Guides · Roster construction
Zero RB vs Hero RB
A practical comparison of Zero RB and Hero RB builds, when each one actually works, and how your draft slot and league scoring should decide between them.
What each build is actually betting on
Zero RB bets that running back production is replaceable in-season through injuries and role changes, so early capital is better spent on receivers whose value is stable. Hero RB bets that one workhorse is worth paying for, and that the rest of the backfield can be filled with upside swings. Both are reasonable. The mistake is picking one before the draft and refusing to read the room.
Scoring decides more than preference
Full PPR with three receiver slots pushes value toward pass catchers and makes Zero RB far more survivable. Half-PPR with two receiver slots and a flex narrows the gap, and TE-premium leagues change which position is genuinely scarce. Run the replacement-level math for your settings rather than importing a strategy from someone else's league.
Your slot changes the answer
Hero RB is cleanest from an early slot, where an elite back is available and the long wait to your next pick favors locking a known quantity. Zero RB is cleanest from the turn, where two receiver picks in a row build a genuine strength while backs are being reached for around you.
The in-draft tell
Watch how fast running backs leave the board relative to their ranking. If the room is draining the position early, the receivers you wanted are still there later and Zero RB becomes cheap. If backs are falling, the discount is on the other side and forcing Zero RB is paying for a scarcity that does not exist.
How to commit without gambling
Decide after round three, not before round one. Take the value the board gives you in the first three rounds, then look at your roster and pick the build the picks already chose. Draft Waiver scores each candidate against your current roster, so the build emerges from the math instead of a preseason article.