Yikes. My palms are already sweaty just thinking about this. As fantasy football managers, we need to adapt to what’s in front of us. All we can do is react to the player pool. For that reason, there have been multiple strategies that managers have employed to build their team. What’s clear is that there are multiple ways to go about this. One theory that has been developed is the Zero RB strategy. As we prepare for 2026 fantasy football drafts, let’s look at whether that is plausible.
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Winning with Zero-RB Strategy in 2026 Fantasy Football
I’m not going to bury the lead here. This is not the year for a Zero RB strategy. The running backs in the first two rounds are simply too good to ignore. Especially if you are drafting at the top of the first round, it’s not a prudent strategy to ignore Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. That might be extreme, but there’s a real difference between the top 15 to 20 running backs and others.
And if you take part in the Zero RB strategy, none of those players will be on your roster, as they will all be off the draft board in the first four rounds.
That doesn’t mean you need to draft a running back in the first round, and that’s where the theory picks up steam. Instead, I’d advocate for an approach that’s more hybrid in nature.
Based on your rankings and where you are drafting in the first round, it truly might not make sense to draft a running back. The first round is where you need to truly follow your rankings. Taking things a step further, your top 24 players should only include running backs and wide receivers, except for Brock Bowers and Trey McBride.
If you are going to follow the Zero RB strategy, the thought process would be to either select two wide receivers or pair that with Bowers or McBride in the second round. The problem with that is potentially reaching and not following your ranks.
Yes, Bowers or McBride would provide a distinct advantage at tight end, but the dropoff at running back could be even worse. You don’t want to end up in a deficit while chasing an advantage elsewhere.
However, for this theory to truly work, you need to secure that advantage with Bowers or McBride. That might take Josh Allen, the number one quarterback, off the table unless he’s available in the third round.
In practice, let’s look at what the Zero RB theory would look like for 2026.
First Round
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Puka Nacua
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- CeeDee Lamb
- Justin Jefferson
Second Round
- Best available from above
- Brock Bowers
- Trey McBride
- Drake London
- AJ Brown
Third Round
Josh Allen followed by the best available wide receiver.
Fourth Round
This is where I start to gravitate towards my rankings. Based on the 2026 player pool, I don’t feel comfortable ignoring the running back position if my rankings suggest otherwise.
I believe that drafters should follow their rankings at all points. However, drafting an early tight end or quarterback becomes a philosophical decision. If you want to follow the zero-running back theory, commit to it. The best way to do that is to draft the best available player at all points in the draft.
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