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usatsi

If you've followed our fan mock drafts this offseason, you've known that the majority of Fantasy managers prefer to begin their roster builds by taking one running back and one wide receiver with their first two picks. In our most recent mock, just five teams did that.

Four other rosters started with two receivers, and three began with two running backs. Keep in mind, this was a full-PPR mock where you can start one flex on top of two running backs and two wide receivers. Perhaps that played a role. But beginning a roster with RB-RB has proven to be a unique choice this offseason.

Let's check out the three rosters that did this:

Team 1 didn't even pick a wide receiver until Round 4. Christian McCaffrey predictably went first overall, then Isiah Pacheco and Sam LaPorta were the back-to-back picks in Rounds 2 and 3. I actually don't mind this formula in a non-PPR league because the roster is loaded with two volume fiends at running back and one of the very best tight ends in Fantasy. But the full-PPR scoring does create a little anxiety. The manager did address receiver on the Round 4/5 turn with DeVonta Smith and Tank Dell, two receivers with high variance from week to week, then hit receiver again in Rounds 6/7 with Jayden Reed and Keon Coleman. A lot of upside shots at receiver to go with the stability at tight end and two clear studs at running back. I suppose if you view Brandon Aiyuk or D.J. Moore as more expensive versions of Smith and Dell, then waiting on receiver made some sense there.

Interestingly enough, it was Team 5 that drafted both Aiyuk and Moore in Rounds 3 and 4 after nabbing Breece Hall in Round 1 and Travis Etienne in Round 2. If this drafter wasn't inclined to target a tight end early, I think the picks were very good. Both Aiyuk and Moore should be able to pull off better week-to-week consistency than Smith and Dell will, and the running backs should be productive as well. In Round 5, Team 5 chose Lamar Jackson, opting to take an elite-tier quarterback instead of a tight end, though to be fair there were six tight ends taken when Jackson went off the board. I think Team 5 did an excellent job, but I am also a fan of Aiyuk and Moore.

Team 11 had the option to take one of Puka Nacua or Garrett Wilson in Round 1 and then take the best available running back from Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley, or Kyren Williams in Round 2. Instead, they went with Gibbs first and then passed on Wilson in Round 2 in favor of Williams. What did the available receivers look like between 35th and 40th overall? Nico Collins, D.J. Moore, and DK Metcalf were the best three left on my board; Collins and Metcalf were the picks. As No. 2 options, all three work out great, but as No. 1-types they leave a little to be desired. Was it worth it? Well, running backs like Alvin Kamara and Kenneth Walker were the best ones left in Round 4/5, so maybe so. Evan Engram was Team 11's fifth-round pick, another choice that seemed a little reach-y.

I think there are three tips worth following if you do end up going RB-RB, and they're for any one-QB draft format:

  1. Make sure you're not reaching for running backs. That's just plain ol' good advice in general.
  2. Do the research on receivers and make sure you're comfortable with the ones in those second and third tiers. If you're not in love with WRs in that Round 3-5 ADP range, you're really going to hate what you see in the Round 6-8 range.
  3. Don't follow up your RB-RB start with a tight end and a quarterback within your following three picks, further pushing down the types of receivers you'll be able to pick from.

A final note: No more than five of the top-24 WRs in full-PPR points per game last season had an ADP of Round 6 or later last year. Just keep that in mind if you decide to skip the position early in your drafts.

Every manager fielded a team that must start a QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, a TE and a FLEX (RB/WR/TE) along with seven reserve spots. Our scoring includes six points for all touchdowns along with one point per reception, one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving, one point for every 25 yards passing and minus-two points for every turnover.

The results are listed below -- please take the time to review each team, and even consider how the non-RB-RB teams started their mock drafts.

Round By Round
Round 1
Pos Team Player
1 TEAM 6
2 TEAM 7
3 TEAM 11
4 TEAM 3
5 TEAM 12
6 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
7 you got a Purdy mouth
8 TEAM 2
9 TEAM 1
10 Bay Area Ballers
11 Famous
12 TEAM 9
Round 2
Pos Team Player
13 TEAM 9
14 Famous
15 Bay Area Ballers
16 TEAM 1
17 TEAM 2
18 you got a Purdy mouth
19 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
20 TEAM 12
21 TEAM 3
22 TEAM 11
23 TEAM 7
24 TEAM 6
Round 3
Pos Team Player
25 TEAM 6
26 TEAM 7
27 TEAM 11
28 TEAM 3
29 TEAM 12
30 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
31 you got a Purdy mouth
32 TEAM 2
33 TEAM 1
34 Bay Area Ballers
35 Famous
36 TEAM 9
Round 4
Pos Team Player
37 TEAM 9
38 Famous
39 Bay Area Ballers
40 TEAM 1
41 TEAM 2
42 you got a Purdy mouth
43 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
44 TEAM 12
45 TEAM 3
46 TEAM 11
47 TEAM 7
48 TEAM 6
Round 5
Pos Team Player
49 TEAM 6
50 TEAM 7
51 TEAM 11
52 TEAM 3
53 TEAM 12
54 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
55 you got a Purdy mouth
56 TEAM 2
57 TEAM 1
58 Bay Area Ballers
59 Famous
60 TEAM 9
Round 6
Pos Team Player
61 TEAM 9
62 Famous
63 Bay Area Ballers
64 TEAM 1
65 TEAM 2
66 you got a Purdy mouth
67 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
68 TEAM 12
69 TEAM 3
70 TEAM 11
71 TEAM 7
72 TEAM 6
Round 7
Pos Team Player
73 TEAM 6
74 TEAM 7
75 TEAM 11
76 TEAM 3
77 TEAM 12
78 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
79 you got a Purdy mouth
80 TEAM 2
81 TEAM 1
82 Bay Area Ballers
83 Famous
84 TEAM 9
Round 8
Pos Team Player
85 TEAM 9
86 Famous
87 Bay Area Ballers
88 TEAM 1
89 TEAM 2
90 you got a Purdy mouth
91 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
92 TEAM 12
93 TEAM 3
94 TEAM 11
95 TEAM 7
96 TEAM 6
Round 9
Pos Team Player
97 TEAM 6
98 TEAM 7
99 TEAM 11
100 TEAM 3
101 TEAM 12
102 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
103 you got a Purdy mouth
104 TEAM 2
105 TEAM 1
106 Bay Area Ballers
107 Famous
108 TEAM 9
Round 10
Pos Team Player
109 TEAM 9
110 Famous
111 Bay Area Ballers
112 TEAM 1
113 TEAM 2
114 you got a Purdy mouth
115 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
116 TEAM 12
117 TEAM 3
118 TEAM 11
119 TEAM 7
120 TEAM 6
Round 11
Pos Team Player
121 TEAM 6
122 TEAM 7
123 TEAM 11
124 TEAM 3
125 TEAM 12
126 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
127 you got a Purdy mouth
128 TEAM 2
129 TEAM 1
130 Bay Area Ballers
131 Famous
132 TEAM 9
Round 12
Pos Team Player
133 TEAM 9
134 Famous
135 Bay Area Ballers
136 TEAM 1
137 TEAM 2
138 you got a Purdy mouth
139 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
140 TEAM 12
141 TEAM 3
142 TEAM 11
143 TEAM 7
144 TEAM 6
Round 13
Pos Team Player
145 TEAM 6
146 TEAM 7
147 TEAM 11
148 TEAM 3
149 TEAM 12
150 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
151 you got a Purdy mouth
152 TEAM 2
153 TEAM 1
154 Bay Area Ballers
155 Famous
156 TEAM 9
Round 14
Pos Team Player
157 TEAM 9
158 Famous
159 Bay Area Ballers
160 TEAM 1
161 TEAM 2
162 you got a Purdy mouth
163 Knowledge Reigns Supreme
164 TEAM 12
165 TEAM 3
166 TEAM 11
167 TEAM 7
168 TEAM 6
Team by Team
TEAM 6
Rd Pk Player
1 1
2 24
3 25
4 48
5 49
6 72
7 73
8 96
9 97
10 120
11 121
12 144
13 145
14 168
TEAM 7
Rd Pk Player
1 2
2 23
3 26
4 47
5 50
6 71
7 74
8 95
9 98
10 119
11 122
12 143
13 146
14 167
TEAM 11
Rd Pk Player
1 3
2 22
3 27
4 46
5 51
6 70
7 75
8 94
9 99
10 118
11 123
12 142
13 147
14 166
TEAM 3
Rd Pk Player
1 4
2 21
3 28
4 45
5 52
6 69
7 76
8 93
9 100
10 117
11 124
12 141
13 148
14 165
TEAM 12
Rd Pk Player
1 5
2 20
3 29
4 44
5 53
6 68
7 77
8 92
9 101
10 116
11 125
12 140
13 149
14 164
Knowledge Reigns Supreme
Rd Pk Player
1 6
2 19
3 30
4 43
5 54
6 67
7 78
8 91
9 102
10 115
11 126
12 139
13 150
14 163
you got a Purdy mouth
Rd Pk Player
1 7
2 18
3 31
4 42
5 55
6 66
7 79
8 90
9 103
10 114
11 127
12 138
13 151
14 162
TEAM 2
Rd Pk Player
1 8
2 17
3 32
4 41
5 56
6 65
7 80
8 89
9 104
10 113
11 128
12 137
13 152
14 161
TEAM 1
Rd Pk Player
1 9
2 16
3 33
4 40
5 57
6 64
7 81
8 88
9 105
10 112
11 129
12 136
13 153
14 160
Bay Area Ballers
Rd Pk Player
1 10
2 15
3 34
4 39
5 58
6 63
7 82
8 87
9 106
10 111
11 130
12 135
13 154
14 159
Famous
Rd Pk Player
1 11
2 14
3 35
4 38
5 59
6 62
7 83
8 86
9 107
10 110
11 131
12 134
13 155
14 158
TEAM 9
Rd Pk Player
1 12
2 13
3 36
4 37
5 60
6 61
7 84
8 85
9 108
10 109
11 132
12 133
13 156
14 157