One of the things that makes fantasy football so fun is how much it varies by year. The top players seemingly always rotate, and with new talented rookies always coming in, it changes who is drafted where every year.

Because of this, draft strategies always change. Some years you want to load up on running backs early, but sometimes it’s better to let your league-mates take the top RBs while you pick up the scraps at receiver, tight end, and quarterback in the early rounds.

With fantasy draft season on the horizon, I took a deep dive into the hero RB and zero RB strategies to see which one is the best.

Hero RB Strategy

In case you’re new to fantasy football, the hero RB strategy is when you use your first two picks to load up on the running back position. Running back is a notoriously thin position in fantasy, especially with how many split backfields there are nowadays, so if you can land two top backs, it could give you a big advantage over your league-mates.

While this may seem like a solid strategy, it can cause you to reach on a player to ensure you fill out the running back position, and also cause you to be very thin at receiver and quarterback.

So the question is, is hero RB the right strategy this year?

Running Back Position Outlook

To answer that question, we have to dive into the running back position as a whole. As I said earlier, running back is notoriously a very thin position group in fantasy, and with more and more teams creating a split backfield, that just makes it even thinner.

Let’s start at the top. This year, there are probably only 10 running backs that I feel really good about: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, De’Von Achane, James Cook, Ashton Jeanty, Chase Brown, Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.

After those 10, there are eight more RBs that I feel pretty good about, but they all have something working against them: Omarion Hampton, Jeremiyah Love, Kenneth Walker, Breece Hall, Kyren Williams, Travis Etienne, Javonte Williams and Josh Jacobs.

Beyond those 18, there are some other high-upside players like Cam Skattebo, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, but they aren’t guys that I would feel great about being my RB2 for the entire season for one reason or another. And if you play in a 12-team league, there are going to be six guys that are every-week starters that I didn’t mention in those top-two tiers.

If you want to make sure you lock down to running backs without a lot of question marks, you’re going to have to invest early.

Is Hero RB a Worthy Strategy?

This is an incredibly hard question to answer, because I think it ultimately comes down to where you’re drafting from. There are some draft positions where taking two running backs with your first two picks would work out very nicely, but there are others where you’d be reaching for a running back with both picks, and that’s the last thing you want to do in the first two rounds when you could get an elite receiver.

Best Positions to Draft From For Zero RB

So what are the best draft positions to run the hero RB strategy?

I think the absolute best position for the hero RB strategy is either pick five or pick six. According to current Sleeper Average Draft Position (ADP), with those picks you’re likely to land Christian McCaffrey in round one before doubling back with either Saquon Barkley or Chase Brown in round two. That would be an incredibly strong start to a draft, and in round three, you’re still in range for an A.J. Brown or Rashee Rice as your WR1.

The second pick is also a very good spot to go with the hero RB strategy. In round one, you get either Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs, whoever the first pick doesn’t take, and then in round two you can come back around and snag Derrick Henry, or maybe even Chase Brown if he falls one pick. Then, you’re back on the clock in round three right away and could land someone like Nico Collins, George Pickens, or Chris Olave as your WR1.

Pick seven and eight are also very good for the hero RB strategy. You miss out on Robinson, Gibbs, and McCaffrey, which is why it’s lower on my list, but you can still draft James Cook or Jonathan Taylor in round one before getting Omarion Hampton or Saquon Barkley in round two. The only thing is, in round three you fall into a bit of a dead zone where you may have to take Tee Higgins as your WR1, or even go with a quarterback like Lamar Jackson.

Zero RB Strategy

Now let’s talk about the zero RB strategy, which, if it wasn’t obvious, is when you pass on running back in the early rounds and take some receivers that slide a bit due to the RB run.

You could end up getting a steal on a couple early-round wide receivers or even one of the top tight ends, but you can put yourself in a very bad spot with the running back position by waiting.

Wide Receiver Position Outlook

Let’s talk about the wide receiver position in fantasy football. It is a much deeper position than running back, given that a lot of teams have two guys that are viable in fantasy every year. That means there are upwards of 40 receivers that could be considered fantasy relevant every season.

Let’s start at the top. There is a clear upper echelon of receivers with Ja’Marr Chase, Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but after that, there are still some really solid first-round options with guys like CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson and Drake London going later.

But even as you get into rounds two and three, there are a lot of great receiver options with guys like Malik Nabers, Nico Collins, George Pickens, Chris Olave, A.J. Brown and Rashee Rice.

Unlike the RB position, as you get deeper into the draft, you can still find a ton of upside. Garrett Wilson, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Emeka Egbuka, Mike Evans and plenty of others are going in round four or later, but could still easily be starters on a lot of fantasy teams.

Is Zero RB a Worthy Strategy

There’s always a case to be made that going Zero RB is the right move, but it is very risky. Sure, you could get someone like Ja’Marr Chase in round one before doubling back with a Nico Collins or George Pickens, giving you two top-10 players at the position (or you could even grab at Trey McBride to give you a massive tight end advantage every week), but then you’re stuck with a bunch of scraps at running back.

It’s a risky move, but one that could pay off, especially if you’re picking from the right spot.

Best Positions to Draft From For Zero RB

So what are the best draft positions to run the zero RB strategy from? I think the third pick is the best spot. You get your pick of Ja’Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in round one, but in round two, you’re still in a good spot to get a Nico Collins or George Pickens. Heck, even Brock Bowers could still be on the board by your second pick. Then, you’re back on the clock a few picks later at the start of round three and could get a Breece Hall or Kyren Williams as your RB1, but if you want to triple down on the zero RB strategy, you could get a Josh Allen at quarterback.

The fourth and fifth picks are pretty much just as good as the third. You’re still going to get one of Chase, Nacua or Smith-Njigba – you just won’t have your pick of the litter – and can still probably get a Bowers, Collins or Pickens in round two.

The ninth pick is another pretty good spot to go with the zero RB strategy. You’re probably just going to miss out on Jonathan Taylor and James Cook, but you’ll be the first one picking from the second tier of receivers, which includes CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson and Drake London. You don’t have to wait long for round two, where you could grab Trey McBride or Malik Nabers before taking Travis Etienne or Javonte Williams as your RB1 in round three.

Balanced Strategy

You don’t have to abide by either of those strategies. You’re free to do whatever you want, and if your heart tells you to secure a top receiver and running back in the first two rounds, you absolutely can.

Best Draft Positions to Draft From For Balanced

If you want to take a balanced approach to the draft, the first overall pick is a great spot to do it from. You get your pick of the top-two running backs, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, and then at the round two/three turn, you’re likely to get two of George Pickens, Chase Brown, Derrick Henry and Chris Olave. If I walked out of the first three rounds with Robinson/Gibbs, Henry/Brown and Pickens/Olave, I’d feel great about my team.

If you’re picking 10th, 11th or 12th, this is another great time to go with a balanced strategy. Right now, the final three picks in round one seem to be Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson and Drake London, giving you a top receiver, and then the first three picks of round two are Kenneth Walker, De’Von Achane and Ashton Jeanty, giving you a top running back. You have to wait a while for your third round pick, but guys like Travis Etienne, Tee McMillan and Lamar Jackson are all right there.

So What’s the Best Strategy

This is going to feel like a cop-out, but the best strategy really depends on where you’re picking. If you’re picking 10th, hero RB is not a good strategy. You’d be reaching on a Kenneth Walker or De’Von Achane in round one, and then probably reaching for another in round two. But if you’re picking second and can get Jahmyr Gibbs and Derrick Henry, then it’s a great idea.

I typically like to go with a balanced draft, because it makes me feel like I won’t have a significant disadvantage at running back or receiver in any given week, but this year, I might change it up. It all depends on where I’m drafting from on draft night.