RADIO
In 2004, I was commissioner of a league with nine of my close friend, one of whom was playing fantasy football for the first time. For ease of storytelling, let’s call him Goldie. After explaining the concept and rules to Goldie, you could see how excited he was for his first fantasy draft. His excitement was increased exponentially when the luck of the random draw gave Goldie the number one pick. Draft day finally came and we all gathered around our laptops in a friend’s apartments to start the draft. Goldie had decided he would draft from home and we patched him and everyone not present in through speakerphone. The anticipation was palpable and as time ticked by, we all had a drink or two, talked some obligatory trash talk and waited for the draft.
Draft starts, Goldie’s team is on the clock and not five seconds passes before Goldie picked Donovan McNabb. We all looked at each other wondering if it was a mistake. Finally, incredulously, one of my friends broke the silence. “Donovan McNabb? Seriously?” Goldie tried to defend his choice but to no avail. After the draft was over, due to an epic amount of mocking, Goldie defiantly renamed his team "Championship". Of course, you can guess how this story ends. Goldie trounced us that year. His team went completely undefeated all the way into the championship, and he managed to not just win, but to completely wipe the floor with his opponent. I tell you this story to illustrate a point: you don’t have to draft traditionally to win.
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Zero RB Strategy
This year’s non-traditional draft strategy has become affectionately called the “Zero-RB draft”, though that is somewhat of a misnomer. The rule is you don’t draft a RB until the 5th round, instead choosing to focus on the WR and QB position first, in hopes of snagging elite players in those two positions.
On the surface, the no-RB strategy seems ill-advised. But here are the top five reasons I absolutely love it this year.
1. Five of the top ten players in fantasy football are not RBs but WRs
When was the last time you saw five receivers so good that they were valued among the top ten fantasy players for the season? Go ahead, think about it, I’ll wait. The answer is never. Never have there been so many amazing receivers with the legitimate potential to carry your fantasy team into the playoffs. With the exception of Adrian Peterson and Todd Gurley, no other top back inspires more confidence than Antonio Brown, Julio Jones or Odell Beckham Jr.
No other back in the top 10 has really shown what he’s capable of over the course of a full season. Consistency is the main separating factor between pretty good and elite. Brown, Jones, and Beckham have done just that with their respective teams over the years, and are just starting to hit their primes.
2. The RB-by-Committee Is Here to Stay
Chris Johnson may have been the last true workhorse running back we’ll ever see. Gone are the days when one back got the lion’s share of their team's carries. Fewer backs are getting 70-75% of their teams carries, and that's the standard the traditional draft hung its hat upon. It’s not necessarily due to a talent disparity, but just plain good sense. If one back is good, more than one is better. More teams turning towards the committee approach has translated into a lower value for RBs.
3. There’s A Glut of Amazing and Experienced QBs
Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer, Andy Dalton, Matt Ryan, and Eli Manning. What do each of these QB’s have in common? With the exception of Palmer, they have been fixtures on their current teams for at least the last four years. That amount of consistency, rapport with the coaching staff and receivers, as well as the confidence that comes with years of performing on a high level, all translate into trust. That trust will manifest itself in allowing more passing than ever before.
Of course, teams will still look to run the ball, but when you have a QB you trust to get the job done, there won’t be any hesitance to let him pull the trigger, again and again. This leads to more targets for receivers and ultimately more fantasy points. Add in the fact that Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Blake Bortles, Andrew Luck, and Teddy Bridgewater are all young QBs showing a lot of promise for each of their respective teams, and you have a receivers paradise. You don’t draft an amazing young QB to turn around and hand the ball off.
4. Everyone Else Drafts RBs First
Since most owners stick to tradition and draft a RB first, drafting a receiver means you get the pick of the top receivers and should easily be able to land two receivers who are among the top-20 fantasy players. If everyone is going for a receiver first, you’ll still be able to get two top-20 receivers and still have a shot at an elite to very good RB available by Round Five. It’s a no-brainer.
5. Deviating from the Norm is Exciting
Working a different strategy can be exciting, especially if you've played in the same league for years. Mixing up your strategy can be rewarding and make the old hat of drafting with your friends feel as if it is something entirely new and different. Added bonus: if the strategy pays off, you can claim fantasy-Einstein status for at least a full year. If it doesn’t work in your favor, you took a risk and it didn’t pan out. That’s as close to a no harm/no foul situation as fantasy actually allows.
Fortune favors the bold, my friends, and fantasy is the game of the fortunate. Be bold, draft bravely and win big!
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