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Fantasy Football: 10 League-Winning Strategies for 2016 Draft Day

By JD Leidy

Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 1, 2016; Irvine, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage as Dallas Cowboys center Travis Fredrick (72) snaps the ball at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 1, 2016; Irvine, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage as Dallas Cowboys center Travis Fredrick (72) snaps the ball at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Invest in Teams that Invest in the Trenches

Great running backs make mediocre offensive lines look decent. Great offensive lines make mediocre running backs look otherworldly.

In 2014, DeMarco Murray had a career year running behind a Dallas Cowboys offensive line that graded out as tops, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jan 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Will Blackmon (41) and Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden (20) during the game at AT&T Stadium. The Redskins defeat the Cowboys 34-23. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Will Blackmon (41) and Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden (20) during the game at AT&T Stadium. The Redskins defeat the Cowboys 34-23. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The following season, DeMarco skipped town for a big check and his position rank plummeted from first to 18th. Now, I happen to like Murray at his current ADP (57th overall, RB21) on a comeback year. But there’s no denying that losing his D-Town hogs was a career crippler for Murray.

So who filled his shoes in Big D? Well, it took a couple weeks to materialize, but following RB Joseph Randle’s mid-season injury, it was none other than Raiders washout, RB Darren McFadden.

Despite sitting out for roughly half a season, McFadden finished with 1,089 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, enough to secure the No. 13 overall rating, or five slots ahead of DeMarco.

Murray was being drafted ninth overall. McFadden’s was a 10th rounder, who likely went undrafted in many leagues.

Need more evidence? Here are 2015’s top-rated offensive lines along with the production of their primary running backs:

Table 3-OLine v Running Back Rankings
Table 3-OLine v Running Back Rankings /

Alright, Devonta Freeman was the only top-10 finisher. But there were solid bell cows to be had on the cheap in McFadden, Jonathan Stewart and Mark Ingram. The Browns backfield was a sure “running back by committee” from the start of last season. And let’s face it, who’s long the Cleveland Browns… ever.

So, which teams have been investing in their trench warfare this offseason? The teams with the top-five ranked O-lines in 2016 are the Dallas Cowboys, the Oakland Raiders, the Green Bay Packers, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons.

August 26, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) hands the football off to running back Eddie Lacy (27) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
August 26, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) hands the football off to running back Eddie Lacy (27) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cowboys and Falcons have running backs in Ezekiel Elliot and Freeman, respectively, who are going ultra-early, making Latavius Murray, Eddie Lacy and Jeremy Hill seem like bargain-basement bell-cow buys in 2016.

Next: When In Doubt, Draft the Offense, Not the Player