In dynasty, your positional strategy will be slightly different, RB perhaps being one of the most different! Understanding what those differences are, and how to adjust will help you perform in your league
What is the difference to Redraft?
The position is still valuable, but it’s longevity is shorter than any other position. The impact on a player’s body takes it’s toll and meaning that the turnover at the position is huge.
Just a few years ago, Todd Gurley was the clear top option at the position. Now, having been moved and his knee issues, he has nearly fallen completely out of the league.
Dynasty RB Considerations
Knowing how you should value a RB for dynasty, knowing what you have will form a large part of your overall strategy.
Contract Situation
RBs are not guaranteeed a future in the league. Infact, outside of just a few players it’s unlikely that many will see a (decent) second contract.
So, if a player is nearing the end of his rookie deal his value can take a bit of a hit. Outside of the top tier of talent, most players are going to get replaced in the draft with younger legs.
Age
Age is a big thing for running backs. Well, actually to be more specific, touches. If you look back historically, once players reach 26/ 27 (so pretty much just after their rookie deal) they really start to decline for fantasy.
So, that means to try and maximise your value you should try and move your RBs before they fall off that cliff.
However, that’s not to say you should just ship them off. If you are a contender you should look to try and acquire talent like this. A player that can make the difference.
Backfield Situation
Who is in the backfield and how does it operate? A player that is the leading starter for a team that runs the ball often is gold dust. But realistically, it’s hard to find.
Therefore you are going to need to find a compromise. A player that is constantly rotated in and out, but is efficient could be worth more than a player that just gets touches.
Typically, those volume players that just get touches for fantasy relevance fall off a cliff very quickly.
Acquiring Talent
Given that players fall off at the position, how should you get players in? Well, that depends on what you need. If you are contending, you are going to need to pay up and acquire a player in a trade.
Rebuilding? You don’t want to be moving on draft capital, instead acquire players in the draft that could break out and help with your rebuild. (You shouldn’t really build round young RBs anyway, get the other pieces in place and then draft them in.)
Waivers? Seriously doubt you would be able to pick up anything worth starting as a waiver claim. If you are searching the wire, go for some younger upside guys over veterans.
If you need more help in determining your dynasty RB strategy, or some advice just reach out. Remember you can always have a look at our analysis in our dynasty section of the website. Or, drop into our discord server.
Image credit: Chuck Cook – USA TODAY Sports
