Zero Running Back Strategy with a Kinky Twist

Do a google search for “zero RB strategy 2016” and you will get about 3,790,000 results. Clearly, this strategy is extremely popular this year, and deservingly so. Honestly, I have personally been using this strategy for the last 5 years without even knowing it was a thing. I fully support this strategy because it works best in PPR formats. It works well because you can focus on high scoring receivers early in the draft, then target less popular running back that score well because of their role in the passing game in later rounds. So this year I will be using the zero running back strategy, with one catch (no pun intended), I want my team to be super slotty and proud of it. I not only want slotty receivers, but I want the slottiest of tight ends and running backs that are not afraid of being a little slotty too. I will be dedicating this season to slotty awareness. Slot shaming has to end, and it has to end now. Most players don’t like being a slot receiver, it’s a dangerous and dirty job, but someone has to do it, and I want to bring awareness to the slotty receiver so people can appreciate these slotty players for who they really are, football players like everyone else on your fake team.

Rounds 1 – 5

Using the zero running back strategy with a focus on the slottiest players, I will walk you through my draft thought process. I will be using fantasy pros expert consensus ranking as my guide. Typically in the first three rounds you focus on wide receivers, but to be honest, the slottiest player ranked in the top 12 is a tight end. So a little off script here I take Rob Gronkowski. He is not only the best slottiest player, but he might be the biggest slottiest player in the NFL. The second round gets us back on track with a receiver pick. With this selection, I take Golden Tate. This is a round earlier then he should go, but remember this is about slot awareness and he was the highest ranked receiver among receivers with at least 50+ receptions out of the slot. In the third round, I am still, of course, targeting slotty receivers, and I take Jarvis Landry. Probably the slowest of all the slot receivers, but he somehow always manages to get the job done. The fourth round is where I would normally take a tight end but since we took care of one the in the first round, we will go with another slot receiver here and take Eric Decker. I know what you are going to say here, he is a country slot receiver and they like being slotty. To be clear all slot receivers are welcome on this team even the ones that like being slotty. In the fifth round sticking with the slot receiver theme, I take Jordan Matthews. Here is a guy that started last year outside of the slot and struggled, and when he went back to his natural slot position he started to perform like a pro. These first 5 rounds are the foundation to my zero running back super slotty team and I think we did well so far so let’s see what the rest of the draft has in store for us.

Rounds 6 – 10

Now that we have the foundation of our zero running back, slotty roster, it is time to starting looking for some slotty running backs. In the sixth round, I take Giovani Bernard, and I know last he was not as slotty as he was his first 2 years, but with a revamped offense I think he gets back to his slotty roots this year. Entering the seventh round and looking for my second slotty running back I take Charles Sims. Tampa Bay has a history of slotty running back, ie Warrick Dunn and Sims is just following in his footsteps. In the eighth round I grab possibly the slottiest running back not named Danny Woodhead, and I take Theo Reddick. Detroit loves their slotty players and with no Calvin Johnson I think Matthew Stafford is going to be sending all his love to those slotty players. In the ninth round we take Tavon Austin, and I am not sure if he knows whether he is a slotty receiver or slotty running back. Either way, we are happy to have his slottyness on our team. Going into the tenth round the last major position player we need is a quarterback, so now is as good a time as any. It could be considered a reach here, but I take Matthew Stafford. The reason why I reach for Stafford is because of all the QB’s in the NFL he likes to reward his slots the most and remember this team is dedicated to slot awareness. Two-thirds of the draft is over, and for the most part, our team is complete, but we have five more rounds with more slots to fill.

Rounds 11 – 15

We are now in the home stretch and we need to add some depth to our slots, and of course a defense and a kicker. In the 11th round we take Jimmy Graham and in doing so we now have the 2 biggest slotty tight ends in the NFL on our roster. I call the tight end position a success. In the 12th round, we take Shane Vereen to round off our stable of sometimes in the backfield, but most of the time in the slot running backs. Lucky 13th round we add one last slotty receiver in Phillip Dorsett. We can call this one our sleeper slotty pick because every draft should include at least one guy you think is a sleeper. Finally out last two picks of a kicker and a defense. For my kicker I think I have to go, Sebastian Janikowski, he just seems like the type of guy that does not mind hanging out with slotty receivers. Rounding out the draft, our defensive choice is clear, the Minnesota Vikings. You can’t have a love boat scandal without some slotty players’ right?

So there you have it, a team drafted zero running back style, with a focus on the slottiest players in the NFL. People should feel free to make their team as slotty as they want to and they should own it. I hope after you have read this article you have a new appreciation for slotty players and see them as every week players as well. Only together can we bring awareness to slotty receivers and stop the slot shamming. A wise slot receiver once said, “Be slotty, but remember: Be safe.”

Michael Kelley is a member of the Going For 2 team. You can check out his website Dynasty League Problems for more writings or follow him on Twitter @mikekelleydlp.

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