In the realm of fantasy football, where strategists clash and fortunes are won or lost, there exists a daring approach known as the zero RB strategy. Like a master illusionist wielding his tricks, this audacious tactic challenges conventional wisdom and lures the unsuspecting into its enigmatic depths. Picture, if you will, the opening scene of the legendary film The Dark Knight-where anticipation hangs in the air, hearts race, and the stakes are unimaginably high. It is within this thrilling atmosphere that we delve into a recent DraftKings best ball draft, a battleground where I, your humble guide, embarked on a journey fueled by risk and rewards up to $1 million. Join me as I unravel the tale of audacity and analyze the players, the strategy, and the profound lessons learned. Brace yourself, dear reader, for this is not a tale for the faint of heart but a gripping narrative that will leave you captivated, longing for more, and questioning the very fabric of fantasy football itself. Welcome to Zero RB.
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Zero RB Best Ball Fantasy Football Team
What is Zero RB
Before I embark on this legendary journey, I need to make sure you are equipped with the right knowledge. Simply put, what is zero RB? It’s a simple strategy by premise. You deliberately avoid drafting running backs in the early rounds of your fantasy football draft. And this allows you to focus on other positions like wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks. The first running back typically doesn’t land on your team until the middle rounds to late rounds, until you’ve filled out starters all at all the other positions. You can test out zero RB yourself on best ball teams or in FantasyPros’ mock draft wizard.
Why is Zero RB beneficial?
The strategy has been effective in the past for two main reasons. It forces drafters to choose the best player available more often, as there’s no drive behind reaching on a running back to just fill the starting slot. And stockpiling running backs later allows for massive ROIs, as we see a large majority of late-round running backs drastically beat their ADP as the game-changers on zero RB squads. Guys like Josh Jacobs, Miles Sanders, Tony Pollard, and Kenneth Walker were top targets for zero RB drafters last season. They were available from Round 7 or later. You also take on less injury risk with your early-round draft capital, with RBs commonly the most injury-prone position.
When should you use this strategy?
The zero RB strategy works best in platforms like DraftKings because the scoring format includes a full point per reception. That’s advantageous because that scoring format boosts WR/TE pass-catchers more than running backs. It’s also great in best ball, where there’s a big advantage to drafting the elite players at the onesie positions between QB and TE. DraftKings’ large 20-man rosters are also beneficial for those following a zero RB approach because you can load up on even more RBs late into the double-digit rounds.
Andrew Erickson’s Zero RB Best Ball Team
Now that we have reviewed the zero RB strategy let’s review the draft. I drafted a 10-dollar DraftKings team in their biggest best ball tournament with $1 million at the top. Here’s how it played out from the 7th overall draft position.
1.7: Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF)
I started my team off in true zero RB fashion with WR Stefon Diggs. Before Josh Allen‘s injury in Week 9, Diggs was the WR1 overall in points per game among WRs with a 28% target share averaging 109 yards per game.
2.6: Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)
In Round 2, I went with a second-year WR breakout star, Garrett Wilson. I could have stacked Josh Allen with Diggs here as well but decided I wanted the WR instead. Last year in games started by non-Zach Wilson Jets QBs, Garrett Wilson posted per-game averages that would have resulted in the 10th-most fantasy points per game last season.
3.6: Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
In Round 3, I was eyeing Mark Andrews as an elite tight end. But he went right before my pick, so I settled on another WR in Tee Higgins. He fell to WR16, so I liked the value, and I knew I could likely stack him with his quarterback with my next pick.
4.6: Joe Burrow (QB – CIN)
In Round 4, I did exactly that, selecting QB Joe Burrow. If there’s anyone that can supplant Patrick Mahomes as the NFL’s leader in TD passes, it’s Burrow. And in hindsight, I’m glad I got my elite quarterback when I did because both Justin Fields and Justin Herbert were gone by my next pick. Round 4 is where I feel most comfortable pulling the trigger on an elite fantasy QB.
Of course, this will change based on where QBs fall in ADP but Rounds 4-6 is the more appropriate range than Rounds 2-3 to select an elite signal-caller.
Round 4 is where I feel most comfortable pulling the trigger on a fantasy QB such as Fields, Jackson, or Burrow…
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) July 13, 2023
5 .7: Drake London (WR – ATL)
Round 5 brought more fantasy WR goodness in the form of Falcons’ Drake London. Remember, on DraftKings, you can have up to 4 WRs score for your team each week. London averaged over 83 yards and 5 receptions per game to close out his rookie year with Desmond Ridder under center.
6.6: Diontae Johnson (WR – PIT)
Easily my most drafted player so far on DraftKings, I felt Diontae Johnson was too good to pass up even as my first bench player as WR5 on my squad. However, my love for Diontae blinded me to the fact that I made a critical error in the zero RB strategy as I failed to acquire a difference-making tight end. I pushed my luck, hoping I could select either Darren Waller, Kyle Pitts, or Dallas Goedert in Round 7, but my savvy opponents weren’t so kind. Let my mistake be a reminder to be super attentive to the tight end position while drafting zero RB.
7. 7: James Conner (RB – ARI)
With no more tight ends worthy of being drafted this high from my estimates, I broke the running back seal in Round 7 with James Conner. Crazy to think you can get a massive workhorse like Conner in Round 7 as the RB25 because he is the ideal first RB to draft on a zero RB squad. He played essentially six games last year without Kyler Murray and averaged over 21 fantasy points per game. Conner never finished outside the weekly top-15 running backs over that same span.
8.6: Jahan Dotson (WR – WAS)
In Round 8, I went back to WR with the best player available in Jahan Dotson. I think he’s an intriguing year two level jumper at the position. He led the Commanders in target share over the team’s last 6 weeks.
9.7: Elijah Moore (WR – CLE)
I wanted to generate some Week 17 postseason correlation in the best ball tournament setting Garrett’s Wilson ex-teammate, Elijah Moore, was a perfect fit with the Browns taking on the Jets during the fantasy football championship week. I think he’s primed for a bounce-back with Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
WR Elijah Moore, Cleveland Brownshttps://t.co/zddh2FgTiZ
Moore is in a brand-new situation with the Cleveland Browns and could easily emerge as the No. 2 WR in the offense.
Because the talent is THERE.
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) July 12, 2023
10.6: Antonio Gibson (RB – WAS)
In Round 10, I considered going in the tight-end direction. But I fell victim to a tight end run yet again, with four being drafted before my pick. Specifically, I really wanted David Njoku as another Browns pass catcher, but he went one spot ahead of my selection. So, I took another Commander with running back Antonio Gibson. He’s been a fantasy RB1 in the past, so I am hoping he can carve out a big role under a new offensive coaching staff. New offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s arrival may lead to more opportunities for Gibson, as he has no prior commitments to the hierarchy of the backfield from the 2022 season. Also creates a two-man Washington stack with Dotson.
11.7: Damien Harris (RB – BUF)
With just two RBs rostered, I need to start attacking the position with volume. Quantity over quality when you go zero RB. I think Damien Harris has massive upside should he carve out the red-zone role in Buffalo’s high-octane offense. He also creates a Bills stack with my first-round Diggs pick. I also may or may not have already bet Harris to lead the NFL in rushing yards at +10000 odds. Oops.
12.6: Gerald Everett (TE – LAC)
I finally cracked the tight end position in Round 12 with Gerald Everett. Although this wasn’t an ideal strategy going in to wait this long for a tight end, sometimes you need to pivot mid-draft. Because over drafting the middle tier of tight ends is a bad approach. You want to stay out of the middle at the position. Draft an elite guy, or just wait and wait. Everett was the TE15 and ranked second on the team in red-zone targets (fifth among TEs) last season.
13.7: Kendre Miller (RB – NO)
Round 13 comes with more shots on potential breakout running backs. I love rookie third-rounder Kendre Miller because he could have a massive role in the Saints’ offense should Alvin Kamara serve a suspension. Miller is also a home-run hitter so he can create explosive plays even on limited touches. Miller led the FBS in yards after contact per attempt in 2021 and finished fourth in career yards per play among his RB draft class.
14.6: Kenny Pickett (QB – PIT)
I needed a backup quarterback in Round 14 after selecting Joe Burrow as my elite passer. Kenny Pickett has a surplus of weapons and is an underrated rusher, with 235 rushing yards last year. He also creates a Steelers stack with Diontae Johnson. He would be my final quarterback selected because YOU should only draft two QBs on teams when you already have an elite option. If Burrow doesn’t deliver or gets hurt, a 3rd quarterback won’t save your squad anyway.
15.7: Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR)
16.6: Jeff Wilson Jr. (RB – MIA)
17.7: Isaiah Likely (TE – BAL)
18.6: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB – KC)
19.7: Logan Thomas (TE – WAS)
20.6: Zamir White (RB – LV)
I took more shots on four backup running backs that could have larger roles than ADP might suggest. Chuba Hubbard was super-efficient last season. He finished the 2022 season as PFF’s 21st-highest-graded rusher averaging 4.9 yards per carry. The Panthers RB also flashed efficiency in the receiving game ending the year tied for 6th in yards per route run (1.55) with Austin Ekeler.
Jeff Wilson Jr. was a fantasy RB2 in 53% of his games played last season between two teams.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire has a ton of TD upside should he reclaim his starting role in the Chiefs’ elite offense.
And Zamir White could see a larger role after a redshirt rookie season with Josh Jacobs’ touches having nowhere to go but down. Josh McDaniels is notorious for never featuring rookie RBs, so White’s lack of playing time in Year 1 is not shocking. Here’s what I wrote about White during last year’s draft process before he was selected in the 4th round by the Raiders.
“White runs with strong intent and decisiveness at the line of scrimmage. He knows where to go and how to hit the hole. Solid explosiveness and burst; constantly gets yardage after first contact. Elusive in space as a receiver, The Georgia Bulldog is built like a three-down back at 6 feet and 214 pounds. Great testing measurables from the NFL Combine: 4.40 40-yard dash (93rd percentile) and 128 in the broad jump (94th percentile). White’s overall counting stats are not particularly great, but that’s because he split work with James Cook and Kenny McIntosh, as many Georgia backs often do. What matters more is White’s career three yards per snap – a mark that stacks up with the likes of Michael Carter, Rachaad White, James Cook, and Tyler Allgeier. As PFF’s third-highest graded running back in the SEC last season, White is in strong contention to earn Day 2 draft capital – a threshold that is very important to hit for fantasy.”
I also added two more tight ends. Second-year tight end Isaiah Likely has massive upside as a plug-in-play TE1 if Andrews misses any games. In two games without Andrews in 2022, Likely averaged nearly 14 PPR points and an impressive 9 targets per game. His three top-12 finishes were on par with the highly-touted Kyle Pitts.
And Logan Thomas has been completely forgotten about despite his clear-cut TE1 status on Washington’s roster. He is another year removed from an ACL injury, and there’s no TE being drafted as late as him with his track record of production. He finished 4th at the position in 2020 and was 10th in points per game in 2021.
My Final Zero RB Build features 2 QBs, 8 RBs, 7 WRs, and 3 TEs. Cannot wait to see how this team shakes out versus the competition.
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