I'm seeing a lot of mock drafts and real drafts where people are long on WRs and short on RBs. The fact is, when confronted with a WR with 1,000-yard / 6-TD potential, and with an RB with 800-yard / 4-TD potential, it's tempting to choose the receiver. Over the years I've done it too. A lot.
So it's important to avoid this temptation--at least a few times--so we're not exposed at RB when one goes on bye, or if one hurt.
As I've shared a few times on this site, I was exposed last season when I drafted Mark Ingram and Ahmad Bradshaw in the middle-to-late rounds (remember, both were viewed as no better than time-share RBs last preseason). I was confident both would thrive, and so I focused largely on racking up extra players at other positions.
When both started out producing top 10 RB numbers, I thought the strategy had worked. Then both got hurt, and I never recovered, limping into the playoffs, but forced to start two low-yield RBs when it mattered most.
My last draft shows how easy it is to find WR value late, which means we don't need to feel pressure to pile up WRs in the middle rounds. Here are some receivers who were drafted in each round:
Round 5 - Amari Cooper, Nelson Agholor
Round 6 - Steve Smith Sr, Mike Wallace
Round 7 - Eric Decker
Round 13 - Terrance Williams
Round 14 - Brian Quick
Still on Waivers - Eddie Royal, Stevie Johnson, Allen Hurns
I would bet that the five WRs drafted in the 13th/14th rounds or not at all will average more fantasy points this season than the five guys drafted in rounds 5-7.
Look at nearly any draft, and you'll find comparable WR upside across most of the rounds and into free agency. There's value to be found late.
But when it comes to RBs, by round 10-11 there's generally not much left except a lot of risk taking: David Cobb, Darren Sproles, Darren McFadden, Roy Helu, etc.
My goal in my last draft was to grab four RBs with my first eight picks; I managed to do it in the first seven: Ingram, L Murray, Foster, Martin. And there will still plenty of time to pile up three WR3/4s in Charles Johnson, Pierre Garcon, and Terrance Williams.
I'm not saying there's one way to do this, and I could be wrong about many of these guys' future value. But from where I'm sitting, locking in 3-4 solid RBs during the first half of a draft gives us a lot more flexibility--without losing any upside--during the later rounds.
So it's important to avoid this temptation--at least a few times--so we're not exposed at RB when one goes on bye, or if one hurt.
As I've shared a few times on this site, I was exposed last season when I drafted Mark Ingram and Ahmad Bradshaw in the middle-to-late rounds (remember, both were viewed as no better than time-share RBs last preseason). I was confident both would thrive, and so I focused largely on racking up extra players at other positions.
When both started out producing top 10 RB numbers, I thought the strategy had worked. Then both got hurt, and I never recovered, limping into the playoffs, but forced to start two low-yield RBs when it mattered most.
My last draft shows how easy it is to find WR value late, which means we don't need to feel pressure to pile up WRs in the middle rounds. Here are some receivers who were drafted in each round:
Round 5 - Amari Cooper, Nelson Agholor
Round 6 - Steve Smith Sr, Mike Wallace
Round 7 - Eric Decker
Round 13 - Terrance Williams
Round 14 - Brian Quick
Still on Waivers - Eddie Royal, Stevie Johnson, Allen Hurns
I would bet that the five WRs drafted in the 13th/14th rounds or not at all will average more fantasy points this season than the five guys drafted in rounds 5-7.
Look at nearly any draft, and you'll find comparable WR upside across most of the rounds and into free agency. There's value to be found late.
But when it comes to RBs, by round 10-11 there's generally not much left except a lot of risk taking: David Cobb, Darren Sproles, Darren McFadden, Roy Helu, etc.
My goal in my last draft was to grab four RBs with my first eight picks; I managed to do it in the first seven: Ingram, L Murray, Foster, Martin. And there will still plenty of time to pile up three WR3/4s in Charles Johnson, Pierre Garcon, and Terrance Williams.
I'm not saying there's one way to do this, and I could be wrong about many of these guys' future value. But from where I'm sitting, locking in 3-4 solid RBs during the first half of a draft gives us a lot more flexibility--without losing any upside--during the later rounds.