Drafting Team Running Game (1 Viewer)

[adomis82]

Hello FBGs,

I was called on to be a last minute fill in for a league which drafts an entire teams running game instead of individual players at the position. Everything else is pretty standard (10 team, ppr, qb, wr/wr/wr, te, k, Def) but the fact that instead of drafting Ray Rice in the draft we are having tomorrow I would have to draft Ravens running backs. We start two backfields a week and can not carry more than 3 at a time.

The league changed to this style because some of the members were angry in previous years when their RBs TDs would get vultured by other backs. I'm hesitant to be in the league because the entry fee is a lot higher than anything I have ever done but I kind of have to because it's with people at my work who I should really get to know better.

My question is, has anyone ever played FF with these kinds of settings? And more importantly, what are some guidelines to keep in mind for my draft tomorrow? Any input from the brilliant minds at FBG would be very appreciated, thanks!

 

[glumpy]

Never played with that system, but last year I ended up drafting that way--and carried both the Carolina and Miami RB corps. Actually liked having those two and played them both according to matchups.

Going into such a drafting situation two things strike me: First--the studs are going to remain studs, and drafting AP, CJ, MJD and the like will pretty much remain the same--as they'll be taking the lion's share of the touches. They might no longer be 1-2-3 though--if you put Rice's and McGahee's numbers together you've got a real two headed monster, and you'll want o be doing your rankings based on the entire team's RB projections to account for that.

Second--especially playing two per week--the value of RB's skyrockets back into first, probably by a wide margin. Figure that with 32 teams, in a ten team fantasy league 30 of them will be off the boards with pretty close to zero left on the waiver wire. Most of the efforts in recent years for the leagues I've encountered has been to even out the values for other positions in order to get away from the RB-RB-RB opening to draft stategy; with this league's setup that may feel like a retro draft where it's recommended. I would think you'd have to at least jump on two in the first rounds just to cover your starters--and with the 'start two' requirements there is no flexibility and they had better have different bye weeks.

If you're using VBD, I would insert my own projections on the RB's and run the program to see what it comes up with. Add all the RB projections for each team and attribute them to the one player--be it AP, Rice, or Cedric Benson--and go from there. Account for whenever the expected return is for a Fred Jackson, say, who will be expected after the first weeks. And then go with it as you normally would pursue your drafts. I would guess that you will find the VBD in this situation moving a Brees or AJ down a few rounds in value, depending on how the other positional scoring goes, to where virtually everyone drafts RB-RB, most RB-RB-RB, and the first curves come in the third round.

Good Luck! I for one will be curious to see how this works--when's the draft?

 

[adomis82]

Thank you so much for the responses.

My draft is at noon est and any info really helps.

Looking closer at this, I made an error, we can't have more than TWO team running backfields at a time on your roster. I am wondering should I load up on QBs and WRs, and just do wavier wire backfields? There should be 12 running backfields at any time on the wire. Is there that much of a difference in overall running games?

 

[Str8Male Flight Attendant]

Thank you so much for the responses.My draft is at noon est and any info really helps.Looking closer at this, I made an error, we can't have more than TWO team running backfields at a time on your roster. I am wondering should I load up on QBs and WRs, and just do wavier wire backfields? There should be 12 running backfields at any time on the wire. Is there that much of a difference in overall running games?

Sounds like a plan, but always take a look at value. I wouldn't draft backfields too early, I would concentrate on other positions, even to TEs.I would not like this league at all, but I understand why you need to play.