One major factor in being at the top of your fantasy football league is getting great value in the middle rounds. This year I have seen two players going in the middle rounds that I feel will put up 1st and 2nd round numbers. I think targeting these two players as QB1 and RB2 in the 6th-8th rounds could be the move that puts your team over the top this year.
Ben Roethlisberger: Since he came in to the league, Big Ben has been a great team leader. He has taken the Steelers to three Super Bowls in the last six seasons. His ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat has solidified him as one of the top quarterbacks in the game. All of that doesn't translate into fantasy football success however. So what has changed? For starters, Rashard Mendenhall is developing into one of the elite running backs in the game. His ability to break off a big run on any down, will force defenses to keep a close watch on him at all times. This will give Roethlisberger more opportunities to throw the deep ball. Not to mention, Mendenhall himself is a viable threat break a few tackles and take a Roethlisberger screen pass to the end zone. An even bigger factor to success this year is the growth of the Steelers young receiving corps. Mike Wallace showed signs last year that he was ready to take the reigns from Hines Ward as the go to receiver on the Steelers. Last season he reached the end zone 10 times, while compiling over 1,200 yards. Wallace showed he believes in his abilities earlier this preseason. "I figure that if I average 20 yards a catch this year and catch 100 balls, that will be 2,000 yards," Wallace stated. Add to that, the biggest surprise of the preseason, Antonio Brown. After three games in the 2011 Preseason, Antonio Brown has 230 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those are incredible numbers considering the limited playing time for the starters. Keep in mind that those are indeed first team numbers, not junk time. If Brown can put up anything close to those kind of numbers in the regular season, defenses will not be able double Wallace with impunity. And lets not forget that 'Dancing With The Stars' Champion Hines Ward is also still in the mix. He may not have the legs of yesteryear, but he has shown throughout his career that he will make the big catch when it is needed most. Finally, one final factor is schedule. Since the Steelers play in the AFC North, that spells four games against the lowly Browns and Bengals. The non-divisional games are even juicier, with some of the worst defenses in the NFL making an appearance on the schedule. And to top that off, during the crucial fantasy stretch of weeks 14 through 17, the Steelers play in this order: Cleveland, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Cleveland again. All three of those teams were in the bottom 15 in passing yards allowed last season.
Tim Hightower: During his years in Arizona, Tim Hightower never really got the opportunity to take the role of featured back. With his move to Washington, it is starting to look like his day will finally come. After the first three preseason games, Hightower has amassed 170 yards on just 25 attempts, and 2 touchdowns. That is an incredible 6.8 yards per carry average. The numbers are even more impressive when you consider they came against two of the NFL's top defenses, the Steelers and Ravens. One of the perks of his move to the Washington Redskins is their commitment to the running game. If he can hold on to the role of featured back, he will have every opportunity to put up top 5 numbers. As of right now, Tim Hightower's average draft position is in the upper 60's. He is often being taken after guys like Cedric Benson and Beanie Wells. With those two, you know what you are going to get. There is very little potential for a surprising upside. The same can not be said for Hightower. There are no guarantees in fantasy football. To attain big rewards, you often have to take big risks. In this case, Hightower isn't a huge risk. His stellar preseason play has won him the starting job. As of right now, all signs point to him being a serviceable RB2 at worst. At best, he could be a top 5 running back. By locking him in as your RB2 in the fifth or sixth round, you are allowing yourself the opportunity to fill up the RB1, QB1, and at least WR1 and WR2 with proven talent. Why take a mediocre RB2 in the second or third round when you will get at least that with Hightower in the sixth round?
I know you are going to see my title and think I am crazy. But the number one killer in fantasy football is starting the wrong player when you have a tough decision. I can not count the number of times I have lost because I had three good running backs, and I benched the wrong guy. It happens all the time. I much prefer having two every week starters, and one bye week plug in. The two positions where this comes into play the most are quarterback and defense. Those are the positions where two fairly equal players will lead to a match-up based sit/start decision every week. I have adopted the strategy of not trying to play match-ups at those positions, and just sticking with the same starter every week. The NFL is so unpredictable that playing a weekly guessing game will lead to many incorrect decisions throughout the course of a season. Most of the time a mistake will not affect the outcome of a game, but when it does, it really stings. I have actually lost two very close championship games in the last six years by picking the wrong running back five minutes before kickoff. (Continued Below...)
Now, I am not suggesting you should ever pass on the best player available during a fantasy football draft. This situation I am describing is unlikely to play out early in the season. The odds of drafting a third or fourth running back/wide receiver that is superstar quality right out of the gate is very rare. You would have to be in a league of extraordinarily inexperienced fantasy players for that to occur. More likely one of your drafted sleepers, or an early season pick-up will blossom into a legitimate number one guy midway through the season. When this happens you are suddenly faced with a weekly dilemma. If you have made it through the byes at running back or wide receiver, and have a tough choice every week, I say trade for value. Why have a top running back/wide receiver sitting the bench every week just in case one of your other players goes down? If your running backs are this strong, then you are likely to have a deficit at some other position. Why not trade the running back with the highest value and maximize the return at wide receiver, tight end or quarterback?
I realize that the main argument against this strategy is the potential for injury. But I am more of a believer in back-up handcuffing than benching a legitimate starter. I also realize that most people will wholeheartedly disagree with my strategy. Call it amateurish, but it does reduce the headaches that accompany watching your top running back put up 15 yards against the Lions, while someone just as good is on the bench and goes for 150 and a TD against the Steelers.
Ben Roethlisberger: Since he came in to the league, Big Ben has been a great team leader. He has taken the Steelers to three Super Bowls in the last six seasons. His ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat has solidified him as one of the top quarterbacks in the game. All of that doesn't translate into fantasy football success however. So what has changed? For starters, Rashard Mendenhall is developing into one of the elite running backs in the game. His ability to break off a big run on any down, will force defenses to keep a close watch on him at all times. This will give Roethlisberger more opportunities to throw the deep ball. Not to mention, Mendenhall himself is a viable threat break a few tackles and take a Roethlisberger screen pass to the end zone. An even bigger factor to success this year is the growth of the Steelers young receiving corps. Mike Wallace showed signs last year that he was ready to take the reigns from Hines Ward as the go to receiver on the Steelers. Last season he reached the end zone 10 times, while compiling over 1,200 yards. Wallace showed he believes in his abilities earlier this preseason. "I figure that if I average 20 yards a catch this year and catch 100 balls, that will be 2,000 yards," Wallace stated. Add to that, the biggest surprise of the preseason, Antonio Brown. After three games in the 2011 Preseason, Antonio Brown has 230 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those are incredible numbers considering the limited playing time for the starters. Keep in mind that those are indeed first team numbers, not junk time. If Brown can put up anything close to those kind of numbers in the regular season, defenses will not be able double Wallace with impunity. And lets not forget that 'Dancing With The Stars' Champion Hines Ward is also still in the mix. He may not have the legs of yesteryear, but he has shown throughout his career that he will make the big catch when it is needed most. Finally, one final factor is schedule. Since the Steelers play in the AFC North, that spells four games against the lowly Browns and Bengals. The non-divisional games are even juicier, with some of the worst defenses in the NFL making an appearance on the schedule. And to top that off, during the crucial fantasy stretch of weeks 14 through 17, the Steelers play in this order: Cleveland, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Cleveland again. All three of those teams were in the bottom 15 in passing yards allowed last season.
Tim Hightower: During his years in Arizona, Tim Hightower never really got the opportunity to take the role of featured back. With his move to Washington, it is starting to look like his day will finally come. After the first three preseason games, Hightower has amassed 170 yards on just 25 attempts, and 2 touchdowns. That is an incredible 6.8 yards per carry average. The numbers are even more impressive when you consider they came against two of the NFL's top defenses, the Steelers and Ravens. One of the perks of his move to the Washington Redskins is their commitment to the running game. If he can hold on to the role of featured back, he will have every opportunity to put up top 5 numbers. As of right now, Tim Hightower's average draft position is in the upper 60's. He is often being taken after guys like Cedric Benson and Beanie Wells. With those two, you know what you are going to get. There is very little potential for a surprising upside. The same can not be said for Hightower. There are no guarantees in fantasy football. To attain big rewards, you often have to take big risks. In this case, Hightower isn't a huge risk. His stellar preseason play has won him the starting job. As of right now, all signs point to him being a serviceable RB2 at worst. At best, he could be a top 5 running back. By locking him in as your RB2 in the fifth or sixth round, you are allowing yourself the opportunity to fill up the RB1, QB1, and at least WR1 and WR2 with proven talent. Why take a mediocre RB2 in the second or third round when you will get at least that with Hightower in the sixth round? 
