The Real Winning Formula: No RB, and How to Break Your League’s Brain

Now that you’ve seen Shaun’s “load up on running backs” strategy, let’s talk about the actual path to fantasy enlightenment. And to be fair to Shaun, his way works sometimes. He’s had seasons where he’s cashed out, celebrated at Buffalo Wild Wings, and looked smug holding his jalapeño poppers.

But me? Ever since I pivoted to a No RB (punting the position until the late rounds) or Hero RB (one stud muffin like Jahmyr Gibbs and then 47 receivers) approach, my “in the money” finishes have hit nearly 90%. That’s not a fluke — that’s math in a tuxedo drinking an Old Fashioned.

Let me illustrate with a mock draft I ran in real time. I picked 11th in a 12-team PPR league and planned to go WR-heavy in the first four rounds. I wanted the wheel slot, but was a second too late — like walking into a happy hour just as the bartender flips the sign to “Private Event.”

Rounds 1–2: The Foundation

Picks: Brian Thomas, Nico Collins.
Value so good it should’ve come gift-wrapped.
Had I gone RB here, Devon Achane or Derrick Henry were on the board. Defensible picks? Sure. But the point here isn’t “safe.” The point is overwhelm them in one position before they realize what’s happening.

Rounds 3–4: The WR Avalanche

Picks: Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr.
Oh. My. God. This WR room is a penthouse suite.
If I’d gone RB, I’d have been looking at Alvin Kamara, Chuba Hubbard, or Kenneth Walker. Fine players. Also fine players to let someone else overpay for.

Way too early for QB, but some folks will panic and take Jayden Daniels here. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were already gone. Good. Let them chase names.

Rounds 5–6: The Luxury Pick and the Workhorse

Pick 5: Jaylen Waddle — a luxury, yes, but at this price? Absolute steal.
Pick 6: David Montgomery — as good a bet for double-digit touchdowns as exists in the league. Isaiah Pacheco and Tyrone Tracy were here too, as was Aaron Jones Sr, who will apparently be splitting touches with Jordan Mason in some cruel Shanahan fever dream.

Rounds 7–8: Jackpot Falls to Me

Pick 7: Tyrone Tracy somehow comes back to me. Don’t ask questions, just take the gift.
Pick 8: Kaleb Johnson — figures to get the early-down and goal-line work in Pittsburgh. Would I have loved David Njoku here? Sure. But he got pipped right before my turn. That’s fine. Tight end can wait.

Rounds 9–10: Depth and Disrespect

Pick 9: Keenan Allen — I’ll take a shot on the return to form.
Pick 10: Austin Ekeler — the fantasy equivalent of finding a $50 bill in an old pair of jeans. Is he ancient? Yes. Can he still win me weeks? Also yes.

At this point, my RB room is solid, but my WR corps is filthy.

Rounds 11–12: Gambling on Tight End

Picks: Hunter Henry and Kyle Pitts.
Henry was Drake Maye’s favorite red-zone target, and if a QB change doesn’t finally unlock Pitts’ talent, then he might as well retire and sell Herbalife. But here? This late? You’re buying lottery tickets at half price.

Rounds 13–14: The QB Punt Pays Off

Picks: Trevor Lawrence and Bryce Young.
Yes, Bryce Young. Don’t laugh — he was one of the highest PPG QBs down the stretch last year, largely on the strength of his sneaky rushing ability.

And that’s the point. While my leaguemates were taking QBs in Rounds 4–7, I was stockpiling WRs who will outscore their RB2s and their WR2s all year long.

The Lesson

No, I didn’t draft exactly how I would in a real league — I took liberties to make the point. But the core truth stands:

  • Rounds 2–5: WRs here will vastly outperform the RBs you can get in the same range.
  • Rounds 6–10: That’s where RB value lives.
  • Quarterbacks: Wait. Wait longer. Wait until they start sending you “you still need a QB” notifications.

Because in a game where the only objective is to score more points than the other guy? You don’t win by following the crowd. You win by making them look up from their draft board, stare at your roster, and mutter, “Oh… crap.”

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