If you haven’t tried best ball yet, it’s time to jump in! It’s a great way to practice for your drafts in late August and early September. Best ball drafts are a great way to practice your build, whether it’s zero RB or hero RB or something else.
The great thing about best ball is that there is no in-season management. Just set it and forget it. There’s no worrying about making the best start/sit decisions. The software automatically selects your highest-scoring lineup for the week after the games are played.
In other words, no need to worry about accidentally leaving a player who has a three-touchdown game on the bench. If a bench player you would never trust to start in a traditional league has a huge week, it counts!
So, as you may have guessed, there are a few players that have more value in best ball than they might in a regular seasonal league, and there are also different strategies for drafting in a best ball league.
Here are a few tips to consider as you enter your best ball drafts:
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1. Depth, depth, depth.
Unlike traditional leagues, there will be no opportunity to pick up players on the waiver wire. That means if a player gets injured early in the season, you could be in a bind unless you have plenty of depth available. I’d suggest aiming for 3QB, 5 RB, 6WR, and 3TE to make sure you are covered at each position.
2. Pay attention to bye weeks!
This piggybacks on the above note about ensuring you have depth. I usually don’t worry much about this for my regular drafts as I can stream from the waiver wire when my starters have a bye, but again you won’t have that option here. For example, if you’re picking 3 QBs, try to make sure two of them don’t have the same bye week.
3. Go with the flow.
Fewer and fewer players are waiting to draft quarterbacks in their best ball leagues. Since QB is the highest-scoring position, don’t be afraid to grab them early. Remember, you need depth. However, if your group is waiting on QB, go ahead and wait, too. Remember to always read the room.
4. Start the draft with a solid floor.
This isn’t too much of a change from a traditional draft, but it’s good to make sure that you have at least a decent floor of starters for each week of the season. Don’t make too many risky picks early in this format. You have plenty of chances for that later.
5. Pivot to high upside later in the draft.
As you move through the rounds, begin to think about players that are hard to start on a weekly basis in a traditional league but have the potential to go off in a big way during any given week. Think: Chiefs receivers. See where I am going with this?
6. Don’t forget about rookies or players on the PUP list.
Try to think one step ahead. Remember, no trades, no waivers. Don’t be afraid to draft rookies in later rounds, especially ones that could help carry you through the playoffs. Do you think Zach Charbonnet could play his way into a bigger role behind Kenneth Walker III? Or maybe Tank Dell emerges as the receiver with the most chemistry with C.J. Stroud. Rashee Rice, Quentin, Johnston and Puka Nacua all could be smart picks. Think about running backs that will have fresh legs in Week 12. By the same token, players recovering from injury, such as Zach Ertz, could come back strong after a slow start to the season. These late-round picks could pay dividends down the stretch.
7. Consider stacking.
If you are looking to bring home the win, why not go all in on certain teams (assuming you remember to also cover the bye weeks, of course). If you believe in the value of Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, you should also consider relative values in receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Instead spend those early picks on players such as Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, or Christian McCaffrey.
The most important thing about drafting in a best ball league is to have fun, because so many things will change between now and the end of the season. I like to think of it as the best way to prepare for drafts -- but with the potential to also pay out at the end of the season. After all, who doesn’t like being paid to practice?
