Wide receivers are in, running backs are out—sort of.
If you’ve begun your fantasy football draft research, you’ve likely noticed more receivers than usual are near the top of rankings in redraft leagues. Running backs still dominate the top of drafts—Jonathan Taylor is the consensus 1.01 and some familiar running backs are still going early in the first round—but more and more pass-catchers have worked their way into the top 12 picks compared to recent years.
I wrote an article last summer titled “Fantasy Fans Buck NFL Trends By Waiting on Receivers & Stockpiling Running Backs Early.” Ten running backs finished among the top 12 by average draft position (ADP) last season along with just one wide receiver (Davante Adams) and one tight end (Travis Kelce). One year later, the number of first-round running backs is down to seven and the number of receivers has ballooned to five.
