Which fantasy football best ball strategy can turn players into league winners?
Fantasy football is a game of strategy, and even more so in best ball leagues and tournaments. In the midst of the best ball summer, many drafters face the difficult choice of what strategy to utilize for their fantasy football teams. Managers can team stack, game stack or prioritize a specific position in their drafts. Because of that, there are many ways to build a best ball team. We will discuss these strategies thoroughly to help build the optimal best ball team
Team Stacking
This strategy is quite simple – and popular – in fantasy football best ball leagues. Team stacking is when managers select a pass catcher on an offense, then follow that up by selecting that player’s quarterback later in the draft. Some managers opt to surround their team around multiple pass catchers and quarterbacks of the same NFL team. While some experts swear by its effectiveness, it’s much harder to put to practice against competitive drafters.
Game Stacking
The game stacking strategy is exactly how it sounds. Fantasy managers select a game they deem as favorable from Week 17 (and some drafters choose Week 16) instead to get into their respective best ball finals. These games will likely have high point totals due to the projected matchup. From there, managers look to target same-team players in specific matchups in these final weeks.
For example, drafters who are targeting matchups on a Week 17 slate for 2024 might target the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions due to their offensive firepower. These managers could target Christian McCaffrey in the first round, while drafting teammates Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk in a later round. Or they could hope that tight end Sam LaPorta falls to them due to his ADP. Doubling up with George Kittle, and drafting Jameson Williams, David Montgomery, Ricky Pearsall, and both quarterbacks are all in play to fill the stack. This game has a lower chance of being impacted by weather. Compare that to a team like Miami, who’ll be playing in Cleveland, or Kansas City, who’ll will be playing in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens are another excellent game to stack in Week 17 with this method. Neither team has players with first-round ADP. Wide receiver Nico Collins‘ ADP of 19.4 may present the only challenge. A game stack containing Collins, Tank Dell, Mark Andrews, and CJ Stroud is possible given their best ball ADP. You can also add Joe Mixon, and a late dart throw like Rashod Bateman easily into the stack.
When it comes to the game stack, it’s a case of high risk, high reward. If the offenses fail to perform, those teams may not make it past Week 14. However, with luck, chances are slim that other teams will have the same game stack. This can give you a significant advantage in the final week of the tournament.
Hero or Zero?
Here, we present two distinct strategies, each leading rosters in a different direction. One strategy involves anchoring a position, while the other strategy leaves the position largely vacant. Understanding these strategies is key to making the right decision for your team.
Hero
The “hero” strategy in fantasy best ball is when drafters anchor the running back or wide receiver position with a star player early.
For example, let’s say Bijan Robinson was selected in round one. He would be considered the “hero” on the roster. Therefore, the manager would not draft another running back for several rounds. This allows managers to build their roster around other position groups in the hope that the other groups vastly outperform other teams.
Meanwhile the hero, whether that be Tyreek Hill, McCaffrey, or, in this case, Robinson, is supposed to provide elite production on a weekly basis. These “heroes” are meant to carry the position group through the season while the team has an edge on other rosters elsewhere. Fantasy managers may have a hole at running back after their hero, but Robinson or McCaffrey will put up elite numbers. Because of that, the difference is negligible – as long as they stay healthy.
Zero
Unlike the hero best ball strategy, the zero strategy encompasses ignoring a position until later in the draft. This strategy is most popular with the running back position. Some fantasy football managers will wait until the 10th round before selecting four or five straight running backs. It is all about hitting on one or two of picks at the position late in the draft. If they outperform ADP, it creates a competitive best ball squad heading into the playoffs. Names like Jerome Ford, Ezekiel Elliott, Gus Edwards, and Tyjae Spears can be significant targets for drafters looking to use this strategy this year.
It’s the same concept at wide receiver, though far less common. Players like Keenan Allen or Chris Godwin could be options with this strategy. This strategy is uncommon due to how heavily the position is drafted. And in certain platforms (like Underdog Fantasy), managers are required to start three wide receivers, as opposed to only two running backs.
Ignoring a specific position will create substantial leverage at other positions. If managers believe late round players will outperform ADP, this strategy is worth attempting.
These are just a few strategies fantasy football managers can utilize in their best ball drafts. It also never hurts to experiment in lower stake contests to see how these builds perform before using it in higher stake leagues.
Best ball is all about finding the right combination to lead to a major payday in the finals of Underdog Fantasy (or other DFS) contests. It is always challenging, but trying to crack the code that best ball presents is always fun.
