2019 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Everything You Need to Know to Win the Game

For a long time, fantasy drafters found themselves prioritizing running backs in draft for the first two picks. There was this persistent belief that RBs were always the strongest option for succeeding in their league.

Even so, there’s been a new trend for wide receivers to go early in picks, and there are many reasons you may want to prioritize wide receivers in your next fantasy draft. Here are four reasons to consider picking wide receivers over running backs this upcoming season.

WRs are a safe bet

While nobody wants to discuss injuries or bank on them, the fact of the matter remains that at least one of your players will sustain an injury over the course of your fantasy season. Running backs and tight ends are particularly at risk, since they’re more likely to get tackled in a game than a wide receiver halfway past the defense and on their way to the end zone.

WRs are solid in leagues when touchdowns matter

If your league values touchdowns, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be picking up a solid wide receiver in your first or second pick of the draft. As you plan your wide receiver pick order, make sure to read up on the latest wide receiver rankings to have a good understanding of how you want to value each player during your draft.

Taking a look at each wide receiver’s 2018 finish can give you a good idea about how they’ll be targeted in the upcoming season, and it’ll help you choose players who will truly perform during 2019. Keep in mind how trades may also affect receiver performance; just because Antonio Brown was a hot finisher last year doesn’t mean that he’ll perform as well in Oakland playing for the Raiders.

WRs average higher points

Even if running backs and quarterbacks seem more promising on their face, the fact of the matter remains that wide receivers score more in fantasy leagues than other players. Remember that last year was one of the best yet for wide receivers, who were responsible for an NFL record of 532 touchdowns.
This shows that wide receivers are poised to perform just as well this upcoming season, as owners aim to leverage how wide receivers outpaced their respective running backs to create one of the strongest showings in NFL history. If you care about scoring, you’ll want to value wide receivers high in your next fantasy draft.

WRs are less fragile in draft than RBs

Because of the emphasis placed on running backs historically during fantasy drafts, a running back strategy is far more fragile than one that prioritizes wide receivers. As wide receivers are generally picked a little bit lower in others’ pick order, you’ll likely have a higher quality pool to choose from valuing wide receivers above running backs.

This can translate to a much stronger overall team, particularly when considering the above three points. Don’t leave your drafting strategy susceptible to such an avoidable weakness; value your wide receivers appropriately. 

Although it’s a little bit less common, valuing wide receivers higher than other players can pay big dividends depending on how your league is set up. Apply this strategy to one of your upcoming drafts and see how easy it is to reap in the benefits.