Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Zero Running Back
Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Zero Running Back
What Is Zero RB?
The zero running back Fantasy Football Draft Strategy draft strategy refers to stockpiling talented wide receivers (or tight ends) while the rest of the league focuses on running backs in the early rounds. The running back position is the most fragile and injury prone, hence why there is value in drafting handcuffs. In the end, you wind up with a group of high-level receivers and serviceable running backs without sweating the cost injury or demotion. The zero running back strategy works in all formats, ideally PPR leagues.
Why It Works
Simply put: Running backs are a risk.
Running backs are much more likely to go down with an injury than wide receivers, and the cost of losing an elite back is more costly than losing any other position. Teams choose to replace their starting running back with a running back by committee approach, which hurts their fantasy value.
When a receiver goes down, there is always a man waiting to fill the void and ready to receive an uptick in targets. With two to four viable pass catching options on each team, the loss of a star receiver hurts, but not as much as a running back.
Other shakeups throughout the season make running backs a bigger risk. Head coaches don’t have much patience for fumbling tendencies or missed blocking assignments, yet running backs still manage to be at fault for these mistakes. A short leash leads to a demotion, crippling fantasy production.
The NFL is undoubtedly a passing league with 2016 having the second most pass attempts in league history (only 3 shy of 2015). The more pass attempts, the more valuable receivers are.
Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: How To Use It In 2017
The zero running back strategy can and will work in 2017. My strategy is as follows:
Early Rounds
The strategy is pretty clear. Draft the best wide receiver available for the first three to five rounds. Your draft position will depict exactly who you will get, but there’s enough talent to establish a strong wide receiver core. This will be even more apparent as you watch other drafters go for running backs.
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A decision you will have to face will be in the fourth round on whether or not you can justify jumping on your first running back. If a running back with high upside has gone overlooked and fallen into your lap, then maybe. But if this player isn’t jumping out at you then look to grab a fourth wide receiver. Here you might find guys like Golden Tate, Kelvin Benjamin, Michael Crabtree, Larry Fitzgerald.
Middle Rounds
Once you’ve stocked up on wide receivers, it’s time to double up on running backs. The guys to target are players with high upside and chance of becoming the starter if they aren’t already. In PPR leagues, look for guys with pass catching ability like Blial Powell and Theo Riddick.
Late Rounds
In the late rounds, load up on bench guys with high ceilings who can make a run at a starting job later in the season. Guys like Thomas Rawls, Duke Johnson Jr., Rex Burkhead all have the ability to become fantasy breakout performers. Also, targeting young wide receiver fliers towards the end of the draft could pay off in the long run.
Next: Fantasy Football Players to Target
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