With the NFL regular season slowly approaching, it’s not a bad time to start thinking about how you are going to build your fantasy football teams.
One of my favorite fantasy football draft strategies is going with a Hero RB or Anchor RB build.
- Fantasy Football Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- 2025 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Hero RB Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Overview
What is the Hero RB Strategy?
Hero RB or Anchor RB is a strategy that involves drafting one elite running back early and then waiting until later in the draft to select additional running backs.
The idea behind this strategy is to land one bell-cow running back as your RB1 with one of your first two picks, and then take advantage of the depth at wide receiver and tight end.
Hero RB Targets
Using FantasyPros’ average draft position (ADP), here are a few top candidates to anchor your running back room:
- Saquon Barkley (1.5)
- Bijan Robinson (1.5)
- Jahmyr Gibbs (3.0)
- Christian McCaffrey (4.5)
- Ashton Jeanty (4.5)
Here are a few potential Hero RB candidates who could be available after the first round:
- Derrick Henry (6.0)
- De’Von Achane (7.0)
- Jonathan Taylor (8.0)
- Bucky Irving (9.0)
- Josh Jacobs (10.0)
- Kyren Williams (12.0)
How to Make Hero RB Work
Last year, when looking at the scoring leaders in PPR, there were only five running backs ranked inside the top 20, so you must land a stud when implementing the Hero RB strategy.
While a lot of NFL teams are going with a running back by committee (RBBC) approach, there are even fewer true No. 1 running backs in the league compared to 10+ years ago.
Once you land your elite back, it’s time to load up on wide receivers. Your next four or five picks should be receivers and maybe a tight end if one of the top-tier talents falls past their ADP.
When drafting receivers, ideally, you want to target pass-catchers on high-powered offenses or receivers locked in for No. 1 WR roles.
Wide receivers usually offer more week-to-week variance in performance, and by focusing on drafting a ton of them, having a lot of receivers increases your chances of having multiple guys with big weeks.
Now, once you have drafted a solid group of wideouts, it’s time to look for value in the middle and late rounds to add more running backs.
You want to focus on backs with high upside or handcuffs to injury-prone starters. Also, look for backs in timeshares who could emerge as the team’s lead back.
With a lot of NFL teams going with an RBBC approach, this can offer a lot of late-round values.
Don’t Forget About Quarterbacks
The quarterback position is fairly deep, and drafters tend to wait longer to draft one. Of the top 25 highest-scoring players last year, 13 were quarterbacks.
There is a good chance you can get a quality signal-caller without having to spend a high draft pick on players like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts. Don’t ignore the position, though.
Target quarterbacks on high-scoring offenses. Joe Burrow (QB3), Baker Mayfield (QB4), Jared Goff (QB6) and Bo Nix (QB7) all finished inside the top 10 in quarterback scoring last year, and all finished ahead of Jalen Hurts (QB9).
Overall, Hero RB allows us to have access to the top wide receiver, tight end and quarterback options, and, of course, one of the best running backs in the league. It’s hard not to like that type of team build, especially if it leads to a championship.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
