You’re in the middle of your draft, looking for a player to use as a flex option. Do you select a running back or a wide receiver for that role?
I think there’s a good number of people who via “gut instinct” like to go with running backs for that role. I have seen many open drafts by select three straight running backs. The better choice, I think is to go with wide receivers.
When you use PPR scoring, it’s not even close.
It wasn’t always this way. If you go back to the ‘70s and ‘80s, the best flex player in almost every season was a running back. That is, you take away the top 24 running backs and top 24 wide receivers (12 teams starting two each at those positions) and the best remaining player was almost always a running back.
But times change. In none of the last nine years has a running back been a top-8 flex player. In two thirds of those seasons, all 12 of the flex players in a typical league should have been wide receivers.
Austin Ekeler (pictured) was the 25th-best running back in PPR leagues last year. He was outscored by 33 wide receivers (24 starters, and 9 others). So while Ekeler as the No. 1 flex option among running backs, he turned out to be just the 10th-best flex player.
In thee 2012, 2014 and 2016 seasons, most notably, the 25th-best running back (using PPR scoring) was outscored by at least 44 wide receivers.
I left tight ends out of this study. I’m not positive, but I doubt that in any of these years, the 13th-best tight end outscored the 25th-best tight end.
In the chart below, you see the numbers since the merger. For each year, so you see the 25th-best running back, with his catches, receiving yards, rushing yards, total yards, total yards and PPR points (including 2-point conversions and passing stats, though they’re not listed). The “Rank” number shows where he ranks as a flex among combined running backs and wide receivers (after the top 24 at each position are removed).
TOP BACKUP RUNNING BACK AS A FLEX | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | No | Rec | Run | Yards | TD | Points | Rk |
1970 | Cyril Pinder, Phil. | 28 | 249 | 657 | 906 | 2 | 130.6 | 1 |
1971 | Fred Willis, Cin. | 24 | 223 | 590 | 813 | 7 | 147.7 | 1 |
1972 | MacArthur Lane, G.B. | 26 | 285 | 821 | 1,106 | 3 | 155.6 | 1 |
1973 | Eddie Ray, Atl. | 19 | 192 | 434 | 626 | 11 | 147.6 | 1 |
1974 | Ed Podolak, K.C. | 43 | 306 | 386 | 692 | 3 | 130.2 | 1 |
1975 | Ronnie Coleman, Hou. | 18 | 129 | 790 | 919 | 5 | 139.9 | 1 |
1976 | Dexter Bussey, Det. | 28 | 218 | 858 | 1,076 | 3 | 153.6 | 1 |
1977 | John Cappelletti, LAR | 28 | 228 | 598 | 826 | 6 | 146.6 | 1 |
1978 | Pete Johnson, Cin. | 31 | 236 | 762 | 998 | 7 | 172.8 | 1 |
1979 | Archie Griffin, Cin. | 43 | 417 | 688 | 1,105 | 2 | 165.5 | 1 |
1980 | Dexter Bussey, Det. | 39 | 364 | 720 | 1,084 | 3 | 165.4 | 1 |
1981 | Tony Collins, N.E. | 26 | 232 | 873 | 1,105 | 7 | 178.5 | 1 |
1982 | Gerald Riggs, Atl. | 23 | 185 | 299 | 484 | 5 | 101.4 | 1 |
1983 | Ted Brown, Min. | 41 | 357 | 476 | 833 | 11 | 190.3 | 1 |
1984 | Larry Kinnebrew, Cin. | 19 | 159 | 623 | 782 | 10 | 157.2 | 4 |
1985 | Sammy Winder, Den. | 31 | 197 | 714 | 911 | 8 | 170.1 | 1 |
1986 | Johnny Hector, NYJ | 33 | 302 | 605 | 907 | 8 | 171.7 | 1 |
1987 | Earl Ferrell, St.L. | 23 | 262 | 512 | 774 | 7 | 142.4 | 1 |
1988 | John Stephens, N.E. | 14 | 98 | 1,168 | 1,266 | 5 | 170.6 | 1 |
1989 | Keith Woodside, G.B. | 59 | 527 | 273 | 800 | 1 | 145.0 | 14 |
1990 | Eric Metcalf, Clev. | 57 | 452 | 248 | 700 | 4 | 151.0 | 12 |
1991 | Leonard Russell, N.E. | 18 | 81 | 959 | 1,040 | 4 | 146.0 | 12 |
1992 | Brad Muster, Chi. | 34 | 389 | 414 | 803 | 5 | 144.3 | 6 |
1993 | Leroy Thompson, Pitt. | 38 | 259 | 763 | 1,022 | 3 | 158.2 | 6 |
1994 | Ricky Ervins, Was. | 51 | 293 | 650 | 943 | 4 | 169.3 | 4 |
1995 | Garrison Hearst, Ariz. | 29 | 243 | 1,070 | 1,313 | 2 | 173.1 | 6 |
1996 | Bam Morris, Balt. | 25 | 242 | 737 | 979 | 5 | 152.9 | 17 |
1997 | Natrone Means, Jac. | 15 | 104 | 823 | 927 | 9 | 161.7 | 11 |
1998 | Leroy Hoard, Min. | 22 | 198 | 479 | 677 | 10 | 149.7 | 21 |
1999 | Robert Smith, Min. | 24 | 166 | 1,015 | 1,181 | 2 | 154.1 | 23 |
2000 | Emmitt Smith, Dall. | 11 | 79 | 1,203 | 1,282 | 9 | 193.2 | 1 |
2001 | Maurice Smith, Atl. | 19 | 230 | 760 | 990 | 6 | 154.0 | 15 |
2002 | Michael Pittman, T.B. | 59 | 477 | 718 | 1,195 | 1 | 184.5 | 5 |
2003 | Shawn Bryson, Det. | 54 | 340 | 606 | 946 | 3 | 166.6 | 4 |
2004 | Emmitt Smith, Ariz. | 15 | 105 | 937 | 1,042 | 9 | 178.3 | 9 |
2005 | Jamal Lewis, Balt. | 32 | 191 | 906 | 1,097 | 4 | 165.7 | 9 |
2006 | Warrick Dunn, Atl. | 22 | 170 | 1,140 | 1,310 | 5 | 183.0 | 4 |
2007 | Adrian N. Peterson, Chi. | 51 | 420 | 510 | 930 | 3 | 166.5 | 11 |
2008 | Leon Washington, NYJ | 47 | 355 | 448 | 803 | 9 | 183.3 | 8 |
2009 | Darren Sproles, S.D. | 45 | 497 | 343 | 840 | 8 | 177.0 | 5 |
2010 | Danny Woodhead, NYJ-N.E. | 34 | 379 | 547 | 926 | 6 | 162.6 | 16 |
2011 | Roy Helu, Was. | 49 | 379 | 640 | 1,019 | 3 | 168.9 | 9 |
2012 | Darren McFadden, Oak. | 42 | 258 | 707 | 965 | 3 | 156.5 | 21 |
2013 | DeAngelo Williams, Car. | 26 | 333 | 843 | 1,176 | 4 | 167.6 | 12 |
2014 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 25 | 181 | 809 | 990 | 4 | 148.0 | 28 |
2015 | Ronnie Hillman, Den. | 24 | 111 | 863 | 974 | 7 | 163.4 | 19 |
2016 | Theo Riddick, Det. | 53 | 371 | 357 | 728 | 6 | 161.8 | 25 |
2017 | Latavius Murray, Min. | 15 | 103 | 842 | 945 | 8 | 157.5 | 13 |
2018 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 39 | 404 | 554 | 958 | 6 | 170.8 | 10 |
—Ian Allan