Reggie Bush is the ideal RB2

One of the most difficult aspects of Fantasy Football is finding the right RB2, and when to find him. For me, I usually grab a Reggie Bush, Ryan Matthews, or Shane Vereen in the 4th-5th rounds. But, most people do not follow my newly adapted draft strategy, and for the most part, get their RB2 in the 7th or 8th rounds, leaving them with a lower tier RB like Mark Ingram. When picking my RB2, I want to make sure I get a guy who will provide some insurance points. Here are a few things you should look for, and when to get the right RB2, depending on where you draft.

1. Versatility: An RB2 should be versatile, because you should be able to use him as your FLEX when you are in a bind. So, because the RB2 should be able to play the FLEX, this player needs to be able to catch and run for big yards. That's why I fight for guys like Reggie Bush. Bush isn't a big TD guy, but he gets the necessary yards. In 2013, Bush recorded 1,006 rushing yards, and 506 receiving yards. Players like him are the guys you want at the RB2

2. Explosiveness: RB2's have to be explosive, because they are the players who fantasy owners need to rely on for insurance points. Again, Reggie Bush fits this category. In Bush's eight year career in the NFL, he had one season where he played less than 10 games. In those other 7 seasons, Bush has not failed to score less than 40 points for the Lions in one season. Bush also had 5 rushes of over 20 yards, showing even more explosiveness there. Don't forget the fact that he is a dangerous punt returner as well. Some fantasy leagues give points to position players who excel in Special Teams. Bush is an exceptional punt returner, and is always able to find a hole to return the punt for boat loads of yards.

3. Reliability: Bush is also the ideal RB2 due in part to his reliability. When Bush has been the feature back for his offense, which has been his last three seasons, Bush racked up two 1,000 yard rushing seasons, and one season with 986 yards. To add to those 3 seasons, he has a total of 16 TD's, and has at least 35 receptions in those years as well.

      I personally love Reggie Bush. He's just one of those RB's who can rack up un-expected points for you, which can propel anyone to their league playoffs. To make sure that you rack up Reggie Bush as a RB2 that provides those key insurance points, you need to draft him early, along with your RB1. So, for the most points, I suggest grabbing both your starting RB's and WR's in the first four rounds, starting with RB. But, only start with RB if you have a pick in the top half of the first round. If you find yourself towards the bottom of the first round, you can always pick up a Calvin Johnson or Demariyus Thomas with your pick, if all the elite RB's are taken. But, if you go WR with your first rounder, use your next two picks for RB's, and snag a good 4th round WR like Vincent Jackson, Keenan Allen, or Michael Floyd.

Drafting from the 4

This mock draft was an 8 team snake draft, where I drafted from the fourth position.

Immediately I knew that McCoy, Peterson, and Charles would be taken. Some people, in this position, would overvalue Peyton Manning, and pick him here. I always approach my drafts knowing that there will still be QB's available later on in the draft, specifically rounds 5-8. So, I took a look at the WR and RB fields, knowing a TE or QB could not go #4 overall. At this point, no receivers were taken, and the top RB's still available(Eddie Lacy, Matt Forte) do not deserve to be this high in the first round, and they went later in the first round. Calvin Johnson was available, so I drafted him.

KEY DRAFTING APPROACH: When in a situation like I was, or any other situation where you are deciding between two positions, particularly in the first three rounds, look at what tier of player is left, and if they deserve the pick you are using. For example, with my pick, the best available RB was Eddie Lacy, who is not deserving of the fourth overall pick, in my personal opinion, and in rankings. So, I went to the WR's, and in this case, no WR's were drafted, so I picked the best WR out there.

As far as my first four rounds go, I usually try to use those four rounds to gather my starting WR's and RB's. In this order, I drafted Megatron, LeVeon Bell, Alshon Jeffrey, and Reggie Bush.

LeVeon Bell is one of those sophomore Running Backs who can have a great second season. With an outstanding Rookie year, Bell proved to Pittsburgh that they can rely on him for yards on the ground, as well as receiving. Bell had 45 receptions for 399 yards, which is an average of 8.87 YPC. Bell is a dual threat, like Reggie Bush, who can rack up the fantasy points in two different categories.

Alshon Jeffrey and Wes Welker are both players who have extreme explosiveness and big play potential on every down. What I like about Jeffrey is the fact that the Bears can rely on him, and it showed last year. Jeffrey had 89 receptions in 2013, and 62 of those catches were for first downs. This stat, even though it is not talked about much, is one that shows reliability, and trust in the player. Jeffret also will be coming off of a 1,500 yard and 7 TD season. As for Welker, any receiver who has Peyton Manning throwing to him is going to have a successful season. The only thing I would watch out with Welker is, he is not the only receiver Manning likes to throw to. Welker was targeted 110 times, which is 16% of all of Manning's attempts in 2013. But, Welker still recorded 778 receiving yards, and 20 TD"s.

Finally, who could pass up on RG3. The man breathes fantasy potential. In 2012, when RG3 was fully healthy, he was able to avoid mistakes, and make the big plays. In 2013, he had 3 more passing yards than the season before, but had 7 more INT's, and 3 more fumbles. The difference in mistakes is due in part to his mobility. When RG3 is mobile, he can extend the play, and avoid the INT's by scrambling for a few extra yards, run out of bounds, or buy himself more time to find the extra receiver.

Here is the rest of my draft, by position, including all of my backups.


QB: Robert Griffin III (Round 7)
RB: LeVeon Bell (Round 2)
RB: Reggie Bush (Round 4)
WR: Calvin Johnson (Round 1)
WR: Alshon Jeffrey (Round 3)
Flex: Wes Welker (Round 6)
TE: Vernon Davis (Round 5)
D/ST: Seattle/Carolina (Rounds 9 and 11)
K: Matt Prater (Round 10)

Backups: Chris Johnson, Reuben Randle, Danny Woodhead, Jay Cutler, Martellus Bennett

Draft #1 of the Season

Even though the Fantasy Football season is far from beginning, I decided to enter into an ESPN 10 team league to get some drafting done, and to enter into my first league of the year. I was given the 9 spot in the draft. If you draft from the nine spot, you must realize that the super elite running backs will most likely be taken ahead of you. Knowing this, I entered the draft hoping I could snag Calvin Johnson aka Megatron at the nine spot in round 1, but he went #7. I picked Jimmy Graham because there were no other Running Backs available who I thought deserved to be the ninth overall pick. Here is my full draft recap

Round 1: Jimmy Graham(TE 1)

Round 2: Brandon Marshall(WR 1). I picked Marshall because the Running Back field, in this draft, was thinner than the Wide Receiver field, due to the fact that the top six picks were RB's. Marshall was the best available WR at the time, and in my personal opinion, is a better pick than Demariyus Thomas because the Bears don't have as many weapons for Jay Cutler to throw than the Broncos have Peyton Manning to throw to.

Round 3: Reggie Bush(RB 1). Most people pass on Reggie bush as their starting RB, because they don't think he is an elite running back. Getting Bush in the 3rd round was one of the best things I could have done, and is the perfect place for Bush. The people who think Bush is elite, usually over-value him, and pick him first round. The people who doubt Bush save him for a late round flex pick. I love Reggie Bush. For the people right now who say I'm crazy, listen to this. From 2011-2013, Bush was a full time starter. He was never under 950 yards rushing, and never under 60 YPG. Bush is a consistent back, and paired with his excellent receiving skills and all around quickness, Bush is a great pick, if you get your starting RB in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Round 4: Pierre Garcon(WR 2). This pick was based on who was left, and who was the best available. Andre Johnson was intriguing, but his health is sometimes a question, and who knows what team he will be playing for next year. Those two were my top two choices. I also knew that Garcon was the most consistent, and with a Redskins offense who is looking to pass more, Garcon was the smart pick, because he was the safest pick.

Round 5: Chris Johnson(RB 2). Chris Johnson was the best available, right above Rashad Jennings. I couldn't take Jennings as my RB2. I took Johnson because of his speed, his brand name, and his team. Johnson has speed that no else has. Johnson also has been a great Running Back before. Now that he's healthy, I took him as my risky pick of the year. If he plays well, I will be getting a lot more points than I anticipated. If not, than oh well. Also, the Jets are going to look to the run game more, now that they have him. So I expect more carries for Johnson.

Round 6: Percy Harvin(FLEX). If you wouldn't pick Percy Harvin in the sixth round, then you should stop with Fantasy Football, and start with a new hobby. Like quilting. Percy Harvin was a STEAL in the sixth round, because he is so explosive. Harvin's 87 yard Kick Return in the Super Bowl showed that he was bound to do something spectacular when he is healthy. Harvin has also proven, when healthy, to be one of the best receivers in the league. From 2010-2013, Harvin did not have less than 650 Yards in a season, and always was above 60 YPG in that same span. Those are some elite numbers, and he still has to hit his true prime.

Round 7: Michael Floyd(FLEX/BENCH). Floyd is the same kind of player as Harvin, except Floyd has more upside, in my mind. Floyd is younger, and is not on a team with as many weapons as Harvin, meaning he will get more targets. That trend has been proven in the last two years. In 2012, Floyd was the WR4 on the Cardinals. The Cardinals targeted Floyd 86 times for 562 yards, and he averaged 12.5 YPC. In 2013, Floyd was targeted 112 times for 1,041 yards, and 16 YPC. The consistency of the Yards Per Catch shows that Floyd is a valueable asset. I actually plan on trading Harvin for a high end running back, and using Floyd as my WR3 or FLEX.

Round 8: Russell Wilson(QB 1). Wilson was by far the best Quarterback available in the draft. I was looking for a QB with proven consistency like Wilson has. I like to get Quarterbacks in the 7th or 8th rounds because you can still find really reliable guys like Wilson or Phillip Rivers still available in those rounds, because the previous 6 or 7 rounds are filled with the really high end QB's, and then a bombardment of Wideouts and Running Backs. Wilson is a great QB to have because he's a dual threat. He's an exceptional passer, and can scramble out of the pocket when needed, and he can even run the option. Wilson also avoids mistakes, throwing only 9 INT's last season. Having such a well rounded QB that's available this late is key to a league championship run.

The rest of my picks were backup picks. All of them are very strong players, who can rack up the big points, and were usually the best available players left in their position.

Round 9: Danny Woodhead(RB)
Round 10: Terrence Williams(WR)
Round 11: Kyle Rudolph(TE)
Round 12: Steve Smith, BAL(WR)
Round 13: Donald Brown(RB)
Round 14: Jay Cutler(QB)
Round 15: Phil Dawson(K)
Round 16: Buccaneers(D/ST)