2026 Fantasy Football Zero RB Strategy: Draft Plan, Targets & League-Winning Sleepers

When Zero RB first came about, it was merely a gimmick. Running backs were the lifeblood of fantasy - how could we possibly do without them in our fantasy football roster construction? But, as we discussed in the Running Back Strategies Overview, it was quickly proven to be a viable strategy. So much so that the Zero RB strategy became incredibly popular. In fact, in some formats like best ball, it was the default strategy for a bit.

And that made it much harder to execute. Folks who forced the Zero RB draft strategy over the last few years really did not see the returns we had previously seen. Running backs have made a resurgence. And with that, the running backs have started to creep up the draft board. That has once again brought Zero RB back into play.

Our policy is never to force any particular strategy. What we do at Fantasy Alarm is educate you on EVERY strategy. That way, you can sit down at your draft and focus on taking the best available players in the early round. And, if need be, you can pivot to a draft strategy like Zero RB. So let’s talk about it now and who some of our favorite Zero RB targets might be in 2026!

What Is Zero RB Strategy?

The reality of Zero RB is that you aren’t actually drafting “zero” RBs. You are simply waiting longer than the average fantasy football gamer to draft them. The actual definition of what a Zero RB draft is is widely debated, with some considering waiting until the fifth round or later to take a running back to be Zero RB, or others saying you need to fill every other meaningful starting spot first, which, in a league with 3 WRs, a QB, a TE, and a flex, that would be round 7. Either way, the idea is simple - you are punting running back and hoping to find them later.

One key with this strategy is that you aren’t just ignoring the RB position. In fact, you need to pay even MORE attention to it than your leaguemates. You need to know all the late-round options. You need to be active on the waiver wire. And, since you are loading up at WR, you might need to make a trade along the way. We’ll have your back with our waiver wire and trade advice all year, so for now, let’s focus on the draft. 

Best Zero RB Targets For 2026

Early Round WRs

We don’t want to force any particular strategy. As we mentioned in the intro, we just want to collect value along the way. The beautiful thing about this strategy is that it allows you to simply take the best available players at WR as they come along. Since you are loading up at the position, it also gives you a little more leniency to take some risks along the way. When you start your draft with four or even five wide receivers, it’s easier to stomach the high risk, high reward picks or rookies that could create a ton of leverage for your team if they hit. Here are some names we would target.

Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants

The rumors have been back and forth on Nabers and his injury recovery and when he will be back. We also have to keep in mind that “back” does not mean “back to 100%”. But, when he's back to 100%, this is a guy who can easily garner 10 targets per game which is unrivaled upside. With Zero RB you are likely getting 4-5 WRs early so you have the luxury of putting Nabers in a bench or IR spot and waiting for him to be fully recovered.

Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

As far as an offseason goes, having knee surgery then immediately going to jail is about as bad as it gets. But it's looking like a real possibility that he has dogged suspension and could be ready for Week One. Now it's also sounding like Patrick Mahomes is also on track for Week One. If both these players were healthy and out of the news, where would Rice be going. We're still a little nervous about Rice in dynasty but, in redraft, Zero RB helps mitigate the risk. 

Luther Burden WR, Chicago Bears

The floor for Burden is that he remains a part-time type guy which caps his upside. We've seen that from players like Jordan Reed, Josh Downs, Khalil Shakir etc. The ceiling though could see him catapult into the next big star. We saw it happen with guys who had part-time roles as rookies like CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. If you are going Zero RB, might as well take some risks. 

Elite Tight Ends

This strategy goes hand in hand with selecting tight ends early. As we’ll discuss in our Tight End Series, we don’t really love using a second-round pick on a tight end. But, if you start your draft WR-WR and one of Brock Bowers or Trey McBride is there in the third, you might not be able to resist. If you are going Zero RB, it makes a lot of sense to pay up for one standalone tight end you can trust. We need those bench spots for RBs, so we can’t really afford to be using them on a second tight end. Our full article on who the elite tight ends and when to target them is available now!

Elite Quarterbacks

The philosophy at quarterback is basically the same as it is for tight end with this strategy. Waiting on running back should allow you to get a reasonable tight end. We don’t want to use a bench spot on a second QB either, since we need as many shots at upside as possible. In that sense, drafting someone like Patrick Mahomes as part of a Zero RB build might not make a lot of sense. Not only is he coming off an injury, but the Chiefs have the first bye week of any team, so you’ll need to pick up another QB fairly early. Jon Impemba gave his thoughts on Elite QB Strategy here.

Running Backs To Target In Zero RB Builds

Best Zero RB Sleepers

We take this topic so seriously here that we’ve actually done a full article on the various Late Round Running Back Sleepers that we like. So make sure to check that write-up out and familiarize yourself with the players. I'll give a couple examples below but I would check out the full write-up when you have the chance.

One important thing to note is that you want a mix of both standalone value and upside with your bench. For instance, if you have all “pure” handcuffs, they might not be scoring enough points in the early weeks to keep your team afloat. Conversely, if you draft all rotational guys, such as pass-down backs, you might not have enough long-term upside to win come playoff time. Balance is key. 

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Again, check the full write-up for all of these if you are interested. But the short and sweet here is that the Bucs let Rashaad White go and decided to pay up in free agency to fill his role. Bucky Irving has had some lingering issues, especially the shoulder one that has plagued him through this offseason. Gainwell could be inline for a bigger role than his ADP dictates. 

Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers

Because of the injuries for Brooks, there are still questions lingering about what he has left - or what he even had to begin with since we haven't seen much of him. But that also leaves the possibility that Brooks, the first RB drafted in his class, is just really good. Dave Canales prefers using on main back to maybe Brooks can just run with this job.

George Holani, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Kenneth Walker is gone. Zach Charbonnett is set to miss a big chunk of the season. That leaves rookie RB Jadarian Price, free agent Emmanuel Wilson, and incumbent George Holani. Rookies either bust or start slow all the time - look at Kaleb Johnson last year. Holani has gone out with the first team in every early practice rep so far so it's not crazy that he's involved. Possibly heavily. 

Best Handcuffs For Zero RB Builds

In modern fantasy football, we really don’t love the idea of drafting pure handcuffs that can’t even be started in a pinch. Trying to time when the starter might be out and for how long is a difficult task. That said, the best running backs do have large roles and, if they get hurt, some of those pure handcuffs could hypothetically have large roles as well. We did a full Running Back Handcuff article to break down which players have the best standalone value with contingent upside vs. guys who have the highest hypothetical upside if there is an injury. 

There are basically two kinds of handcuffs. The “handcuff plus” that has standalone value. Or the pure handcuff that can only be used if the starter gets hurt. Check that article for the full details but here are a couple examples of each type:

Handcuff Plus 

RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos

JK Dobbins is probably going to start. And maybe they will mix rookie Jonah Coleman in some too even though he's a Day Three rookie pick and Sean Payton hates rookies. But RJ Harvey should be their pass down and gadget back so he will likely be startable most weeks regardless. JK Dobbins has also gotten hurt every year of his career so far and, when Dobbins got hurt last year, Harvey was a TD machine behind the Broncos great O-line.

Kyle Monangai, RB Chicago Bears

Even as a rookie, the bruising Monangai was able to carve himself out a meaningful role on run downs, playing 40%+ of the snaps at times, even with D'Andre Swift was healthy. That gives you a guy you can start with some standalone value but take a look at the weeks for Monangai when Swift was out - THAT is the handcuff upside.

Pure Handcuff

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Detroit Lions

The reality is that Jahmyr Gibbs is likely better at every phase of the game than Isiah Pacheco. That includes short yardage work (though Pacheco could be asked to help out there). But what happens if Gibbs goes down? This depth chart is incredibly thin behind Pacheco so it seems they are banking on him to step up if anything were to happen. 

Brian Robinson Jr, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Tyler Allgeier had some standalone value here playing alongside the great Bijan Robinson. But that was with a previous OC so we don't know for sure what his role will be this year. What we do know if that they made him a priority in free agency and he's pretty clearly the “next man up” if something where to happen to Bijan. So he's a potential stash on deep benches. 

Ideal Zero RB Draft Through Six Rounds

Let’s say you do want to push the limits and fill the rest of your entire lineup first in a league with three wide receivers and a flex. Taking the three WRs, a QB, a TE, and a flex is going to take you through six rounds. And here is an example of what is possible based on ADP. 

And you might think that you have completely sold your soul here. But, even in a 12-team league, six rounds is about 72 picks. Starting NFL running backs like Rhamondre Stevenson, Jaylen Warren, Tony Pollard, and J.K. Dobbins all go outside of that range. If you can grab one of them and load up on some of our late targets, you might be able to work things out. 

Best Draft Position For Zero RB Strategy

Again, ADP could move quite a bit over the remainder of the summer. But, barring injury or some other crazy news, we have a general idea of how the first few rounds go. If you are following our rankings, you are likely taking Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson with the first pick. There is also a pretty big clump of running backs that go around the 11-12 swing at the end of the first round, beginning of the second, which we like. Odds are that if you are picking 9 or 10, one of those backs will be there on the way back as well. 

That means the most likely “natural” spots to go Zero RB from are going to fall in the mid-round picks from 3 through 8 or so. If you aren’t taking Jonathan Taylor or Christian McCaffrey, those middle picks are the best draft positions for the Zero RB strategy in 2026. 

Zero RB Strategy Mistakes To Avoid

We cannot stress this enough - NEVER force a strategy. If you sit there and say, “I’m going Zero RB no matter what”, you could end up bleeding value big time. Not only will you likely be reaching for WRs, but you are then letting running backs fall to your opponents at a discount they shouldn’t be getting. Know all of the strategies and play the board as it lies.

Another important reminder is that we won’t really apply “Zero RB” to positions like defense/special teams and kicker. You absolutely do not need to draft those positions before you draft a running back for it to be a true Zero RB - nor should you. We are still drafting those other positions late. And, because it’s now super important for us to hit on breakout RBs, they should probably be your last two picks.

And our final mistake to avoid is the hoarder mentality. I know that you drafted all these wide receivers, and they are your babies, and you love them. But you absolutely cannot just sit there with good wide receivers on your bench and bad running backs in your lineup. Ideally, you can scrape together good backs without it, but if it comes down to it, MAKE THE TRADE.