Draft prep: Old school vs. new school

What's the best way to draft a Fantasy team?

That's the question we get asked here the most this time of year. And there are several ways to answer it, but two distinct approaches to consider in 2008.

a.) Is it better to draft running backs first since getting a stud is so hard to come by?

b.) Should you wait on running backs and get the best quarterback and wide receivers with your first three picks?

Both strategies work to varying degrees, but obviously it's getting the right players that make the difference between a Fantasy championship and last place. We all know you'd rather be the one holding the trophy then the first pick in next year's draft.

Typically, barring an injury, most picks in the first two or three rounds will be solid players. Sure, you'll get the occasional bust, but usually your top picks come through if they stay healthy.

Going into a draft, you should be ready for what's going to happen after the first round. That's how you'll win your Fantasy league.

The owner who took Braylon Edwards in the eighth round, Jason Witten in the ninth round or LenDale White in the 10th round last year based on their average draft positions on CBSSports.com was probably pretty successful. And those are the types of players we'll try to help you find this year.

There are plenty of strategies to employ when drafting your Fantasy team. There's the tried-and-true philosophy of drafting running backs first because they typically have the most value. You want to get the guy who's going to touch the ball 30 times a game and has the chance to gain yards, catch passes and most importantly, score touchdowns.

But, judging by last year with the way running backs were injured or failed to produce, you can still be successful by building your team a different way. We'll show you why it might be better to start your team with quarterbacks and wide receivers before drafting running backs.

The Fantasy Football bible may tell you it's running backs first and fill in everything else later. But that might not be the only way to draft. As experienced Fantasy owners will tell you, the game is changing, and your philosophy should as well if you want to keep up.

Old school

Getting a stud running back is a dire need, especially in today's game where more teams are going to tandems. And Fantasy owners want to get the best ones early, which is understandable.

Traditional drafting says to take someone like Steven Jackson over Tom Brady in Round One. (US Presswire)

Last year, 14 running backs went in the first 20 picks based on their average draft positions. That will likely happen again this year and probably until the end of time. It's a strategy that typically works, especially if you land two dominant running backs with your first two picks.

But this strategy backfired for plenty of owners last year.

Of the 14 top running backs, only LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook finished among the top 20 players overall in Fantasy points in standard scoring leagues. Only seven finished among the top 20 running backs (Joseph Addai, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Willie Parker, Steven Jackson, Tomlinson and Westbrook). Still, owners will go to the well again, and for good reason.

There is enough talent at quarterback that you can wait until the middle rounds to draft your starter. For example, Brett Favre finished as the seventh-best Fantasy scorer in 2007, and he was drafted in the ninth round according to his average draft position.

Derek Anderson and Kurt Warner, two of the top 10 overall Fantasy scorers last year, weren't drafted in the majority of leagues. And at wide receiver, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress and Brandon Marshall were all drafted in the fifth round or later, and they were three of the top 10 Fantasy options at their position. That shows that you can wait on drafting quarterbacks and wide receivers and still get talent.

At running back, you want to get the workhorse who will be the centerpiece of your Fantasy team. And yes, there are plenty of choices, with injured stars returning like Larry Johnson and Ronnie Brown. There also are talented rookies expected to start in Oakland (Darren McFadden), Carolina (Jonathan Stewart) and Detroit (Kevin Smith). And new starters have emerged around the league, with Julius Jones going to Seattle, Michael Turner going to Atlanta and Marion Barber now expected to be the man in Dallas. You want to make sure you get your desired player, which is why it makes sense to draft him right away.

If you believe running backs win championships, which is a strategy I have followed my entire career, draft them early. And if you trust you can build a team based on depth at quarterback, wide receiver and tight end, then take a third running back in the top five rounds. You can never have enough good running backs, and building depth at the position with quality players is a great way to win a Fantasy title.

New school

While the elite running backs faltered last year, quarterbacks thrived. Based on a standard scoring league, the top 10 players overall in Fantasy points were all quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Anderson, Favre, Matt Hasselbeck, Carson Palmer and Warner). That shows you how valuable passers are in Fantasy leagues.

If the traditional idea is to get the best running backs early, why wouldn't the same concept apply to quarterbacks, since they are proven to be better?

It's doubtful we'll ever see a Fantasy league where the first 10 picks are quarterbacks. There is obviously depth at the position, and you can still get the fifth best quarterback in Big Ben in the eighth round, which is what happened last year.

But maybe it's a good idea to start your team with a quarterback in the first round. And it doesn't have to be Brady or Manning. If you're at the end of the first round and Brady and Manning are gone, take Romo or Brees. Then you can build your team another way.

Instead of taking running backs right away, start your Fantasy team with a quarterback and two wide receivers in some combination of your first four picks with one running back mixed in. Moss finished with just eight Fantasy points less than Tomlinson last year, and six wide receivers finished in the top 30 players overall in Fantasy points (Moss, Edwards, Terrell Owens, Reggie Wayne, Chad Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald).

For example, if you start your team with Moss, Owens and Palmer, you have three players in the top 23 overall from last year. Since receivers and quarterbacks are more durable than running backs, you should only have to replace those starters during bye weeks and aren't locked into handcuffing your top picks.

In following this strategy, there are two things that must happen.

When you start drafting running backs in the fourth round or later, you have to hit on the right guys. Last year, five of the top 12 Fantasy running backs in standard scoring leagues were all drafted in the fourth round or later (Adrian Peterson, Clinton Portis, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch and Barber), so you can get a stud past the first two rounds.

The other thing you have to do is jump on free agents. Earnest Graham, Ryan Grant and Kenny Watson finished in the top 24 Fantasy running backs, and all three went undrafted in most leagues. You have to grab these types of players when they breakout or even before to fill out your roster if you want to succeed.

It's a risk passing on running backs early and hoping for quality guys to fall your way. But you might find it beneficial if 2008 resembles anything close to what happened last year.

Getting good running backs is what wins Fantasy leagues. But getting a great quarterback and two stud wide receivers early might just be the road less traveled that still leads to the Fantasy pot of gold.

Draft overview

I recently took part in three drafts and an auction with the idea of using different strategies based on where I selected. While I tried to employ different ideas in terms of drafting quarterbacks or wide receivers ahead of running backs, I wasn't able to follow that exactly due to my draft position. The auction gives you an idea of how to spend your money, and the drafts are good examples to follow on where certain players might fall.

Draft 1: This is the first time since my first Fantasy draft in 1998 that I took a receiver in Round 1. The last time was Cris Carter, and this time it's Randy Moss at No. 9. I got lucky that Manning fell to Round 2, but that could be because the other owners were scared of his knee injury. Jones-Drew was my first running back, but getting the Broncos tandem of Young and Torain and then getting Smith, Green and Jackson adds plenty of depth. With Boldin, Santana Moss and Stallworth, I like my receivers. And when drafting Brady, Manning and even Romo, pass on a backup quarterback unless the draft is 16 rounds. You can add a No. 2 quarterback off the waiver wire.

Draft 2: I picked No. 5 overall in this draft and felt fortunate Jackson was still there and followed that with two No. 1-quality receivers in Fitzgerald and Houshmandzadeh. Getting three players like this to start a draft is a great way to go. I was concerned about my running back depth but was still able to land Bush, Turner and White with my next three picks, which locked up the position. Evans gave me a solid trio at receiver, with Johnson and Gaffney as sleeper candidates. I ignored quarterbacks in this draft, but getting McNabb and Rivers will make up for it with the rest of the talent on the roster. Heap also was great value in Round 9 as a No. 1 tight end.

Draft 3: The strategy here is something most owners might want to consider when they draft first or second. Take L.T. or your second running back of choice and then come back with the two best receivers. You can still get great value in the fourth or fifth rounds for your second running back (maybe not as good as Graham or Bush), and now you have four studs as your starters at important spots. Following that, as I did, you can take a quarterback or add more depth at running back and wide receiver. Then fill out your lineup with your tight end. This league starts two running backs, two wide receivers and no flex, so you can see I'm loaded with talent.

Auction: My auction strategy is too spread out my $100 budget as best as possible and have some saved toward the end for some value buys. I did that here, getting three standout running backs in Westbrook, Jones-Drew and McFadden. I did the same thing with my starting receivers in Colston and Williams and then was able to get Moss and Chambers for $5 combined. Depth at running back is a concern, but I added backups I feel can make an impact this year with Foster, Wright and Jackson. I like Wright and Jackson a lot, and they are worth taking with late-round picks or $1 buys in all leagues.

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