The big picture matters.
As fantasy owners, we spend a lot of time dissecting every position battle without trying to understand how it all fits together.
Every draft season is different and you can’t get a feel for value until you know what’s unique about this year’s draft board. We detail ten big draft trends to know over at the Rotoworld online draft guide, along with all the tiers, rankings, columns, and customizable cheat sheets you’ve come to expect from the award-winning product. Here’s one trend to get you started.
1. Quarterbacks are going earlier than ever
Running backs no longer dominate the top of the draft. Two quarterbacks - Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees - usually crack the first round, and seven are often off the board by pick 45. One reason for the trend is a perceived gap between the top seven signal callers and everyone else. (My personal order: Brees, Rodgers, Manning, Brady, Schaub, Romo, Rivers.)
Owners are looking for sure things instead of riskier running backs and wideouts.
The best value for quarterbacks -- even top-shelf ones -- comes after the first two rounds. That’s because I don’t see a massive gap between the top quarterbacks like Rodgers and guys like Brady, Rivers, and Schaub, who often fall out of the top 35-40 picks.
Still, the lesson is clear. You no longer can wait too long if you want an every-week starter at quarterback.
(Whether you really need an every-week starter at QB -- that’s another article.)