Zero RB Draft Targets
Zero RB Draft Targets In FFWC leagues, all fantasy managers must start with three wide receivers with the potential to start up to five if they choose to utilize the two flex positions. Recently, high-stakes players have commonly employed the “Zero Running Back” strategy. In this philosophy managers completely ignore the running back position instead opting to stock-pile elite wide receivers in the first four-to-six rounds. If you decide to employ that roster blueprint in 2024, here are three Zero RB Draft Targets who are coming off the board in the middle-to-late rounds you should look to target! James Conner, Cardinals (ADP 63 / RB18) Veteran James Conner will certainly lose carries to rookie Trey Benson but he will still have ample opportunity to sneak into back-end RB1/ RB2 status every week. He is being overlooked in drafts despite rushing for seven touchdowns and a career-best 1,040 yards last season. After missing four games due to injury, Conner was one the best PPR scoring backs in fantasy football from Week 10 -18. The eight-year veteran scored five touchdowns (3 rushing; and 2 receiving) while averaging 102 rushing yards over the last five games of the year. With a healthy Kyler Murray back under center for Arizona expect Conner, who has made 234 receptions for 1,803 yards and 10 touchdowns in 91 career games, to be productive in the Cardinals passing game. WOW 🤯🤯 What a play! One-handed touchdown grab by James Conner 🙌 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/IvTc3yeLYo — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 31, 2023 David Montgomery, Lions (ADP 71.6 / RB22) Many argue that David Montgomery is the best handcuff in fantasy football this season. Is he really a handcuff though? In his first season in Mo-Town, Monty rushed for 1,015 yards while scoring the fifth-most touchdowns (13) in the NFL. Following the hamstring injury to Jahmyr Gibbs’ injury early in camp, the veteran could be the club’s bell-cow back early in the season. Hamstring injuries often tend to linger, so if you go WR-heavy early don’t be afraid to grab a potential featured back on a high-powered Lions offense that ranked third in total offense (6,712 yards) and second in offensive touchdowns (57) last season. The film does not lie. Watch the clip below. DAVID MONTGOMERY! 75 YARDS! 📺: #DETvsLAC on CBS 📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGc6Bj pic.twitter.com/pqetescitK — NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023 Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (ADP 126.9 / RB44) With Tony Pollard now in Tennessee, the NFL’s highest-scoring team last season has a major role in the offensive backfield. Although aging veteran Ezekiel Elliott stands atop Dallas’ depth chart, 26-year-old Rico Dowdle may be the best value among the two. Coming off the board in the 10th round or later in FFWC drafts, Dowdle is the perfect target for Zero-RB squads to outperform their ADP (126.9). Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy recently stated that training camp competition will determine who earns lead-back duties and he praised Dowdle’s contributions when he has been healthy. “He has shown flashes as a young player, but once he fought through those injuries, really, last year when he was given an opportunity, he played really good football for us,” said McCarthy. #Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy on the RB depth chart: “It needs to solve itself… that’s really up to the players. That’s what the competition of training camp will solve.” on Rico Dowdle: “He’s showed flashes as a young player, but once he fought through those injuries, really,… pic.twitter.com/XgWEwzSqYk — The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) August 5, 2024 Get on the Road to the World Championships for just $50 by visiting the FFWC Draft Lobby today! Here’s how it works: Entering and winning a $50 Starter League will earn you a seat at the 2025 Las Vegas Fantasy Championships ($349 entry). Winning that league will win you a seat at the 2026 World Championships. –OR– Skip the line and directly enter the 2024 World Championships ($1,925 entry) today by securing your spot with a $200 deposit! GET THE LATEST FANTASY TIPS AND CONTEST UPDATES Subscribe to our FREE newsletter to win Weekly Prizes + Breaking Fantasy news & updates!
Vegas Just Went ALL-IN On This Rookie RB
Long-time Las Vegas gambler and ranked high-stakes fantasy player Frank Taddeo (@RespectedMoney on X) is always watching Vegas oddsmakers to identify best bets and fantasy values. This NFL rookie running back is projected to have a MAJOR IMPACT by Oddsmakers, making him a BIG VALUE for Zero RB builds A major component of my success playing high-stakes fantasy football at the FFWC is incorporating player projections of oddsmakers into my NFL model. I began creating my model back in 2010 when I created the only over-the-counter DFS program offered to date in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Over the next several months here at Fulltime Fantasy, I will be highlighting players that are witnessing significant movement in their 2024 NFL betting markets. In my first installment, I will be focusing on Carolina rookie running back Jonathon Brooks. The Panthers traded up in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft to draft the former Texas standout as the first running back off the board at No. 46 overall. Jonathon Brooks is one of the best RBs in College Football 💨 The #1 RB Prospect according to PFFs Big Board 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DS67d4q5nx — College Football Report (@CFBRep) February 1, 2024 While many fantasy managers may be hesitant to invest in a back coming off a torn ACL last November, it is wise to pay attention to new coach Dave Canales’ intent of his offense to focus on running the ball. Check out our detailed Rookie Scouting Profile of Jonathon Brooks here. VEGAS ODDSMAKERS RESPOND TO COACHES RECENT COMMENTS Dave Canales to Jonathon Brooks: “The intent of our offense is to run the ball.” — Joe Person (@josephperson) May 10, 2024 Oddsmakers are paying attention to Canales’s offensive game plan. The talented back, who was installed with a rushing yards betting projection of 500.5, has witnessed the biggest move of any running back in the rushing yards market. The 6-foot-1, 216-pound physical back now sits with a betting demand of 775.5 yards at DraftKings. “A MOVE THIS BIG IS ABSURD, YOU DON’T SEE IT VERY OFTEN.” -Frank Taddeo When oddsmakers make a move of 275 yards, fantasy managers need to take note. Brooks, who currently has an ADP of RB28, came off the board at 7.12 in a Circa Las Vegas Fantasy Championship Draft held on May 30. Due to playing behind Bijan Robinson in his first two collegiate seasons, Brooks only enjoyed one season as the featured call carrier for the Longhorns. In 2023, Brooks rushed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 10 games before suffering the season-ending knee injury. In Carolina, Brooks only finds veterans Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, and Rashaad Penny on the depth chart. That is far from an imposing backfield which will easily result in Brooks taking over lead duties by the start of the season. Canales’s vow to focus on the rushing attack to help Bryce Young, combined with the sizable move by oddsmakers, means fantasy managers should not be afraid to invest in the powerful rookie as a viable RB2/Flex option this season with only middle-round draft capital demand. For the past 15 years, Football Contest Proxy has provided the leading service to submit picks in major Las Vegas football contests from anywhere in the world and built FootballContest.com into the top online destination for football contest info. All you need to do to enter is sign up in person sometime before football season kicks off. FCP does the rest as your proxy – it really is that easy. Simply plan your trip to Vegas and schedule a time with FCP to get signed up for whatever contest(s) you want to enter. As a proxy partner of FullTimeFantasy, you can also SAVE $50 through September 2 by clicking here. Just enter promo code FANTASY at checkout for instant savings, so make your best pick and go with the pros at FootballContest.com!
2022 Fantasy Football Zero-RB Targets
Now that fantasy football draft season is here, it’s time to look at different strategies. Contrarian approaches like #ZeroRB have a lot of traction and our 2022 Fantasy Football Zero-RB Targets can help identify mid-to-late round running backs to draft.
Although there is no definitive #ZeroRB rule, generally starting the draft focusing on elite wide receivers and tight ends while waiting until the middle of the draft at the earliest to address the backfield is the idea. Some drafters will take a running back before Round 5 in a modified Zero-RB, but we’ll focus on the former.
Here are some 2022 fantasy football Zero-RB targets to look for in the mid-to-late rounds of your draft. All ADP cited courtesy of FFWC high-stakes Advanced ADP.
Chase Edmonds (Miami Dolphins) ADP 70.5, (RB24)
There is a notable difference in Edmonds’s ADP in high-stakes leagues versus the consensus formats. That’s usually a good sign to target a player. As it stands, Chase Edmonds is the overwhelming favorite to be Miami’s main running back. He’s an excellent fit in the team’s new zone-blocking scheme and a trustworthy pass-catcher.
With the Cardinals last season, Edmonds saw 53 targets in 12 games and posted overall RB28 numbers in terms of fantasy points per game. Miami ranked 11th in plays per game in 2021 and should be even more potent with Tyreek Hill added to the fold. I view Edmonds as a quality weekly RB2 and a superb value in the sixth round.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Kansas City Chiefs) ADP 78, RB27
After two disappointing outings to open his career, fantasy managers are understandably off of CEH. In 2021, PFF ranked Edwards-Helaire as the 79th running back. He was even worse as a receiver and struggled mightily in short yardage. Still, new opportunities mean new value in 2022.
CEH has dominated first-team work throughout the preseason and should get plenty of opportunities in an offense that lost four of their top-6 target earners. What we do know is he can pass protect for Pat Mahomes. Plus, rumors persist that Ronald Jones may not even make the Chiefs’ opening day roster. At this point, Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s ADP has fallen so low that there is little downside to targeting him in the seventh or eighth round.
Dameon Pierce (Houston Texans) ADP 88.3, RB32
Pierce’s ADP has shot up multiple rounds due to his impressive preseason film and the lackluster showing for Marlon Mack. The veteran may be extended the starting courtesy in September, but it seems like only a matter of time before Pierce takes over Houston’s backfield. Pierce was PFF’s highest-graded runner in 2021 and ranked 6th as a pass-catcher. He also ranked top-5 in yards created and elusiveness. It looks like the Texans hit a home run with Pierce and fantasy managers are about to do the same.
Who else made the 2022 Fantasy Football Zero-RB targets list?
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