Did Zero RB Work in 2023? Part 1: A Brief Analysis of Some of the Best Drafts of the Year – The Wrong Read

Blair Andrews
January 31, 2024

2023 was a strange season in at least one way. It was the first time that the Win the Flex tool didn’t unapologetically recommend a Zero-RB strategy.

As wide receivers got pushed up draft boards and running backs got pushed down, it looked as though value would coalesce around early RBs. In such a season, it may seem that Zero RB is sub-optimal. When it’s no longer so easy to get six of the top-15 WRs (by year-end rank), as Shawn Siegele originally recommended, it might be wiser to pivot. But is that how the season played out?

We don’t yet have full results in our apps, but that data is coming soon. While those tools are being updated, we can take a close look at some of the notable results from the past season. Just how powerful was Zero RB, even in a season in which it doesn’t look like it will be such a dominant strategy?

Underdog’s Best Ball Mania IV

BBMIV Regular Season Champion

The top-scoring regular-season team in Best Ball Mania IV was drafted on September 3, out of the sixth spot:

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Blair Andrews

Managing Editor, Author of The Wrong Read, Occasional Fantasy Football League Winner. All opinions are someone else's.

Shane Waldron Wasn’t the Only Problem in Chicago, But Can a New Playcaller Unlock Caleb Williams? The Wrong Read, Week 11

Blair Andrews November 16, 2024

Welcome to The Wrong Read. This weekly article uses advanced team-level metrics to preview the week’s upcoming matchups. The goal is to try to understand how an upcoming matchup might play out in terms of each offense’s ability to execute their game plan. How successful will they be when trying to pass? How much will they be able to run the ball? It’s impossible to…...