Dynasty Draft Primer: Hero RB Strategy (2023 Fantasy Football)

Dynasty fantasy football is arguably the best form of fantasy sports. It’s a year-round game that allows fantasy players so many ways to build their team into a contender. However, which draft strategy is the best?

The honest answer is that there is no answer. You can only screw up your dynasty team by not having a draft strategy. However, having a draft strategy and executing it are two different things.

This dynasty strategy primer won’t cover every possible startup draft strategy, as there are way too many strategies. However, I’m going to highlight five of the more popular draft strategies fantasy players use when wanting to compete in the first year. Unfortunately, that means I won’t get to cover my favorite draft strategy: tanking the first year.

For more dynasty fantasy football content and advice, check out the FantasyPros Dynasty Draft Kit.

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Hero RB Strategy

Overview:

This strategy is also referred to as Anchor RB. With this strategy, fantasy players want to draft a running back with their first-round pick. That player is the hero or anchor of your team. He is the superstar you are relying on each week to get you the win. When picking out your hero or anchor running back, you want a player with a history of success in the NFL. You want a player that has finished as a top-five running back over the past two years.

After selecting your superstar running back, fantasy players want to load up at other positions. You want to use your next 6-7 picks on wide receivers, a stud tight end, and a star quarterback. Then, you load up on running backs in the middle to late rounds to rotate as your weekly RB2 and to provide depth. The logic with this strategy is to sacrifice at the RB2 slot so you can build a roster with studs at other positions.

Pros:

Running backs are the easiest position to replace throughout the season.
You can prioritize other positions, giving you a weekly advantage at the quarterback or tight end spot.

Cons:

Your team will struggle if your Hero RB busts or misses significant time.
The running back position is deep but lacks massive upside in the middle to later rounds.

Players to Target:

Yes, these are three of the top running backs in fantasy football. Yet, that’s exactly what you want when using the Hero RB strategy. Younger running backs like Breece Hall and Ken Walker III are appealing, however, they haven’t proven to be elite fantasy players yet. Furthermore, you want a safe floor with your hero running back. Even if they don’t finish as a top-three running back, you know they won’t end the year outside the top 10.

You can find more about this strategy here.