CBS Sports Drafts Tableau for Fantasy Football

CBSSports.com wants to make one of the most critical decisions in drafting a fantasy football team easier: choosing a running back. Today, in time for Draft Day, they posted the "Interactive RB selector" - a Tableau viz that lets anyone find and make inspired RB choices.

What's cool is that it's really easy to evaluate running backs. Click on one or more players in the left most upper graphic and see the other graphics change. Or find your favorite player in the "Defensive Matchup" table, click and see where he lands in total Projected Fantasy Points, Receptions and Attempts. Every viz interacts with the other so you get a fast, easy-to-understand view into this important position.

For example, you’ve got the 3rd pick in your draft. The clock is ticking. Matt Forte is available, as you planned and hoped, as he’s projected to be more productive than Turner and D. Williams (who are also available). As you’re about to pull the trigger, you check your Tableau cheat sheet and notice that Turner (awarded last year’s rushing title) is only projected to score 1 less point than Forte. Furthermore, Turner is expected to have the most difficult schedule of the top 5 by far. What if that's not the case? If defenses do something unexpected, Turner's got the upside. Could he then not exceed all expectations? Indecision sets in...

Even if you're not a player, you can still surprise the fantasy football player in your life. Give him (or her) a new, unexpected perspective tonight. You never know where it might lead.