Running back value has certainly been a popular topic this week after Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs failed to secure long-term contracts. Now, both will play this season on the franchise tag -- if they play at all. It's a storyline to monitor as we approach the start of training camp.
Most likely, Barkley and Jacobs will hold out during training camp but return prior to Week 1. It would be a shock if they missed games in protest over their contracts, and it stinks that they aren't properly compensated for their work. But that's the reality of today's NFL, that running backs aren't considered valuable assets.
In Fantasy, running backs are still immensely valuable, no matter what anyone says. It's just a matter of when Fantasy managers want to commit to selecting their first running back on Draft Day.
We held a 12-team, PPR mock draft this week, and it was interesting to see three managers (me, Dan Schneier and Chris Towers) start our teams with a RB-RB approach. I went with Bijan Robinson and Tony Pollard from the No. 7 spot, Dan started with Barkley and Nick Chubb from No. 10, and Chris went with Jonathan Taylor and Jacobs from No. 11.
All three of us knew right away that we would be chasing wide receivers in this league, and Dan ended up with the best starting trio of Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper and Terry McLaurin. He also has Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, Darren Waller at tight end and Isaiah Pacheco at flex, and this is a standout starting lineup for a RB-RB build.
Chris didn't select his first receiver until Round 4 because in Round 3 he drafted Lamar Jackson. He then drafted DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Brandon Aiyuk, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Michael Thomas with his next five picks. It's a solid group, which also includes Rondale Moore, and I like the way Chris covered himself after waiting on receivers.
I waited the longest to draft a wide receiver since I ended up with Mark Andrews in Round 3, and I also drafted Aaron Jones in Round 4. Andrews was an easy selection, but I struggled with Jones vs. a wide receiver like Jerry Jeudy, Christian Watson or Deebo Samuel. In a real draft, I would have selected Jeudy, but I wanted to build a team this way in this mock.
I felt lucky to get DK Metcalf in Round 5, and then I drafted a high-upside player in Jahan Dotson in Round 6. He's not the most ideal No. 2 receiver, but he certainly stood out at times in his rookie campaign in 2022. Mike Williams felt like a steal in Round 7, and I was thrilled with George Pickens in Round 8.
The rest of my receiving corps is Nathaniel Dell and Van Jefferson, and I'm OK with this group. There's not a true No. 1 receiver, but my overall roster, which also has Anthony Richardson and Deshaun Watson at quarterback, is solid.
If you want to see what a modified Zero-RB roster looks like, check out what Frank Stampfl did at No. 5 overall. He started his team with Cooper Kupp, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow with his first four picks, and his first running back was Kenneth Walker III in Round 5. He drafted Tyler Lockett in Round 6 and then targeted more running backs with Dalvin Cook, Antonio Gibson and Zach Charbonnet with his next three selections.
I don't love his backfield, but where Cook ends up could change that. Frank is counting on his passing game, which includes Evan Engram at tight end, to win the league, and it's a different approach to what me, Dan and Chris did in this draft.
In this league, all touchdowns are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE and FLEX (RB/WR/TE) with six reserves for a 14-round draft.
Our draft order is as follows:
1. R.J. White, Managing Editor, SportsLine and CBS Fantasy
2. Adam Aizer, FFT Podcast Host
3. Zach Brook, FFT Social Media Coordinator
4. Meron Berkson, CBS Sports HQ Producer
5. Frank Stampfl, FBT Podcast Host
6. Thomas Shafer, FFT Podcast Producer
7. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
8. George Maselli, Fantasy Editor
9. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
10. Daniel Schneier, Senior Fantasy Editor
11. Chris Towers, Senior Editor, Fantasy Sports
12. Casey Symonds, FFT Open Moderator
| Round 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 1 | Thomas Shafer | |
| 2 | Adam Aizer | |
| Thomas Shafer | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 1 | |
| Adam Aizer | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 2 | |
