Zero RB Targets For 2024 Fantasy Football
Zero RB Targets For 2024
A round-by-round look at the running backs to target for fantasy drafters utilizing the Zero RB strategy in 2024. But first, here is a quick recap on the Zero RB draft strategy and what makes it successful.
As I’ve detailed in the past, there are several archetypes of running backs that we should target when drafting Zero RB:
- From An Uncertain Backfield: We’re ultimately looking for a breakout star. Many times, breakout running backs come from ambiguous situations.
- Rookies: Late-round rookies naturally have contingent upside. We haven’t seen them on an NFL field before so there is a lot of unknown, specifically in regards to their role. They often come from these aforementioned uncertain backfield situations.
- Have Contingent Upside: These are your handcuff running backs. But they’re not just any backups. They have to be the clear and obvious backup where we know if the starter goes down, they are going to assume the majority of the workload. Very few of these exist in today’s NFL.
- Receiving Backs: Pure receiving running backs don’t give us the league-winning upside that we really want when drafting Zero RB, but they can give us some stand-alone value and be an early season bridge to what will hopefully be an emerging breakout from someone else. We still need to survive the early weeks of the season. These guys can help us do that.
It doesn’t stop there. Not every handcuff running back or rookie running back, or running back from an uncertain backfield are the same. Within these archetypes, are a few other characteristics we need to pursue.
We want these running backs to:
- Be Athletic
- Play In A Good Offense
- Have Touchdown Upside
- Have Receiving Upside
These characteristics allow for the most upside if/when they get their opportunity. These are the running backs who will make for a successful Zero RB strategy. Here are the Zero RB targets for 2024:
Round 6:
David Montgomery
David Montgomery was a prime Zero RB target in 2023. The shine has worn off a bit heading into 2024 after the second half breakout from his running mate Jahmyr Gibbs. But that doesn’t mean Montgomery shouldn’t still be a target for Zero RB drafters. He is still going to be quite involved in the offense, and projects to lead the Lions in carries. This is a good offense and we just generally want to target running backs in good offenses. In fact, the Lions offense has been so good over the last two seasons that they were able to produce multiple top-24 running backs in back-to-back seasons. I expect that will happen again in 2024, with both Gibbs and Montgomery scoring among the top-24 at the position.
If anything were to happen to Gibbs, that opens the ceiling for Montgomery to start producing as an RB1. That’s why I’m so comfortable making Montgomery my first running back in a Zero RB build. He gives us a solid floor with immediate production in a shared backfield, but we also get some contingency upside in the case of a Gibbs injury.
Round 7:
Najee Harris
Fantasy drafters in general seem to be down on Najee Harris and that is reflected in his round 7 ADP. However, Harris has run for over 1,000 yards in all three of his seasons and seems like a lock for at least 250 carries in 2024. This is going to be a run heavy offense with enough work for both Harris and Jaylen Warren to eat. The Steelers offense could absolutely exceed expectations with Russell Wilson at quarterback which would only be a positive for Harris’ overall outlook. And remember, Harris is playing for a new contract. He’s going to be motivated to have a great season. He worked hard this offseason to get into better shape and drop some weight. That should help him be more agile and explosive. If that means he gives us more explosive runs after finishing last season top-5 in runs of 15+ yards, then we could be in for a career year for Najee Harris.
Zamir White
Zamir White was essentially given the chance to audition for the Raiders RB1 job at the end of last season. A quad injury knocked out Josh Jacobs for the final four weeks, and the team made White the workhorse. White played more than 70% of the snaps in three of his four starts, while averaging 23 carries and 114 yards yards from scrimmage per game. He was the RB12 in fantasy points over that stretch, averaging 15.2 in PPR formats.
The Raiders clearly liked what they saw. Not only did they let Jacobs walk in free agency, they didn’t do much to replace him. All they added at the position was a washed up Alexander Mattison on a one-year, $2 million contract and a sixth-round Dylan Laube in the draft. That indicates to me that the front office and coaching staff are comfortable with White and they are confident he can handle a featured role.
That’s the same coaching staff that has indicated all offseason that they intend to run the ball a ton. White should easily eclipse 250 carries. The Raiders have a good enough defense to keep games close and a poor enough quarterback situation to deter the coaches from abandoning the run game. White will likely be more involved in the passing game than most are projecting, too. He may not be a receiving weapon, per say, but White can reach 50-60 targets on check-downs, swings, and screens. In fact, he was targeted 13 times between Weeks 15-18 last season, which extrapolated out for a full season, would come out to about 55 targets.
Round 9:
Jaylen Warren
Jaylen Warren actually out-scored Najee Harris in 2023. He was phenomenal. He was top-5 among running backs in targets and receptions while ranking No. 9 in yards per route and catch rate. Warren was even better on the ground, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, ranking No. 3 in yards created per touch and leading all running backs in evaded tackles per touch (PlayerProfiler). Now, Warren will benefit from a running back-centric offense with improved quarterback play. He will continue to split work with Harris and provide standalone value but he also has massive contingent upside if Harris were to miss time.
Trey Benson
Trey Benson has all the elements that we look for in an elite, high-end handcuff. To start, he is backing up a fragile 29-year old James Conner. Even in his younger years, Conner has never been able to stay healthy for a full season. In fact, he has played more than 13 games in a single season just one time in his career. It feels like a pretty good bet that Benson is going to start games at some point in his rookie season. Whenever that happens, he will instantly be starting in fantasy lineups as an RB2 with RB1 upside. He would immediately take on a bellcow workload in what I expect to be one of the NFL’s top-10 offenses. The Cardinals have a fully healthy Kyler Murray with improved weaponry and an upgraded offensive line. There are going to be plenty of fantasy scoring opportunities for whoever is leading the backfield.
Benson is a big running back at 216 lbs with 4.39 speed. He’s an aggressive runner who doesn’t go down easy and is an explosive run waiting to happen. That will be a perfect complement to Murray’s rushing ability, as well as the receiving elements of Marvin Harrison Jr and Trey McBride.
Benson needs to be a priority target for all zero RB drafters, but he’s really a great pick for anyone looking to add some upside to their bench, regardless of draft strategy. Benson’s ceiling is he becomes the starter in Arizona and is a league winner in fantasy football.
Related: Finding This Year’s Kyren Williams
Round 10:
Tyjae Spears
Tyjae Spears was electric in spurts as a rookie. He will see a much greater opportunity now that Derrick Henry is gone, but he will still have to fight for touches with the newly signed Tony Pollard. Pollard was disappointing in his first season as the RB1 in Dallas and coming off an injury, but he absolutely poses a threat to Spears’ workload. The coaches have indicated this will be close to a 50/50 split between the two backs. However, Spears is the more explosive of the two and will likely get more out of his touches than Pollard will his. In fact, Spears was incredibly efficient last season, ranking top-5 in yards created per touch, evaded tackles per touch, and percentage of runs that went for 15 yards or more.
Spears will almost certainly out-do Pollard in the receiving game. Even while playing a backup role to Derrick Henry, Spears was No. 9 among running backs in targets and receptions and No. 11 in yards per route run. He will certainly see more opportunities as both a runner and receiver in 2024 and could easily crack the top-24 running backs in fantasy football.
Brian Robinson
Brian Robinson’s ADP is being suppressed because of the offseason signing of Austin Ekeler. Yes, that dusty Austin Ekeler who was running in mud last season and came in to replace Antonio Gibson more than take away work from Brian Robinson. This is not going to be a 50/50 split. It’s going to be Brian Robinson’s backfield. Robinson was an RB2 in fantasy points per game last season and he looked good doing it. He was top-15 in yards per touch, top-20 in evaded tackles per touch, and No. 7 in yards created per touch (PlayerProfiler). Now he gets to work alongside a dual-threat quarterback who will open up run lanes and create an overall more efficient and productive offense. This could be Kliff Kingsbury’s James Conner and Kyler Murray all over again.
Robinson’s ADP is somehow in the double-digit rounds or close to it on every platform. It’s one of the most inefficient costs of any player in 2024. I’m taking full advantage and drafting Robinson on all my Zero RB teams.
Blake Corum
Kyren Williams was a fantasy football sensation in 2023. But he’s a former late-round pick who tested with subpar athleticism and is undersized. It wasn’t shocking to see the Rams go out and use a Day 2 pick on a running back. I’m not saying Blake Corum is going to come in and push Williams aside and become the RB1 in Los Angeles right out the shoot. I’m not saying that’s not going to happen, either, but that’s a conversation for a different day. My thoughts on Kyren Williams are well documented at this point.
But let’s just say Williams remains the RB1. That makes Corum potentially the No. 1 handcuff running back in all of fantasy football. And Williams dealt with a number of injuries that forced him to miss games in 2023. He is not built for the full-time workload he was receiving. So it seems inevitable that he will miss games. That will open the door for Corum to step into the RB1 chair. We know Sean McVay tends to lean heavily on whoever is his starting running back. In fact, Williams led all running backs in both touches per game and snap share last year. If that is Corum for any stretch of time, he’s going to receive a ton of touches, much like he did over the last couple years at Michigan.
And that might be all it takes for Corum to take over the backfield altogether, even once Williams is healthy. That’s because Corum is just a better fit for what the Rams want from the running back position. He’s big, he’s tough, he’s athletic. He runs hard, protects the football, and can keep quarterback Matthew Stafford upright in pass protection.
Corum is a proven talent who is just waiting for his opportunity. Whenever that comes, he will be the bellcow running back with a 75%+ opportunity share in one of the league’s most explosive offenses. There are going to be red zone and end zone opportunities for whoever is leading this backfield.
Once the double-digit rounds of fantasy drafts come along, Blake Corum needs to move to the top of your priority list. He has league-winner written all over him.
Round 11:
Chase Brown
I was a big Chase Brown fan coming out of Illinois last year. I appreciated his explosive traits and 4.43 speed while possessing the requisite size to be an NFL workhorse. His rookie season got off to a slow start, but he flashed big-play ability as his opportunities increased late in the season. Brown ended the season with only 44 carries but he averaged more than four yards per tote and caught 14 of his 15 targets. He ranked No. 12 among qualified running backs in yards after contact per attempt and No. 16 in missed tackles forced per attempt (FantasyPros). Brown was incredibly explosive with a 9.1% breakaway run rate. Only De’Von Achane broke a long run at a higher rate (PlayerProfiler). He was also top-12 in fantasy points per opportunity (0.91), per PlayerProfiler.
That all culminated in an RB10 finish in Week 14 when he totaled 105 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. He added three other top-36 finishes between Weeks 13-18. Remember, this was all done on limited touches, which could be a foreshadowing of what’s to come when he is in a much more significant role in 2024. In fact, Brown had just three games with 10 or more touches. He averaged 11.3 fantasy points in those three outings (FantasyPros).
Now, Brown is expected to see a greater opportunity in his second season. He will begin the year behind Zack Moss. Moss is coming off a productive year with the Colts where he had several boom performances in relief of Jonathan Taylor. However, Moss has never been “the guy” in an NFL offense outside of those spot starts. If he regresses back to his old ways or can’t handle being the every week workhorse, Chase Brown is next in line. That could be all it takes for Brown to become this year’s Kyren Williams. He has the athleticism, the receiving upside, plus plenty of touchdown scoring opportunity, in what should be an above average Bengals offense, to make it happen.
Jerome Ford
Jerome Ford’s ADP indicates the general fantasy community anticipates a full Nick Chubb return in 2024. However, Chubb’s ADP reflects some serious skepticism that he will be able to play at full strength any time soon. What gives? Given how serious Chubb’s knee injury was last season and that he doesn’t seem anywhere close to ready to step onto a football field, it feels pretty safe to say that it’s going to be a while before we see him suit up. And even when he returns, there’s a strong likelihood that he will be a shell of his former self. After all, he is 28-years old, coming off a catastrophic knee injury that occurred in a knee that he has had serious injuries with before. This all makes Jerome Ford’s 11th round ADP (RB39) one of the most exploitable inefficiencies of 2024 fantasy drafts.
Looking back at last season, Ford amassed over 1,100 yards from scrimmage and finished as the RB16 in PPR formats. He scored nine touchdowns and finished top-15 in targets and receiving yards among running backs. Ford should assume a similar role as he did last year when he accounted for more than 50% of the snaps and backfield touches. The Browns may not be top-5 in run plays per game again in 2024, but there will continue to be plenty of work for Ford. If you’re utilizing the Zero RB draft strategy, Ford is a fantastic early-season value that can bridge the gap to a Trey Benson, Blake Corum, or Jaylen Wright breakout. And then he will continue to provide RB2/RB3 value through the season. There’s really no downside to drafting him.
Zach Charbonnet
Zach Charbonnet came in as a second round pick in 2023 and had a solid rookie season as a complement to Kenneth Walker. The former UCLA Bruin will fulfill that same role in 2024 with a chance at even more touches. Charbonnet caught 33 passes as a rookie, a number that could be on the rise under a new coaching staff that promises to turn up the dials on the passing game. Compared to Walker, Charbonnet is the better receiver of the duo and stands to benefit from a more modern offense. With that said, Walker will continue to lead the backfield in carries and total touches, capping Charbonnet’s fantasy value, minus a Walker injury.
But that’s exactly why we are drafting Charbonnet. For that contingent upside. If Walker were to go down—he has missed four games in two seasons—Charbonnet would have zero competition in that backfield. He would be the full-blown bellcow, dominating the touches in both the run game and as a receiver out of the backfield.
Now, the Seahawks offensive line is questionable which is the only reason he isn’t higher on this list, but Charbonnet is skilled enough to overcome some blocking deficiencies. In fact, Charbonnet was top-15 in yards created per touch last season, while ranking No. 24 in yards per touch. He also found enough room to rank No. 21 in breakaway run rate (PlayerProfiler.com).
Volume would certainly be in his favor if he was asked to step in for Walker. In the two games that Walker missed last season, in addition to leaving early in another, Charbonnet averaged 16 carries and was targeted 12 times. He played more than 84% of the snaps in two of the three games. If Walker is forced to miss more time in 2024, Charbonnet would instantly become one of the few bellcow running backs in football. That is a coveted role in fantasy, which makes Charbonnet one of the best handcuffs available and a great target in the double-digit rounds.
Related: Top-5 Handcuff Running Backs
Round 12:
Jaylen Wright
In theory Jaylen Wright is in crowded backfield. But so was Kyren Williams at this time last year. We don’t have to squint too hard to see a path to similar fantasy production for Wright. All that is standing in his way of a significant workload is a tiny Devon Achane, who suffered multiple injuries as a rookie, and a 32-year old Raheem Mostert who has had a laundry list of injuries throughout his career. And who’s to say Wright doesn’t beat out those guys anyway?
Wright ran an incredible 4.38 40-time at the NFL Combine and he jumped out of the stadium. There are few teams that know how to maximize that type of speed and explosion better than Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins. They will be able to accentuate his strengths and mask his weaknesses as well as any organization. With the touchdown scoring potential in the Miami offense, there might be no better candidate to be this year’s Kyren Williams than Jaylen Wright.
Chuba Hubbard
Chuba Hubbard seemed to be one of the few bright spots in a dismal Panthers offense last season. He adequately filled in for a washed up Miles Sanders, totaling more than 1,100 yards and scoring as a top-25 running back eight times. The team went out and drafted Jonathon Brooks in the second round in an effort to upgrade the running back position. However, with Brooks coming off a November ACL injury, it’s very possible Hubbard will continue to be leaned on early in the season. Unlike most of the other backs on this list, Hubbard will serve a purpose as a bridge for Zero RB teams. He is the guy we can lean on for early season production while we wait on some of the high-upside guys (Trey Benson, Blake Corum, Jaylen Wright, etc) to get their shot.
Round 13:
Rico Dowdle
Rico Dowdle shared the Cowboys backfield last year and will do it again in 2024. However, with Tony Pollard gone and Ezekiel Elliott back, Dowdle could see an increase in touches from a year ago. We all know Zeke has been flirting with Father Time for several seasons now so it wouldn’t be a surprise for injury or underperformance to force him to take a backseat to Dowdle by mid season. And believe it or not, Dowdle was efficient in his opportunities last season. He ranked 16th among running backs in yards per target, according to FantasyPros. He will almost certainly see more targets with Pollard gone. Dowdle was also top-24 in yards per touch, top-20 in evaded tackles per touch and EPA, and top-10 in yards created per touch (PlayerProfiler.com).
The Cowboys should continue to be one of the better offenses in the NFL. Good offenses mean lots of yards and touchdowns. Lots of yards and touchdowns mean lots of fantasy points to go around. If Dowdle proves to be more effective than Elliott, he will have an opportunity to emerge as a league-winner in fantasy football.
MarShawn Lloyd
Rookie MarShawn Lloyd should have no trouble beating out AJ Dillon for the RB2 job in Green Bay. That puts Lloyd squarely in position to take on a significant role in one of the league’s ascending offenses if anything were to happen to Josh Jacobs. Jacobs missed four games with injuries last season while his efficiency metrics were down across the board.
If Lloyd were thrust into the RB1 job, he would be a weekly must-start in fantasy football. He is bursting with athleticism and raw talent. He’s a big back with sub-4.5 speed and an all-purpose skill set. He is difficult to bring down in the open field given his combination explosiveness, speed, size, strength, and lateral agility, making him nearly impossible to take down with a single defender. Lloyd can add value on passing downs as well, with quality hands and the ability to turn a check-down into a big gain.
He could even add some standalone value as a complement to Jacobs. Given his explosive traits, Lloyd wouldn’t need a ton of volume to become fantasy relevant. The real value, though, is in the case of a Jacobs injury. Jacobs has missed multiple games in every season except one. Even in that one season he seemed like he was popping up on the injury report with something new every week. With Jacobs’ running style, it’s no surprise that he gets nicked up often. Given that he has more than 1,500 career touches, Jacobs feels like a safe bet to miss some time. That will open the door for Lloyd to be the lead guy in a Green Bay offense that was No. 7 in touchdowns last season. He would be a weekly RB2 in fantasy football with the upside to score in the top-12 in any given week.
Round 15:
Kimani Vidal
Kimani Vidal joins a Chargers backfield that consists of only Gus Edwards, JK Dobbins, who is coming off multiple serious lower body injuries, and Isaiah Spiller. Vidal has the size to be an NFL workhorse with impressive size-adjusted speed and burst. He is a between-the-tackles runner with the explosive traits to break off chunk plays. He follows his blockers well and is rarely tackled for loss yardage. Once he’s in the open field with a head of steam, Vidal is difficult to bring down. And even when you get hands on him, Vidal is always driving his legs and pushing forward to squeeze out one extra yard or two. That probably reminded Jim Harbaugh of Blake Corum
It’s not hard to see Vidal ascending up the Chargers depth chart quickly and leading this backfield in touches as a rookie. And we know the Chargers want to run the ball a ton, so there will be plenty of touches to be had. And with Justin Herbert leading the offense, the touchdown opportunities will be plentiful—something that made a big difference in Kyren Williams’ 2023 season. That could be Vidal in 2024.
Round 16:
Ray Davis
The Bills were a favorite to land a running back at some point during the draft and they chose Ray Davis to be the guy. Davis will fill a role the team has been trying to solve for a few seasons now. They brought in a number of big-bodied backs last year like Damien Harris, Latavius Murray, and Leonard Fournette. Murray had moderate success but Davis is 10 years younger and ready to take over. He will pair well with James Cook as the team’s RB2.
Davis will also project as the team’s top running back at the goal line. Even with quarterback Josh Allen stealing some of those looks, the Bills offense is good enough to provide plenty of touchdown scoring opportunities for a guy like Davis. We could see some opportunities in the passing game for Davis as well. James Cook is an overrated receiver and Davis caught 94 balls at Kentucky with a solid receiving skill set. There’s a chance he at least eats into Cook’s work on passing downs. Davis absolutely has an opportunity in one of the league’s best offenses and the skill set to be fantasy relevant right away.
Tyrone Tracy
Tyrone Tracy was one of the more interesting prospects in the 2024 class heading into the draft. He’s a converted wide receiver with limited running back experience. Yet, he proved to be a quality runner in 2023 when he ran for over six yards per carry and eight touchdowns. He runs with a good combination of speed and power with open-field elusiveness and impressive balance.
Landing with the Giants is a great spot for Tyrone Tracy Jr. The backfield is devoid of talent after losing Saquon Barkley in free agency, only to replace him with Devin Singletary. While Singletary did an adequate job in Houston last season, he is not exactly immune to some competition. The other running backs on the roster are Eric Gray, Gary Brightwell, Jashaun Corbin, and Deon Jackson.
It’s not hard to see a world where Tracy winds up with a significant opportunity as a rookie. As a converted wide receiver, Tracy can jump right into a pass-catching role out of the backfield with a chance to expand that role over the course of the season. He is going to fly under the radar in fantasy drafts, but Tracy is a fun late round flier that needs to be monitored in preseason and early in the regular season. He could have a breakout in the second half if Singletary falters.
More: 10 Sleepers You NEED To Draft After Round 10
Round 17:
Roschon Johnson
Roschon Johnson was one of my favorite rookies from the 2023 class. He is a big, powerful running back who somehow created production behind Bijan Robinson at Texas. He is a natural in the receiving game, both as a pass-catcher and in protection. We saw some flashes of that in his rookie campaign. However, it was an overall disappointing first year for Johnson. He ran for just 352 yards on 81 carries and was mostly relegated to RB3 duties behind Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman. If it weren’t for an untimely concussion, though, things could have been much different for Johnson.
Still, Johnson managed three top-24 fantasy performances in five weeks to close out the season. He did that by catching 15 passes from Weeks 12-17. He totaled more than 50 yards in four of those five games.
With the offseason signing of D’Andre Swift it’s hard to see a clear path to a significant role for Johnson right now. But Swift was underwhelming from an efficiency standpoint last season and Johnson did enough late in the year to warrant an opportunity at the RB2 job. That could turn into a prominent role as a high-end handcuff or eventual starter in what is expected to be a much improved Bears offense with the additions of Keenan Allen and Caleb Williams. A second half emergence could propel Johnson to a late-season RB1 status and make him this year’s Kyren Williams.
Dylan Laube
Dylan Laube is the best receiving back in the 2024 class and he landed in a spot that will allow him to utilize that skill set. Right now it’s Zamir White and Alexander Mattison atop the Raiders running back depth chart—Neither of which are known for their pass-catching chops. Only a 31-year old Ameer Abdullah stands in the way of passing downs work. Laube has a chance to impress coaches during training camp enough for them to cut Abdullah and turn the receiving work over to him.
Considering Laube caught 117 passes and averaged 10 yards per reception over the last two seasons at New Hampshire, it’s not hard to see him beating out Abdullah. That means we could get an RB3/4 season from him as a rookie.
Who are your favorite zero rb targets in 2024? Join us on Discord and let’s discuss!
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