Drafting Zero RB In Fantasy Football? 7 Backfields To Target

It’s been a busy 48 hours with all of the roster cutdowns.

Here are seven backfields we’ve received new information on recently that should dictate how you spend your late-round RB selections …

SEA: Charbs officially placed on PUP

As expected, Seattle did place RB Zach Charbonnet on the PUP to open up the season, which means he’ll miss at least the first four games.

Fantasy spin: Jadarian Price remains an awesome selection in Rounds 5 and 6 of fantasy drafts, but don’t sleep on George Holani. ESPN’s Brady Henderson expects a heavy dose of Holani, “whose receiving and pass-blocking skills seem perfectly suited for third-down work.” Holani is a nice last-round target for Ashton Jeanty drafters in need of early-season production.

ARI: Conner to IR, Love good to go?

Things have really thinned out in Arizona with Trey Benson waived and James Conner placed on IR (he’ll miss at least the first four games). In addition, Mike LaFleur said Jeremiyah Love is “progressing really well” toward playing Week 1.

Fantasy spin: Love remains a screaming target in the middle of Round 3 or later. The fact that Week 1 is in play is great news, even if it doesn’t end up happening. Likewise, Tyler Allgeier is a much cleaner handcuff bet without Conner in the picture.

DAL/KC: Blue replaced by Demercado

After Jaydon Blue was waived (and subsequently passed over on waivers), the Cowboys claimed RB Emari Demercado, who was waived by the Chiefs, off waivers.

Fantasy spin: While Blue and Demercado are hardly relevant, this does solidify Malik Davis (Dallas) and Emmett Johnson (Kansas City) as clear RB2s in their respective offenses. Both are premium Zero-RB targets down the drafting homestretch.

BONUS: Zero-RB Targets

Other guys I’m mixing in right now: Najee Harris (they called Cam Skattebo an “infectious disease”), Kendre Miller (last man standing behind Travis Etienne), Seth McGowan (DJ Giddens was nearly a roster cut according to beats).

ICYMI: RUNNING BACK TIERS GOT AN UPDATE

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Around the Watercooler

Your favorite football nerds are back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes from the NFL universe …

👀 Who are our expert rankers’ “My Guys”? Take this list to your draft.

💪 What to make of the QBs in fantasy this season? Nate Tice joined Matthew to talk signal-callers and more.

🔮 These players ready to boom or bust Week 1? Look at the projections.

📰 This RB will miss at least 4 games. And a top-3 WR returns to practice.

🪓 Pick from the 1.18 in a Gullotine Leagues^TM draft? Take your cuts.

↗️ A deep threat gets a new home. Gets a lift in ADP.

📋 Cooterdoodle has friends dig cheat sheets out of the trash. You won’t have to.

🍋 Join a league and get a shot to win $25K. Play Harder & it’s Free.

🤦 It will never end …Travis Hunter update from Liam Coen.

👑 Want to prove you’re the best fantasy sports player in the nation? Join the Austin Ekeler Fantasy Royale.

🦅 Zach Ertz coming back? There’s one reunion he’s open to.

🤔 Special treatment in LA? Aaron Donald update.

🗣️ Anyone named Caleb? New way to pick draft order.

Freedman’s Bold Predictions For The 2026 Season

1. Ravens Miss the Playoffs

Odds: +305 (DraftKings)
Implied Probability: 24.7%

Haha, just below my 25% threshold. Perfect.

I feel the need to say this: I think that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are good. Jackson could win MVP, and the Ravens could win the Super Bowl.

I could look very, very stupid (stupider than usual) with this bold call at the end of the season.

But Jackson was the highlighted player in my 2026 Freedman's Fades article, and in my best bets article I called out the Ravens' win total of under 10.5 (+125).

For better or worse (probably worse), I see some downside with the Ravens this year.

Let's start with Jackson.

He's now 29 years old. As a runner, he might be slowing down (last year he had a career-low 26.8 rushing yards per game), and his rushing ability is his true superpower. Without it, he would likely be a very different (and less effective) player.

On top of that, Jackson doesn't have the build of a typical NFL QB. With his slight frame (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), he might be more susceptible to injury, and the fact that he has missed 4+ games in three of the past five seasons doesn't suggest otherwise.

If Jackson were to slow down this year or miss more than a couple of games, the Ravens could be in trouble.

And then there's the new playcaller, OC Declan Doyle.

At 30 years old, the dude is barely older than Jackson … and he has never called plays before. What if he and Jackson don't get along? What if, in transitioning from the grizzled Todd Monken to the Backstreet Boy-looking Doyle, the star player feels he knows more than his OC and constantly feuds with him?

That might not happen, but let's not act as if it's impossible. We're entering the world of the unknown, and that's especially the case with HC Jesse Minter.

On the one hand, Minter is a well-respected defensive coach. On the other hand, he has never been an HC before.

Say whatever you want about previous HC John Harbaugh and Monken, but at least with them we know what we had. We could project with more certainty.

With Minter, Doyle, and an aging Jackson in a new offensive system, we have ample ambiguity.

Again, lots could go right with this team. In order to create our NFL Game Model (Week 1 lines are now live!) I first build baseline projections for every offense and defense, and I have the Ravens as one of just three teams to rank in the top eight on both offense and defense.

But I think those rankings are based on assumptions that should be loosely held, whereas the market is currently treating the Ravens as a locked-in Super Bowl contender.

A DARK-HORSE MVP CANDIDATE?

Drafting at the 1.01 on Yahoo: What Comes Next?

We all want nice things in life. Tasty tacos on a Tuesday (or any day). A couple cold ones with close friends on a warm summer night. And occasionally to get the 1.01 in a fantasy draft. Adam Pfeifer chose to reward himself in this mock draft using the Yahoo settings on our Draft Champion.

While the 1.01 has been a great debate all summer—Can you go wrong with Bijan or Gibbs?—it’s the rest of the draft that we need to get right after that stud at the top. That’s what Adam is trying to build, using the Yahoo settings. ⤵️

QUITE THE WR DUO AT THE 2-3 TURN

t’s the Final Rankings Before Week 1

Kendall and Pete are playing the top 48 hits before Week 1 of the 2026 season. The running back hits (no misses yet). See where they have players before you step into your drafts. Make sure to subscribe to the Fantasy Life Show YouTube channel to catch every episode. ⤵️

FINDING LATE-ROUND GEMS TO WIN LEAGUES

Published Sep 1, 2026, 6:00 AM ET