Zero RB Fantasy Draft Strategy is the Best Fantasy Strategy
I used to hate this strategy. I never understood it, and I didn’t want to. In fact, I thought you were dumb as f*** if you did employ this strategy, as I found much success in getting great RBs early and often.
Then, the 2022 NFL Season, and changed everything I knew about fantasy. Not only did I try Best Ball and fell completely in love with it — I’m never going back to start/sit leagues — but I finally understand the zero RB fantasy draft strategy, and it’s a great one. The people that did this were ahead of the times and I must apologize to you because I was, in fact, the dumb one.
Let me explain why I will only use the zero running back fantasy draft strategy from here on out.
First, let me explain, the zero RB fantasy draft strategy doesn’t mean you don’t get ANY running backs. It just means that you hold on getting one until later in the draft.
Now, why? Why would you do this strategy? I mean, running backs are very scarce as it is, getting the best RB production possible HAS to be the best move you can do, right?
That’s what I used to think, but then I had to analyze if that is actually working. For the sake of covering both bases, I will go over the Fantasy leaders for RB in PPR and non-PPR before the fantasy playoffs of the 2022 season.
PPR
- Christian McCaffrey
- Austin Ekeler
- Josh Jacobs
- Derrick Henry
- Saquon Barkley
- Nick Chubb
- TONY POLLARD
- Aaron Jones
- RHAMONDRE STEVENSON
- MILES SANDERS
- Joe Mixon
- Dalvin Cook
- Leonard Fournette
- JAMAAL WILLIAMS
- DAMEON PIERCE
- KENNETH WALKER
- Alvin Kamara
- Najee Harris
- ANTONIO GIBSON
- TRAVIS ETIENNE
Non-PPR
- Josh Jacobs
- Christian McCaffrey
- Derrick Henry
- Nick Chubb
- Austin Ekeler
- TONY POLLARD
- Saquon Barkley
- MILES SANDERS
- JAMAAL WILLIAMS
- Dalvin Cook
- Aaron Jones
- Joe Mixon
- RHAMONDRE STEVENSON
- KENNETH WALKER
- DAMEON PIERCE
- Ezekiel Elliott
- Najee Harris
- TRAVIS ETIENNE
- Leonard Fournette
- Jonathan Taylor
Now, I want you to focus on the names that are in all caps. Please tell me whether you’d draft those guys in the first few rounds. No chance in hell, right?
However, if you went with a zero RB Fantasy draft strategy, you probably got a few of these guys AND top quarterback and wide receiver talent. That is what the zero RB draft strategy can do for you. You can get the BEST QB and WR talent AND STILL, get fantastic production from your RB room.
I mean, yeah, having a sure top-10 running back will help your fantasy league. But the NFL is changing. This means it’s changing for fantasy football as well.
The NFL is a passing league, and it shows more and more every day. NFL teams are going cheaper on RBs and having more committees, as they should. That’s all the more reason to start investing more in your QB and WR rooms.
Running backs are becoming obsolete. I mean, look at those lists. Some are those guys are up there just because the lead guy got injured, that’s why you can’t invest a lot into RBs early on. Being an RB is a hard job, and most careers are 10 years for RBs because of the wear and tear they go through. Being a WR and obviously, QB, has a way longer shelf-life and you are more likely to stay healthy.
You have to see the light as I did. Let those amateurs take all the best RBs early on. You can get the best WRs and/or QBs who will be much more valuable and reliable for you. If you’re lucky and do your research, you can still get solid fantasy production from your RBs too. It’s way more efficient and a safer route.
By the way, I just did a post on this too, but if your league hasn’t invested in a Best Ball league, please do that as well. Let me help you win your fantasy league. Next fantasy football draft, go with the Zero RB fantasy draft strategy. It’ll work and be way more effective than being an amateur (like I was) in choosing RBs early in my fantasy drafts.
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