We haven't even had the 2021 NFL Draft, yet Best Ball leagues are filling up fast and furious. The fantasy football craze continues year round!
(Side note, we use Underdog Fantasy as our preferred Best Ball platform - enter FFDRAFTBOARD after deposit)
We've created some tips and best practices for how to draft your 2021 Best Ball team, in particular, before the NFL Draft goes down. Following the 2021 NFL Draft, we will create a second piece of content with updated strategies and tips to help you dominate your Best Ball league.
Why Join a Best Ball League Before the NFL Draft?
There are a number of reasons why someone would join a Best Ball League before the 2021 NFL Draft is complete. The first, naturally, is that you can't get enough fantasy football in your life. You simply cannot wait another 2 months before drafting! The second reason is that you believe in your ability to predict outcomes in fantasy, and you feel that you can do so better than the average fantasy sports fan.
There are so many unknowns, which makes a Best Ball draft so much fun (or frustrating, depending on who you are). Rookies have so much fluctuation in 2021 Best Ball drafts, especially before experts know where they will land.
I have seen Ja'Marr Chase get drafted as early as the 3rd round, while Najee Harris currently has an ADP of 33! And the big question is... Are these bargains?
Before we get into the top 5 tips, I wanted to cover THE most common question we get related to Best Ball leagues.
What is a Best Ball Fantasy Football League?
A Best Ball Fantasy Football League allows you to draft a team, but there is no management of your team following the draft. You cannot add players, drop players, trade players, or even START players.
With Best Ball, your best performing players at each position will automatically be placed in your weekly starting lineup. For example, let's say that your Best Ball league roster contains 3 WR Starting positions, and you draft 8 WR's. Each week, your top 3 best performing WR's will be auto-selected into your starting lineup to accumulate points.
5 Best Ball 2021 Fantasy Football Tips (Pre NFL Draft)
- Like every other fantasy football league, know the scoring and roster limits. This is critical to understand how comfortable you are to reach or wait for a player.
- If you want Ja'Marr Chase (and we do), draft him before the end of the 4th round. He has an ADP of 67, but could easily outperform this by the end of the year. He may still be available in the 5th round, but for a player of his talent, he could easily be a Top 5 WR in fantasy for 2021.
- Don't wait on AJ Dillon. Currently Dillon has an ADP of 75, which may be a bit too high for some, especially considering Aaron Jones just signed a big contract. The thing is... After you sign a big contract with guaranteed money, small nagging injuries seem to pop up (just saying). Dillon wants to prove himself, and will SHOW UP if Jones is to miss any time. We like stacking both Jones and Dillon if you have a late 1st round pick. Jones has an ADP of 12.5 as of this point
- Don't be afraid to draft a guy with an ADP of 30+ spots away from where you are at. Too often, fantasy managers will wait on drafting a guy because their ADP gives them false hope they will be available on their next pick. NEVER be afraid to reach, especially if you're drafting in the off season!
- Grab an Elite QB in the first 5 rounds, and then wait until round 12 or later to grab a second one. This strategy allows you to draft 2 QB's (not three), saving an extra roster spot for a dart throw RB or WR.
Other Common Questions Related to Best Ball Fantasy Football Leagues
Does ESPN Have Best Ball Fantasy Football Leagues?
At this time, ESPN does not support Best Ball fantasy football leagues. ESPN fantasy football leagues are limited to free season long Snake leagues, and freee Auction leagues. Best Ball may be available on the ESPN platform in the future, but not at this time.
Does Yahoo Have Best Ball Fantasy Football Leagues?
At this time, Yahoo does support paid Best Ball fantasy football leagues. Yahoo fantasy football leagues include free and paid season long Snake leagues, free and paid Auction leagues, as well as paid best ball leagues.
RELATED ARTICLE: COMPARE ESPN to YAHOO FANTASY FOOTBALL!
Does CBS Have Best Ball Fantasy Football Leagues?
At this time, CBS does not support Best Ball fantasy football leagues. CBS fantasy football leagues are limited to free and paid season long Snake leagues and free and paid Auction leagues. Best Ball may be available on CBS in the future, but not at this time.
Can I Choose a Team Name with Best Ball Fantasy Football?
Oddly enough, most Best Ball formats do not let you choose a unique fantasy football team name. If you want to play in a league that allows you to pick a team name, you're better off going with a season long or dynasty league.
Where Can I Play Best Ball Fantasy Football?
You can play Best Ball Fantasy Football on a number of different platforms!
