This is the first year that I’ve played in a league with three WRs instead of two WRs + one WR/RB flex position. The season hasn’t even started yet and I’m loving the change already.
I like to play in leagues with around 12 teams, meaning that stud RBs are pretty hard to come by. Even with so many teams, a few people generally manage to get their hands on three quality RBs. The problem is that anyone who can start three consistent running backs is going to have an advantage over teams that only have two. The player who added Earnest Graham or Ryan Grant in the 2007 season basically got a free ticket to the playoffs.
Over the years I’ve become more and more frustrated with the impact RBs have on fantasy football. The whole season feels like a stressful race to fill that flex position with a solid RB. Personally, I want fantasy football to have more dimensions than the blind accumulation of running backs.
Moving to three WRs and two RBs opens up so many more possibilities. For example:
- The WR position becomes more important
- The RB position becomes less of a gamebreaker
- Owners with a wealth of RBs now have an incentive to trade
The only problem I foresee is that committee-style RBs might become almost useless, except as bye week filler. However, I see many more positives than negatives as a result of outlawing the WR/RB flex. I predict a more nuanced season with plenty of trades and interesting waiver activity.
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