Design Prep for Fantasy Football 2020: Running Tiers 5.0 and Ranking


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Salary Cap Draft Review: Dave’s Team
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There comes a point in every Fantasy football draft where you’ll look at the running backs left on the board and realize you’re not cool with starting any of them. Determining where that point depends on how risk-averse you are and what the scoring is in your particular league, but it’s vital to building a winning roster. 

You don’t have to worry about any of these things through the first three tiers at running back. Nearly every player among the 18 listed is considered reliable, though you might take issue with a rookie like Clyde Edwards-Helaire or an injury risk like James Conner being among them. That’s OK, just scan them and know before your draft how many of those 18 you’d be OK starting. 

Then do the same with the fourth and fifth Tiers. Not feeling as many guys, right? The fewer of those running backs you like, the more running backs from the first three tiers you’ll lean toward drafting. 

The remaining tiers are a mixture of guys whose names you’ll recognize along with “lottery ticket” players who COULD become special if they land regular playing time. There’s rarely a shortage of those running backs, just a shortage of patience from Fantasy managers who don’t want to roster a guy who doesn’t play every snap. You may find some backs you won’t mind being patient with. Prioritize them along with the runners you’d be OK starting if you had to.

More tiers and strategies:

PPR: First-and-a-half Tier

Round 1

PPR: Fourth Tier

Rounds 4-5

PPR: High-end backups

Rounds 9-10

PPR: Solid backups

Round 11+

PPR: Low-end backups

Rounds 12+

Non-PPR: First Tier

Round 1

Non-PPR: First-and-a-half Tier

Round 1

Non-PPR: Second Tier

Round 2

Non-PPR: Third Tier

Between 35-50 overall

Non-PPR: Fourth Tier

Round 5

Non-PPR: Fifth Tier

Round 7

Non-PPR: Sixth Tier

Rounds 7

Non-PPR: Sixth Tier

Round 8

Non-PPR: High-end backups

Rounds 9-10

Non-PPR: Solid Backups

Round 11

Non-PPR: Low-end backups

Round 12+