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Dan's top rookie running back Zero RB targets and fantasy football handcuffs for 2025. His draft sleepers for first-year players, including Cam Skattebo and more.
There are many ways to build a fantasy football team through the draft. And while there is no guaranteed way to win your league, one very popular strategy that has had success over the years is the Zero RB strategy.
In this strategy, fantasy managers punt the running back position until the later rounds to ensure they are loaded up at quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end. With this strategy, you need to hit on running backs carving out secondary roles in the offense, or running backs who become starters due to an injury ahead of them in the backfield.
So, who are some of the rookies we can target in drafts that fit the Zero RB strategy in 2025? Read below to find out.
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Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
ADP 110.2, RB35
Fantasy managers who are waiting on the running back position should be targeting Giants fourth-round pick Cam Skattebo. The former Arizona State running back is not an explosive or fast player, but he’s a powerful runner with pass-catching upside and exceptional contact balance.
This play is a reason to be optimistic about Skattebo carving out a role in the NFL as a short-yardage or 4-minute drive back.
Great read to take the zone backside and gets 45 caught in the muck.
Bounces off a tackler in the hole and somehow keeps his footing to get 7 more. pic.twitter.com/Hw6Wsnwpjy
— Dan Fornek ↗️ (@fornekdf) February 23, 2025
Skattebo helped lead the Sun Devils to a playoff appearance in 2024, carrying the ball 293 times for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 45 receptions for 605 yards and three receiving scores. He finished second in college football in touches (338) and all-purpose yards (2,316) and tied for third in missed tackles forced in 2024 (82).
He now finds himself on a depth chart competing with second-year running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary as his competition. Tracy had a strong rookie season (192 carries for 839 yards and five rushing touchdowns with 38 receptions for 284 yards and a receiving score) but did struggle with ball security throughout the year (five fumbles).
Skattebo can easily command the early down touches to start his rookie season, but has the receiving ability to be a workhorse running back if Tracy can’t figure out his fumbling issues. More realistically, this backfield looks destined to be split between the rookie and second-year back in 2025.
Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars
ADP: 132.2, RB42
The Jaguars split their backfield between Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby last season. There was hope that both players could carry fantasy value with Liam Coen’s awesome run game concepts. Unfortunately, the backfield situation became murky after the Jaguars drafted Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
I’m a fan of Bhayshul Tuten’s balance and elite explosiveness.
Some examples below of his balance as a runner along with his usage in the Hokies zone-blocking scheme that is similar to what Liam Coen will do with the #Jaguars run game. pic.twitter.com/1yUsfBH59v
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) June 18, 2025
Tuten had an excellent final collegiate season, carrying the ball 183 times for 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 23 receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 5.8 yards per touch in his last two college seasons. Tuten has game-breaking speed, but his draft profile skyrocketed after he measured in at 5-foot-9, 206 pounds with a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
New general manager James Gladstone made it clear that Tuten was a priority target for the team in the draft, which makes it seem like he will have a prominent role as a rookie.
Tuten may have a chance to take control of this backfield, given the good, but not great, talent surrounding him. We have seen both Bigsby (in 2023) and Etienne (2024) have bad seasons over the last two years, leaving this backfield wide open.
At worst, Tuten will be a part-time player as a rookie. But players with his speed and explosiveness don’t need a ton of touches to make an impact in fantasy. He’s worth a shot as a late-round running back with big upside.
DJ Giddens, Indianapolis Colts
ADP: 190.6, RB58
Giddens was highly productive during his final two seasons at Kansas State, carrying the ball 428 times for 2,569 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also proved to be a capable receiver, catching 50 passes for 581 yards and four touchdowns.
Unlike other backs in this class, Giddens showed that he had a blend of size (6-foot, 212 pounds) and speed (4.43 40-yard dash) to go along with his strong production profile. Unfortunately, the strength of this running back class pushed him into the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Reminder that Colts Rookie RB DJ Giddens is REALLY good.
In 2024 - Giddens had:
1,343 Rushing Yards
258 Receiving Yards
8 TouchdownsA PERFECT complement to Jonathan Taylor.
pic.twitter.com/gVRs0CfWHJ— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) May 26, 2025
Giddens landed in an excellent long-term situation with the Colts. Jonathan Taylor will be turning 27 late this season and is in the second year of a massive extension. However, he can be cut after this season with a minimal dead cap hit ($2.5 million).
Giddens will have immediate fantasy value as a pass-catching back in Indianapolis. The Colts historically haven’t used Taylor in that fashion, and the only other running backs on the depth chart with NFL experience are Khalil Herbert, Tyler Goodson, and Salvon Ahmed.
The rookie could have a role in Indianapolis’ offense to start his career. More importantly, he should have no problem earning the RB2 role behind Taylor, giving him huge upside if Taylor, who has missed games due to injury, goes down again in 2025.
Jarquez Hunter, Los Angeles Rams
ADP: 197.3, RB60
Many expected Kyren Williams to regress in 2024 despite his strong 2023 season (228 carries for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns plus 32 receptions for 206 yards and three receiving scores). It seemed even more likely after the Rams drafted Michigan running back Blake Corum in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Instead, we got to witness an even larger workload for Williams.
Williams played a career-high 16 games while handling 316 carries for 1,299 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. He took a slight step back as a pass-catcher (34 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns), which allowed him to finish as a back-end RB1 in fantasy.
Instead of being content with a backfield of Williams and Corum, the Rams dipped into the NFL Draft again to add a new element to their backfield with former Auburn running back Hunter.
Hunter was a consistent presence in Auburn’s backfield for his four-year career, but saw his role increase in his final season. He handled 187 carries for 1,201 yards and eight rushing touchdowns while adding 21 receptions for 155 yards and a receiving score. Hunter led the SEC in yards per carry in 2024 (6.4).
Jarquez Hunter is Kirkland brand Kenneth Walker III
The Rams are some of the best budget shoppers in the business. pic.twitter.com/VEAgQHX8sT
— Fantasy Football Astronauts (@FF_Astronauts) April 29, 2025
Unlike Williams and Corum, Hunter is an explosive runner (4.44 40-yard dash) who does his best work in space. He has a chance to carve out a role as a change-of-pace back capable of generating explosives from the backfield.
The presence of Corum caps his upside if Williams gets hurt, but Hunter could see a consistent role the entire season, regardless.
Brashard Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
ADP: 200.9, RB63
Brashard Smith had an interesting path in college. He started as a receiver at the University of Miami but struggled to see the field his first three years (69 receptions for 770 yards and four touchdowns). Smith transferred to SMU for his final season in college and was moved to running back thanks to his dynamism with the ball in his hands.
That move allowed him to showcase his skills and get drafted.
In his lone season at SMU, Smith carried the ball 235 times for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 39 receptions for 327 yards and four touchdowns. Smith cemented his status as a draftable player with a strong performance at the NFL Combine, measuring in at 5-foot-10, 194 pounds with a 4.39 40-yard dash.
Brashard Smith is a perfect fit on the Chiefs... Target him in the late rounds of your rookie drafts! pic.twitter.com/7xyAlnB6z6
— Dynasty Nerds (@DynastyNerds) June 25, 2025
Smith was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. That alone makes him an interesting piece in fantasy football. However, there has been a persistent drumbeat throughout the summer that Kansas City was impressed with its new rookie running back and would look for ways to get him involved in the offense.
The Chiefs have several options in the backfield that can grind out carries between the tackles, but they don’t have a running back who can make a significant impact in the passing game. Smith’s background as a receiver who converted to running back makes him especially dangerous in that role.
It is very unlikely that Smith ever emerges as a true workhorse running back, but there is a very good chance he has fantasy-relevant weeks as a pass-catching back as a rookie.
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