Fantasy football has numerous strategies to play by. You can draft a handful of running backs to start your draft. You can wait and go wide receiver heavy, and you can have a balance of them both.
Personally, I play based on the settings of my leagues. If you are a grandpa, then your league might be a standard fantasy football league. For most people, they play full PPR, which means one full point for every reception. In this format, the ZeroRB strategy is the way to go. I always draft four to five wide receivers, then worry about running backs, and when I do draft a running back, they have to catch passes out of the backfield.
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Using Zero-RB Strategy to Win in 2025
A Zero-RB strategy means not taking a running back till the later rounds of your fantasy football draft. For example, if you are planning to do this strategy, you will wait till round seven or later and fill out the rest of your roster with receivers, an elite tight-end, and most importantly, a quarterback who runs a lot.
The most important thing in my opinion for this strategy is the quarterback you select. Let’s say a fantasy football manager has the 8th pick in a full PPR draft with 12 fantasy managers. The 8th pick based on ADP will land them Malik Nabers. In the second round, the next pick can land them A.J. Brown, Drake London, Ladd McConkey, or Brock Bowers. Those first two picks can equate to close to 3,000 receiving yards and over 220 receptions.
In the third round, this is when that manager should select one of four quarterbacks and they are Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Josh Allen, or Jalen Hurts. All four of these quarterbacks are capable of rushing for over 700 yards and have double-digit rushing touchdowns. This will alleviate the pressure of doing the ZeroRB strategy.
Continue to draft receivers that are presumed to be the first option on their respective teams until you reach round seven. Round seven, there are still a handful of RB1s that can be enough with the elite receivers and the mobile quarterback that have already been selected. Here are a few running backs I’d look to draft if I implemented the ZeroRB strategy in 2025.
Running Backs for ZeroRB strategy
Tony Pollard (RB27), ADP 79.5, Tennessee Titans
It has been two years since Tony Pollard broke his leg in a playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. Since then, he has been a decent RB2 and has played above his RB27 ADP with finishes of RB23 and RB22 in ppg. He has seen over 250 carries in consecutive seasons, and it does not look like Tyjae Spears will take anything away from him. If he were to, it would have happened last season. With rookie quarterback Cam Ward under center, Pollard will be relied on more than ever and can be drafted in the seventh round.
Brian Robinson (RB30), ADP 88.5, Washington Commanders
Brian Robinson is a part of one of the best offenses in football with Jayden Daniels as his quarterback. With an elite mobile quarterback, teams cannot focus on Robinson while worrying all too much about what Daniels will do with his legs. Last season, Robinson saw just 187 rush attempts, but had eight rushing touchdowns. The year before, without Daniels, he had nine. I believe Robinson will have those spike weeks, but he is a fine running back with 10-touchdown upside playing in this offense and can be drafted in round eight.
Travis Etienne (RB33), ADP 98.0, Jacksonville Jaguars
Travis Etienne broke the hearts of many fantasy football managers last season. Etienne went from the RB7 in ppg in 2023 to finishing as the RB37 with 8.7 ppg. Despite that, he is still an elite talent and the savior for the Jaguars. Liam Coen has arrived. Coen unleashed Bucky Irving last season, and I have full confidence the same will happen with Etienne. The amazing thing is that Etienne can be drafted as an RB3 in round nine! This is a make-or-break year for Trevor Lawrence, and I fully believe we will see a replica of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense within the Jaguars offense in 2025, including Etienne entering the RB1 space again. Etienne is the perfect candidate for the ZeroRB strategy in 2025.
For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2025 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!
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