Best Ball Strategy

Mon Jun 9 11:33am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Best ball fantasy leagues are all the rage these days. These are arguably the most popular leagues on our site. Drafts are going off every night (click here). We have a Best Ball Championship, giving $25,000 to the winner (click here to play in that contest). We are here to help you win your best ball leagues. This column will focus on the strategy of a best ball format, giving you some tips to help you win big.

If you aren’t familiar, here is a quick rundown of the best ball format. The best ball format means you don’t have to set a weekly lineup. Your best possible roster will be automatically selected after the games are completed for the week. There are no free-agent moves during the season. All you do is draft. After the draft is complete, you can sit back and watch the rest of the season. It is all the fun of drafting but without the daily management.

The best ball leagues normally start nine players: a quarterback, two running backs, two receivers, a tight end, flex, defense and kicker. Drafts are anywhere between 20 and 25 rounds long, making rosters deeper because of the inability to make free-agent moves during the season.

So now that you know the rules, here is a look at some tips for having a successful best ball draft. First off, you are going to take more quarterbacks and tight ends than in a normal draft. Taking three quarterbacks and three tight ends is a smart move in best ball leagues. You just need one player to hit each week, so having more to choose from will help you optimize your chances for that big week. Grabbing three players at each position is the way to go in best ball formats.

In a best ball league, going with boom-or-bust players is a good idea. Getting players with a high weekly ceiling is a smart move. You need those big weekly games to advance in best ball formats. Guys like Jameson Williams and Jauan Jennings are ranked a little higher for me in this format. These are guys that can drive you a little crazy in standard leagues because of their erratic play, but you can live with that in best ball leagues because of their big-game ability. There are options on your bench that can makeup for the bad games from Williams and Jennings. You start just two receivers on a weekly basis and likely have three or four options on your bench. There is a good chance one of your bench options hits any given week, which can makeup for the erratic play of a guy like Williams if he busts.

So taking three quarterbacks is a good idea, but grabbing one in the early rounds might not be the best way to go. If you think about it, you just need one quarterback to hit each week with a big number. If you take three in the middle to later rounds of your draft, can one of those guys post an elite fantasy number each week? Your answer is likely yes. You are better served in a best ball format loading up on running backs and receivers early in your draft. These positions are a little more uncertain, so getting quality running backs and receivers early in your draft is a good plan come draft day. Don’t waste early picks on the quarterback spot. The quarterback position also is crazy deep this year.

The tight end spot is similar to the quarterback spot. We aren’t sure acting early on a tight end is worth it, especially since the value of running backs is a little higher in a best ball format. Get three tight ends in the middle to later rounds of your draft and hope one hits each week. The tight end position can be a little top heavy, but we still like waiting on the position with some up-and-coming players having a chance to get it going this year. This makes it a little easier to wait on the position. Sure, having Brock Bowers or Trey McBride is nice, but you probably are better served getting some elite running backs or receivers with your early picks.

There is some debate with this next issue, and we can go either way with it. If you think getting just one kicker and defense is the way proceed, go for it. You can see the reasoning, adding players to your bench at the skill positions since you don’t have roster management. You never know when or how often injury will hit, so getting as many skill positions can certainly be beneficial.

You can also see the reasoning with going with two kickers and two defenses on your roster. The big reason is that if you take just one at each position, you are going to be giving up six or seven points in one game because of bye weeks. Can you afford to lose those points when every game matters so much in fantasy? That is the big question. Every game matters so much in fantasy that giving away just one game could be the difference between making or missing the playoffs. So we can go either way here. If you want to go with just a kicker and defense, that works. But if you want to make sure you are getting points at every position every week, feel free to choose two kickers and defenses.

In closing, use your early picks wisely, getting a lot of talent at running back and receiver. These positions are a little more uncertain, so getting plenty of options at those spots is a good move in this format. And don’t be afraid to go deep at any position, especially if you have some question marks for your projected top point getter at the position. You also have to take some chances late in the draft, trying to find a player that might emerge later in the season or something along those lines. This is the format to take more risks. You have the roster space, so don’t be afraid to take some chances along the way. There are going to be players selected in this format that you would never consider taking in a standard league.

Good luck and happy drafting!

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Best Ball Strategy

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