Fantasy football draft strategy question - esp. for ESPN vets

[nolanfan34]

Strategically, for most of the football leagues I've ever been a part of, I've been very strictly a RB/RB with my first two picks kind of guy (and I don't believe this is giving anything away for the upcoming 2+2 draft. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]). The times in the past that I've taken a WR with a top pick, I've always felt uncomfortable for the rest of the draft.

Yet this year I'm considering doing just that in a keeper league I'm in with my dad.

Here's why, and I want to hear some thoughts on this from people who have played in ESPN leagues throughout the years. For those who don't know, ESPN's standard setup lets you choose between starting 2 RBs and 2 WR's each week (1 TE is separate from WR's), or 1 RB and 3 WR's.

My dad's league is switching to this format this season. The scoring system in this league is somewhat...unique. Basically, for some reason WR scoring is higher than RB's when they have a good week. They get more points per yards receiving, .5 points per reception, and TD's start at 4 pts. vs. 3 for RB's (with additional pts. per length of TD's, etc).

Last season for example, Muhsin Muhammed led all WR's with 344 pts. and Donald Driver was #10 with 273 pts. The #20 WR was Eddie Kennison with 243.

The leading RB was Tiki Barber with 352 pts. (receiving heavy, as you can see). Rudi Johnson was #10 with 241 pts. The #20 RB was Priest Holmes, who scored 203, albeit due to injury. But the total points of the RB's drops off at a quicker pace.

We keep one player from last season, and I have Shaun Alexander. I have the #5 pick in the draft, and it's not a snake draft, so I have the 5th pick in each round (don't get me started on that).

With this general setup, is it obvious that I should go WR with my first two picks? I think I'll be able to grab two top 10 WR's with the #5 and #17 picks in the draft. Moss is probably the only WR who will be kept (due to that owner's lack of other strong keepers). This means getting a combo like Chad Johnson and Javon Walker, or Marvin Harrison and Joe Horn, is very likely.

Or should I just go a RB like normal, and pick up the best available WR in the 3rd? At RB, guys like Tiki, D. Davis or Deuce, C. Martin or Portis, Julius Jones, J. Lewis or K. Jones, Dillon, Westbrook, Rudi Johnson, are all going to be available.

I know this post is long and rambling, but I'd be interested on hearing from people in ESPN leagues, and their success on going WR heavy when you can start 1 RB and 3 WRs.