On average, half of the top 48 picks in fantasy drafts are wide receivers, a 60 percent increase from 2012, when only 15 wideouts cracked the top 48, according to MyFantasyLeague.com, which hosts thousands of leagues.
Running backs, meanwhile, now account for just 35% of the top 48 picks, down from 52% a decade ago.
Quarterbacks are also considered much less valuable in fantasy than in reality, with just four of the first 48 picks generally being allocated to passers. That’s three less than the 2007-to-2015 average.
NFL teams are throwing the ball more and there's also been an increase in fantasy football leagues using Point-Per-Reception scoring.
“Wide receivers commonly finish among the scrimmage-yards leaders,” said Andy Behrens, a fantasy analyst for Yahoo Sports, “so PPR scoring is a patch for a problem that no longer exists.”