I still remember when I first came across the strategy of “doing the opposite” in fantasy football. It was 2001, my fourth season of playing fantasy. Back then, conventional wisdom said that you should take running backs with your first two picks, or at least two of your first three, and then move on to other positions, regularly revisiting running backs throughout the draft.
The first person I read advocating for the opposite approach was Paul Charchian, one of the godfathers of the industry. The thinking was simple. Sure, you’d take Marshall Faulk if you had the first pick, but while your leaguemates were grabbing the seventh or eighth best running back, you’d zig and go for the top wide receiver.