The massive debate in fantasy soccer is all the time zero RB (no multiple RB decide within the first six rounds) vs. heavy RB (three RBs within the first six rounds).
“Decide a facet!” we’re instructed.
However this fully misses the purpose. It’s completely format dependent. If you’re Flex9 (two WRs and a flex, with 9 fantasy starters in your lineup), you need to attempt to have the league’s prime RB room. Then, heavy RB is sensible. However in case you are in a Flex10 league (three WRs and a Flex, with 10 fantasy starters), you should attempt to have the most effective WR room via a zero-RB development.
I discuss Flex9 and Flex10 greater than anybody, in all probability. I do not know why. It’s clearly a very powerful think about figuring out how we should always draft, structurally. For a couple of decade, each query in our recreation needed to be prefaced with whether or not you had been half PPR or full PPR. Heck, I named my second child “Half-Level PPR” (sorry, not sorry). However that’s so marginal in contrast with what number of extensive receivers your league permits you to begin.
Let me once more clarify the distinction.
Flex9
Even for those who put a WR within the Flex, which is important in both format, you’re taking part in in a 36-starting-WR league, max. And half the league might be going to stupidly flex a RB as a result of they need a extra sure 10 factors as an alternative of the a lot larger chance of a a lot greater recreation from a WR. So 30-to-36 WRs are began. In case you construct the most effective WR room, you possibly can solely begin a most of three, and nobody actually wants a WR with so few beginning, so good luck buying and selling surplus.
Conversely, the league is beginning a minimal of 24 RBs, and doubtless 30, and there are solely actually 32 viable every week, tops. Having two good ones may be very powerful given the restricted provide of believable beginning backs.
In a lower-scoring format like Flex9, each level is extra priceless. In case you’re weak at RB, you possibly can’t wash away that weak point with dominant WRs as a result of you might have a max of three guys who can explode vs. 4 in Flex10 — a really massive distinction.
In a lower-scoring format the place much less factors are required to win your week, consistency truly is king, and extra risky gamers like WRs are merely much less fascinating. You’re attempting to grind out wins.
Flex10
In a Flex10 format, you might have 33% extra receivers. Now 48 receivers are going to be performed, and perhaps solely 40 are literally worthy of beginning every week. In case you don’t prioritize the place, you’re positive to be scrambling. You possibly can play a committee RB in your Flex, however that man is just about locked in for 5-to-11 factors. With 10 starters, together with another of probably the most explosive gamers, a extra projectable participant is value much less. That additional extensive receiver simply may generate 20-plus factors.
Having the most effective RB room, the place you’re getting 5-to-10 complete factors greater than the crew with a mean RB room, isn’t that significant. In case your opponent has higher receivers and will get a light break, he’s going to outscore your WRs by 10-to-20 factors.
In case you spend your first 4 picks on WRs and get 4 prime 25 WRs, not a Herculean activity by any stretch, you’re so harmful. You possibly can simply play committee backs, receiving-RB specialists, and stream the waiver wire when inevitable RB attrition strikes to get at the least close to common on the place. Then the dominant WR room that you simply spent all that draft capital to construct is the successful edge.
However What About TE?
I desire a Prime 3 TE regardless of my format. I believe the TE10 this yr (consensus rank) may be the TE3, in order that doesn’t imply I’ve to pay that a lot for it.
However it’s far more necessary to beat most groups at TE in Flex9 than in Flex10.
Once more, you might have much less gamers. In Flex10, you possibly can afford a scrub TE as a result of you possibly can wash that away together with your 4 WRs. You’ll in all probability have a breakout recreation as soon as each three weeks for those who aggressively draft them (perhaps one each 5 to your fourth man). So at the least two are going to pop most weeks.
However in Flex9, once more, you’re taking part in a lot decrease scoring video games with one much less believable game-breaking participant. So having a waiver-wire-caliber TE, giving up factors there each week, simply hurts extra as a result of it’s a lot more durable to beat.
Shifting Ahead
My goal right here is to make “Flex9 or Flex10?” the brand new contextual necessity for each draft and commerce query. It’s to ensure when somebody is saying, “I advocate RB-heavy drafting in residence leagues,” that they are saying, “assuming your own home league is Flex9.” When individuals like me say, “ZeroRB is clearly the way in which to draft as a result of a crew that takes no multiple RB within the first six rounds doubles their playoff chance,” I would like everybody to be clear that we’re speaking codecs that permit you to begin three WRs and Flex.
That is the essential language that all of us want to make use of to speak with each other when asking for and giving the most effective recommendation.
You understand by now that I favor deeper codecs. I would like extra factors. I would like extra starters. I need to draft extensive receivers and have hitting on them change into extra significant. In a RB-heavy league, it’s principally who doesn’t get damage. And each week all of us have the identical actual guys within the prime 30. However your own home league could have been Flex9 for 20 years and also you’re not altering. I get it.
On draft day, for those who play Flex9, your first web page in your cheat sheet needs to be your RB ranks. In case you play Flex10, it needs to be your WR web page. My priorities drafting are…
- Flex9: RB, WR/TE, QB
- Flex10: WR, RB/TE, QB
So total rankings should not actually helpful. They’re labored over. If the particular person doing them says they’re for one format or the opposite, that’s nice so long as she or he is lining up together with your format. However there’s no splitting the distinction right here. There’s no Flex9.5 rankings. (In fact, positional ranks are totally related in both format.)
Backside line: these actually are totally different worlds, talking totally different languages, in terms of asking questions and answering them.
(Prime picture of Miami Dolphins fan: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY)
