2015 Fantasy Football Draft Guide

Aug 3, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers running back

arrives for training camp at

Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Early Round Strategy: Running Back, Running Back? Right?

My good friend and college, Dennis Farrell from Detroit Sports 105.1 powered by ESPN said it best, “fantasy football itself hasn’t changed, but the way we draft has”. And he’s absolutely correct. Especially in 2015. Gone are the days of back-to-back running backs being the most effective way to assemble your talent early on.

MUST READ: Fantasy Football Power Rankings: Top 20 Wide Receivers

A theory that I have proven to be true this season is taking back-to-back wide receivers instead. In multiple mock drafts, I’ve discovered that you can easily take a guy like Julio Jones in round No. 1 and come back around and grab Calvin Johnson in round No. 2.

Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

By doing so, by the time round three rolls around it then becomes optimal time to grab a runner. Guys like Johnathan Stewart, Carlos Hyde, Mark Ingram and Frank Gore are almost always still on the board and are a great value at this point. Furthermore, if you’re in a PPR league (as a majority of us are these days) taking someone like C.J. Spiller is also a tremendous option.

By following the plan set forth above, you’ll effectively enter round five either looking for a quarterback or a tight end — and you might be surprised by who’s still available.

In almost 95% of my mock drafts this season, (12 man, PPR) Peyton Manning remains on the board when round N0. 5 begins. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “he’s washed up, put a fork in him.” And that may be true — to an extent.

What Manning will still likely be this year is solid during the regular season, especially early on. Grabbing Manning in round five is an option I have a hard time arguing with, however if it’s me — I’m probably going to pass.

Also at SLR: Fantasy Football Power Rankings: Top 10 Tight Ends

Take a guy like Greg Olsen or Martellus Bennett, because after these tight ends, the talent will start to fall off. As for quarterbacks, we’ll cover that further later.

Next: AP is Back -- Now What?