What Would a Zero-RB Fantasy Football Draft Look Like in 2022?

Would a Zero-RB fantasy football draft strategy work for the 2022 season? In our video, we discuss what a Zero-RB fantasy draft strategy is and draft teams from multiple draft positions.

What is a Zero-RB Fantasy Football Draft Strategy?

You may have heard about the Zero-RB fantasy football draft strategy from someone on a podcast or one of your friends since it is a strategy people usually love or hate. It’s very polarizing, but what exactly is it?

Essentially, a Zero-RB fantasy football draft strategy means you pass on drafting the RB position during the first several rounds and instead look to draft difference-makers at the QB, WR and TE positions. Typically, users begin selecting RBs during the sixth or seventh round in the Zero-RB strategy. 

Can a Zero-RB Strategy Work?

The Zero-RB fantasy football draft strategy can absolutely work. If it couldn’t, then there would be no reason for this strategy to be so polarizing. Using this strategy in a PPR-scoring league gives the fantasy owner a bit more wiggle room for the strategy to pay off, since rewarding receptions increases the depth at the position. 

For the Zero-RB fantasy football draft strategy to work, fantasy owners look to draft RB handcuffs, high-upside players and players who have a receiving role out of the backfield. As long as the RB position has a steady, respectable output, the thought is the difference-makers drafted in the early rounds can win you the matchups at other positions. 

What Does a Zero-RB Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Look Like For 2022?

So, can a Zero-RB fantasy football draft strategy work for the 2022 season? This is a question I explored, using the current average draft positions of players right now.

You can see both fantasy football drafts I did by watching our video. However, this is the team that I drafted out of the second position in a 12-team league.

While I was a bit skeptical heading into this fantasy football draft, especially picking second overall, I don’t mind this Zero-RB drafted team one bit. While all of the RBs are in a split backfield, all will have major roles that can only grow due to injuries.

My only major issue with this team is that having Lamar Jackson along with the Ravens’ RBs is almost reverse stacking, since only one of them can carry the ball on the goal line on a given play. Still, all three have legitimate shots at rushing for 1,000 yards.

In the end, I think a Zero-RB fantasy football draft strategy can absolutely work in 2022. However, as with most things, I don’t think being on either end of the extreme is the most valuable. Yes, this drafted team could compete, but it would have benefitted from selecting even one RB in the first five rounds.