Hero-RB Fantasy Football Strategy: James Cook, Jonathan Taylor And More Draft Options

The running back position can be hectic. Injuries, shifting backfields and committees all lead to some of the most variance in all of fantasy. And chasing upside within that uncertainty can be a very profitable plan of attack in fantasy football.

That's where the Zero-RB strategy, which we discussed last week, comes into play. But what if you want the best of both worlds? A running back who will give you guaranteed volume and production, while also loading up at other positions.

Zero to Hero.

Hero-RB Strategy for Fantasy Football 2026

I highly doubt the famous song from Hercules was referring to viable fantasy football draft strategies. But you can imagine what it’d be like if it was. The Hero-RB strategy is quite similar to Zero RB, though there is one massive difference. Instead of completely punting the running back position over the first five or six rounds, drafters will anchor the team with an elite running back in Round 1 or 2. Once your hero running back is drafted, you’ll use the same approach as you would in a Zero-RB strategy—load up on pass catchers and look for advantages at the onesie positions (QB/TE), while leaning into ambiguous backfields later on in the draft. In the process, you are also forgoing the vaunted running back dead zone in the middle rounds, an area of the draft where we often find traps at the position. Having an elite running back gives you an insurance policy in case your late-round lottery tickets don’t hit.

But you still have to draft the right hero.

This past season, only four running backs averaged 20-plus touches per game. Meanwhile, six running backs logged at least 70% of their team’s offensive snaps. We simply don’t have as many true every-down players as before, making it advantageous to secure one to anchor your RB room. But when choosing your Hero RB, you are really looking to check three boxes:

Good player
Great usage
Good offense

If you are blessed with one of the first two picks of your draft, a Hero-RB approach becomes more logical. Guaranteeing yourself Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson gives you an advantage over basically every other team’s RB1. Robinson averaged 21.5 touches per game last year, while also ceding 9.2 touches per game to Tyler Allgeier. And then there is Gibbs, who ranked ninth in touches per game last year, but now is the unquestioned RB1 in Detroit. And if his six career games with David Montgomery sidelined are any indication, Gibbs could end up being the hero of all hero running backs this season:

19.7 carries
5.2 targets
110.8 rushing yards
36.5 receiving yards
24.3 touches
27.4 PPR PPG

We know Gibbs and Robinson are the top 2 players in fantasy. But if you are looking to deploy a Hero-RB approach and aren’t lucky enough to draft either player, who should you be targeting?

Let’s take a look at some strong anchor running backs, as well as revisit some Zero-RB targets to pair them with.

Disclaimer: Robinson, Gibbs and Christian McCaffrey are pretty obviously the top anchor running backs in fantasy drafts. They’ll play a lot and score a lot of fantasy points. If you’re into that sort of thing.

Who To Select In Round 1?

James Cook, Buffalo Bills

ADP: RB5, 11.2 overall

James Cook was one of four running backs to average at least 20 touches per game last year (20.1), as his role in Buffalo’s offense continues to grow. After an 18-touchdown 2024 campaign, many screamed regression in regards to Cook’s 2025 fantasy prospects. But a career-high 309 carries and 14 more touchdowns later, the fourth-year running back finished as fantasy’s RB6 in fantasy points per game.

Buffalo promoting Joe Brady could be beneficial for Cook, who has really thrived in his offense. Brady took over as the Bills’ offensive coordinator in Week 11 of the 2023 season. Since then, Cook is averaging nearly 18 touches, 100 scrimmage yards, 0.90 touchdowns and 17.3 PPR points per game across 40 regular-season contests.

Admittedly, I’d love to see Cook see more work in the passing game. After seeing 54 targets in 2023, Cook has traded more rushing volume for a dip in receiving, averaging just under 40 targets over the past two seasons. But the immense scoring upside makes up for it, even with Josh Allen scoring plenty of rushing touchdowns. Since 2024, Cook is averaging 1.5 goal-to-go carries per game, the seventh most in football.

Great player, great offense, great usage. Check, check, check.

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

ADP: RB3, 6.8 overall

Jonathan Taylor was the only running back in football to log at least 80% of the snaps and rushing attempts last season. That volume helped him finish as the RB4 in fantasy points per game (21.3). While the near 1,600 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns told the story, the overlooked aspect of Taylor’s season was the uptick in receiving usage. He set career highs in receptions (46) and targets (55), while running 68% of the routes, easily the highest rate of his career.

Like the rest of the Colts offense, Taylor took a step back once Daniel Jones went down. And whether or not it is repeatable remains to be seen, we can’t forget that the Colts weren’t just a good offense for most of last year.

They were elite.

From Weeks 1-13 (Jones tore his Achilles Week 14), the Colts were scoring with the best of them. During that span, Indianapolis ranked:

1st in points per drive (2.94)
1st in TD drive rate (34.5%)
2nd in average yards gained per drive (38.3)
6th in red-zone scoring rate (65.4%)

Taylor is likely to come off the field less than practically any running back in the league, and while the offense may not be the best in the league again, I would expect them to still be good.

Breakout Hero-RB Candidates?

Kenneth Walker, Kansas City Chiefs

ADP: RB10, 16.6 overall

If you’re looking for a running back who will suddenly receive their powers and become the hero they were born to be, look no further than K9.

Kenneth Walker has flashed superhuman ability in Seattle with his speed and home run-hitting ability. But he was usually viewed as a sidekick, rather than the hero. But after signing a three-year, $43 million deal with the Chiefs, Walker is in line for a true featured role for the first time in his career.

Since entering the league in 2022, Walker has averaged 16.4 touches per game (17th). During that span, he hasn’t come close to 300 touches. But with only Emari Demercado and Emmett Johnson behind him on the KC depth chart, Walker should flirt with (or exceed) the 300-touch mark. And a move to Kansas City—and perhaps more importantly, away from Zach Charbonnet—should result in more touchdown upside. Last year in Seattle, Walker averaged just 0.5 inside-the-5 carries per game, accounting for only 32% of the Seahawks’ total carries from that area of the field. Meanwhile, despite logging just 47% of the snaps, Kareem Hunt ranked 10th in the NFL with 13 carries from inside the five-yard line, averaging nearly one such carry per contest.

As long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy, this offense will be good, while HC Andy Reid still deploys a fantasy-friendly offense for running backs.

What Happens After Drafting The Hero RB?

You selected your Hero RB. Fantastic. Now it’s time to load up on pass catchers, while also trying to find the true difference-making quarterbacks and tight ends. Tiptoe around the RB dead zone and then take five or six later-round shots. I highlighted some of my favorite targets after Round 9 in my Zero-RB article, but below is a short list

All four players have a strong chance of some standalone value, while possessing serious contingent upside, which is what you’re looking for with Zero-RB candidates. Because finding an RB2 or FLEX off waivers is much easier than looking for an elite, workhorse RB1, Hero RB is one of my favorite strategies to use. It gives you the best of both worlds, while loading up your team with the highest-upside positions.

Happy drafting.