Posted by Bill in Fantasy Advice on Jul 15th 2009 (Print This)
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Fantasy Leagues around the World will be having their drafts soon. Owners will be faced throughout the season with decisions that can make or break their team, but the biggest question that needs to be answered might be on draft day. The Running back and Wide Receiver positions are by far the toughest positions to evaluate this year. The dreaded Running Back By Committee has effectively killed the drafting of back to back running backs. The position has been decimated by splitting carries 50-50, having a running back run between the 20′s, and the worst type of all the dreaded TD vulture the goal line back.
This year your early round draft philosophy will have a bigger impact than of previous drafts. The drop off in elite talent at receiver and at running back is more than noticeable. If you are in a league that requires starting three wide outs you are nodding your head as you are reading this. The question is how do you draft? If you are in the top 5, taking one of the top RBs is a no brainer. After the 6th pick all the questions come on like an avalanche. Does your league give any point for receptions? (Most leagues are transitioning to some form of P.P.R.’s whether it is a whole point or a fraction) Just a side bar I think playing in some form of PPR is the way to go, that way you are not being punished for picking late in the draft and you can make up points else where. That brings me to my next point. Values. Does WR Larry Fitzgerald offer more value at 8 than say RB LaDanian Tomlinson, or RB Clinton Portis? In a .5 P.P.R. league Fitzgerald scored 18 points more than LDT. What about RB Chris Johnson you ask? Fitz scored almost 40 points more than the rookie speedster. Now your thinking what about taking RB Frank Gore here at 8? Its a safe pick but Fitz scored 65 points more. These numbers are not huge gaps, but it can mean the difference in winning games by a small margin instead of losing by a point during the season.
So if you are picking late in your draft do the math, see how your projections add up. What combination’s have more projected value? WR Larry Fitzgerald, and RB Marion Barber, or RB Clinton Portis, and RB Marion Barber? These are the tough questions you have to ask yourself. Does WR’s Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Randy Moss have more value in your league than the Running backs after the top 5? Are you willing to break the RB-RB tradition?
2 Responses to “Make Or Break Your Draft- Running Backs-Wide Receivers”
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looking for a championship.
Which wide-out goes first depends on what scoring format you’re in. Here’s a break down:
PPR: Johnson out scored Fitz in 08, and should do so again in 09.
Standard Format: Fitz is the man!
TD Only: With the return of Brady – Moss should once again out-score the competition.