Zero RB Fantasy Football Draft Strategy & Targets (2026)

The most uncomfortable strategy you can use on draft day in fantasy football is Zero RB. Beware: It can cause sweating, nervousness, doubt and even abandonment of the plan. The discomfort comes from passing on good running backs for other positions while your league mates scoop them up.

If executed properly, you will leave the draft feeling thin at the position. However, you could end up with four wide receivers ranked inside the top 25 and an elite tight end, giving you a weekly advantage at multiple positions. Still interested? Let’s take a look at what Zero RB is and how we can execute it successfully.

Fantasy Football Draft Strategy & Targets: Zero RB

What is Zero RB?

It’s not as literal as it sounds. You do fade the running backs, but only in the first five or six rounds. I don’t advise this approach if you are picking first or second overall in a 1-QB league. Just take Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs and use another strategy.

Remember my disclaimer?

If you walk through that Zero RB door, there’s no going back. Buckle up, it’s going to be a ride.

Ideally, you want to load up at the wide receiver position and land on a top-tier tight end. You can take a quarterback if you so desire, but I prefer to wait even longer since the position is so deep. Aim for depth at wide receiver. It’s OK to be weak at running back because you will be stacked with top-end talent at the other skill positions.

When to Utilize Zero RB?

For starters, it’s best to approach the draft as it unfolds rather than as a predetermined plan. Why? If running backs like Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey or even Jonathan Taylor fall too far, your best option may be to select one of them.

Zero RB is best used when running backs fly off the board, leaving elite wide receivers and tight ends available. Be observant of other league mates. If several managers are doing the same thing and you spot it early, it might be wise to pivot.

Why Does Zero RB Work?

It works because it helps you avoid the dead zone of running backs, which historically have a higher probability of falling short of expectations. Wide receivers drafted in the same range have generally offered a better hit rate while carrying less injury risk.

Running backs touch the ball more than any other position besides the quarterback, exposing them to more hits and injuries throughout the season.

That added volatility is another reason to avoid investing heavily during this period of the draft. Last season provided several examples of running backs drafted in the dead zone, typically in rounds 3-6, who failed to return value:

Player	2025 Overall ADP	RB ADP	RB Finish
Omarion Hampton	35	RB14	RB35
Alvin Kamara	36	RB15	RB46
Chuba Hubbard	46	RB20	RB38
Aaron Jones	67	RB25	RB41

Not every player in this range should be avoided. D’Andre Swift, for instance, has survived this area of drafts, finishing as an RB2 every year.

The goal is to limit risk by targeting handcuffed backs, passing-down backs or questionable backfields where an opportunity could emerge. Another way to find starters on a Zero RB build is by attacking the waiver wire.

Everything you need to win your league—rankings, sleepers, projections, and more—is in the Draft Kit.

Zero RB Targets

Here is a round-by-round cheat sheet of backs to target when utilizing a Zero RB draft strategy.

Round 6: Jadarian Price (RB – SEA)

With Zach Charbonnet sidelined, Jadarian Price is in line to open as the Week 1 starter. Considering his first-round draft capital, he should be given every opportunity to lead this backfield. Volume is key when fading running backs early.

Round 7: Tony Pollard (RB – TEN)

Tony Pollard makes sense in this build because he is still the lead back in Tennessee. Although Pollard only averaged 10.9 PPR fantasy points per game last season, he commanded 64% of the rushing attempts, per the Fantasy Points Data Suite.

I don’t see that changing as he enters the last year on his contract, and the drafting of Nicholas Singleton in the fifth round doesn’t move the needle.

Round 8: Blake Corum (RB – LAR)

I know this is ahead of consensus, but I would rather be early than miss out on Blake Corum. Nothing against Kyren Williams, but this is the exact type of back you want. Corum already sees enough volume as the No. 2 option behind Williams.

From Week 13 on last season, Corum averaged 10.5 carries, 67.5 rushing yards and 12.7 PPR fantasy points per game, and scored five touchdowns. He is a nice handcuff option with standalone value and upside.

Round 9: Kenneth Gainwell (RB – TB)

A receiving back like Kenneth Gainwell is extremely valuable. He provides a usable weekly floor simply through his pass-catching ability. Gainwell is not a league winner, but he is a safe pick that fits the strategy.

Round 10: Woody Marks (RB – HOU)

Don’t be afraid to take a player ahead of his average draft position (ADP) if there’s a tier drop. I know David Montgomery is getting all the love now in Houston, and Marks has taken a backseat, but a receiving role is there for him.

Through the first eight weeks last season, Marks recorded a 2.01 yards per route run rate and ranked 13th in receiving yards per game among running backs, per the Fantasy Points Data Suite.

Marks is a handcuff to Montgomery, who is entering his age-29 season. If an unfortunate injury were to happen, Marks would certainly be the early-down back with Jawhar Jordan mixing in.

Round 11: Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WSH)

I know Jacory Croskey-Merritt truthers were burned last year, me included. Round 11 is much easier to stomach than last year’s round eight APD. The Commanders added Rachaad White, but this backfield is for the taking.

Croskey-Merritt gives them some juice. According to the Fantasy Points Data Suite, he ranked 24th in explosive yards on just under 11 carries per game.

If given a larger role, Croskey-Merritt is the type of late-round target that can pay huge dividends.

Round 12: Chris Rodriguez Jr. (RB – JAX)

Don’t look for receiving usage with Chris Rodriguez Jr. He only has six career receptions. What he does have is opportunity.

Head coach Liam Coen likes to use multiple backs in his offense. Rodriguez averaged more yards per carry, more yards after contact per attempt and matched Bhayshul Tuten last season in missed tackles forced per attempt, per the Fantasy Points Data Suite.

If this ends up being a near-split, Rodriguez has the rushing profile to be a usable weekly option.

Round 13: Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)

Jonathon Brooks has totaled nine career carries after tearing his ACL not once, but twice. This could go two ways. You either strike out in the 13th round or you hit a home run. It’s better to strike out swinging than looking.

Round 14: Jonah Coleman (RB – DEN)

When you get to these later rounds, it’s all about upside. J.K. Dobbins hasn’t shown the ability to stay on the field, and RJ Harvey didn’t exactly run away with the job. The Broncos drafted Jonah Coleman in the fourth round.

Coleman has the frame and skill set to handle a three-down role. At 5-foot-8, he runs with power and consistently falls forward, as evidenced by his 3.58 yards after contact per attempt last season, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).

The pick may not pay off early, but Coleman could emerge later in the season. He’s a worthwhile bench stash.