Q: What is the zero running back strategy in fantasy football?

The zero running back strategy — typically known as "Zero RB" — refers to a strategy where running backs are ignored in favor of other positions during the early rounds of a fantasy draft. Traditional fantasy strategy typically involves using multiple early picks on running backs, but the proliferation of backfield committees along with high injury rates for the position has caused many drafters to rethink that strategy in recent years. In some cases, Zero RB might mean waiting until the fourth or fifth round to draft a running back, while others might take it to the extreme and wait as late as the seventh or eighth round. The strategy typically creates a team that relies on its wide receivers to score most of the points, and often a premium quarterback and/or tight end also will be included in the roster build.

Question 1

What is a fantasy football devy league?

Accepted Answer

"Devy" is short for "developmental." A fantasy football devy league is a form of dynasty league where you draft college football players and hold onto them until they are in the NFL. Once they join an NFL roster they become available to play on your fantasy team.Devy leagues offer an additional challenge, as you'll be drafting incoming college freshmen and other non-rostered college players to your roster each year.

Question 2

What is a fantasy football dynasty league?

Accepted Answer

A fantasy football dynasty league is a format that challenges you to play more like you own a real NFL team. The expectation when joining a dynasty league is that you will draft your team and then keep most, if not all, of your players for several years. The strategy involved is very different than redraft leagues because you have to think about each player's value far beyond just the current season. A player's value decreases over time due to age and expected decline in fantasy production. Each offseason you'll have the opportunity to participate in a rookie draft to rebuild or reinforce your roster.You can find dynasty draft cheat sheets here.For dynasty strategy articles click here.

Question 3

What is a fantasy football zombie league?

Accepted Answer

Although the "zombie" league format has existed (with some different variables, depending on your source) for over five years, you still may not find a fantasy game provider that offers zombie league settings. With that said, it can take some time (and creativity) to run this type of league.In one version, all but one owner or team will participate in the fantasy draft. After the draft has completed the 'zombie' team will be able to build their team from the pool of non-drafted players. In a head to head format, the zombie team will face a normal team each week. If the zombie team wins, they get to steal the best player from the team they beat, and that losing team has to drop their remaining players and becomes another "zombie" team. The dropped players join the waiver wire, where all teams - including the team that lost - can bid on them. This process will continue throughout the season.

Question 4

How does weather affect fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

Weather can certainly affect players' performances, which would inherently affect your fantasy football team. With that being said, you shouldn't solely draft based on weather. It wouldn't be logical to take Kirk Cousins, who plays in a dome, over Josh Allen, who plays home games outside in Buffalo, NY, because of winter weather in NY. It is important to keep an eye on weather on a game-by-game basis when making start/sit decisions. RotoWire's Weather Report is a useful tool in identifying where weather could have a negative influence on fantasy productivity.

Question 5

What is a taxi squad in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

Taxi squads allow fantasy owners to place players in a dedicated section separate from the main roster and the IR. Also referred to as practice squads, taxi squads are most often found in dynasty leagues and used to stash rookies who are unlikely to make it to your starting lineup in the current season.

Question 6

What is the zero running back strategy in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

The zero running back strategy &mdash; typically known as "Zero RB" &mdash; refers to a strategy where running backs are ignored in favor of other positions during the early rounds of a fantasy draft. Traditional fantasy strategy typically involves using multiple early picks on running backs, but the proliferation of backfield committees along with high injury rates for the position has caused many drafters to rethink that strategy in recent years. In some cases, Zero RB might mean waiting until the fourth or fifth round to draft a running back, while others might take it to the extreme and wait as late as the seventh or eighth round. The strategy typically creates a team that relies on its wide receivers to score most of the points, and often a premium quarterback and/or tight end also will be included in the roster build.

Question 7

Can you draft a fantasy football team from your phone?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can draft a fantasy team from the convenience of your phone. Most major fantasy league providers, including ESPN and Yahoo offer fantasy apps with full draft room capabilities. You can also practice with mock drafts on some of these apps too.

Question 8

How do fantasy football waivers work?

Accepted Answer

Waivers are where teams or owners can select players who are not currently on a league roster. In order to select a player from this pool, an owner must make a claim. However, there will be a freeze (typically until late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning) on these players so that every owner has a chance to enter a claim. Priority is given to the owner who is higher up in the waiver order. Once the waiver claims are made, players who were not claimed become "free agents" and can be added by any owner on a first come, first served basis up until players lock again when their next game kicks off. The waiver order and pool of players can reset each week.

Question 9

What is the history of fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

The first fantasy football league appeared in 1963 thanks to Bill Winkenbach. Winkenbach was a part owner of the Oakland Raiders when he created the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League (GOPPPL). He also created some of the first fantasy baseball and golf leagues, leading the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association to dub him "the father of fantasy sports." One of the founding members of GOPPPL, Andy Mousalimas, brought the first public fantasy football league to his Oakland sports bar in 1969. The idea spread by word of mouth over the following decades, and many of the earliest documented leagues popped up on college campuses.Of course, the game became far more widespread when it moved to the internet. The Grandstand Sports Services launched the first nationally available fantasy football leagues online in 1985. In 1987, Fantasy Football Index became the first national magazine dedicated to fantasy football.Today it is estimated that over 60 million people in North America play fantasy sports, and over 75% play fantasy football specifically.

Question 10

What does boom or bust player mean in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

Boom players are those that perform above their projections or draft positions. On the opposite end, bust players are those that perform under their expected value.

Question 11

Is there such a thing as fantasy football insurance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Well, at least there was fantasy football insurance. Our research shows that FantasyPlayerProtect (FPP) offered the first fantasy insurance product in 2014. Several other fantasy insurance companies popped up after that, but as of this writing it appears that the last couple options may have died off after the 2021 season.With fantasy sports insurance you would choose specific players that you would like to insure, and if they miss a certain number of games due to injury then you would get paid out. Premiums were set based on a player's injury history.

Question 12

Should you handcuff in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

There is no right or wrong answer.There are examples where handcuffing paid off, such as owners who drafted both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison of the Vikings in 2021 and were rewarded with 3 elite performances from Mattison when Cook missed time. However, there are also plenty of situations where it didn't pay off -- like if you selected Hassan Haskins in 2022 as Derrick Henry's handcuff, and he contributed very little, even in the one game that he was the clear replacement when Henry was out. Ultimately, handcuffing is fantasy football's version of insurance. You "buy" it to protect your investment, yet you hope that you don't have to use it. (In the example above, you drafted Haskins while hoping that Derrick Henry would get every carry for the Titans all season long.) The cost is a draft pick and a roster spot that could otherwise be used on a player that could make an immediate contribution or at least be a viable bye week replacement.Most likely if you are in a league with limited bench spots, handcuffing will not be a useful strategy because every roster spot is so valuable that you can't afford to hold a player who likely will not be useful most weeks. If you have a deeper bench then you can afford to roster that type of player. Or if you're in a larger league with 14+ teams then the quality of players may be stretched thin enough that getting a "handcuff" may be a better option than the other players available.

Question 13

What are handcuffs in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

A "fantasy handcuff" refers to a backup player who would be expected to take over for a team's starting skill player in the event that the starter misses any time. While those in deeper leagues may use that approach for all the skill positions, it is most common for fantasy managers to seek out backup running backs. For example, if a manager selects a running back in Round 1 or pays a high price for an RB1 in an auction, adding that player's backup later in the draft or for a modest bid as the auction unfolds is representative of securing a "fantasy handcuff."

Question 14

What are tiers in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

Tiers are groupings of players intended to help with draft strategy. For example, in 2023 Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts are commonly being ranked in the top tier of QBs, while Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields may make up your second tier, and so on. Generally speaking, the players in a particular tier can be considered interchangeable, with any one of them considered to be a reasonable selection ahead of any of the others in the same tier.Keeping track of these groupings allows you to monitor for potential drop-offs in the quality of players at a specific position.

Question 15

What are projections in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

Projections in fantasy football represent predictive numbers that estimate a player's production, be it for a game, week, month, within a specified date, or for a partial or full season. Prior to a league's draft or auction, projected stats based on that league's scoring system/format can be utilized to evaluate and rank players, with those expected to score points at the highest rate representing the most desirable targets. Numerous factors go into determining a player's projections. Among these are past performance, skill set, team context, health, general potential for improvement and anticipated playing time. While various sites and tools project many different stat categories, in terms of skill-position players, the most commonly referred to metrics are yardage (passing, rushing, receiving), touchdowns and, in some formats, catches. In leagues that factor in IDPs (individual defensive players), important stats include tackles, sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles and defensive touchdowns. Projections can also be team-based and, for the purposes of fantasy football, are applicable when it comes to evaluating the value of team defenses, which often occupy a positional slot in fantasy leagues.

Question 16

What is the can't cut list in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

Some host sites like ESPN or Yahoo will have a list of players that can't be released by their fantasy teams. Usually, this list is comprised of superstar players, with the idea that teams releasing them would throw off the competitive balance of the league.

Question 17

What does GTD mean in fantasy basketball?

Accepted Answer

In fantasy basketball, GTD is an acronym that means "Game Time Decision." It refers to a player's potential availability for a given game or contest. If a player is listed as "GTD," it's generally believed that he has about a 50 percent chance to play in the team's next game.

Question 18

What is streaming in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

Streaming is when you drop and add players on a regular basis to fill a particular lineup spot based on short-term potential. Usually, players who are streamed are not consistently good enough to warrant a full-time roster spot. Instead, they're added by fantasy owners in search of production for only one or two weeks at a time, usually based on favorable matchups. This strategy is most commonly seen with defenses and kickers, but it can be useful for any position where you do not have an elite, must-start player.

Question 19

Can you vote against a trade in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

Most leagues will allow fantasy team owners to vote on a trade, with a majority needed in order to veto. However, other leagues will bypass the voting process, instead leaving the "veto" up to the commissioner's discretion. Fantasy etiquette generally favors voting against a trade only in the case of collusion or intentional sabotage, rather than voting on the basis of whether a trade seems "fair".

Question 20

What is a sleeper in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

A "sleeper" is a player who is not being valued properly in the fantasy football community. Usually it refers to a late draft pick who you believe can vastly outperform the expectations of his draft spot.

Question 21

What should I do if one of my key players gets injured in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

The primary factors to consider are the severity of an injury and the composition of your bench. The schedule for fantasy football is brief compared to other sports, so an injury with a lengthy recovery (i.e. torn ACL or ruptured Achilles) requires an owner to swap the affected player for a healthy one immediately. In some cases, it's prudent to look at the teammate who replaces him, but typically the best player available at his position in the free-agent pool is the first one to attempt to pick up. For a lesser injury - one with a recovery expected to be weeks instead of months - an owner usually can get by with stashing a top-level player, unless bench spots are at a premium. If your league offers an injured reserve (IR) spot then you can move an injured player to that spot until he returns, opening up a roster spot to add a free agent.

Question 22

Who can I use in the defense slot in fantasy football?

Accepted Answer

The defense slot is meant to be filled by a "team defense and special teams unit," rather than an individual player. For example, you might start the 'Baltimore Ravens' or 'Pittsburgh Steelers', in which case you receive points for any sacks, interceptions or fumble recoveries (among other things) accrued by all of the players on those defenses. Plus, if, for example, the special teams unit returns a kickoff for a touchdown, points are awarded for that as well. However, there are also some leagues that use individual defensive players, which are known as IDP leagues.

Question 23

How do the fantasy football playoffs work?

Accepted Answer

The parameters of fantasy football playoffs aren't standard from league to league, so always be sure to check your league settings.In many instances, they run from Weeks 15-17, with six teams getting berths and the top two seeds receiving byes Week 15. In this playoff format, the 3rd seed competes against the 6th seed, while the 4th seed plays the 5th seed in Week 15. The winners advance to Week 16, where one competes against the top seed and the other competes against the 2nd seed. The winners of those two semifinal matchups move on to face off head-to-head in the championship game during Week 17.In leagues in which just four teams make the postseason, a common setup uses the combined scores from Weeks 15 and 16 to determine semifinal winners, before taking the combined Week 17-18 score to figure out the champion.

Question 24

When does fantasy football start?

Accepted Answer

Week 1 of each NFL season takes place on the Thursday-Sunday-Monday stretch immediately after Labor Day weekend in September. However, for owners in fantasy football leagues, a draft or auction must happen before then to ensure a full season. So, the "fantasy season" more or less begins once a league holds a draft or auction. Most websites that host fantasy football leagues, such as ESPN and Yahoo, will open for the new season late in April.

Question 25

When are the fantasy football playoffs?

Accepted Answer

Typically, the fantasy football playoffs start Week 15, but how it breaks down from there depends on the league. In many instances, they run from Weeks 15-17, with six teams getting berths and the top two seeds receiving byes Week 15. Then, Week 16 hosts two semifinal matchups, while the championship game occurs Week 17. In leagues in which just four teams make the postseason, a common setup uses the combined scores from Weeks 15 and 16 to determine semifinal winners, before taking the combined Week 17-18 score to figure out the champion.

What's the key to pulling off a successful fantasy football trade?