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\nImago<\/p>\n
In case you\u2019re new to fantasy football, the hero RB strategy is when you use your first two picks to load up on the running back position. Running back is a notoriously thin position in fantasy, especially with how many split backfields there are nowadays, so if you can land two top backs, it could give you a big advantage over your league-mates.<\/p>\n
While this may seem like a solid strategy, it can cause you to reach on a player to ensure you fill out the running back position, and also cause you to be very thin at receiver and quarterback.<\/p>\n
So the question is, is hero RB the right strategy this year?<\/p>\n
Running Back Position Outlook<\/h3>\n To answer that question, we have to dive into the running back position as a whole. As I said earlier, running back is notoriously a very thin position group in fantasy, and with more and more teams creating a split backfield, that just makes it even thinner.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start at the top. This year, there are probably only 10 running backs that I feel really good about:\u00a0Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, De\u2019Von Achane, James Cook, Ashton Jeanty, Chase Brown, Derrick Henry\u00a0and\u00a0Saquon Barkley.<\/p>\n
After those 10, there are eight more RBs that I feel pretty good about, but they all have something working against them: Omarion Hampton, Jeremiyah Love, Kenneth Walker, Breece Hall, Kyren Williams, Travis Etienne, Javonte Williams\u00a0and\u00a0Josh Jacobs.<\/p>\n
Beyond those 18, there are some other high-upside players like\u00a0Cam Skattebo, Quinshon Judkins\u00a0and\u00a0TreVeyon Henderson, but they aren\u2019t guys that I would feel great about being my RB2 for the entire season for one reason or another. And if you play in a 12-team league, there are going to be six guys that are every-week starters that I didn\u2019t mention in those top-two tiers.<\/p>\n
If you want to make sure you lock down to running backs without a lot of question marks, you\u2019re going to have to invest early.<\/p>\n
Is Hero RB a Worthy Strategy?<\/h3>\n\n\n
\nImago<\/p>\n
This is an incredibly hard question to answer, because I think it ultimately comes down to where you\u2019re drafting from. There are some draft positions where taking two running backs with your first two picks would work out very nicely, but there are others where you\u2019d be reaching for a running back with both picks, and that\u2019s the last thing you want to do in the first two rounds when you could get an elite receiver.<\/p>\n
Best Positions to Draft From For Zero RB<\/strong><\/h3>\nSo what are the best draft positions to run the hero RB strategy?<\/p>\n
I think the absolute best position for the hero RB strategy is either pick five or pick six. According to current Sleeper Average Draft Position (ADP), with those picks you\u2019re likely to land Christian McCaffrey in round one before doubling back with either Saquon Barkley or Chase Brown in round two. That would be an incredibly strong start to a draft, and in round three, you\u2019re still in range for an\u00a0A.J. Brown\u00a0or\u00a0Rashee Rice\u00a0as your WR1.<\/p>\n
The second pick is also a very good spot to go with the hero RB strategy. In round one, you get either\u00a0Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs, whoever the first pick doesn\u2019t take, and then in round two you can come back around and snag Derrick Henry, or maybe even Chase Brown if he falls one pick. Then, you\u2019re back on the clock in round three right away and could land someone like\u00a0Nico Collins, George Pickens, or\u00a0Chris Olave\u00a0as your WR1.<\/p>\n
Pick seven and eight are also very good for the hero RB strategy. You miss out on Robinson, Gibbs, and McCaffrey, which is why it\u2019s lower on my list, but you can still draft James Cook or Jonathan Taylor in round one before getting Omarion Hampton or Saquon Barkley in round two. The only thing is, in round three you fall into a bit of a dead zone where you may have to take Tee Higgins as your WR1, or even go with a quarterback like Lamar Jackson.<\/p>\n
Football Zero RB Strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n
\nImago<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s talk about the zero RB strategy, which, if it wasn\u2019t obvious, is when you pass on running back in the early rounds and take some receivers that slide a bit due to the RB run.<\/p>\n
You could end up getting a steal on a couple early-round wide receivers or even one of the top tight ends, but you can put yourself in a very bad spot with the running back position by waiting.<\/p>\n
Wide Receiver Position Outlook<\/h3>\n Let\u2019s talk about the wide receiver position in fantasy football. It is a much deeper position than running back, given that a lot of teams have two guys that are viable in fantasy every year. That means there are upwards of 40 receivers that could be considered fantasy relevant every season.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start at the top. There is a clear upper echelon of receivers with\u00a0Ja\u2019Marr Chase, Puka Nacua\u00a0and\u00a0Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but after that, there are still some really solid first-round options with guys like CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson\u00a0and\u00a0Drake London\u00a0going later.<\/p>\n
But even as you get into rounds two and three, there are a lot of great receiver options with guys like\u00a0Malik Nabers, Nico Collins,\u00a0George Pickens, Chris Olave, A.J. Brown and Rashee Rice.<\/p>\n
Unlike the RB position, as you get deeper into the draft, you can still find a ton of upside.\u00a0Garrett Wilson, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Emeka Egbuka, Mike Evans\u00a0and plenty of others are going in round four or later, but could still easily be starters on a lot of fantasy teams.<\/p>\n
Is Zero RB a Worthy Strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n
\nImago<\/p>\n
There\u2019s always a case to be made that going Zero RB is the right move, but it is very risky. Sure, you could get someone like Ja\u2019Marr Chase in round one before doubling back with a Nico Collins or George Pickens, giving you two top-10 players at the position (or you could even grab at\u00a0Trey McBride to give you a massive tight end advantage every week), but then you\u2019re stuck with a bunch of scraps at running back.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a risky move, but one that could pay off, especially if you\u2019re picking from the right spot.<\/p>\n
Best Positions to Draft From For Zero RB<\/h3>\n So what are the best draft positions to run the zero RB strategy from? I think the third pick is the best spot. You get your pick of Ja\u2019Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in round one, but in round two, you\u2019re still in a good spot to get a Nico Collins or George Pickens. Heck, even Brock Bowers could still be on the board by your second pick. Then, you\u2019re back on the clock a few picks later at the start of round three and could get a Breece Hall or Kyren Williams as your RB1, but if you want to triple down on the zero RB strategy, you could get a Josh Allen\u00a0at quarterback.<\/p>\n
The fourth and fifth picks are pretty much just as good as the third. You\u2019re still going to get one of Chase, Nacua or Smith-Njigba \u2013 you just won\u2019t have your pick of the litter \u2013 and can still probably get a Bowers, Collins or Pickens in round two.<\/p>\n
The ninth pick is another pretty good spot to go with the zero RB strategy. You\u2019re probably just going to miss out on Jonathan Taylor and James Cook, but you\u2019ll be the first one picking from the second tier of receivers, which includes CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson and Drake London. You don\u2019t have to wait long for round two, where you could grab Trey McBride or Malik Nabers before taking Travis Etienne or Javonte Williams as your RB1 in round three.<\/p>\n
![\"Football](\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053713430h.jpg?width=600\" "\\"Football\\"")
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