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Fantasy mythbusters: Debunking some accepted fantasy 'wisdom'

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) runs to the end zone for a touchdown after receiving a pass during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Often in fantasy football, certain topics get spoken about so often that we often take them for granted as truth. These could be anything from draft strategies to players, ideas, concepts, you name it.

“Avoid guys who play in cold-weather cities or on losing teams.”

“Don’t draft too many guys with the same bye week.”

“Bill Belichick hates your fantasy team”

Well, maybe that last one is true. In any case, I’m here to separate fact from fiction as you prepare for the 2016 fantasy football season. Below are six common myths which you have likely heard, or even subscribed to, at one point or another.

You can draft your starting RBs late

These days, the evidence for not using a first-round pick on a starting running back is rather compelling: the total point production of the top-20 fantasy WRs is up 9.4 percent since 2010 while scoring among the top-20 fantasy RBs has dipped 18 percent, and last season marked the first time the top-20 fantasy WRs outscored the top-20 fantasy RBs even in standard scoring. League-wide passing numbers are up 10 percent from five years ago and 20 percent in the last 10 years. Since officials re-emphasized defensive contact rules in 2014, defensive holding calls have gone up 60 percent compared to the previous four-year average, inviting more incentive for offenses keep airing it out. So, no, you no longer need to automatically devote your first-round pick to a running back.

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