Welcome to our Knowledge Base article on Best Ball for Beginners! Below we outline the general format, basic strategy, and what makes it different from other fantasy league types.
League Format
Best Ball Leagues provide the excitement of drafting and playing in a league without the time commitment of setting a weekly lineup or having to manage a roster. In best ball leagues, team managers draft players for their teams, and that is it. There is no management required during the season.
There is no adding or dropping of players, there is no trading of players, and managers do not set a lineup each week. Lineups are set automatically by using your highest scoring players to fill the required position slots. This means each team will score their highest points possible each week while meeting position requirements.
When it comes to competition, best ball leagues do not have the traditional head-to-head team matchups. Teams gain cumulative points each week. The highest scoring team at the end of the season is the champion.
Basic Strategy
Best ball leagues last for one season and have varying lineup requirements. It is best to draft at least one extra player for each position required. If a league requires teams to start three wide receivers, at minimum, team managers should draft at least four wide receivers for their team.
With best ball leagues lasting only one season it is best for team managers to look for the players that they feel will score the most points for that season. There is no need to consider age or future years.
It is also important to check players’ bye weeks to ensure that you have enough available players to fill positional requirements each week. When drafting players at the end of the draft, it is better to draft a player who has a different bye week than the players you drafted in the early rounds. It is important to do this even if you think they will score slightly fewer points on the year.
Differences/Benefits
Each format of fantasy football has unique features that appeal to different team managers. Best ball leagues require the least amount of time commitment of any league. There is no in-season management of rosters. This also removes the stress of making decisions on which player to start. Your team’s optimal lineup will always be played.
Best ball leagues are great for people who find drafting to be their favorite part of fantasy football. One downside of best ball is that players who breakout unexpectedly may not even be rostered. Having larger rosters helps to minimize this possibility.
Additional Information
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A fantasy football degenerate with an extreme love for the game. The only position Sam has ever played in any form of competitive football is armchair quarterback.
An affinity for football and watching games together was a part of growing up for him and his three brothers. 30 plus years as a Vikings fan has made him a glutton for punishment and a believer that he can do something his hometown team can’t, put together a championship roster.
Now 22 years into his fantasy football general manager career he is here to offer insight, advice, and the same hope for championships that he desperately clutches to for his Purple People Eaters.
