So lets just get right down to business and discuss what we learned from fantasy football in 2018!
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You don’t have to go running back heavy in the early part of your fantasy drafts in 2019.
Doug Martin, Philip Lindsay, Tarik Cohen, Marlon Mack, Derrick Henry, Gus Edwards, Josh Adams, C.J. Anderson, & Damien Williams are prime examples late round/waiver-wire running backs that helped your team at some point this season secure a playoff spot or even a fantasy football championship.
Now it goes without saying that while your fantasy draft is an important part of your fantasy football season it should also go without saying navigating the waiver-wire and being knowledgeable of which players are backups to your starting players, especially at the running back position is a vital part of fantasy success.
While the names change from year to year in terms of hidden gems at running back the fact of the matter is they always exist and are more than likely available on your league’s waiver wire each season.
With the talent that was on display by rookies and/or veteran players throughout this past season it’s safe to say you should feel comfortable going WR heavy in the early part of your drafts this coming season as they’ll be plenty of viable running back depth starting at round 4 and onward and not as many elite wide receiving options to choose from.
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Quarterback was better than expected this season.
Eight QBs averaged more than 19 fppg in 2018:
P. Mahomes 26.1
M. Ryan 22.2
B. Roethlisberger 21.4
D. Watson 20.8
A. Luck 20.5
A. Rodgers 19.5
J. Goff 19.4
D. Brees 19.0
and another 6 averaged between 17 & 19 fppg.
R. Wilson 18.7
D. Prescott 17.9
P. River 17.8
K. Cousins 17.7
C. Newton 17.7
T. Brady 17.6
Suffice it to say with most enthusiasts playing in 10 or 12 team leagues most managers were fortunate enough to snag one of these quarterbacks during their drafts.
NOW consider all the up and coming quarterbacks that ended the season on a strong note over the past three weeks of the NFL season:
J. Allen 24.0
L. Jackson 20.3
B. Mayfield 19.4
S. Darnold 18.4
The message I’m sending here is 2018 showed all of us that quarterback is as deep as ever in fantasy football. Don’t waste an early draft pick on one next season.
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The tight-end position is as shallow as it got in 2018
T. Kelce 15.3
Z. Ertz 13.9
G. Kittle 13.5
E. Ebron 11.9
J. Cook 10.1
Those were the only tight-ends that averaged double-digit points in 2018 in 0.5 PPR scoring leagues. Like most of you, I’ve always focused on streaming the position from week to week based on matchups. However, with quarterback, running back, & wide receiver becoming more equal in terms of fantasy output drafting an elite tight end next year might make the difference between having the extra advantage towards winning a championship or just making the playoffs.
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When it comes to IDP, draft DLs, DBs, & then LBs.
*ALL IDP scoring utilizing FANTASY IN FRAMES’ IDP scoring rubric*
Only one DL averaged a position high, 8 fppg in 2018. That DL was Aaron Donald.
7 DBs averaged more than 8 fppg in 2018, headlined by Jamal Adams’ 9.5 fppg.
18 linebackers averaged more than 8 fantasy points per game in 2018 headlined by Darius Leonard’s 12.3 fppg.
Moral of the story for those drafting multiple defensive positions next year: Draft the rare positions out of the way first and focus on linebacker last.