Zero-RB Fantasy Football Strategy: Jonathon Brooks Headlines 2026 Draft Targets

This past season, 49 different running backs recorded at least 100 carries. Every year, whether it be due to injury or simply a team deploying a committee backfield, secondary running backs get meaningful opportunities and become fantasy relevant.

Leaning into the variance at running back and taking multiple later-round shots at the position allows you to load up at wide receiver, quarterback and tight end earlier on in fantasy drafts. And if your lottery tickets at running back hit, your team becomes an absolute unit.

This Zero-RB approach has become a very viable strategy in fantasy drafts over the years, though it does come with some risk ...

Zero RB Draft Strategy For 2026 Fantasy Football

Of course, the term isn’t so literal. You’re obviously drafting running backs, but not until the fifth or sixth round at the absolute earliest. Because you’re often banking on contingent upside when deploying the Zero-RB strategy, it can be a risky proposition. But just this past season, we saw a handful of running backs selected after Round 7 not just make fantasy rosters, but become staples of them.

2025 Late-Round RB Hits

Javonte Williams (ADP: RB36, Finish: RB12)
Travis Etienne (ADP: RB30, Finish: RB10)
Rico Dowdle (ADP: RB57, Finish: RB18)
Rhamondre Stevenson (ADP: RB37, Finish: RB25)

Among the top-24 fantasy running backs in total points scored last year, five were drafted in Round 8 or later. When looking for strong Zero-RB targets, two things need to be on your radar: Potential standalone value and contingent upside. Can this running back see 10-12 touches most weeks without an injury to the starter? And if the starter does miss time, can this running back not just produce, but emerge into a legitimate fantasy starter?

Let’s take a look at some of the top Zero-RB candidates for 2026.

RBs To Target In A Zero-RB Fantasy Football Draft

Rachaad White | WAS

ADP: RB41, 122.6 overall

The Washington backfield has a chance to be one of the most uncertain in all of fantasy football, which is advantageous when going with a zero running back approach. Lean into that uncertainty and chase potential upside. And in Washington, that upside lies within White, who is undoubtedly going to handle the pass game work for the Commanders.

Last season, Jacory Croskey-Merritt handled just 25% of the routes, 1% of the two-minute snaps and less than 6% of third downs. White, meanwhile, has run more routes on third down than any running back in football since 2023 (370), averaging nearly 7.5 per game. Hauling in at least 40 passes every year of his career, White offers a pretty solid PPR floor.

But there should also be opportunities for rushing volume here, too.

Croskey-Merritt may be the favorite to open the year as the early-down starter, but it’s unlikely he dominates the work. He ceded work to Chris Rodriguez last season, ultimately averaging 10.8 touches per game. Rushing efficiency hasn’t exactly been a strength of White, but it shouldn’t shock anyone if he took over a backfield currently led by a seventh-round sophomore. And perhaps with a quarterback with the rushing upside of Jayden Daniels, perhaps he’ll find more success on the ground.

Jonathon Brooks | CAR

ADP: RB37, 111.7 overall

We have no idea what Jonathon Brooks is or what he could become.

That’s exciting.

After being drafted in the second round back in the 2024 draft, a pair of ACL tears have limited Brooks to just 9 carries and 23 total snaps to begin his NFL career. But Brooks now feels close to 100% healthy, and Carolina remains steadfast in their belief in the 23-year-old. And if last year is any indication, Dave Canales and company will not hesitate to simply play the best running back on the roster.

I mean, we literally have an example of a Zero-RB situation gone right from this team just last year. Rico Dowdle opened the year as the clear backup, got an opportunity in Week 5 and held onto the starting job for the next seven or eight weeks. So if Brooks, who, if you recall, was a very good prospect, is giving this backfield more than Chuba Hubbard, Carolina is going to keep giving him work. During his time at Texas, Brooks was a tackle-breaking machine who also had soft hands and fluid pass-game chops. He’s the exact type of running back that can give us everything we are looking for from a fantasy perspective if given the chance.

Our fantasy football projections currently have Hubbard leading the Carolina backfield with 190 carries, but Brooks isn’t too far behind at 129. It remains to be seen if the Panthers will give Hubbard 65-70% of the work or if both running backs will be involved. But based on what we saw down the stretch of last year, I lean towards the latter. After Dowdle dominated the work for most of the year, there was a shift in Week 13. And from then on, it became more of a committee.

It wouldn’t shock me if Brooks was one of the highest risers in fantasy throughout training camp, though he should remain firmly in the Zero-RB range.

Chris Rodriguez | JAX

ADP: RB38, 113.3 overall

Most of the fantasy community wants and expects Bhayshul Tuten to be this year’s breakout running back. And believe me, it can absolutely happen. But we still aren’t entirely sure how this Jacksonville backfield will shape up, which is a situation to embrace rather than avoid.

Following the departure of Travis Etienne, the Jaguars signed Rodriguez to a two-year, $10 million deal this offseason. While the pass game upside isn’t quite there, Rodriguez has a path to some standalone value and serious contingent upside if Tuten were to miss any time. Whether you want to buy into the Liam Coen/Kentucky narrative is up to you, but what we do know is that any time Rodriguez has gotten an opportunity, he’s been effective.

Among 74 running backs with at least 150 carries since 2023, Rodriguez ranks 15th in YPC (4.6), third in YAC/ATT (3.5) and eighth in avoided tackle rate (24.7%). Granted, the sample size is just 200 carries during that span, but I think we’ve seen enough from Rodriguez to conclude that he’s good between the tackles. And while I don’t expect him to suddenly become Christian McCaffrey in the passing game, I do wonder if a scheme change can unlock a small boost in receptions for Rodriguez.

During his tenure in Washington, the Commanders ranked 18th in total halfback screen passes. But Coen’s scheme designs targets for the backfield. With Coen as the OC in Tampa Bay in 2024, the Bucs led the NFL in halfback screens, and during his first year in Jacksonville last year, the Jaguars ranked fourth.

I expect Rodriguez to see around 40% of the attempts in this backfield, with a chance of becoming the short-yardage option. If I’m punting the running back position, Rodriguez will be on my radar.

Players Mentioned in this Article

RachaadWhite
RBWAS
PPG
7.2
Proj
107.6
JonathonBrooks
RBCAR
Proj
111.1
ChrisRodriguez
RBJAC
PPG
7.5
Proj
93.7

Published Jun 4, 2026, 6:45 ET