicker first...

 

I need to be in your league herm.

 

I was just handing out advice to those that don't know any better.

Maybe some new guy in your league will read my advice and you will get lucky because of it...

:wise:

 

Followed by a TE then a Def?

 

Deep snapper dude, come on now...

 

The old "rope a dope" huh?

 

:angeleyes:

 

Please stay on topic and save the post whoring for the Off Topic Forum.

 

I've been going WR, WR for about 4 seasons now and out of 8 teams, I've won or been in the championship game 7 times. in the league, the RB is no longer a sure thing unless you get LaDainianTomlinson...which I got with the first pick last year, so I lied. I went 7/8 Teams WR, WR. Last seasonwith LT I went RB, WR, WR, WR, RB. With the way the RBBC thing has been going with almost all the teams in the NFL now, the RB is no longer a sure thing. If I were ranking overall players, I'd rank Tom Brandy and Peyton Manning much higher than a lot of the backs in the league.

 

bold strategy, Ward

 

if i have top 4 pick then rb otherwise take best qb then 2 running backs round 2 and 3 then a wr/wr kicker and def my last 2 picks.

 

in an 8 team league you can do that because many players drop and each team has a lot of stars. In a 12+ team league, you just cannot do it

In a 12 team league there are still 8 starters available in the WW and each team has 2 starters (1 backup QB). There are far less starting RB's available as starting 2 and with backups, there is nothing but possible sleepers on the WW.

Ward, you're strategy is fine for small leagues, but once you get 4+ more teams, you need to adjust your approach

 

I'm in a 12 team league and actually my strategy has been working for about 4 years. With how popular the RBBC has become, there are only about 13 teams left that don't run the RBBC approach.

So to get Randy Moss and Terrell Owens with my first two picks, I'll take that any day over Ryan Grant and Clinton Portis. Follow that up with a Thomas Jones and Michael Turner or Brandon Jacobs...I'll take that everyday.

 

if you look back throughout history, all great RB's have always had a compliment RB. I think people see two viable RB's on a team and automatically assume it's RBBC when it's really not. Even in RBBC teams, if you look at box scores, one RB usually gets the bulk of carries during the games. RBBC is not as prevalent as it seems. Every year it looks as though more teams are going RBBC until the season starts and the coaches almost always go with one guy more than the other.

Also, I should say that drafting at the end of the first round would have you more inclined to take WR's early as the top WR's left are usually better than the top RB's left because everyone at the top of the draft is taking RB's. Being that you said you have won some titles, I would assume that you draft at the end of round 1. That being said, taking the top WR's doesn't hurt you because:

a: you are likely to start a run on WR's and you should have two of the best
b: with the rb's that you are likely to take at 12/13, you have a pretty good shot
at getting similar production from the RB's you would take at 24/25


Also, that run on WR's may help you get the RB you may have been targeting at 12/13 anyway.

 

If he starts a WR run in 1 & 2, gets the 2 best and then on the next pick goes back to RB while everyone is starting a run on 2nd rate receivers than the strategy can work in an 8 or 10 team league.


Here's the top 25 scoring in my league last season (only 6 RBs):

Tom Brady
Tony Romo
Peyton Manning
Ben Roethlisberger
Randy Moss
Derek Anderson
Drew Brees
LaDainian Tomlinson
Matt Hasselbeck
Brett Favre
Carson Palmer
Brian Westbrook
Kurt Warner
Terrell Owens
Braylon Edwards
Adrian Peterson
Jay Cutler
Joseph Addai
Donovan McNabb
David Garrard
Eli Manning
Nate Burleson
Reggie Wayne
Maurice Jones-Drew
Clinton Portis

 

that is a bit misleading though WR

A. There are tons of QB's available and always will.
B. With two WR's starting for teams and possibly more with the onset of the spread offense, it makes getting a top tier RB even more important.

QB's usually are one of the top scorers, but like I said, with only 10-12 starters in a fantasy league, there is a much better shot at getting a QB later than there is a RB.

 

I've always been cautious about RB's early. This year, I'm so unsure who to draft at RB if they go early and I have a late pick. The 2 RB system and unpredictability of injury at that position has always made my thinking of starting a run then picking in the middle of it let alone at the end of it.

I've always looked at my past leagues and Def, WR's, and QB's have always scored higher then they are "projected" to do so. 2 years ago, when the Bears defense was ELITE, I drafted them in Round 6 and they were the only reason I made it to the playoffs.