Fantasy University: Course 302 — Finding the Right Design Strategy for You

I’ve been saying for years that any fantasy football draft strategy can work if you pick the right player. Unfortunately, the opposite is true: any beautifully crafted fantasy strategy can fall apart for any number of reasons. This is the world we’ve chosen. Randomness and variance aren’t always kind.

Today’s assignment is to look at some of the most common fantasy strategies and help you decide which one suits you best.

Strategies for running backs

Individual running backs are probably more important to success in a fantasy world than they are to success in real life, which is why a lot of time and effort goes into finding the ideal running back strategy.

— Robust RB: The oldest running back strategy was to get multiple backs of note early in your draft and bully your way to fantasy glory. It was a much more viable strategy in a bygone era, when more NFL teams employed a bell-cow strategy with backfield usage. Now that bell cows are largely extinct and most teams opt for backfield platoons, the Robust RB isn’t as popular — though some managers still feel comfortable with the established concept. The disadvantage: You throw the most draft capital at the position with the greatest injury risk.

— Zero RB: Somewhere in the 2010s, the idea of ​​the Zero RB came into vogue (industry pioneer Shawn Siegele was an early proponent, though other strategies with related concepts existed on similar timelines). When implementing this strategy, you pass on early running backs in hopes of finding upside at the position later, or perhaps on the free-agent market. Zero-RB drafters like to target high-ceiling backups, and they want to build rosters that have the potential to play well when the position becomes riddled with injuries, as it often is. The disadvantage: Now that Zero RB has become a mainstream strategy, its effectiveness is probably not as great as it was in the early days. Even mainstream managers have learned the importance of keeping potential players on the bench.

— Anchor RB or Hero RB: This is a hybrid between the two strategies above. The idea is that you get one strong running back that you start every week, and then fill out the rest of your backfield with mid-round and later picks. It’s a reasonable compromise between the other two schools and is generally the strategy I like to pursue. Some managers feel that their Anchor/Hero RB should go in the first round, but I’d argue that this build still works even if you take that signature runner in the second or third round. The disadvantage: At least one of your top choices is associated with the position with the highest injury risk.

Wide Receiver Strategies

With the NFL transitioning to a pass-first league and many fantasy leagues starting more WRs/flexes, receivers have become more fantasy important. With that, I only see two viable paths to building your receiver room.

— Pest the WRs: Try to get one of the best WR groups in the league by prioritizing this position early in the draft.

— Distribute your WRs: Set up WRs in balance with the rest of your position controls.

The reason I prefer to Bully The WRs is that waiver-wire receivers are rarely seismic hits (yes, Puka Nacua was a massive outlier in 2023), and I want to try to draft receivers who start themselves. It’s no fun sitting on a roster full of WR40-60 types and going into the bunker every week trying to guess which inconsistent pass-catcher is due for a spike week. I want to be reinforced at that spot.

Strategies for Quarterbacks

Most fantasy managers realize that while the real NFL is all about the quarterback, fantasy isn’t. Your QB build will likely come down to one of four themes:

— Vain QB: Spend money and choose one of the top five options.

— Franchise QB: Make sure you have a quarterback between 6 and 12 players who can make the top five.

— Budget QB: Set the position outside the top 12; preferably with more than one option.

— QB on a low budget: Take what’s left at the end of the draft or stream the position; usually not ideal unless you’re in a very specific league format where this is feasible.

My preferences usually fall into the second or third group, to select a QB who excites me but still has room to move up a level or two. With all due respect to the QBs at the top of everyone’s board, I don’t like the opportunity cost of selecting them – usually sacrificing the addition of a key receiver or running back who would profile as a weekly starter. I’m also likely to avoid the low-budget QB, though I’m not afraid to add an up-and-coming QB in-season if things fall into place for him.

Tight End Strategies

We’ve been spoiled in the fantasy era with a ton of legendary tight ends. Now, your tight-end build approach probably falls under one of three headings:

— Vanity Tight End: This year it’s either Sam LaPorta or Travis Kelce.

— Signature Tight End: One of the following eight tight ends, all of whom land somewhere in the top 100 overall picks.

— Budget tight end: I hope I can find a star player outside the top 100.

I’m probably going to pass on LaPorta and Kelce this summer, as they’re both top 25 picks in Yahoo leagues and I don’t like what that does to my receiver build. Any manager should be able to find something that makes sense for them in the next eight players — I see Kyle Pitts and Jake Ferguson, who come off the board in the 60s and 70s respectively, as strong candidates to outperform their summer tags.

It’s not impossible to win the TE position with a budget approach, but there are definite red flags for any candidate outside of the top 10. Sometimes they’re tied to a lesser quarterback, or maybe it’s a crowded target tree. How confident you feel in your ability to identify a breakout tight end will largely color your strategy at the position.

Now that we’ve discussed the things you need to consider when creating your concept, let’s look at the things you should avoid.