Fantasy News
Does it make more sense to concentrate early on running backs or wide receivers?
We’re going to find out in the Brown Division of the Fanex League. In this 24-team league (technically it’s two separate 12-team leagues), there are only five teams that so far have gone without drafting a running back or gone without a wide receiver. Four of these five teams are all in the Brown Division.
I just drafted Anthony Gonzalez early in the fourth round, giving me three wide receivers plus Drew Brees. The other three teams in this division combined have selected seven running backs and no wide receivers.
On other team has gone without a wide receiver, and it’s located in the other 12-team group.
All three of the premium quarterbacks, by the way, are also in this division. The four teams:
My team: Steve Smith, Wes Welker, Brees, Gonzalez.
Cahill: LaDainian Tomlinson, Frank Gore, Ryan Grant.
Butler: Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Peyton Manning.
Nulty: Steven Jackson, Marion Barber, Tom Brady.
Which approach is best? There are still good receivers and running backs left, and we’ll see where those guys land in the upcoming rounds. Dwayne Bowe and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, for example, are still out there. With 14 wide receivers having being grabbed by nine owners, I expect those guys will be grabbed soon. But ultimately, the winner in this deal won’t be determined until the regular season.
Also note that his debate isn’t as balanced as in many fantasy leagues. In this league, you can start four receivers and only two running backs if you wish – you have to start at least three receivers – and it also is a PPR format. Those factors help to elevate the value of the position.
One other note on Gonzalez. Some will wonder why I selected him at 4.03 when they’re at pick 5.03 in the National draft and he still hasn’t been selected. Maybe I could have traded down a half dozen picks and still got him. But he’s the highest-rated receiver on my board – I think he’ll be very good – and I didn’t want to risk losing out on him.
If somebody had made an offer that would have involved me moving down just a few spots (guaranteeing me either Bowe or Houshmandzadeh if Gonzalez was pick), I would have done that deal. But I’ve been making a lot of trade offers with little results and just wanted to get on with the draft.
FANEX DRAFT (AMERICAN LEAGUE)
1.01 RB Maurice Jones-Drew (Rito)
1.02 RB Adrian Peterson (Butler)
1.03 RB Matt Forte (Hickerson)
1.04 RB Steve Slaton (Davis)
1.05 RB Michael Turner (Tinker)
1.06 WR Larry Fitzgerald (Holm)
1.07 RB Steven Jackson (Nulty)
1.08 WR Randy Moss (Perlow)
1.09 RB LaDainian Tomlinson (Cahill)
1.10 RB Chris Johnson (Butler)
1.11 RB DeAngelo Williams (Kellogg)
1.12 WR Andre Johnson (Panizo)
2.01 RB Brian Westbrook (Panizo)
2.02 WR Calvin Johnson (Kellogg)
2.03 WR Reggie Wayne (Perlow)
2.04 RB Frank Gore (Cahill)
2.05 WR Steve Smith (Allan)
2.06 RB Marion Barber (Nulty)
2.07 WR Greg Jennings (Holm)
2.08 WR Brandon Marshall (Tinker)
2.09 WR Roddy White (Davis)
2.10 RB Brandon Jacobs (Hickerson)
2.11 WR Wes Welker (Allan)
2.12 WR Anquan Boldin (Rito)
3.01 WR Marques Colston (Rito)
3.02 QB Drew Brees (Allan)
3.03 WR Terrell Owens (Hickerson)
3.04 RB Clinton Portis (Davis)
3.05 RB Reggie Bush (Tinker)
3.06 QB Tom Brady (Nulty)
3.06 RB Ronnie Brown (Holm)
3.08 RB Pierre Thomas (Perlow)
3.09 QB Peyton Manning (Kellogg)
3.09 RB Ryan Grant (Cahill)
3.11 RB Knowshon Moreno (Kellogg)
3.12 RB Kevin Smith (Panizo)
4.01 RB Marshawn Lynch (Panizo)
4.02 RB Darren McFadden (Kellogg)
4.03 WR Anthony Gonzalez (Allan)
Scoring system: 6 points for TDs, 4 for TD passes, 1 for every 20 passing yards, 1 for every 10 run/rec yards. Start QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, one Flex (RB-WR-TE), PK, DEF.
Fanex is a 24-team league that's set up like European soccer. Top 12 seeds, based on past performance, are in the American League. Other 12 are in the National League. Each year, the bottom four teams in the American League are replaced by the top four in the National. Each league has a separate winner. Overall champion of the Fanex is considered to be the winner of the American League.
To see American League draft so far, click here.
To see National League draft so far, click here.
-Ian Allan
- Comments [8]
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Posted by Joseph Lacher | Aug. 05 at 01:42 AM
Terrible draft for you so far... You could have had Barber, Portis, Brees, and someone better then gonzalez. I think you went the wrong way esp. in at 1 per 10 point league. Portis is good for 1500+ combined yards. Jennings and Grant are also good for 1300+. I see the gonzalez pick as a reach way to early and the Welker pick as insane.
Posted by Joseph Lacher | Aug. 05 at 01:47 AM
looking at it closer, you could have had D. Ward RB TB as your flex instead of Gonzalez who had 600 yards last year and Harrison did not play much last year. Shoot Bryant had 1200+ yards and you didn't take him. I like some late WRs like Holt, Curtis, Berrian, Hester, more then I like late RBs like Parker, Wells, White....especially in a 1 per 10 yard league.
Posted by Joseph Lacher | Aug. 05 at 01:49 AM
SO you would have had: Brees Barber Portis D. Ward Then take a slew of mediocre WRs and play the match ups.
Posted by IAN ALLAN | Aug. 05 at 01:59 AM
I did win both of the Fanex leagues last year, right? And the previous year, I won the Fanex FAD and went 11-3 in the head-to-head league. I have a career win-loss record of 81-45 in the Fanex head-to-head, which is the best of any of the 24 guys. You make it sound like I'm some buffoon who doesn't know what he's doing.
Posted by ANDY RICHARDSON | Aug. 05 at 02:31 AM
Joseph, leaving specific player evaluations aside, you make it sound like it's definitely better to take RBs early and then play matchups with mediocre wide receivers than to take WRs early and play matchups with mediocre RBs. And I don't think that's true in the league's PPR format. Especially given that there are some legitimate workload questions surrounding the RBs you advocate taking early, I think.
Posted by Miguel Tames | Aug. 05 at 04:36 AM
Gotta agree with Mr. Richardson. While I wouldn't mind having D. Ward, in this league where it's PPR and you can start 4 WR's, you have to take wideouts. Barber may be stuck in a 3 way rotation, Portis is gonna get hurt around week 11 and has lost the explosiveness he used to have. I'd stick to the WR's and let someone else gamble on those 2 RB's. I also think Mr. Lacher is looking way too much at last year's stats. Can't always go by that.
Posted by Joe Cartan | Aug. 05 at 03:27 PM
Joseph, have you ever read anything that Ian has written? He's gone to great lengths to illiterate his approach to these types of leagues (3 WR and a flex option). If you fundamentally disagree with his draft logic, than maybe this publication is not for you. Everyone knows FFI is stats-centric and against the auto 2-RB draft theory, and has been for many years. Maybe the intellect and "research" of Matthew Berry would be more up your alley?
Posted by Joe Cartan | Aug. 05 at 03:28 PM
sorry "intellect" should also be in quotes