The running back is one of the most important positions in fantasy football, especially when you get lucky enough to stack some top players in your starting lineup. While fantasy football is just around the corner, let’s take a quick dive into strategy involving when to draft running backs in your upcoming fantasy draft.
When to draft your first running back?
While some fantasy managers like to load up on running backs in the first couple of rounds, a lot of others tend to go the other way and do the same with wide receivers. There are a few top-tier running backs that are worthy of a first-round pick (think Christian McCaffrey, Austin Ekeler, etc), but other than that it might be best to wait a bit to pick up some second-tier RBs with higher upside.
What’s the difference between RBs in standard vs. PPR leagues?
The type of league you’re in can easily change the strategy, especially with RBs. Running backs who also see a decent amount of targets from game to game can be more valuable in PPR leagues, obviously, since they can rack up the points on the ground and in the passing game for each pass they catch. It’s a good way to double down on a certain player and rack up the points quicker than you would in a standard league.
What are RB handcuffs?
A handcuff essentially refers to a backup RB who would take over the starting spot if the current RB1 goes down with an injury or misses playing time for any reason. A lot of managers like to draft the handcuffs of their starting RBs, especially if they’re injury-prone, so they can still grab points without having to scramble to find another decent running back on the waiver wire.
What is a zero-RB strategy?
The zero-RB approach would mean waiting until at least the fifth or sixth round to draft your first RB, which allows you to stack some top-tier WRs, TEs, and even an elite QB who are all heavily involved in the passing game. This way, you would pick running backs with higher upside in the later rounds and focus more on the passing game up front.
Who are the best running backs to draft in standard and PPR leagues?
Standard
The top two in both standard and PPR are going to be Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler, but after that is where options start to change. If you’re looking at standard scoring, Bijan Robinson has an ADP of RB3 while Saquon Barkley and Nick Chubb follow right behind him.
PPR
Saquon Barkley jumps ahead of Robinson when looking at ADP for PPR leagues, and it’s with good reason as last season he was targeted 76 times, catching 57 of them for 338 yards. His fantasy point total jumps from 227 in standard to 284 in PPR, making him a solid option in those leagues. Similarly, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs would be solid PPR picks as well.
Who are some sleeper picks at RB for standard and PPR leagues?
Standard
Cam Akers would be a great pick in standard leagues, as he’s not heavily used in the passing game but is expected to be the top option in the backfield for the Rams this season. His current ADP is 58th overall (RB23) which means you’d be able to get him at a great value. Also consider Rachaad White, David Montgomery, and Dalvin Cook as they’ll all come off the board in later rounds.
PPR
Miles Sanders was utilized in the air fairly regularly in Philadelphia, especially in his earlier years, but now he’ll be starting his first season with the Panthers with Bryce Young under center and will hope to see more of that action going forward. You can also look to the likes of James Conner, Isiah Pacheco, and Samaje Perine as decent sleeper picks.