As you prepare for your fantasy football drafts, there seems to be a mindset this year that if you don't take at least one running back in the first two rounds you risk struggling to find reliable weekly options all season. At our annual summit, we asked our ESPN Fantasy analysts about this and their thoughts are below.
The ESPN Fantasy Football virtual summit highlighted many key storylines as we look forward to 2020 fantasy football drafts. Our composite rankings, which will be updated throughout the offseason, are always a great starting point for fantasy owners as they prepare for draft day.
To give you a peek behind the curtain of some of our best discussions, we introduce our fantasy football roundtable series. Each entry will feature members of our ESPN Fantasy team offering their analysis on the hottest topics to come out of this year's summit, which hopefully will get you thinking about how you want to approach your drafts in the months ahead.
Can you win without drafting any RBs in the first two rounds?
Stephania Bell: If you play fantasy long enough, you learn that you can win with any strategy ... but you could certainly improve your odds by emerging from the draft with a slate of players who are indestructible (sarcasm font). Given that there is no way to definitively predict injuries -- at least not yet -- my preferred strategy is to draft my best available players (according to lists which incorporate my own preferences) as they come, being respectful of -- but not beholden to -- position.
Matthew Berry: Yes, any strategy can work if you pick the right players, but this season I am definitely looking to get an RB with one of my first two picks. There is simply so much depth at WR now (last season, 19 WRs averaged more than 15 points per game) that most of the top players available in the third, fourth and fifth rounds are receivers. High-volume RBs in good offenses are far more scarce, so if you don't get at least one early this year, you're likely going to have to reach for a RB with question marks in the middle rounds while passing up great value at receiver in the process.
Matt Bowen: Sure. Stick to your board. And don't feel the need to reach for a running back early. I've done a couple of mock drafts already this spring where I went WR/WR in the first two rounds. You can find good value at the running back position in Rounds 3-6.
Mike Clay: Of course. In fact, running back health was stronger than usual last season, so perhaps the "Zero RB" concept (or some abbreviated version of it) would be particularly beneficial this season. The massive amount of WR depth certainly makes grabbing an early-round RB or two more attractive, but you shouldn't force it.
Tristan H. Cockcroft: Certainly, so long as it's not a deliberate move on your part, ignoring an obviously worthwhile running back selection at your spot -- say, taking Kenny Golladay 13th overall when Derrick Henry was sitting right there. The first two rounds -- and I'd argue the majority of the draft -- is about value, value, value, and you can always fill running back needs later with the many upside picks available.
Daniel Dopp: Absolutely! There's no wrong way to draft (I mean there is, but you know what I mean) and it's not a stretch to think you could take two top-tier WRs all the way to a championship. It's all about being prepared, following your draft strategy, proactively working the waiver wire and trade market, and getting a little bit lucky. If you like the way your team is shaping up from your WR/WR mock drafts, take it into the season and crush your opponents like an old-fashioned oil baron.
Eric Karabell: Of course you can win! Starting off with three top wide receivers early and then taking chances on running backs in the middle of the rounds can work if you guess correctly on the running backs, or commit to aggressiveness with in-season free agency. But since some of the top-20 running back options are hardly safe, take a chance. Feeling pressure to choose positionally in the early rounds of a standard draft and bypassing better players is a mistake.
Field Yates: 100%. A few things to remember: most importantly, the draft is the starting point of your roster, not the end line. And we always urge drafters to follow their board, be mindful of value and know the room as best you can. I personally prefer to draft at least one running back with my first two selections, but you can unquestionably still build a championship roster waiting to take a running back until at least Round 3.