Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Going Overboard with Running Backs, Including Jahmyr Gibbs, James Cook and More

Loading up on running backs is my favorite fantasy football draft strategy. I'll almost always look for a stud RB in the first round and try to get three guys within the first four rounds at the position. The way the draft unfolds dictates a lot also, but it's easy (for me at least) to look at those running backs ranked among the top 20 at the position and hoard as many as possible.

The example I'm about to share with you is taken to the extreme. I would never draft like this in an actual fantasy draft, but being that it's mock draft season, it's a time to go crazy and try things you wouldn't usually consider. The main thing I wanted to do is see what the rest of my roster looked like after a big focus on running backs right away.

Most leagues limit you to eight running backs or wide receivers, not letting you take EVERYONE at the position. I pushed those limits, drafting a running back in each of the first eight rounds until they were forced off my board by the rigid rules. Let's run through the results of that draft and, particularly, what happened at wide receiver, tight end, and quarterback after ignoring those positions through the first half of the draft.

For this exercise, I had the fourth overall pick in a 10-team standard scoring league. The number listed next to each player is the pick at which he was drafted.

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The Running Backs

• 4. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
• 17. Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
• 24. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
• 37. Breece Hall, New York Jets
• 44. D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
• 57. Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings
• 64. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
• 77. J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos

Here's the meat of the matter. As someone who salivates over fantasy RBs, I have to say that I love this group. I understand that I can only start three each week, and I know that it seriously hinders the rest of my roster, but look at the talent here.

Gibbs is a top-line fantasy player heading into the season. Jeanty is expected to be something of a fantasy star right away. After weeks of posturing, Cook got his new contract, and he will be right back in a majorly advantageous position in Week 1.

It doesn't stop with the top three either. Hall was a top fantasy pick last season, and while he was overrated then, I see him being underrated now, especially considering his work as a receiver. Swift now has Ben Johnson as his head coach and play caller, the guy who put together one of the best rushing attacks in football for multiple seasons in Detroit. Jones and Pacheco are both the clear starters on what should be average-or-better offenses, though plenty of people are watching Jordan Mason as an option to steal work from Jones.

Even Dobbins, who has dealt with major injury problems in his career, has a path to a starter's workload, and he should get more pass-catching opportunities right away than rookie RJ Harvey while also getting plenty of carries.

I would like any of these guys on my team individually. This is overkill, but it's a thing of beauty if you covet fantasy running backs the way I do. This strategy also allows you to work the trade market with those owners who don't plan at running back and envy your stacked group.

Wide Receivers

• 84. Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
• 97. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
• 104. Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 124. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers

The receiving group is weak. I love Jennings as my WR3, and I would even be happy enough if he ended up as my WR2 if that's how things unfolded. He is dealing with an injury, but Jennings is expected back in Week 1 according to many reports, and the position of San Francisco's top receiver is a juicy one in fantasy.

His 49er teammate Aiyuk has been projected back around Week 6 (ACL tear last year) by coach Kyle Shanahan, and he fits nicely on your IR spot in the meantime if your league has one; being drafted this late, you're not missing out on much by taking a shot on Aiyuk, a guy who could be your WR1 if he hits the ground running (a big if).

Shakir is one of Buffalo's possible top receivers along with Keon Coleman and even tight end Dalton Kincaid (though I'm not falling for that one again until we see it). The offense should be strong again, and Josh Allen is coming off an MVP season, so Shakir in the 10th round isn't a bad pick.

The rookie Egbuka is a major talent who was drafted in the first round. He's a little buried on the depth chart, so it might take him a year or two to really break out, but there's a chance for him to carve out a role as a rookie, especially if Chris Godwin isn't ready to go full-bore right away.

Quarterback and Tight End

• 117. QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
• 144. TE Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

I could have gotten Justin Fields at pick No. 104 if I was paying attention, but I was focused on going all receiver at that point. Fields has been a major target of mine in mock drafts, and I would have liked this team a lot more if I were able to get the Jets' new passer (and runner, his most important aspect).

Goff's fantasy finishes the past three seasons: QB6 in 2024, QB7 in 2023, and QB10 in 2022. That all came with Johnson as his offensive coordinator, and he'll have to show he can do it with a new play caller, but the players are mostly all still in place, and I have faith that Goff can be an above-average fantasy player again. The 12th round is a good place to find out.

Henry came after my whole bench and even my defense. If you miss out on the top seven or so tight ends, everyone becomes pretty much the same. In that case, I decided to load up on receivers (as much as I could) and get a stronger QB and D/ST while taking the best of the rest at tight end. I would plan to stream every week unless someone pops.

Defense and Kicker

• 137. D/ST Houston Texans
• 157. K Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs

And we finish up with the most fungible positions. These groups will always come in my final three rounds, but I'm happy with these two picks. Houston had one of the best defenses last year and has the talent to be right back there with guys like Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter rushing the passer and Derek Stingley Jr. leading the secondary.

The Chiefs have been a good offense since Mahomes showed up, and there's not much reason to expect anything less. That means a lot of scoring chances, and Butker has been one of the best in the league since he joined the team.

Conclusion

I won't be taking this path in any real fantasy league. I would be OK going with Gibbs, Jeanty, and Cook in the first three rounds before filling up the receiver and tight end spots in the middle rounds, but spending half the draft only picking running backs causes way too much redundancy and robs you of the chance to find value in players who would be in your lineup most weeks.

Quarterback is super deep, so waiting on that position is a reasonable move. If you miss the top tight ends, waiting until the end to grab a guy who will be part of a line of streamers is fine too. Waiting this long on receivers leaves too much upside on the table, though, and is the main thing that kills any reality of this “strategy.”