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:

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Please subscribe For Full Access to all RotoViz content and tools!

What’s included in your subscription??

Exclusive Access to RotoViz Study Hall
- A treasure trove of our most insightful articles that will teach you the metrics that matter, time-tested winning strategies, the approaches that will give you an edge, and teach you how to be an effective fantasy manager.
Revolutionary Tools
- Including the NFL Stat Explorer, Weekly GLSP Projections, NCAA Prospect Box Score Scout, Combine Explorer, Range of Outcomes App, DFS Lineup Optimizer, Best Ball Suite,and many, many, more.
Groundbreaking Articles
- RotoViz is home of the original Zero-RB article and continues to push fantasy gamers forward as the go-to destination for evidence-based analysis and strategic advantages.
Weekly Projections
- Built using RotoViz’s unique GLSP approach.
Expert Rankings
And a whole lot more…

Blair Andrews

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

This Contrarian Strategy Helped Me Finish No. 2 Overall in the 2024 Scott Fish Bowl . . . and It’s Even More Potent in 2025

Blair Andrews June 12, 2025

Despite many recent successes, as a site we’re generally quite modest. This has mainly to do with the personalities of the central players. I’m not a fantasy analyst who likes to toot my own horn, as it were. That’s why, unless you were paying close attention, you might not know that I finished second overall in the Scott Fish Bowl last season (SFB14), out of…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

How Much Do Yards Per Route Run Matter for Wide Receiver Prospects? Checking All the Boxes, Part 1

Blair Andrews May 30, 2025

If you must forecast, then forecast often — and be the first one to prove yourself wrong. — Paul Saffo Things are constantly changing in the NFL and the fantasy football landscape. As a site, we’ve changed our minds on many things and have come to discover that the ways we’ve understood certain elements in the past no longer hold, for whatever reason. FantasyDouche once…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

2025 Post-Draft Running Back Prospect Lab Scores

Blair Andrews May 7, 2025

The Running Back Prospect Lab is one of my favorite tools on the site, but it’s not exactly a precision instrument. It uses a simple linear model to predict an RB’s early NFL career based on a few important college metrics. However, the simplicity ends up being a benefit — it knows what to look for and isn’t often fooled by outliers. I’m updating this…...