Fantasy football enthusiasts are well aware that success hinges on draft day decisions. The 2023 season posed challenges with numerous early-round landmines, prompting fantasy managers to navigate strategically. Amidst the pitfalls, certain positional combinations emerged as key contributors to championship-winning teams.
Let’s dissect the four most successful draft combinations at the top, shedding light on the percentage of duos that secured Yahoo Fantasy titles in 2023. These winning strategies, constituting over 77% of title-winning duos, offer valuable insights for the upcoming 2024 drafts.
- Running Back/Wide Receiver (28.6%) This strategy, often dubbed the “Christian McCaffrey Hero RB,” proved highly successful. Christian McCaffrey’s stellar performance, boasting over 2,000 scrimmage yards, 21 touchdowns, and 357.8 fantasy points, made him a cornerstone for championship teams. Notably, McCaffrey stood head and shoulders above other running backs, providing a significant advantage.
Potential wide receiver pairings with McCaffrey included Amon-Ra St. Brown and Davante Adams. St. Brown’s consistent excellence and Adams’ late-season surge contributed to the success of this combination.
- Wide Receiver/Wide Receiver (21.2%) Embracing the Zero RB approach, fantasy managers who opted for wide receivers in the first two rounds found success. CeeDee Lamb, selected early in the second round, emerged as a standout performer with impressive stats. Despite challenges faced by other elite wide receivers like Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Stefon Diggs, Lamb’s consistent production stood out.
Tyreek Hill, a potential alternative to Lamb, experienced early-season brilliance, setting the stage for fantasy success. Pairing Lamb with another productive receiver, such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, could have been a winning formula.
- Wide Receiver/Running Back (15.4%) Inverting the top-winning combo, this strategy involved selecting a wide receiver in the first round, likely Tyreek Hill, and a running back in the second round. Hill’s explosive early-season performances, coupled with strong showings from running back Travis Etienne Jr., set the foundation for success. While Hill’s output waned in the playoffs, his early contributions positioned fantasy teams for victory.
- Running Back/Running Back (12.5%) A classic fantasy draft strategy, the RB-RB approach saw diminished success in 2023. Christian McCaffrey was the primary first-round pick, followed by a second-round running back like Travis Etienne Jr. Teams employing this strategy often found success with later-round picks or savvy waiver wire additions, exemplified by players like Raheem Mostert, Mike Evans, Isiah Pacheco, or Brandon Aiyuk.
As fantasy football evolves, these insights from 2023’s championship-winning strategies provide a valuable perspective for fantasy managers preparing for the 2024 season. Beyond positional considerations, the key remains selecting the right players who can deliver consistently throughout the season.
