![]() ![]() If you have the first overall pick, the right answer this season is to select 23-year-old reigning fantasy scoring champion Jonathan Taylor. So, the question is, do you follow the herd by optimizing your early-season RB situation or zag toward elite WRs and perhaps an elite tight end, like Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews? It somewhat depends on where you're drafting in the first round, but the best way to maximize your entire lineup is going to be a mix of both. In an average 12-team league, roughly 50% of the picks in the first three rounds will be running backs. Recent best-ball ADP data shows running backs as seven of the first 11 picks and 14 of the first 25. OK, that covers leagues against 11 humans who think almost exclusively about fantasy football year-round, but what about a more casual league? ADP suggests that - as usual - most leagues will be heavy on running backs in the first few rounds. Did it work? Well, prepare yourself for the first of several not-so-humble brags in this piece: I won the league in 2020 and, despite almost no production from my injury-plagued receiver room, I finished third in 2021. I'd rolled with a similar strategy in 2020 (four RBs in the first seven rounds). I picked all five backs later (some way later) than their average draft position (ADP) at the time, so while I was a step behind at receiver, I built myself a sizable edge at running back and had a weekly edge in the flex. This allowed me to grab Alvin Kamara fifth overall, Nick Chubb 20th, D'Andre Swift 29th, Josh Jacobs 53rd and Leonard Fournette 125th (The first four were picked within the first five rounds). In the eighth annual MFL10 of Death draft, held in May 2021, I knew I was drafting with some of the sharpest players in the industry and also knew that many of them were on the "Zero-RB" train, which was sure to mean a heavier dose of wide receivers in the first few rounds. That's a bit of a cop out, but it also follows suit with my general drafting strategy of never (OK, rarely) allowing biases, emotion or need stand in the way of maximizing value. What do I think? I think that it depends on whom you're drafting with and how your draft is going. Then, when top backs inevitably get injured, your opponents' rosters get worse and you can use your stashed backs and waivers to fill your RB slots, giving you an edge on the field. If you're not familiar, Zero RB is a drafting philosophy that involves not selecting any running backs until at least the middle portion of your draft, instead loading up on wide receivers (and perhaps an elite tight end) in the first several rounds. ![]() Some will tell you to load up early and often, while others opine that some form of the "Zero-RB" strategy is your ticket to a fantasy title. How exactly you find those quality options remains an industry-wide debate. Our quest to identify the perfect fantasy football strategy evolves year after year, but at the end of the day, finding quality running backs remains the most important goal. What to do with your first two draft picks Note that I originally published a version of this article in 2021, but substantial updates have been made for application to 2022.īear with me and I'll cover as many bases as possible in a relatively short amount of time. Instead of going heavy on data, numbers and charts, this is a strategy piece for both beginners and advanced players that shows you how I apply all that I've learned during an offseason of research. Second of all, this will seem quite different. If you're a regular reader of my work, first of all, thank you. ![]() ![]() The focus will primarily be on average-sized, season-long leagues, but I didn't forget those of you who, like me, are in more nuanced leagues, including dynasty, keeper, superflex and IDP. The Playbook takes a thorough position-by-position look at the fantasy landscape and offers advice and information that can help you make sound decisions not only on draft day, but in the weeks leading up to Week 1 and throughout the season. We had old QB faces to new places, major coach and front-office movement, several key retirements (including a Tom Brady retirement and un-retirement) and, of course, an unprecedented number of star wide receiver trades. The 2022 NFL offseason was the most chaotic in league history. Mike Clay's Fantasy Football Playbook for 2022: Draft, trade and win like a proĪ new fantasy football season is upon us and - if you tuned out after February's Super Bowl - you certainly have a lot of catching up to do. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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