Kevin Szafraniec details a recent team he drafted with Colm Kelly, where the duo stuck to a strict zero-RB build in the FFPC Best Ball Tournament.
Over the past few months, the RotoViz staff has dedicated considerable time to analyzing the current best ball landscape. Throughout our research, one concept has stood out above all others when looking at the past two years of best ball data: draft early-round running backs.
2024-2025
Fantasy managers have embraced this strategy, as robust RB and hyperfragile RB have become the default builds for the vast majority of the best ball community in 2026.
But it wasn’t all that long ago that zero-RB was the weapon of choice for seasoned best ball managers, and the shifting allegiance to early-round RB constructions could very well open up opportunities for zero-RB to become a skeleton key for fantasy success in the not-so-distant future.
Taking contrarian approaches is nothing new at RotoViz, and what better way to celebrate this tradition than by returning to the original tenet of the FF Contrarian himself?
Despite what recent history may suggest, zero-RB builds can have some sneakily high upside this year for fantasy managers who can thread the needle at the position. With that in mind, Colm Kelly and I set out to push back against the status quo and build a zero-RB team capable of taking down the 2026 FFPC Best Ball Tournament.
For those who are unfamiliar with the structure of the FFPC Best Ball Tournament, the contest features 20-round drafts, tight-end premium scoring (1.5 points per TE reception and 1.0 PPR for all other positions), and starting lineups consisting of one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, and two standard flex spots.
Catch up on all of our best ball content from the summer:
- Shawn Siegele’s 2026 Best Ball Tournament Blueprint
- Are Running Backs or Wide Receivers Better Options for Our Flex Spots?
- How Viable Are Tight Ends as Flex Options?
- What Does the Evolving Quarterback Landscape Mean for Our Best Ball Teams?
- Maximizing Historical Win Rate Data By Draft Slot
- Best Ball Stacks That Work and the Pitfalls of Stacking At All Costs
- Running Backs Hold Their Ground in the Early Rounds
- Choose Your Battles Wisely at Wide Receiver
- Searching for the Tight End Honey Hole
- Quarterbacks are the Final Piece of the Puzzle
Are you ready to battle for your share of the 2026 FFPC Best Ball Tournament’s $1.64M prize pool? New users get $25 off their first FFPC team of $35 or more by using promo code 25ROTOVIZ or by following this link!
