With wide receivers being pushed up draft boards at an increasing rate, it can be easy to feel locked out of the receiver position if you wait too long. More and more drafters are coming around to Zero RB as a draft tactic, and the key is always to hit on the correct type of running back when you choose to select one.
Typically, this strategy refers to waiting until round six or later for your first running back. In this article, we’ll touch on players with an average draft position (ADP) from the sixth round onwards.
The ADP in this article is based on FantasyPros Consensus PPR ADP covering four different platforms.
- Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
- Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
- Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
Zero RB Targets (2023 Fantasy Football)
Khalil Herbert (RB – CHI) – 101.0
It was expected that the Bears might have been taking a heavy committee approach with this backfield. Still, there are signs that this might actually fall heavier into Khalil Herbet’s lap, with D’Onta Foreman a rumored cut candidate and Roschon Johnson unlikely to play more than passing downs to open the year. Last year, Herbert flashed at times, out-carrying David Montgomery 5.7 yards per carry to 4.0, with a big run rate of 5.88% compared to Montgomery’s 1.55%.
Jeff Wilson (RB – MIA) – 153.3
The Miami Dolphins certainly don’t seem ready to hand over this backfield to rookie Devon Achane, who is already dealing with an injury, which furthers the skeptics’ claims that his size might not hold up in the NFL. Meanwhile, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson were paid enough money that the team is invested in them, and unless they suddenly pull off a trade for Jonathan Taylor, it looks likely the pair will be the snap leaders to start the season.
Wilson is the younger of the two veterans at age 27, compared to Mostert, who is 31 years old. Wilson is the cheapest of the three options and might be the best bet of all of them.
First they came for Khalil Herbert, and I did not speak out
Then they came for Jaylen Warren, and I did not speak out
Then they came for Luke Musgrave, and I did not speak out
Then they came for Jeff Wilson, and there was no one left to draft after the 13th round— Nez (@NEZtakes) August 22, 2023
Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT) – 166.3
If you’ve been busy in the best ball streets, you’ll probably be surprised to see Jaylen Warren’s ADP languishing 40 or so spots behind his best ball ADP. Pittsburgh beat-writers have constantly talked about how good Jaylen Warren looked in training camp. Meanwhile, Najee Harris is being called out by Le’Veon Bell for the weight he’s currently at. Harris’s opportunity share was 83% in 2021, but it dropped to 63% in 2022, with Warren taking some of the work away.
Warren outproduced Harris in yards per carry with 4.8 to Harris’s 3.8 and had 8.3 yards per reception to Harris’s 5.5. Harris will open the year as the clear back, but Warren may have standalone value, and if Harris were to get injured, Warren would be a top-24 back each week.
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