The Zero Running Back Strategy And Mid-round Pass Catchers

I personally play in 4 fantasy leagues this season. Three of the four are PPR (point per reception) leagues. I like this format as it is a higher scoring format, and makes some selections during draft time require more finesse and strategy.

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In preparing for my leagues last season I came up with the idea that I wanted to get 2 or 3 high volume wide receivers and forgo running backs in the first few rounds. Three depends on the presence of a flex spot in your leagues. My main goals were: Get Calvin Johnson as often as possible, Get someone like Demarius Thomas, Dez Bryant, A.J. Green. Basically to get two of the most highly ranked receivers that catches a high volume of passes. These guys are usually match up proof and get between 85-100 catches a year. In a PPR format this leads to 85-100 more points, making someone like Calvin Johnson have a similar value to Peyton Manning last year during a record setting season.

Now to your running backs. If you take 2 wide receivers in a row, you will still find some teams starting running backs in round 3. These guys won’t be the bell cow workhorse guys for their team, but a starting running back has value in any fantasy league. The key is the round 4 through 6 picks. This is the area where you need to have an idea about what the people in your draft like to do, as well as the average draft positions of the players you want to take. I don't mind a small reach to get a guy I really want on my team if I am certain he won't come back to me at my next pick. At the same time, if there are a few players you like in this portion of the draft, reaching may not be your best option. This year I did lots of mock drafts, from every possible draft position, to make sure that I had an idea of where the guys I really liked went. Your league, like mine, will be filled with the “average” player. Some better than others, but you can get a general idea about where players are going.

These rounds are where I like to target my pass catching running backs. Players like Danny Woodhead, Darren Sproles, and Joique Bell were going in this range this season. While Woodhead is off to a slow start, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a surge now that Ryan Matthews is out for a while. And we have all seen what Sproles has done the first few weeks of the season. I have a feeling Joique Bell is about to explode in that Detroit offense. I think he is the best back on that team, and I think they figured that out week 1. If you can land one or two of these guys in a PPR league and they get you 3-5 catches a week and a TD every 2-3 weeks, you will be a happy camper. Back fill with some running back depth, another wide receiver, and a solid late bye defense and kicker, and you have a recipe for success.