Photo: Andres Leiva, USA Today Sports

During the offseason, there is a great temptation to make deals to address needs. Dynasty GMs spend much of the offseason thinking about their lineup needs and then making draft picks and trades to address those needs.

Fixing Needs

Six weeks into the season is a good time to think back to your offseason and ask yourself if the player you acquired to fix your need is fixing your need. If the player was not an elite player, there is a good chance they did not meaningfully fix the need.

Running back is the most common position where dynasty GMs think they have a need and will make trades to contend.

Below are the top 10 running backs in points per game with at least three games played in scoring through six weeks:

• De'Von Achane – 25.9
• Christian McCaffrey – 25.0
• Raheem Mostert – 23.6
• Zack Moss – 20.3
• Alvin Kamara – 19.2
• Travis Etienne Jr. – 18.9
• Kyren Willaims – 18.5
• Ken Walker III – 18.3
• David Montgomery – 17.4
• Saquon Barkley – 16.8

Three running backs were consistently outside the 20 rounds of startups throughout the offseason (Mostert, Moss, Williams). Three others were available outside the top 20 running backs for periods in the offseason (Montgomery, Kamara). Achane was widely available in the second round of rookie drafts. Etienne and Walker were widely suspected of facing committee challenges from rookies Tank Bigsby and Zach Charbonnet, respectively. Barkley had a contractual holdout that caused a depression in price. Of the group, only McCaffrey was priced at the elite price he is currently performing.

This is a good reminder about team building strategy. Fixing a need at running back is a problem that can be solved with volume.