Fantasy Football Best Ball Primer for the 2024 NFL Season (2024)

Fantasy Football Best Ball Primer for the 2024 NFL Season

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    Fantasy Football Best Ball Primer for the 2024 NFL Season (1)

    Jets RB Breece Hall and WR Garrett WilsonJustin Edmonds/Getty Images

    Do you love fantasy football but can't commit to a season-long league? Are you sick of boom/bust players in redraft or dynasty formats? If so, best ball contests might be just the right thing for you.

    In best ball, you conduct a snake draft—typically 18 or 20 rounds—and let the computer overlords take it from there. Each team automatically has its highest-scoring lineup selected every week.

    There's no waiver wire to worry about. You don't have to waste time mulling start/sit decisions. Once you draft, you're done managing your roster. You just sit back and hope you made the right picks, particularly once December comes around.

    There's plenty of overlap between redraft and best ball strategies, but there are some key differences, too. Here, we'll walk through the top things to keep in mind ahead of best ball drafts.

Know Your Format and Adjust Accordingly

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    Niners RB Christian McCaffrey is a PPR maestro.Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

    Much like with season-long leagues, the first step of winning a best ball contest is knowing the roster and scoring settings and adjusting your draft strategy accordingly.

    Underdog Fantasy, which hosts Best Ball Mania every year, holds 18-round drafts and awards players a half-point for every reception. DraftKings, which continues to expand its best ball offerings, holds 20-round drafts and awards players a full point for every reception.

    Those might sound like small differences, but they have major impacts on roster construction and draft rankings.

    High-volume running backs who don't catch a ton of passes—hi, Derrick Henry—are far more valuable on Underdog than they are on DraftKings because receptions are only worth a half-point instead of a full point. Meanwhile, third-down scatbacks who tend to rack up a handful of catches per game should be more appealing on DraftKings.

    DraftKings also awards position-specific bonuses if players top certain statistical thresholds. Quarterbacks who throw for 300-plus yards get an extra three points, while anyone with 100-plus rushing yards or 100-plus receiving yards gets an extra three points as well. That's another thing to keep in mind while assembling your predraft rankings.

Optimal Roster Construction

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    Ravens TE Mark Andrews and QB Lamar JacksonPatrick Smith/Getty Images

    At both Underdog and DraftKings, you start eight players per week: one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end and one flex (RB/WR/TE). You have 10 bench players at Underdog and 12 at DraftKings.

    Since there's no waiver wire in best ball contests, you have to remain mindful of injury risk. If you draft only one quarterback or tight end and that player gets hurt, you'll be guaranteed zero points from that roster spot until he returns. If he suffers a season-ending injury, your team is likely toast.

    Most best ball teams should feature 2-3 quarterbacks, 5-7 running backs, 7-9 wide receivers and 2-3 tight ends (depending on overall roster size). Figuring out the optimal roster construction from there depends on where you spend your early draft capital.

    If you take an elite quarterback or tight end with an early-round pick, you typically should devote your attention elsewhere after that. Double-dipping at positions where you only have to start one player per week (particularly at quarterback) could leave you scrounging for value at running back and wide receiver later in the draft.

    According to Hayden Winks of Underdog Fantasy, spending early draft capital on two tight ends—the "bully TE" build—has been "a very below-average strategy" in all four years of Best Ball Mania. It's often better to load up on wide receivers and running backs in the earlier rounds and then round out your roster with some late-round depth at quarterback and tight end.

Load Up on WRs Early

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    Bengals WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee HigginsIan Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

    Since you have to start at least three wide receivers per week at both Underdog and DraftKings, average draft position is typically slanted in favor of wideouts.

    In 2023, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was the WR15 in ADP, according to FantasyPros. New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson was the RB9. Higgins came off the board earlier than Stevenson on average.

    Drafts might be even more lopsided in favor of wideouts in 2024. Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (WR29) is being selected in the same range as Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (RB15) and Texans running back Joe Mixon (RB16).

    According to Hayden Winks of Underdog Fantasy, the "Golden Rule of Best Ball" is that fantasy managers should select at least four wide receivers by Round 7 of their drafts. "There are fewer late-round WR breakouts and fewer stone-cold busts" compared to other positions, Winks noted, which could put you behind the 8-ball if you bypass them for quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends early on in drafts.

    Since both Underdog (0.5 PPR) and DraftKings (full-point PPR) award additional points for each reception, high-volume pass-catchers inherently have more value than players who don't catch a ton of passes. That tends to push wide receivers up the draft board and creates more opportunities for value at other positions in later rounds.

Stacking Teammates

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    Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and QB Jared GoffPatrick McDermott/Getty Images

    In a season-long league, it often makes sense to pair a quarterback with his star receiver so you get more points whenever they score a touchdown. The same holds true in best ball.

    In fact, stacking teammates has gone from a sharp strategy to a necessity.

    Once you get to the fantasy playoffs in Week 15, you typically have to outscore everyone else in a random 12-person group two weeks in a row. If you don't draft many teammates, you'll be banking on offensive production in a higher volume of games those weeks.

    Regardless of whether you draft two or three quarterbacks, you should look to pair him with at least one of his pass-catchers. Your early-round picks should shape your later-round targets in that regard, too. For example: If you spend a first-rounder on Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, you should be eyeing Jared Goff as your QB2.

    Since you don't have to worry about setting lineups in best ball, you benefit from the stacks when they connect—especially on multi-touchdown days for wide receivers—and you typically don't lose much when they whiff. However, it isn't worth majorly reaching on stacks. Don't go drafting Goff three rounds earlier than his ADP just because you have ARSB.

Finding ADP Value

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    Chargers RB Kimani VidalHarry How/Getty Images

    Justin Herzig, who won the first-ever Best Ball Mania, published a best ball pyramid on Establish The Run with this as its third level: "The goal is to draft ADP value either according to real-time ADP or their eventual closing ADP at the beginning of the season."

    When a player slips well below his ADP, he could become enough of a screaming value that he's too much to pass up, even if you aren't a huge believer in his season outlook. Roster uniqueness is another differentiating factor once the best ball playoffs roll around, so you might be able to separate your roster from others by snagging some ADP steals.

    Those who already drafted or plan to draft soon could create ADP values of their own if they correctly identify which players will rise up boards after training camp begins. No one should root for an injury, but a backup running back could turn into an instant smash if he lands in a larger-than-expected role.

    Comparing players' ADPs between different sites could help you identify some potential values, too. (Just be mindful of how scoring settings could be driving those differences!) However, Michael Leone of Establish The Run cautioned against overvaluing ADP relative to other key questions during your draft.

    "If you're building solely with Week 17 in mind, it's obvious that stacking trumps ADP value," he wrote. "A neutral team in terms of ADP value with lots of correlation is way more valuable than one of the best teams in terms of ADP value but with very little correlation."

    It's just one of many factors to consider.

Don't Be Scared of Boom/Bust Players

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    Jaguars WR Gabe DavisDavid Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

    Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis is the quintessential example of a boom/bust player who drives his fantasy managers up a wall. He's good for a handful of week-winning games—he had three games with at least four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown with the Buffalo Bills in 2023—but he's just as likely to finish with 50 or fewer yards.

    In season-long formats, that makes Davis a maddening player to roster. You can rarely predict his boom weeks with any accuracy, and his bust weeks could cost you a matchup. But in best ball, his boom/bust nature doesn't matter at all. You get credit for his boom weeks, and someone else starts in his place in his bust weeks.

    That doesn't mean you should reach on boom/bust players just because they won't hurt you as much as they do in season-long leagues. You should still want players who have a chance of being startable most weeks. Besides, what are the odds of that boom/bust player stringing back-to-back-to-back boom weeks together during the fantasy playoffs?

    You just don't have to be as afraid of boom/bust players as you are in season-long leagues, where many of these players find themselves on managers' do-not-draft lists after particularly trying years.

Week 17 Correlation

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    Niners-Lions in Week 17 will decide the fantasy finals.Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

    Week 17 is the final boss of best ball.

    If you've made it this far, you've returned your buy-in andthen some. (Often by the magnitude of hundreds.) You've outscored two random 12-persongroups in two straight weeks. You likely share many of the same stars as the otherswho've advanced to the finals.

    This is where Week 17 game-stacking comes into play.

    It's as simple as this: Look at the Week 17 schedule andtarget players from the games that project to be the highest-scoring. (Vegasodds will be your friend in that regard.) If you snag one of those players withan early-round pick, look to get someone from his Week 17 opponent if it'swithin reasonable ADP range. If that game does devolve into a shootout, thewinning lineup will likely feature multiple players from it.

    In 2024, the Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans on ChristmasDay screams out as a chalk play. Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, Stefon Diggs, NicoCollins, Tank Dell, Mark Andrews and Joe Mixon will all be popular picks thisyear, but it should be fairly easy to assemble game stacks with somecombination of those players.

    The Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lionsvs. San Francisco 49ers are the only two games with a higher over/under thatweek. Players from four should be game-stack candidates as well.

Fantasy Football Best Ball Primer for the 2024 NFL Season (2024)

FAQs

Fantasy Football Best Ball Primer for the 2024 NFL Season? ›

Most best ball teams should feature 2-3 quarterbacks, 5-7 running backs, 7-9 wide receivers and 2-3 tight ends (depending on overall roster size). Figuring out the optimal roster construction from there depends on where you spend your early draft capital.

What is the NFL's best ball? ›

Best ball is a fantasy football format where the best possible lineup is automatically selected for each team.

How to set up the best ball in fantasy football? ›

All you need to do is join a league and draft your team. Once you draft your team, you won't make any roster moves all season long - no adds, drops, trades, sits, starts, etc. The team with the most points at the end of Week 17 wins.

What is the best ball dynasty football? ›

The FFPC Best Ball Dynasty format is a semi-managed format, with optimized weekly lineups, weekly waivers, trading, but with no head-to-head play and no playoffs. The highest optimized weekly scores after 17 weeks wins. Starting at just $100, there is a league for everyone.

What is the best ball underdog? ›

In best ball on Underdog Fantasy, each team is assigned a specific roster they must fill through the draft. Once the draft is complete, points will be accumulated on a game-by-game basis from specific positions.

How many of each position should I draft in best ball? ›

You need enough depth at each position to account for all of this. Every fantasy manager should draft their Best Ball roster with the same basic starting point. You will take at least two quarterbacks, four running backs, five wide receivers, and two tight ends. Those are the minimums you should have at each position.

What is DraftKings' NFL best ball? ›

What is DraftKings Best Ball? DraftKings Best Ball is a style of fantasy football game where participants draft a team of players without setting a weekly lineup. Instead, the platform automatically selects the player with the highest score for each position, maximizing the potential points for your team.

How many QBs to take in best ball? ›

Mastering QB Strategy in Best Ball Drafts

You'll want to finish your Best Ball draft with two or three QBs (assuming it's not superflex). Whether you go two or three can depend on when you draft them. Taking an early QB as your first is a fine move. The top guys tend to be reliable scorers.

What should be your first round pick in fantasy football? ›

If you're not picking first overall in your fantasy football draft, then a WR is most likely to be your best first pick. Exactly who that player should be -- and whether it should be someone at another position -- will depend on your draft position, your league format, and who's available in your draft.

What should I prioritize in fantasy football? ›

Fantasy Football Draft Strategy 2024
  • Load up on running backs.
  • Know the league rules.
  • Know the ADPs of players during the draft.
  • Wait on Tight Ends.
  • Anchor your team with an ace QB.
  • Balance your roster.
  • Always back yourself up with depth.
  • Be picky and use the “CUDDY” System when drafting.
Jul 12, 2024

How to play the best ball? ›

How To Play Best Ball Format in Golf. In best ball, each player plays their own ball throughout the round, and the lowest score on each hole is used as the team score. For example, if player A makes a birdie, player B makes a par, player C makes a bogey, and player D makes a double bogey, the team score is a birdie.

How many QBs should I have in a dynasty league? ›

How many quarterbacks should you carry on your roster in a 1QB league? It depends on roster size. With rosters of 30 or more players, it's fine to carry three QBs, especially if you don't have a star. You'll have more flexibility to play matchups with your subpremium quarterbacks.

What NFL team has the best dynasty? ›

Green Bay Packers (1960-67)

After winning back-to-back titles in 1961-62, Green Bay became the second NFL team (the 1929-31 Packers being the first team) to win three consecutive titles, including the first two Super Bowls. No team has since won three consecutive titles.

Is it more profitable to bet on underdogs? ›

There is a higher chance of an upset win, which means they will make more money. Bookmakers often undervalue underdogs, which presents profitable betting possibilities. You can take advantage of odds in your favor if you can determine when an underdog has a better chance of winning than the odds indicate.

Is Underdog Fantasy profitable? ›

Financial Stability With a revenue ranging between $10M - $50M and a funding amount of $35M, Underdog Fantasy demonstrates financial stability and growth potential. Utilizing this financial strength as a selling point can instill confidence in potential partners and investors.

What is the ultimate underdog? ›

Underdog = the side in a game that is expected to lose Example: China plays Argentina at soccer, China is the underdog. An ultimate underdog is a someone who is NEVER expected to win. Again, the Indian soccer team is an ultimate underdog. February 1, 2011.

What footballs do NFL players use? ›

The Heart of the Game

Not only has every touchdown been scored with a Wilson football, but for decades, each NFL game ball has been expertly handcrafted in Ada, Ohio by skilled craftspeople.

What is the difference between best ball and draft? ›

The main difference between best ball and season-long redrafts league is that your involvement in best ball leagues ends after the draft. Everything done in best ball leagues after the draft is automated and your only job is to sit back and watch the performance of your team.

Does the sleeper app do the best ball? ›

Mobile App: iOs, Android | Web App: https://sleeper.app/ On top of that, we also support Auction and Best Ball leagues! In general, choosing the right format for your group may depend on the level of complexity everyone is looking for, as well as their long-term commitment to the league.

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