An Introduction to Selecting Running Backs in Daily Fantasy Football
Remember how NFL teams used to pay huge money for running backs? Remember how teams thought running back was a premium position — one that only a few guys could play at an elite level? Remember when it was all about grabbing one of these elite guys — offensive line be damned?
This carried on for a while – teams trying to hold onto their “elite running back” at all costs; owners and general managers thinking they couldn’t win without one of these guys on their team. I think the start of the turning point was when Terrell Davis’ spectacular career in Denver came to an end, and Mike Shanahan replaced him with another thousand-yard runner. Then another. Then another.
Wait — what? A guy doesn’t have to be a heralded college back with elite quickness and strength in order to enjoy success in the NFL? As long as a guy has the athleticism and the vision and the grit, he can be a perfectly serviceable back in the right system?
Obviously, that’s simplifying things. Heck, I might even be wrong about Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme being the key that unlocked the truth about running backs — but that’s not what matters.
What matters is this:
We can learn from the realization it took NFL teams forever to understand themselves: running backs do not have to be “elite” in order to be successful.
Now, I’ll answer your unasked question: yes, I do think there is such a thing as an “elite” running back. Yes, there is such a thing as a generational talent — one who can lay a defense on its back. Yes, if I were an NFL coach or GM, I would want one of these backs on my own team — a back who other teams have to account for on every play and have to game-plan for throughout the week. Who wouldn’t want that?
For that matter, who wouldn’t want that kind of back on their daily fantasy football team, price be damned? Who wouldn’t want the guy who just a couple weeks ago torched a team for 180 yards and three touchdowns?
Who wouldn’t?
Me.
And I’ll tell you why:
Picking running backs in daily fantasy football is all about understanding and evaluating four core components: talent, matchup, opportunity, and price. And “talent” may very well be the least important of the bunch.
Okay — maybe that’s a lie. But “talent” should not be weighed in the way you might imagine. You see, when evaluating “talent,” you should not be asking, “Who is the most talented running back?” Instead, you should be asking —
Well, hold on a moment — I can’t tell you that just yet. This course has five lessons after this introduction, after all:
Lesson 2: Talent
Lesson 3: Matchup
Lesson 4: Opportunity
Lesson 5: Price
Lesson 6: Putting It All Together
Once you complete this course, you will know everything you need to know about examining, evaluating, and selecting running backs on winning daily fantasy football lineups. Once you complete this course, you’ll understand what so little of your competition understands.
Let’s not waste time! Let’s dive right into it — starting with the “core element” that tends to carry more misconceptions than any other:
Talent.