2020 Fantasy Football Design Prep: Back Tiers 4.0 and Draft Day Strategies

There comes a point in every Fantasy football design where you will look at the running backs on the board and realize that you are not cool with starting one of these. Determining where that point depends on how risky you are and what the score is in your particular league, but it is essential to building a winning roster.

You do not have to worry about any of these things during the first three tiers of running. Almost every player of the 18 above is considered reliable, although your problems with a rookie like Clyde Edwards-Helaire are at risk of injuries like James Conner among them. That’s OK, just scan them and know for your concept how many of those 18 you start with OK.

Then do the same with the fourth and fifth Tiers. Not so many guys feel, right? The fewer of those runs you want, the more runs of the first three tiers you will tend to set up.

The remaining tiers are a mix of guys whose names you will recognize along with “lottery ticket” players who CAN become special when they land regular playing time. There’s rarely a shortage of running rain, just a lack of patience from Fantasy managers who do not want to roast a man who does not play every snap. You may find some backs that you do not care to be patient with. Prioritize them along with the runners you started well if you had to,

RB strategy

For years I was called “a spinning man”. Is that a bad thing? Of course not, stupid! Why not load up on the position that scores more Fantasy points than passers-by, as is the most valuable trade-off, or is most prone to injuries? Why not build a roster with guys who could go from zeros to heroes through an injury or a benching? And don’t you normally have to start at least two running backs in your league?

Put it on my tombstone:

HERE LIGHT
DAVE RICHARD
FATHER
MAN
RUN BACK

That, to me, is not the question of whether or not running backs on Draft Day will collect, it’s HOW to do that.

I would normally suggest going over the running back numbers (as to which set you want to find) to get an idea of ​​how many running backs in the talent pool you trust in your lineup, but the reality is that most Fantasy drafters will aggressively take rushers this year because of the depth at wide receiver, quarterback and even tight end. Literally in every round of 12-team-or-less leagues you can find one in those positions that you would at least tolerate in your team.

You can’t say the same about running backs, especially if you get to Round 6 or 7 and you die after part-time players who may have low ceilings. So if you are not loading early, you need to have some antacids nearby because you do not feel so good about taking running backs that you will need to start later. That’s my preferred strategy this year.

My least preferred strategy is waiting to take a turn back until that range of Round 6 or 7. That’s called Zero RB, you know, and I feel that it will mean zero Fantasy points from your running backs if you go that route in 2020. There are just too many unpredictable backfield splits with solid players. Maybe you could make the case for waiting for the run and start the year with a duo like Jordan Howard and Marlon Mack, but it’s not ideal if the rest of your league takes early running backs and does not miss many other positions.

That’s what I’ll show you on a modified version of that. I would like to call it Solo RB. Instead of ignoring running backs through your first five or six picks, take only one. One man who would be the crown jewel of your backfield while you place others in the draft and add season through mid- to late-round picks and waiver wire. In the case of Solo RB, the only weak spot in your lineup is the second run back that you start each week.

One year for insurance

Let’s take this moment to talk about COVID-19 and the impact its figures have on running backpacks. You should already know that running backs tend to hit most injured at a higher rate than their opponents for skill position. Now we are throwing the threat of testing positive for COVID-19, which is what can happen to anyone in football, as in life.

If you are setting up a runback that is running out of time due to COVID-19, you would like its backup to go. Not all backups are created equal – do you really think Reggie Bonnafon can replicate Christian McCaffrey’s stats? – but the real-time backups that can produce close to what the starters may be worth taking for them. Especially this year, it’s wise to have the man behind the man on your bench. Here’s how I ranked the handcuffs options for 2020.

Skip Rookies?

There were no offseason programs or minicamps, training camps are sure to have limited practices, and there are no preseason games. It certainly puts all rookies in a tight spot.

The good news for running is that the things they will be asked to do are things they have been doing for years – namely, following and executing their blockers. That should come naturally, especially after adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. It’s things like pass protection, learning routes and developing chemistry with the quarterback numbers to limit the playing time of most rookies away. Those who proved their efficiency in high school when passing downs will not have a learning curve so steep. Unfortunately, the only ones we can say with confidence are: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, D’Andre Swift, Cam Akers and Antonio Gibson.

If you prefer to have your running backs with track records, then it is good to bypass the rookie class. But there is a lot of potential among several who could do what Miles Sanders and Devin Singletary did last year and break out in the second half of the season. Again, your own patience should be a factor.

The end line

• As usual, running back is the thinnest position on Design Day.
• As usual, running backpacks are still the hottest Fantasy commodity.
• Expect the majority of Fantasy drafters to take running backs early to secure the position.
• Insurance policy design is more recommended than ever thanks to COVID-19.
• It is advisable that everyone should finish their sign with at least 40% of their roster running.