Author: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter and LineStar Chat

Welcome back LineStar football fans!

While the time for (non-preseason) NFL DFS is still weeks away and most season-long managed league drafts are starting up in the coming days, we are officially smack dab in the middle of NFL best ball season!

As such, we at LineStar thought it’d be worthwhile to throw out a strategy guide of sorts to help some folks who were looking to test the waters in some 2021 best ball drafts. Or perhaps you’re familiar with the format but could use some fine-tuning or just a look at a different perspective from another guy’s approach.

Nothing that I implement in my approach to best ball drafts is revolutionary or unique. But I believe many people go about these sort of drafts in the wrong way, so hopefully, something I discuss here will come in handy if you've had trouble finding success in best-ball leagues. In this guide, I’ll be covering the key differences between the best ball and season-long managed leagues, going over some basic strategies for best ball drafts as well as contest/scoring details, what I look for when drafting for each position (QB/RB/WR/TE), and finally, I’ll be going through a couple of best ball drafts that I’ve done this season and I will also be reviewing a draft from the 2020 season that landed me a fifth-place finish ($20,000 payout) in the DraftKings Best Ball Millionaire Maker final. The two sites that I’ll be focusing on for best ball drafts this season, and in this article, are DraftKings and Underdog Fantasy.

Ultimately, when it comes to best-ball leagues, managed leagues, or DFS, there is certainly a luck factor that plays into everything. Anyone who took CMC, Saquon, or Michael Thomas in the first round of drafts last season can tell you that. Also, there is no single strategy that is 100% tried and true. But there are ways to increase your chances of coming away victorious, so let’s try to hone in on those aspects as it pertains to NFL-best ball leagues!

Note that this will be a lengthy read!

Best Ball vs. Managed Leagues

I’m sure that about everyone reading this is currently in, or has formerly been in, some sort of season-long managed league with friends, family, or co-workers at some point. The differences between those leagues and best-ball leagues are fairly straightforward.

In best-ball leagues, after your draft, it is entirely hands-off from that point on. No waiver wire or free agent pick-ups, no trades, no frustrating Sunday morning start/sit decisions. You simply draft our team and then just hope for the best. You’re typically going to draft between 18 and 20 players in best-ball leagues via snake draft format. Each week, your most optimal lineup will be automatically played and counted towards your team’s fantasy point total.

On DraftKings and Underdog Fantasy, that means your top QB, top two RBs, top three WRs, top TE, and your next best top RB/WR/TE (flex) on your roster will end up as your final lineup for that week. Everyone else rides the bench until it’s their time to shine. This does mean that your approach should change a bit when drafting the best ball team as opposed to a managed team. I’ll hit on more of that below.

Scoring & Roster Information

DraftKings Best Ball Scoring & Roster Information

Underdog Fantasy Best Ball Scoring & Roster Information

As you can tell, there are some notable differences between DraftKings and Underdog. DraftKings is full PPR (point per reception) while Underdog is half PPR.

A full PPR scoring system will add extra value towards high-volume wide receivers, tight ends, and pass-catching running backs. DraftKings also has two additional bench spots (20 roster spots in total vs. 18 for Underdog).

Finally, DraftKings awards a three-point bonus for 100+ yard receiving and/or rushing games as well as a three-point bonus for 300+ yard passing games.

Best Ball Contest Formats

Tournaments

On both DraftKings and Underdog, the best ball tournaments will follow a very similar format. Instead of repeating what is explained on the DraftKings website, I will just attach a screenshot explaining the tournament structure and rules below.

Sit & Go’s

These “Sit & Go” contests will range in size from three to twelve teams. Instead of multiple rounds where the top team advances, like in tournaments, this format will keep you within the same ‘league’ for the entire season, all the way up to week 17. By the end of week 17, the team with the most cumulative points will be declared the winner. In some Sit & Go leagues, the top two or three teams will be paid out.

General Best Ball Draft Strategy

Note: For the sake of consistency, I will outline my personal basic strategies which generally revolve around DraftKings scoring format and roster sizes (full PPR scoring and 20 roster spots).

Be Prepared for the Draft!

To begin, make sure you at least run through some amount of news and research before immediately jumping into best ball drafts. It never hurts to be aware of notable fantasy football players who have changed teams in the off-season and/or are expected to take on a larger/smaller role. Also, whether you prefer to run your drafts on your phone, laptop, tablet, or desktop PC, have whatever resources you think you’ll need handy! You don’t necessarily have to have a dozen different tabs open with spreadsheets and draft rankings, but it does help to have a general idea of things like currently projected depth charts as well as access to the latest injury news coming out of training camp. Before hopping into a draft, be on the up-and-up on any late-breaking news. There is no shortage of NFL news sources out there!

Target Upside & Don't Settle For Mediocrity

Every pick counts in the best ball draft and there's no getting rid of them once you click the "draft" button, so don’t fall asleep at the wheel during the mid/later rounds and take a player just because he’s a safe/serviceable “known quantity.” If you were in a season-long managed league last year, when you get a moment, I recommend going back and looking at your draft results. Then, compare your draft to your final end-of-season roster. Chances are you may not have even retained half of the players you actually drafted. That’s not necessarily a bad thing nor does it mean you had a bad draft. Half the battle to winning a managed league is staying active on the waiver wire/free agency and through the trade process. And, obviously, you’re also not going to hang onto massive underperformers or guys who suffer long-term or season-ending injuries.

In best ball drafts, avoid those high mileage veteran RBs/WRs/TEs, who may see the field plenty, but likely won’t produce ceiling games like they used to (e.g. David Johnson, AJ Green, Rob Gronkowski, Ben Roethlisberger). I'm also completely out on players who are expected to miss extended time to start the season due to injury (so no Michael Thomas for me). It's just not worth the risk of getting guaranteed zeros from a player for multiple weeks when other perfectly healthy players can be drafted in their place. There is also the possibility that those injuries will hinder a player for an entire season.

Instead, target younger guys who have flashed upside over the last 1-2 seasons or rookies who are entering a good situation and could break out early on in the year with a high-volume featured role (e.g. Michael Carter, Laviska Shenault Jr., TJ Hockenson, Trey Lance). Now, at some point, nearly every player is ‘draftable’ if they fall to a certain round. But generally, at their standard ADPs (average draft position), I’m not going to pay the 'market price' for a QB who will only get me around 15 FP most weeks, a WR who is usually only good for four catches for 45 yards with the occasional touchdown, or an aging RB whose ceiling will be capped at being part of an RBBC. To state the obvious, those players simply aren’t league winners. Let them become someone else's burden to carry.

For receivers specifically, this also makes players who are considered exclusively “deep threats” much more draftable in the later rounds. Think of guys who had high aDOTs (average depth of target) in previous seasons such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jalen Guyton, Gabriel Davis, or Henry Ruggs. Even someone like the 34-year-old DeSean Jackson could still have some best ball value. These sort of guys can earn their way into your optimal lineup off of one or two plays and can be had for super cheap. I wouldn’t load up on players like this, but taking one or two home run threats is perfectly viable.

Stacking QBs + Their Receivers

Stacking a QB with one (or multiple) of their top WRs/TEs (and occasionally their pass-catching RB) is a super popular DFS strategy and is also somewhat popular in managed leagues. It’s ultra viable in best ball drafts as well. The premise is simple -- if Stefon Diggs goes off for 10 catches, 165 yards, and two touchdowns, Josh Allen probably had himself a big day too. This does add some risk because say you have both Diggs and Allen. If the Bills struggle and only put up 10 points and ~270 yards of offense in any given week, neither guy is likely to land in your optimal lineup, and in that example, those are two of your top five picks. Also, you’re losing both guys on the same bye week and if one were to get injured, the other one’s stat lines likely suffer as a result. Despite the moderate risks, it’s a worthwhile strategy.

Be Flexible, Attentive, and Let the Draft Come to You!

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make in both managed leagues and best-ball leagues is not being flexible during the draft and/or having a cemented plan in place that they are too stubborn to stray away from. For instance, a person may be dead set on taking two RBs in the first two rounds or they’ll be certain the guy they want is going to be available at their next pick. Then, when all the top RBs that they wanted are gone in the first two rounds or that player they were targeting is inevitably snatched up one or two picks ahead of them, they enter full-on panic mode and end up overpaying for someone or making a suboptimal selection that doesn’t work well with their current roster construction.

Always have multiple players in mind that you’re content with taking at your next pick. Adding several players into your queue just to have some names 'set aside' in front of you definitely helps me, at least. Also, say there is a sudden run on QBs or TEs -- don’t feel pressured to be a part of the avalanche. Instead, if there is an RB or WR available who should’ve been taken 15 picks ago, as long as you like the player and their fantasy potential, grab 'em and simply adapt your plan of attack afterward.

Also, do at least pay some level of attention to bye weeks when drafting -- primarily when it comes to QBs and TEs. When drafting RBs and WRs, you can usually just take whoever you please without worrying much about half of your roster getting hit with a bye week from hell. But if you’re only taking two QBs or TEs, those players definitely need to have different byes!

Handcuffing

Most people who have played in managed leagues are very familiar with the term “handcuffing” -- and, for the most part, it primarily applies only to RBs, but there are some exceptions with WRs and, occasionally, QBs. While it isn’t an absolute necessity, it will definitely give you some peace of mind after the draft if you are able to pair your first-round selection of Dalvin Cook with his clear-cut ‘handcuff’ in Alexander Mattison, for example.

Of course, not every RB has an obvious handcuff to draft, so don’t waste a late-round pick on someone who may or may not take on a lead role if the top RB on the team goes down to injury. I’m also not against drafting a handcuff RB even if I didn’t draft their RB1 teammate. If it seems like the right move in the later rounds, I’ll take a Tony Pollard or Chuba Hubbard in the off chance that Zeke or CMC misses time.

Quarterback Strategy

How many QBs to draft?

I should be drafting two at MINIMUM and I often come away with three QBs. The reasoning for drafting two is simple. Bye weeks exist. If you only take one QB, you’re guaranteed to draw zero points at the position during the bye week. The reason for drafting three QBs is also probably pretty apparent: injuries happen and occasionally getting benched happens as well if a QB performs poorly across multiple weeks (or if their team is massively ahead/behind in a game). Also, three QBs will just give you more options to work with and most NFL-level QBs are capable of popping off with a massive week. I just believe that having three QBs gives you much more consistent upside at the position week-to-week. Also, if you take a bonafide stud QB like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or Kyler Murray, then don’t feel pressured to draft your backup QB(s) until the later rounds.

Which QBs to Target and Where to Draft Them?

Whether you’ve played DFS or any sort of season-long fantasy football in the past few years, one thing has become apparent; quarterbacks who are both quality passers *and* can add value by rushing the ball are a top priority. They simply carry more 30+ fantasy point upside while also offering a safer floor at a much higher clip than prototypical pocket passers -- one caveat being that they are more likely to get injured running the ball, but that still shouldn’t deter you from grabbing mobile QBs.

That isn’t to say you should absolutely nix guys like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady out of draft consideration. If they fall to you when you need a QB and represent decent value in that round of the draft, then you don’t need to actively avoid them. But I personally will try to come away with at least one mobile QB on my roster.

I will tend to wait on drafting a QB and instead load up on RBs and WRs in the early rounds (or go after one of the ‘big three’ TEs). For that reason, I probably won’t come away with Patrick Mahomes in a single one of my best ball drafts. I’m just not willing to pay for Mahomes at his ADP when one of my two or three QBs should post up a similar fantasy performance many weeks.

Now, depending on how the early rounds of my drafts go, I will often take someone like Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, or Russell Wilson if they slide down the board a bit or if I already drafted one of their receivers and can create an upside QB/WR stack. Otherwise, I’m finding myself drafting QBs like Ryan Tannehill, Justin Herbert, Matt Stafford, or Joe Burrow near the 8th through 10th rounds and then perhaps attempt to pair them with a mobile QB like Jalen Hurts or one of the exciting risk/reward rookies (usually Trey Lance or Justin Fields) before finally taking a “boring” QB3, such as Derek Carr, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or Sam Darnold with one of my later picks.

Running Back Strategy

How Many RBs to Draft?

It should be no surprise that RBs and WRs are the main focus of any fantasy football draft. They are the positions that most heavily impact your ability to win in any given fantasy league or tournament. In a 20-round best ball league, I believe you need to come away with an absolute minimum of five, and preferably 6-8 RBs. Running backs are the most dispensable and injury-prone skill position in the actual real-life sport of football. True workhorse RBs who see high volume and also catch passes are also arguably the single most valuable asset in fantasy football, due to scarcity and high floors/ceilings. If you’re able to get one, two, or three of those guys in the early rounds, do so by all means. But, again, don’t go into a draft with the unwavering notion that you MUST only go for RBs early.

Which RBs to Target and When to Draft Them?

Since you’re randomly assigned your draft position in these DraftKings and Underdog best-ball leagues, it almost feels like a cheat code when you land the first or second overall pick. You lock up CMC or Dalvin Cook. Congrats. And, of course, the next three picks will make either Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, or Zeke Elliot available to you if you so choose -- all are great first-round options. But even if you don’t get one of those top five guys, there are still plenty of other backs with top 20 upside available in the following rounds. RB is almost always the position that runs thin at the fastest rate in drafts, so be sure to get your research in and know where the RBs you want to target will typically get taken and make informed live adjustments during the draft as well.

Also, as I mentioned above, I’m not opposed to taking rookie RBs with upside in the middle rounds (e.g. Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Trey Sermon) or ‘handcuff’ RBs in the later rounds (e.g. Alexander Mattison, Kareem Hunt, Tony Pollard). On DraftKings, given the full PPR format, RBs who are almost exclusively pass-catching/change of pace backs (e.g. Nyheim Hines, JD McKissic, James White) have notable value as well late in the draft.

A couple of things to keep in mind, but not base too much of your draft strategy on -- while volume is the single most important quality a fantasy running back can possess, it also helps if they have either one or both of the following around them: a good offensive line and/or a good defense. Having a strong O-line in front of any specific RB is pretty self-explanatory. Having a strong defense on the other side of the ball means that their team should often have a lead during games and thus should help provide a run-first game script.

Ideally, I want to come away with three or four RBs within my first eight picks with two guys being in the mold of an expected top 20 fantasy back. In the later rounds, simply fine-tune your remaining roster plan based on the sort of team you’ve built up. If you went super WR heavy early on while also taking one of the top TEs, then it’s time to load up on a few handcuffs to workhorse backs as well as some lotto tickets RBs!

Wide Receiver Strategy

How many WRs to Draft?

Since three starting positions are devoted specifically to WRs every week (and you will end up starting as many as four given the flex position), I would recommend drafting six WRs, at minimum. Usually, I’ll try to come away with seven or eight in full PPR scoring formats. In half PPR formats, I’d say six is adequate enough most of the time.

Which WRs to Target and Where to Draft Them?

In full PPR scoring, I really try to grab at least one WR who is expected to see 140+ targets and around 10 targets per game. Every draft won’t work out to where you can get one of those top-tier WRs, which is fine. But given the pass-happy nature of the NFL, there are usually going to be around 8-10 of those elite receivers each season who see that sort of target share. If I don’t land a top-five pick, I’ve often started off drafts going WR/WR and getting two studs like Tyreek Hill and Calvin Ridley. At the same time, WR is the deepest position of the draft and you can find guys with top 20 or even top 10 potential well into the middle rounds. Receivers who may not have made major splashes in recent seasons but have signed with new teams and are expected to step into significant workloads as their team’s WR1 (someone like Corey Davis comes to mind) will land on my radar as well. Volume trumps all in fantasy football and even WRs with bad/unproven QBs will be worth drafting if they’re going to push for 10+ targets per game many weeks.

I somewhat hit on this already, but I love going after the WRs in the later rounds who offer the big play upside and can come away scoring 20+ fantasy points on two or three catches. Those sort of players are of course going to be volatile and won’t make your lineup most weeks, but even if I get three or four games out of someone like Jalen Guyton, hey… I’ll take that all day if I was able to snag him in the 19th round. As far as rookie receivers go, I am more hesitant to draft them prior to the later rounds simply because they are often overvalued, unproven at the NFL level, and you rarely see crazy rookie WR breakouts like what we saw with Justin Jefferson accomplish last season. There are also select NFL teams that have an abundance of receiving talent which may put a cap on the overall upside -- e.g. Cowboys, Bucs, and Bengals are three teams that come to mind specifically who have a lot of mouths to feed. I am not really willing to pay the ADP prices on many of those guys. No matter how much talent I believe they have, WRs such as CeeDee Lamb, Chris Godwin, Amari Cooper, and Tee Higgins don’t often land on my best ball teams unless they drop down the board significantly.

Tight End Strategy

How many TEs to draft?

Treat this position similar to QBs. You want two at minimum and I’ll often look to draft three the majority of the time (with a 20-man roster).

Which TEs to Target and Where to Draft Them?

I’ve seen many ‘touts’ say they’re against taking one of the “big three” TEs (Kelce, Waller, Kittle) and would rather start off their drafts the old-fashioned way with sure-fire WRs and RBs. I’m not one of those guys. Like the QB position, you can only start one TE each week. But unlike the QB position, there is a severely noticeable drop off in expected fantasy production at the position after those three guys and all three have proven they can produce at an elite level -- essentially that of a top 10 WR. While it will cost you a first, second, or third round pick to snag one of those big three, you’re simply at a major positional advantage by taking one of those premiere TEs. Will I go out of my way to draft them? Nope. But I’d say I have taken one of either Kelce, Waller, or Kittle in about 35% of my best ball drafts. Also, getting one of those three will take much more pressure away from the need to draft your second/third tight ends until the later rounds.

If I’m unable to get one of those big three, I’m usually waiting until closer to rounds 8-12 to get my first one or two TEs, then using one of my last couples picks to land either a flyer at the position or a guy I know will probably have a handful of weeks where he scores a touchdown and racks up around 40-60 yards receiving -- 15 FP is a very serviceable week at tight end 90% of the time. That usually means that I’m not often going to be getting guys like Mark Andrews, TJ Hockenson, or Kyle Pitts in my drafts… and, personally, I’m fine with that. I love Hockenson’s potential this season, specifically, but at this point he’s been hyped up so much that I’m just not willing to pay his ADP (which has hit the late 4th/early 5th round in many of my drafts). Andrews continues to feel far too TD dependent on a run first team and at Kyle Pitts’ ADP, for him to pay off where he’s being drafted, he’s going to need to essentially break nearly every rookie tight end record in the book to return value. He is a freak of nature in the mold of Calvin Johnson, so he could do it, but I’ll avoid that mid-round TE risk more often than not. When these takes backfire on me a month into the season, don’t roast me too harshly. Ultimately, you’ll simply be able to pair a couple of TEs in those 8-12+ rounds who should work out well most weeks.

Best Ball Draft Reviews

With all of that out of the way, let’s get into some actual best ball draft reviews to give you an idea of what I believe a strong best ball draft could look like.

To start, I want to look back on (and maybe reminisce a little on what could have been) my best ball draft that made it to the 100-person DraftKings Best Ball Millionaire Maker final last season. This draft is shown below ultimately came in 5th place out of ~172,000 entries, which was good enough to earn a $20,000 payday. If Andy Dalton didn’t underthrow CeeDee Lamb on an open post route against the Eagles in week 16, which would’ve likely gone for a 70+ yard TD, there’s a decent chance I would have cashed the $1,000,000… but I’m not salty about it…………………

Anyhow, this was the team:

Note: I didn’t buy into this tournament with $14,800. That’s just the monetary value that each of the 100 seats in the final round was worth. The original entry fee was $20 (the same as this year’s big DK best ball tournament).

Overview

Aside from simply drafting well, a lot had to go right to make it as far as this best ball team did. I managed to avoid major injuries to basically all of my core guys, I received some exceptional production from middle and late-round picks, and I had plenty of general good fortune along the way. In the initial 12-man league that I was randomly assigned to and played against for the first round of the tournament (lasted weeks 1-13 last year), this team basically led wire to wire. By no surprise, things got much more competitive in rounds two (week 14), three (week 15), and four (the 100-person final, week 16). In those later rounds, you would start to see plenty of overlap with players who were having monster seasons. Of course, in the first round, whoever you draft will not be on anyone else’s team until you make it to round two and beyond.

QB: Kyler Murray, Cam Newton, Tua Tagovailoa

Sticking to the “draft QBs who can add value rushing” theme discussed above, I had ample success here with Kyler Murray who crushed most weeks and almost always had a nice floor. If I recall correctly, a shoulder injury hindered his performance in a few games later in the season, but he was an easy 20+ FPs most weeks, largely in part to the fact that he added 800+ yards and 11 TDs on the ground. Cam Newton and Tua Tagovailoa were not the best backup QBs but I believe they contributed a handful of weeks towards my optimal lineup. (Remember when everyone thought Cam Newton ‘was back’ in week two against Seattle where he threw for like 400 yards and scored two rushing TDs? Hah.)

RB: Alvin Kamara, David Montgomery, Kenyan Drake, James Robinson, Tony Pollard, James White, Devine Ozigbo

I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty sure I was assigned the 4th pick in this draft. Obviously, that’s where I landed Kamara at in round one and the luck of the draw helped me avoid the massively unfortunate injury disasters that stemmed from Christian McCaffrey (the consensus No. 1 pick in most drafts), Saquon Barkley (also the consensus No. 2 pick in most drafts), and Michael Thomas (who was basically always the first WR off the board, usually at the 5th or 6th pick). In the final round of that tournament (week 16), Kamara blessed me with that freakish six touchdown game against the Vikings. I do vividly remember Kamara being 17% owned in the final, so myself and 16 others had him. Of course, that performance from Kamara was a significant key to landing a high finish. But the remaining RBs on this roster contributed in a major way as well. I believe I landed on David Montgomery in either round five or six and he ended the year as the RB4 in PPR -- the dude was highly consistent and ended up being a steal at his ADP. Perhaps the real MVP of this team was James Robinson (RB7 in 2020) who I took with my final pick in the 20th round. That was before any real buzz was on him and I believe I did this particular draft immediately after Leonard Fournette was traded… or released? I can’t recall at the moment, but note that I also took JAX RB Devine Ozigbo as a speculative pick as well. He contributed nothing. It may be a while before I land a value like James Robinson in the 20th round again. But it is a reminder that those late round picks can end up adding a ton of value to your best ball teams, so don’t take them for granted! The remaining RBs (Drake/Pollard/White) had some occasional value but most weeks the RB group was carried by Kamara, Montgomery, and JRob. Kenyan Drake, in particular, was a major bust in this draft and I believe I spent a second round pick on him.

WR: Stefon DIggs, DeAndre Hopkins, CeeDee Lamb, Laviska Shenault Jr., Sterling Shepard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Sammy Watkins

The Diggs + Hopkins WR1/WR2 punch was absolutely massive. Both guys ended as top five fantasy WRs in PPR last season. Hopkins simply fell in that draft (early 3rd) and I believe Diggs was going near round six or seven at the time. Needless to say, I believe he was one of the highest owned players in the 100-person final. Something like 35 other teams had him on their roster (coincidentally, many had Josh Allen as well). There will often be at least a couple WRs out of that mid-round range that break out and performs as top 10 WRs, so keep the position in mind around that point of the draft. Elsewhere, CeeDee Lamb was super impressive as a rookie and had many productive weeks despite Dak Prescott going down early in the season. Shepard and Shenault made the intermittent appearance as a WR3 in place of Lamb. MVS and Watkins were two of those ‘boom or bust’ picks I’ve talked about who I drafted with some of my last remaining picks. I probably squeezed a handful of usable weeks out of those two. That’s all ya can ask for from guys like that!

TE: Zach Ertz, Irv Smith Jr., Vance McDonald

This was definitely the weakness of the team. I did what I usually preach against and went after a tight end in the early/middle rounds. I’m pretty sure I took Ertz in the 5th or 6th , and he ended as TE31 on the year with just one total TD and three games with 40+ yards. I don’t believe Vance McDonald made the optimal lineup at any point all season, but fortunately, Irv Smith Jr., who is a bit of a popular late-ish round TE pick this year, chose to have his best game of the year in week 16 (6 rec/53 yds/2 TDs) and definitely helped contribute to that draft winning $20k. But, while it didn’t hurt me in the end thanks to some insanely lucky/fortunate picks and performances elsewhere, taking Ertz with a top five or six round draft pick could have easily killed that draft, or severely hindered it. Where I took him was in a similar range to where guys like Keenan Allen and DK Metcalf were going. Fortunately, I think I followed up the Ertz pick with Montgomery and Diggs, so it worked out. And, in all fairness, Darren Waller was another tight end going around where Ertz was being drafted last year, and he obviously crushed it, finishing as the TE2 behind Kelce. So, ultimately, this all hearkens back to being flexible in best ball drafts and not being set in stone with your approach. I’ll still look to mostly avoid those early middle round TEs, but I’ll maybe throw caution into the wind here and there and grab some Hockenson/Andrews/Pitts exposure.

2021 DraftKings Best Ball Review

Pick: 10th

Roster Build: 3QB/8RB/7WR/2TE

How happy was I with this draft? 8.5/10

Overview

I actually really liked how this particular draft pieced together. With the 10th pick, I had a decision to make between taking Stefon Diggs and Aaron Jones. Ultimately, I went with Jones. Then Diggs ended up ‘falling’ to me in the second round at pick 15. Given, it wasn’t a far fall. But an unexpected one nonetheless. Normally, I do end up waiting at QB, but I was too compelled to complete the Josh Allen + Stefon Diggs stack when he was sitting there in the late 3rd, where I pretty much grabbed him at his current ADP (35th). I felt that I ended up coming away with a pretty strong draft that also featured some intriguing handcuff selections not only at RB, but WR and QB as well.

QB: Josh Allen, Trey Lance, and Jimmy Garoppolo

If I didn’t already have Diggs, I likely would have passed on Allen. But I don’t mind the upside of that specific stack and Allen is an undisputed stud QB. I noticed Trey Lance slipping a bit further than where he has usually been drafted at lately, and I’m a believer in the hype, so I took him in the early 12th round. Then, after putting QB on the backburner following the Lance pick, there ended up being a major run on basically every remaining starting QB. I ended up rolling with the rare “QB handcuff” by snagging Jimmy G with my second to the last pick of the draft. One of those guys will be the 49er's QB in any given week and can help fill in on Allen’s bye week or low-end games. My money, along with most others, is on Lance winning that 49ers job and posting some useful fantasy-relevant performances this season.

RB: Aaron Jones, D’Andre Swift, Michael Carter, AJ Dillon, Jamaal Williams, Chuba Hubbard, Rhamondre Stevenson, Salvon Ahmed

Pick 10 seemed like a good spot to go for Aaron Jones. I’m not stoked on it, but he was my preferred RB on the board so I was content in going for him there. My RB2, D’Andre Swift, is on a bad Detroit team, but I love his talent and PPR upside. Jones and Swift have some injury/durability concerns, but fortunately, I was able to draft both of their undisputed handcuffs without needing to really reach for either one. Michael Carter was terrific at UNC last year and should have no problem taking on the lead-back role as a rookie given the low level of talent he’ll have to beat out for the job. Sure, he’s on the Jets… but I’ll take the expected high-volume touches where I can. The rest are just lotto tickets and truthfully I didn’t mean to draft Ahmed with my final pick. I would’ve rather secured a third tight end or another WR flyer. Ah well, he’s no James Robinson, but also isn’t the worst 20th round pick out there.

WR: Stefon Diggs, OBJ, Robby Anderson, Corey Davis, Gabriel Davis, Tyrell Williams, John Brown

The Diggs pick was an easy one since I got him in the second round after I was strongly considering drafting him in the first. The guy is elite, simple as that. If OBJ stays healthy, even on a run-first team, I like the value he could provide at his current ADP in the late 5th/early 6th. He’s still only 28-years-old and has massive big-play potential when he’s not dealing with nagging injuries. Anderson felt like a pretty safe WR3 pick given his previous rapport with Sam Darnold back in their Jets days and he has become a more complete receiver over the last couple of years. Corey Davis, agh, another Jet, I know. But he should pretty easily lead that team in targets so I took the guaranteed volume. The remaining WRs are depth pieces who should either see decent targets (Tyrell Williams could realistically lead DET in targets and is going in the 14th/15th rounds) or provide big-play potential. Gabriel Davis also works as a bit of a handcuff to Stefon Diggs. Were something to happen to Diggs, Gabriel would presumably take on a larger role (and also works with the Josh Allen stack approach).

TE: Noah Fant, Adam Trautman

Fant is one of my favorite TEs to target if I don’t get one of the big three, so I was happy to snag him at the end of the ninth. I simply like his talent and expect the Broncos passing game to take a significant step forward this season. Trautman… well… I probably have too much Trautman in my best ball drafts. But there are so many targets to go around in New Orleans and very few talented guys to catch them. I’m hoping Trautman can build an on-field connection with whoever ends up being the Saints QB and can perhaps average around five targets per game. I’ll take that from my TE2. As noted above, I feel as if I did mess up by not taking the third TE and accidentally drafting Salvon Ahmed with my last pick, but I’m not sweating it too much.

2021 Underdog Fantasy Best Ball Review

Pick: 3rd

Roster Build: 2QB/6RB/7WR/3TE

How happy was I with this draft? 7.5/10

Overview

With the half-PPR scoring format on Underdog, I tend to target two RBs in the first two rounds more often. I’m not 100% attached to that plan, of course, but it is what worked out for this particular draft. In general, I felt like I came away with a strong all-around team that is anchored by two potential top 10 RBs.

QBs: Russell Wilson & Justin Fields

Having only two QBs is a touch scary but if there’s someone to feel confident about being consistent and available every week (besides the bye week), it would be Russell Wilson. He’s never missed a game in his NFL career and I won’t anticipate that changing in 2021. When it comes to Fields, I don’t imagine it will take long at all for him to be handed the keys as the starting QB for the Bears. His skill set is obviously great for fantasy football purposes and I believe he’ll have at least a handful of big weeks this season.

RBs: Dalvin Cook, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrell Henderson Jr., Michael Carter, Alexander Mattison, Chuba Hubbard

Getting Dalvin Cook at the No. 3 pick already felt like a small win and I was pleased to snag Mattison as his handcuff with pick No. 142. Grabbing the lead back (CEH) for perhaps the top offense in the NFL late in round two felt like a strong option as well. CEH is expected to take a notable leap forward now that he has a full year’s worth of experience in the Chiefs system on his resume. He’s also healthier in general heading into 2021 and so is his O-line, which was a point of weakness for Kansas City last season. Henderson Jr. is one of those early/mid-round RBs who could either end up being a league winner or coming away as a massive disappointment. Until the Rams bring in some veteran retread to push Henderson for touches, I’ll move forward assuming he’s the RB1 in LA. Michael Carter makes another appearance in one of my best ball drafts, as does Chuba Hubbard (I’m pretty surprised how few CMC owners make a point to draft Hubbard when he’s going near the very end of drafts).

WRs: Allen Robinson, Adam Thielen, Laviska Shenault Jr., Michael Pittman, TY Hilton, DeSean Jackson, D’Wayne Eskridge

This is a decent but not spectacular group. I did like the idea of stacking Justin Fields with ARob, who should have top 10 WR potential again this year. Behind ARob, I expect Thielen and Shenault will have solid floors most weeks with decent upside. Both are fringe top 20 WRs in my eyes. I didn’t intentionally go out of my way to draft two Colts WRs, but that’s what happened. TY Hilton is definitely past his prime but may contribute a big game here and there. If I had to redo that pick, I probably would have gone elsewhere. Pittman is a legitimate talent who should benefit from a full NFL off-season and is expected to lead the Indianapolis Colts in receiving TDs. I took DJax solely for the home run threat upside (but have mixed feeling on it considering his age and injury tendencies) and then drafted D’Wayne Eskridge with my second to the last pick. The Seahawks drafted Eskridge in the second round this year and, given the absence of quality depth behind Metcalf and Lockett, he should immediately push for the WR3 role in Seattle once he’s fully healthy. He works out as a lotto ticket stack piece with Russ Wilson. 

TE: Noah Fant, Adam Trautman, Dan Arnold

Here is this Fant/Trautman combo again. I’ll have a few best ball drafts that draw dead at the TE position if these guys happen to massively fail.

Final Note:

That will wrap up the Best Ball Strategy Guide. I know it was a long one but thanks to anyone who read the who thing. I hope something here was of some help. Good luck with your drafts! Feel free to DM me on Twitter with your draft results and I can offer up some personal thoughts and feedback.