chase-edmonds-3-1400.jpg

There are few things the Fantasy Football industry fights about more than the Zero-RB strategy. We argue about what it is, whether it actually works, and even the best time or way to do it. I don't have enough room to tackle all those debates, so I'll try to boil my feelings on the strategy down to one sentence:

Zero-RB is a useful strategy, in the right situation, where you eschew running backs early for elite pass catchers and maybe even a quarterback, before stockpiling running backs late.

Yeah, I stretched the sentence a little, but this gives us a jumping off point. First things first, what is the right situation?

The most important distinction I would make is that catches must count. I'd prefer they count for a full point, but this strategy can work in a 0.5 PPR league as well. If you're able to start two quarterbacks, all the better. If it's tight end premium as well, then we've reached the point where I actually prefer Zero-RB. 

Also, I'm not considering Zero-RB with a top-two pick in one-QB leagues, and I'd prefer to employ Zero-RB when I'm picking in the back half of the first round. If you have an early pick, Hero-RB is the better approach, where you draft one elite RB and then fill your team out with pass catchers.

The final requirement is that your league needs to be filled with managers who value running backs early. If you're playing with 11 Zero-RB truthers, I would strongly suggest drafting all the elite running backs you can. In fact, if you're playing with two Zero-RB truthers, this strategy becomes more difficult to pull off. That increases exponentially with every team avoiding running backs early. Thankfully, this is an adjustment easily made in Round 2. If multiple teams in front of you have started without a running back in their first two picks, I would strongly consider a more balanced roster-building approach.

Now that we've straightened out when to go Zero-RB, let's talk about how. In my Running Back Outlook I gave you my favorite Zero-RB targets, and I'll update those as ADP gets more firm. But first I'd like to tackle the dream Zero-RB build, then a more realistic path based on current ADP. 

My dream scenario starts with me landing two of Davante Adams, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill with my first two picks. This isn't particularly likely, but can happen if you have the 11th or 12th pick. As a backup plan, I'm satisfied with Stefon Diggs, Calvin Ridley, or A.J. Brown early in Round 2. 

If I landed Kelce in Round 1, then I'm looking at receivers and maybe a quarterback in Rounds 3 and 4. If I didn't get Kelce, then I'd be happy to take Darren Waller or George Kittle late in Round 3. If I take two receivers in Rounds 3 and 4, Keenan Allen and Allen Robinson would be my dream turn.

The quarterback part of the equation is a tough one to translate depending on the league. For instance, Patrick Mahomes is often available in Round 3 in our leagues and Lamar Jackson is almost always there in Round 4. I love that scenario, but it may not be available to you. If Mahomes is going in Round 1 in your league then I would target the last of the Tier 2 guys in Round 5 or 6. If you miss them, then hopefully Ryan Tannehill, Tom Brady, or Aaron Rodgers will be there in Round 7 or 8. if you miss them, I'd start the year streaming.

In Round 5 I'm taking Mark Andrews if I don't yet have a tight end, or possibly one of those Tier 2 quarterbacks. If I already have a tight end and quarterback then I'm looking for at least one more receiver before I turn to running backs. I might even take two if the right guys fall. Cooper Kupp and Tyler Lockett would be the right guys falling. 

This leads to a pair of possible dream builds through Round 6:

  • Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Allen Robinson, Tyler Lockett, Cooper Kupp, Travis Kelce
  • Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Keenan Allen, Allen Robinson, Mark Andrews

Neither of those teams have a running back yet, but both look like contenders to me even if my running backs come from the waiver wire. Starting in Round 7 I would attack the position with a vigor. Here's that list from the preview, for reference:

Round 7 -- Damien Harris, Trey Sermon, Ronald Jones
Round 8 -- Kenyan Drake, Zack Moss, Leonard Fournette
Round 9 -- Jamaal Williams, David Johnson, A.J. Dillon
Round 10 -- Gus Edwards, Tony Pollard
Round 11 -- Devin Singletary, Latavius Murray, Alexander Mattison
Round 12 or later -- Xavier Jones, James White, Giovani Bernard, Darrynton Evans

Just remember to draft a mixture of four different areas: I want both early season starters and potential late risers. I also want both floor and upside, though I'm more worried about upside and want more of that.

Because ADP is so different at different sites, here's a pair of more realistic builds through 12 rounds based first on CBS ADP, then on Fantasy Pros consensus PPR ADP:

CBS Zero-RB Build from Pick 7

1.7 Davante Adams
2.6 Stefon Diggs
3.7 Darren Waller
4.6 Terry McLaurin
5.7 Tyler Lockett
6.6 Chase Edmonds
7.7 Raheem Mostert
8.6 Damien Harris
9.7 Brandin Cooks
10.6 Ronald Jones
11.7 Tony Pollard
12.6 Alexander Mattison

You'll notice the lack of a QB here. If you're drafting in a league that drafts QBs like CBS ADP, I would suggest punting QB until the end of your draft and streaming.

Fantasy Pros Zero-RB Build from Pick 11

1.11 Stefon Diggs
2.2 Calvin Ridley
3.11 Robert Woods
4.2 Mark Andrews
5.11 Ja'Marr Chase
6.2 Chase Edmonds
7.11 Melvin Gordon
8.2 Ryan Tannehill
9.11 A.J. Dillon
10.2 Mike Williams
11.11 Jamaal Williams
12.2 Latavius Murray

One tough choice I had to make was again at quarterback. You can decide for yourself whether you'd rather have Russell Wilson in Round 6 and Michael Carter in Round 8 or the combo I chose. You could also choose to stream quarterback and take both Edmonds and Carter. That would certainly give you more upside if you hit on the right streaming quarterback.

Of course, these are just two of a million possible ways to go about this. And I'm sure some will say by taking a running back in Round 6, it's not even Zero-RB. Maybe it's not. But hopefully you get the point. If you can stomach those running backs, you have a chance to build an enormous advantage on the rest of the league everywhere else. 

And remember, the running backs you start the year with are not the running backs you'll end the year with. Guys like James Robinson, Mike Davis and Myles Gaskin emerged in 2020 to give us elite stretches of running back play. The same will happen in 2021. Hit on one of those guys and you have a league-winner.