Fantasy Football: The Roundtable's Draft Rules

In the past, the first few rounds of fantasy-football drafts followed a similar script. Every owner wants to grab two top-tier running backs, two top to mid-tier wide receivers, and a serviceable quarterback. Beyond that, it became a matter of preference.

But things are starting to change.

My Bleacher Report counterpart, Chris D'Aniello, wrote about this about two weeks ago. In the last few years, NFL teams have started to move to a dual-running-back system.

These tandems are designed to take pressure off the lead back and to give teams a change of pace. Normally, we call these third-down backs. At least, that's what they have been called when talking about a solid, pass-catching back as opposed to a between-the-tackles runner.

Now, though, these are running backs that are given two or three whole series at a time to get going, and they alternate based on formations to best suit the offensive package. Look at what we had going on last year:

Jacksonville: Maurice Jones-Drew/Fred Taylor

Dallas: Marion Barber/Julius Jones

New England: Laurence Maroney/Kevin Faulk/Sammy Morris/Random Ball Boy

New Orleans: Reggie Bush/Deuce McAllister

Cincinnati: Rudi Johnson/Kenny Watson/DeDe Dorsey

Tennessee: Chris Brown/LenDale White/Chris Henry

Carolina: DeShaun Foster/DeAngelo Williams

Denver: The Flavor of the Moment

Seattle: Shaun Alexander/Maurice Morris

Atlanta: Warrick Dunn/Jerious Norwood

Detroit: Kevin Jones/Tatum Bell/T.J. Duckett

That’s already ten teams. As many as 12 teams this season could use the committee approach, making it much harder for owners to rely on stud running backs to carry the day.

It also makes the first round more interesting. The top five or so picks are going to still fall in line with the runs on running backs we’ve seen in previous years. It’s likely that LaDainian Tomlinson (LDT), Adrian Peterson, Brian Westbrook, Joseph Addai, and Steven Jackson will go in some order.

The sixth pick is where it gets cloudy. The next running back on most lists is either Frank Gore or Marshawn Lynch. Would you rather take one of those guys or grab Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Randy Moss?

In leagues that give points for completions and/or receptions, I think any of these three has more value than the next running back, and that all three should be taken ahead of the next running back. Even without those points, you can make the case. Most owners can justify taking them earlier.

That would bring us to the ninth pick. And, honestly, that’s where I feel Gore and Lynch, as well as Portis and Barber, start to make more sense. Because there are so many committees, owners don’t need to feel it totally necessary to draft a running back that isn’t a stud. If you miss on those first five, getting a true ace at another position is a legit way to go.

Keeping that in mind, here are The Roundtable’s Draft Rules to remember while heading in to fantasy football.

1. Don’t fall in love with the running back. As detailed above, you can score just as many points with an elite player at another position, especially in Round One.
2. But make sure you land two solid backs in the first four rounds. The position is especially deep this year, but most of the top backs will still be gone after round this point. Let me give you an example though. I have Rudi Johnson just making my top-25 backs right now. So the talent is there, and you need it.
3. Know the Running Back By Committee (RBBC) teams. Right now, Miami, Atlanta, Tennessee, Seattle, New Orleans, Houston, Denver (duh), Carolina, Jacksonville, and Chicago are definites, with Pittsburgh and the Giants also having potential to see split carries between backs.
4. Keep bye weeks handy. There is nothing more frustrating than drafting two top backs or wide receivers and finding out they have the same bye week. Plan depth accordingly and use this as a tie-breaker between two close draft candidates.
5. Don’t rush to get a quarterback. Yes, Brady and Manning are going to go early, but you can find value later on if you’re willing to take the chances. Carson Palmer, Tony Romo, and Drew Brees will likely be the next quarterbacks off the board, but they’ll last until Round Four or Five in many formats. You will still find Roethlisberger, Hasselbeck, and Anderson available until close to Round Five or Six and solid positional acquisitions of “The Other Manning”, Bulger, Schaub, Garrard, and Delhomme even later.
6. Know how your league scores. This is probably obvious, but still important. If you count receptions or completions, move some of the top wide receivers up on your draft sheet. If you lose points for incompletions, fumbles, interceptions, research who is most prone to them.
7. Value rookies correctly. This is a big one. There are many people who think that rookies always make an immediate impact. That’s not always the case. There are several each year who step up, and most of those are running backs with something to prove. Wide receivers need to learn to play against more physical corners and quarterbacks have a TON to learn. Felix Jones and Darren McFadden are the favorites this year. But don’t look to Chad Henne to set the world on fire in Miami.
8. Your last two picks should be kicker and defense. Unless you are trying to take a top-two defense, there is never a reason to move earlier on either of these positions. Honestly, in most leagues, you should play matchups on this. Look a week in advance as to who each team is playing and make decisions from there. These are two positions never to get attached to. The stats are way too similar across the board.
9. Know about regression to the mean. Sometimes a guy is ready to break out and you can watch the progression on a year-to-year basis. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere. When it does, be skeptical. Consistency gets you in the door, lightning in a bottle should be caught on waivers.
10. Don’t worry if you start a position player against your defense. Things have a way of netting out. Just because you have the starting running back, doesn’t mean a defense will perform poorly. There are ways around that. Interceptions, fumbles, and defensive touchdowns are independent of what your running back or wide receiver or even quarterback might do.

The most important piece to all of this is to have fun. It sounds cliché, but you’re doing this with your friends, roommates, or the guy next door because it’s a good time. Get on the message boards, talk some trash, and don’t be "That Guy" who vetoes every trade that gets proposed. It's pretty straight forward, really.

Get in the leagues, start joining the fun, and we'll check in with position breakdowns to get you ready for it.

Check out the full Roundtable blog.