X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Mid-Round Running Backs To Target For ZeroRB Drafters

With running backs flying off the board at an insane clip this year, typically 8-10 are taken in the first round alone, elite wide receivers are being drafted at a big discount. This is the exact type of “economy” a ZeroRB drafter thrives in.

Grab elite WR1 and WR2 types in the early rounds while everyone else is going with running backs, then try to find the diamonds in the rough later in the draft. If you choose to go this route I am here to help you find those diamonds.

I’ll be updating this regularly as we get closer to the season and receive more information. Some players may fall off the list, some new ones may show up. But as of today these are my favorite mid-round ZeroRB running back targets in PPR drafts.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

On the Bubble

These running backs are preferred over the ones listed below, but have ADPs that are before the seventh round. If one should fall in your draft they would be the preferred choice.

  • Dion Lewis ADP: 6.01 - The Titans made Lewis the 12th-highest paid running back (at the time) and he could very well be the team’s lead back.
  • Lamar Miller ADP: 6.02 - D’Onta Foreman looks unlikely to be back anytime soon which means Miller should get plenty of work. He's slimmed down, which should help his explosiveness as well.
  • Tevin Coleman ADP: 6.07 - Has standalone flex/RB2 value with Freeman in the lineup in PPR leagues. Has massive upside if Freeman misses games.

 

Running Back Watch List

Marshawn Lynch (RB, OAK) ADP: 7.05

Don’t let the training camp reports of new head coach Jon Gruden wanting to feature Doug Martin scare you off from drafting Lynch. Despite these reports, it seems crazy that Lynch would not be the starter Week 1. He is the perfect Gruden-type back and showed signs of knocking the rust off late last year. Over his final three games he had 60 carries and 272 yards (4.5 YPC). He even added seven catches for good measure. Lynch was one of only 18 running backs to see over 200 carries last season, and he should easily go over that mark again. The Raiders offense should be better as well which should give him more red zone carries. Despite his struggles last year, Lynch still finished as RB24 in PPR leagues. While his days of being a weekly RB1 are over, getting a potential RB2 this late is a value you can’t pass up.

Kerryon Johnson (RB, DET) ADP: 7.06

When the Detroit Lions selected Johnson with the 11th pick in the second round, most everyone was surprised. Johnson was the sixth running back selected in the draft, and went ahead of more highly touted backs such as Derrius Guice and Royce Freeman. The Lions have lacked a run game for what seems like an eternity, but Johnson could be the guy to change that. As a junior at Auburn he totaled 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns on 285 carries, and added another 24 receptions for 194 yards plus two more scores. Johnson has the potential to be a three-down back at the NFL level, though his situation is not ideal as he will have to contend with LeGarrette Blount on early downs and Theo Riddick in the passing game. Still, the Lions spent high draft capital on him and it seems unlikely they will not give him plenty of work. As long as he has a good camp he should be the opening day starter.

Royce Freeman (RB, DEN) ADP: 7.09
Like Johnson, Freeman is a rookie who profiles as an NFL starter. Taken in the third round by the Denver Broncos, Freeman is a massive 6’0”, 229 pounds who handled 947 carries in his four year college career. Don’t let Freeman’s size fool you, for a big man he is explosive. He ran a 4.54 forty yard dash and had a 34 inch vertical jump. To put that in perspective, Leonard Fournette (6’0, 240) ran a 4.51 forty and had a 28.5 inch vertical. Freeman only has to beat out Devontae Booker and De’Angelo Henderson for starter duties so his path seems to be clearer than Johnson’s. Even if he can’t beat both, he will at worst be the team’s number two back and could certainly push for more as the season wears on. Freeman did suffer a knee injury his senior year which hampered him in the second half, but given what we saw at the combine he seems to be back to 100%. If he wins the Denver job drafters will be kicking themselves for passing on him.

Marlon Mack (RB, IND) ADP: 8.01

With Frank Gore headed to Miami, and Robert Turbin suspended, Mack inherited the starter role in Indianapolis. The Colts didn’t address running back highly in the draft either, taking Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins with the 104th and 169th picks respectively. While Hines may give Mack some competition in the passing game, Mack should have little to no competition for the early down and goal line work. And despite the presence of Hines, Mack had 23 receptions while playing just 30% of the teams snaps, so he should do more than enough in that aspect as well. The cherry on top to all of this is that Andrew Luck appears healthy and ready to start day one. Add in a new offensive philosophy under head coach Frank Reich and all signs are pointing up for Mack.

Rex Burkhead (RB, NEP) ADP: 8.09

Burkhead is the prototypical ZeroRB target. He has standalone value even if we assume that Sony Michel likely takes the starting role, and has tremendous upside should something happen to Michel. Last season Burkhead played all 10 games with Lewis in the lineup and still averaged three receptions a game and 12.98 PPR points. More than flex-worthy. Burkhead is also a big guy and should handle a decent chunk of the team’s goal-line carries, which are often plentiful in this offense. He is someone you can draft and play Week 1 and has the potential to be a league-winner should Michel go down or fall out of favor with the always fickle Bill Belichick.

Corey Clement (RB, PHI) ADP: 11.09

Clement is probably best known for his Super Bowl touchdown catch that helped the Eagles to their first championship, but what was lost in his rookie season was how good he was on limited touches. According to Warren Sharp of SharpFootball, Clement was the Eagles #1 player in receiving Success Rate (65%) and was the #1 running back in success rate (51%). While Jay Ajayi will likely remain the starter, the second year Clement could push him for touches, especially if the Eagles want to keep Ajayi fresh. In one of the league’s most dynamic offenses, getting more touches is always a plus. Clement should have standalone value from Week 1, and offers major upside should Ajayi miss time.

Giovani Bernard (RB, CIN) ADP: 12.04

Why doesn’t Bernard get any love? In 2017 in games only he and Mixon played (no Jeremy Hill) he averaged 11.33 fantasy points per game, which puts him at a solid flex level. However, in the two games Mixon missed plus the week 15 game when he left after a quarter, Bernard had 48 carries, 208 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 16 catches for 133 yards. Thats 62.1 PPR points or 20.7 PPR points per game. Those are elite running back numbers. So what does this mean for 2018? It means when you draft Gio you are at worst getting a solid weekly flex player who has elite running back upside if Mixon gets hurt. This is the kind of handcuff you want to draft, one who can help you now and can win your league later.

Chris Carson (RB, SEA) ADP: 12.09

First of all, I don’t buy into the camp reports that Carson will be the starter over Rashaad Penny. The Seahawks invested high draft capital into Penny, and they traded up for him, so they obviously like him. But they like Carson too and there isn’t a lot of running back depth on this roster. So even if Carson starts off as the backup, he should have a role, and if Penny struggles or gets injured that role could be massive. Carson looked great in his short time on the field last year, and despite running behind one of the worst offensive lines averaged 4.2 yards per carry. He also caught seven of his eight targets while averaging 14.8 yards per catch. If we get farther along into pre-season and Carson is still getting first team reps over Penny, his ADP will sky-rocket, so now is the time to draft him.

 

More NFL Draft Strategy




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ezekiel Elliott12 mins ago

Inactive For Week 9
Kevin Huerter32 mins ago

Out Versus Toronto
Stephen Curry60 mins ago

Spotted At Shootaround
Lauri Markkanen1 hour ago

Out Again On Saturday
Puka Nacua1 hour ago

Expected To Play
JuJu Smith-Schuster2 hours ago

Juju Smith-Schuster Ruled Out For Week 9
Bryce Young2 hours ago

Panthers Not Considering Moving Bryce Young
Cooper Kupp2 hours ago

Rams Not Expected To Move Cooper Kupp
Davante Adams2 hours ago

Jets Not Expected To Move Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams
Drake Maye2 hours ago

Clears Concussion Protocol, Will Play In Week 9
Robbie Ray2 hours ago

Doesn't Opt Out Of Contract, Stays With Giants
Tee Higgins2 hours ago

Bengals Not Looking To Trade Tee Higgins
3 hours ago

Yankees Could Make Play For Pete Alonso This Offseason
Jaylen Brown3 hours ago

Won't Play On Saturday Night
Sean Manaea3 hours ago

Opts Out Of Contract, Becomes Free Agent
Cody Bellinger3 hours ago

Picks Up $27.5 Million Player Option With Cubs
Gerrit Cole3 hours ago

Opts Out Of Contract With Yankees
Rhys Hoskins6 hours ago

Staying In Milwaukee
6 hours ago

Seattle Declines Club Option On Jorge Polanco
Luke Weaver6 hours ago

Returning To New York
Josh Downs6 hours ago

Cleared To Play In Week 9
Eugenio Suárez6 hours ago

Arizona Picks Up Club Option On Eugenio Suarez
Michael Pittman Jr.6 hours ago

Will Play In Week 9
DK Metcalf6 hours ago

Has Strong Chance To Return In Week 11
Nikolaj Ehlers8 hours ago

Totals Four Points Versus Blue Jackets
Igor Shesterkin8 hours ago

Stops 40 Shots Versus Senators
Aleksander Barkov8 hours ago

Amasses Four Points In Finland
Dan Vladar8 hours ago

Shuts Out Devils Friday Night
Adam Pelech8 hours ago

Makes Early Exit Versus Sabres
Mike Reilly8 hours ago

Exits Friday's Action With Injury
NHL9 hours ago

Nathan Bastian Suffers Jaw Injury On Friday
Jordan Clarkson16 hours ago

Out At Least A Week
Kyle Kuzma16 hours ago

Out Again On Saturday
Jamal Murray16 hours ago

Won't Return On Friday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo16 hours ago

Anticipated To Play Versus Cleveland
Puka Nacua18 hours ago

Has A Shot To Play In Week 9
Jordan Love18 hours ago

Tracking To Play In Week 9
Stephen Curry21 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Yves Missi21 hours ago

Expected To Take The Court Friday
Karl-Anthony Towns21 hours ago

Available On Friday
Eric Comrie21 hours ago

Faces Blue Jackets Friday
Daniel Theis21 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Friday
David Savard21 hours ago

Sits Out Practice For Maintenance Purposes
De'Anthony Melton21 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Jordan Hawkins21 hours ago

Expected To Play Friday
Alexander Romanov21 hours ago

Ready To Play Friday
Al Horford21 hours ago

Resting Against Charlotte
Evgeni Malkin21 hours ago

Takes Maintenance Day On Friday
Andrew Wiggins21 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Matchup With Houston
Rose Namajunas21 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
D'Angelo Russell21 hours ago

Will Suit Up Versus Toronto
Devon Levi21 hours ago

Returns To Sabres Crease
Clayton Kershaw21 hours ago

To Undergo Two Surgeries
Anthony Davis21 hours ago

Available Against Toronto
Erin Blanchfield21 hours ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Lowe21 hours ago

Rays Pick Up Club Option On Brandon Lowe
Ryan Hartman21 hours ago

Rejoins Wild Lineup Friday
Zach LaVine21 hours ago

Will Play Against Brooklyn
21 hours ago

Nick Martinez Headed To Free Agency
Erik Cernak22 hours ago

Available On Friday
Marc-Andre Barriault22 hours ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Brent Suter22 hours ago

Inks Extension With Cincinnati
Immanuel Quickley22 hours ago

Out Again On Friday Night
CJ McCollum22 hours ago

Out At Least Two Weeks
22 hours ago

Yankees, Mets Among Teams In Battle For Juan Soto
Marc-Andre Barriault22 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Blake Snell22 hours ago

Opts Out Of Deal With San Francisco
Josh Jacobs23 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Drake Maye23 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Tyler Boyd23 hours ago

Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd Listed As Questionable
Tyjae Spears23 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Calvin Ridley23 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Trevin Giles23 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Noah Fant23 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Brian Robinson Jr.23 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Mike Malott23 hours ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Dallas Goedert24 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Zach Benson24 hours ago

Could Play Next Week
Jani Hakanpaa24 hours ago

And Connor Dewar Sent On Conditioning Stint
Dmitri Voronkov1 day ago

Ready For Season Debut Friday
Mathew Barzal1 day ago

Getting Tests Done For Upper-Body Injury
Vladimir Tarasenko1 day ago

Ready To Go For Saturday
Mark Stone1 day ago

Misses Practice Due To Birth Of Child
Tomás Nosek1 day ago

Tomas Nosek Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
1 day ago

Royals Decline Option On Adam Frazier
1 day ago

Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer Headed To Free Agency
1 day ago

Milwaukee Declines Option On Wade Miley
Lucas Giolito1 day ago

Staying In Boston
Chris Stratton1 day ago

Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton Returning To Kansas City
Jordan Montgomery1 day ago

Staying In Arizona
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado2 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz2 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton
Derrick Lewis2 days ago

Faces An Unranked Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Edmonton
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Comes Up Short at Homestead
William Byron5 days ago

Rallies to Sixth at Homestead
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Tire Issue at Homestead Could Doom Kyle Larson's Championship Hopes
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Charges To A Thrilling Victory At Homestead
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Loses At Homestead On The Final Corner To Tyler Reddick
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Quietly Nabs A Top-5 Finish At Homestead
Khamzat Chimaev5 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Robert Whittaker5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 308
Aleksandar Rakic5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 308
Armen Petrosyan5 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 308
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC 308
Joey Logano5 days ago

Intentionally Sleepwalked Through Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Advances to Championship 4 as Owner but Not as Driver
Dan Ige6 days ago

Loses Second-Straight Fight At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy6 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 308
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

Wins Lackluster Decision Win At UFC 308
Max Holloway6 days ago

Gets Knocked Out For First Time At UFC 308

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Keon Coleman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 9 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman, Joe Flacco

Scott Engel’s Lineup Spotlights are an essential weekly feature on RotoBaller.com for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, he focuses on players to choose as starting options when you are dealing with tight lineup decisions. The lineup picks included in this rundown are based on Scott’s Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 9 - Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Ladd McConkey, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome to WR Matchups to Target for Week 9. Last week’s picks yielded one “in the money” pick (3x multiplier on DraftKings salary) in Keon Coleman, giving us 11 such picks over the first eight weeks of the season. Each week, we will use matchup data from PFF to determine which wide receivers to target […]


Brian Thomas Jr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Who Should I Start? Sunday Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions for Week 9 (2024) - Diontae Johnson, Keon Coleman, Jalen Tolbert, Brian Thomas, Jakobi Myers, Brian Robinson, Keenan Allen, Tee Higgins, Bo Nix

It's almost time for Sunday football. Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Sunday football and Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell […]


Bryce Young - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9 Includes Jalen Coker, Troy Franklin, Jaylen Wright, Erick All Jr., Kimani Vidal, Blake Corum

Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship. As […]


Video: Week 9 Booms, Sleepers, and Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Analysis

Let's go, RotoBallers! We are back and dropping fire content for the weekend ahead with our top Week 9 booms, sleepers, and streamers! NFL Network and RotoBaller contributor LaQuan Jones gives in-depth fantasy football advice, breaking down some of his high-upside, sleeper, and value plays as we head into Week 9 of the new fantasy […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Buy Low, Sell High Week 9 Fantasy Football Trade Value Recommendations - Josh Downs, Chris Olave, Cedric Tillman, more

Welcome to Week 9 of the NFL season! We’re deep into the grind where every decision counts more than ever. With injuries piling up and bye weeks affecting lineups, knowing when to buy low or sell high can be the key to revitalizing your team. Whether riding high after a win or looking to bounce […]


Jameis Winston - NFL DFS Picks, Waiver Wire, Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 9 Superflex 2QB Rankings for Fantasy Football: Updates for Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, Daniel Jones, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye

With quarterbacks beginning to get benched or banged up, some backup quarterbacks are entering lineups and have become viable in Superflex and two-QB leagues. Our Week 9 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for 2024 are here to help you close start-or-sit calls between comparable options. Below, you can see where RotoBaller has key Superflex options […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings (2024) - Week 9 Updates Include Rhamondre Stevenson, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Bucky Irving

Incredibly, Week 9 has already kicked off, and Thursday's game is already in the books. It's time to start reviewing your dynasty leagues to decide whether to make a run for the championship or sell off for next year. There were some big trades in the NFL recently, with DeAndre Hopkins heading to Kansas City […]


Chris Olave - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 PPR Rankings for Fantasy Football: Overall Updates Include Marvin Harrison, Chris Olave, Amari Cooper, Jayden Reed, Rachaad White, Nick Chubb

The Week 9 slate brings a must-win situation to many fantasy managers, so it's time to lock in and set optimal fantasy football lineups. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football PPR rankings for 2024. Let's see where key players like Cooper Kupp, T.J. Hockenson, Jaylen Waddle, Tank Bigsby, Jalen McMillan, […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football (RB, WR, TE) - Updates Include Jalen McMillan, Xavier Worthy, Calvin Ridley, Josh Downs, Kareem Hunt, DJ Moore

The fantasy football playoffs will be here before we know it, so if you need a few wins to secure your spot and are looking for lineup advice, you have come to the right place. We're here to help with our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Comparing two flex […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 9 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: RB Updates Include Tank Bigsby, Chuba Hubbard, Tyrone Tracy, Chase Brown, Rico Dowdle, JK Dobbins

The running back position has seemingly been the most consistent in fantasy football this season, but things can change in a hurry, so it's important to set optimal lineups each week. Let's get to crucial start-or-sit decisions with help from our updated Week 9 fantasy football running back rankings for 2024. Where do key RBs […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 9 Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football: WR Updates Include Cedric Tillman, Darnell Mooney, Khalil Shakir, Romeo Doubs, Jaylen Waddle, more

Ahead of the Week 9 NFL slate, the wide receiver position is the deepest in fantasy football, but that can lead to troubling start-or-sit decisions, especially when comparing two flex-level WR options. We're here to assist with our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's dive into the rankings […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Week 9 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football: TE Updates Include Cade Otton, Cole Kmet, Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, David Njoku, Tucker Kraft, Sam LaPorta

Tight ends showed out last week on National Tight End Day, so hopefully, the momentum continues for the tough position to analyze and navigate. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2024 to help you make tough start-or-sit decisions. Let's dig into the rankings to find out […]