Premium RB’s Worth The Price Tag

[lukkynumber13]

My strategy is to not invest heavily in running backs and then buy low during the season from teams that are no longer contenders and are trying to sell pieces. Can usually get cheap productive veteran, running backs at that time. This also decreases the chances of obtaining a running back in the preseason and they get injured early in the season or before the season even starts.

This is fine strategy, and I try to do it too.

But part of this conversation, IMO, has to take into account the fact that each league is its own ecosystem.

If we agree that stud RBs offer a huge positional advantage, then we should try and obtain good RBs at some point, right?

Well imagine a typical 14T league.
Probably 3-4 owners don’t respond to DMs and trade offers almost ever. 2-3 owners are your direct competitors who need all their own firepower to contend, they’re not about to sell you their own RBs. 1-2 owners will send counters and look at offers, but their evaluations are so wacky it’s almost impossible to get a deal done. And then 2-3 owners went into the year planning on a productive struggle so the chances of them owning a guy like Henry, Monty, Mostert, etc are slim.

Of course, these numbers are not exact. But I do think they reflect what often happens. And so, as much as we love to theorize about who’s a buy-low and who’s a sell high, and who makes a great offseason target, etc - it can be really hard to go get those guys, as if there’s a marketplace of available players in each league.

As I said at the top, I absolutely agree that trying to get cheap options is the way to go most of the time. But my prevailing point would be this - having really productive RBs matters hugely. More than WR or TE or IDP (or QB, in a 1QB). So if you’re looking to contend you absolutely should go get really good RBs. Whether that’s cheap older options, getting the necessary draft picks, OR paying up for a stud or 2. The only thing I definitely would not advise is paying elite prices for a RB already in the latter part of his prime (Saquon, CMC, etc) in the offseason. If they tear an ACL in august, your chances of getting anything meaningful from them in their career simply plummets.

[killer_of_giants]

anyone trying to get gibbs now? has he peaked already? (RB3 on KTC... he either mccaffreys it or he only goes down right?)

[Dynasty DeLorean]

My strategy is to not invest heavily in running backs and then buy low during the season from teams that are no longer contenders and are trying to sell pieces. Can usually get cheap productive veteran, running backs at that time. This also decreases the chances of obtaining a running back in the preseason and they get injured early in the season or before the season even starts.

This is fine strategy, and I try to do it too.

But part of this conversation, IMO, has to take into account the fact that each league is its own ecosystem.

If we agree that stud RBs offer a huge positional advantage, then we should try and obtain good RBs at some point, right?

Well imagine a typical 14T league.
Probably 3-4 owners don’t respond to DMs and trade offers almost ever. 2-3 owners are your direct competitors who need all their own firepower to contend, they’re not about to sell you their own RBs. 1-2 owners will send counters and look at offers, but their evaluations are so wacky it’s almost impossible to get a deal done. And then 2-3 owners went into the year planning on a productive struggle so the chances of them owning a guy like Henry, Monty, Mostert, etc are slim.

Of course, these numbers are not exact. But I do think they reflect what often happens. And so, as much as we love to theorize about who’s a buy-low and who’s a sell high, and who makes a great offseason target, etc - it can be really hard to go get those guys, as if there’s a marketplace of available players in each league.

As I said at the top, I absolutely agree that trying to get cheap options is the way to go most of the time. But my prevailing point would be this - having really productive RBs matters hugely. More than WR or TE or IDP (or QB, in a 1QB). So if you’re looking to contend you absolutely should go get really good RBs. Whether that’s cheap older options, getting the necessary draft picks, OR paying up for a stud or 2. The only thing I definitely would not advise is paying elite prices for a RB already in the latter part of his prime (Saquon, CMC, etc) in the offseason. If they tear an ACL in august, your chances of getting anything meaningful from them in their career simply plummets.

All this is true, which is why I like being in multiple leagues. If you’re in 6 leagues, maybe you can’t get a deal done in 4, but you might be able to in 2. And in the other 4 you can implement t other strategies