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DraftKings Best Ball Fantasy Football

“Basic” Best Ball Strategy

All the basic principles you’ve practiced in the past when it comes to best ball fantasy football are also applicable to DraftKings. Correlation, teammate stacking, roster management, positional strategy, late-round approach, and building for Weeks 15-17 playoff matchups, etc., are all going to be part of the strategy on DraftKings.

Correlation

• If you want to take down a massive tournament, you need to embrace stacking wide receivers and tight ends (and even running backs) with their respective quarterbacks to help you unlock your team’s highest potential. This becomes even more critical in the PPR-scoring format, where completions to pass-catchers rack up major points.
• Stack offenses when possible, but please don’t overreach – throwing ADP out the window to draft a guy a few rounds ahead for stacking purposes won’t help you in the long run. There are other teams in some tournament settings that will have the same exact stack but have a more well-rounded roster because they didn’t reach a half-round or full-round versus ADP.
• Who you select in the early rounds will set the foundation for stacking in the middle rounds as you put offensive pieces from the same teams together. Draft Amon-Ra St. Brown in Round 2? Then you better be adding WR Jameson Williams into the queue for selection later on. But again, don’t overextend yourself. Chances are that if the majority of the drafters in your draft are actually stacking, the right pieces will fall back to you at value or even at a suppressed ADP. Practice discipline stacking.
• However, depending on when you draft during the calendar year, ADPs can fluctuate up and down, especially in the later rounds. So a sleeper candidate you draft slightly “above” ADP earlier in the year could end up being a value by the time training camp and the season comes along. For that reason, I don’t mind going against ADP as the draft goes into the late double-digits. The majority of guys in this range are total fliers anyway, so may as well take the late-round gems you or your favorite fantasy football analyst believes in the most to beat their respective ADPs. Just keep your exposure to the same late-round players in check to some extent if you are drafting a large portfolio of teams.

Roster management

• DraftKings requires a starting lineup consisting of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, and 1 FLEX. Ergo, you’re going to want WRs early and often. You can start up to four any given week, and they benefit greatly from the full point per reception format.
• Typically you should be looking to draft anywhere from 2-3 quarterbacks, 5-6 running backs, 8-10 wide receivers, and 2-4 tight ends. As a recommended practice, the less high draft capital you invest in a position, the more you should look to draft that particular position. Essentially you are making up for a lack of quality with quantity.
• Ergo, if you end up missing out on the top-tier elite quarterbacks early in drafts, you are probably better off going with a three-QB build that features guys going later. This way, you are putting yourself in the best position to mitigate the value lost by not selecting a top signal-caller. The same goes for tight ends.
• Wide receivers are the bloodline of best ball. You can have up to four wide receiver scores any given week. You want to draft them early, in the middle, and late.

Positional Strategy

• Running Backs: Get your talented studs early in Rounds 1-3 and follow a hero-RB approach. Because the top dogs at the position still tend to be drafted very early. You’ve got one spot dialed in, and the other RB spot can be filled by the rotating carousel of remaining RBs on your roster. Cementing a top dog in Rounds 1/2 also helps you avoid reaching for running backs in the upcoming RB Dead Zone, where your primary focus should be drafting WRs poised for significant leaps in 2023. It’s not till the later rounds that you take shots on RBs with potential red-zone roles and pass-catching chops.
• You’ll also want to target impending free agents, proven running backs, and RBs in ambiguous backfields. That’s where we’ll find the next breakout at the position. And hitting on the right running back late can be the true difference-maker on your best ball squad. Specifically, once the drafts enter the late RB2 early RB3 range (RB20-RB38) or RBs with a top-40 ADP, you’ll want to hammer the RB position.
• The goal should be to end drafts with five-to-six running backs, with DK requiring just two starting RBs every week.
• The running back position is deep. So don’t stress the position and let value fall into your lap.
• Wide Receivers: WRs are getting pushed on the board more aggressively than in the past. But it’s for good reason. In PPR formats, wide receivers historically have a higher percentage of top-12 finishes, while running backs tend to dominate in half-PPR formats.
• As I’ve already discussed, you’ll want to draft a lot of WRs on DraftKings just based on the format. Draft them early and in the middle rounds. Because you will be shocked how quickly the WR position drys up despite the false narrative that the position is deep every year. It’s not deep. If anything, it’s extremely diluted, which makes it that much more essential you draft the remaining top-tier wideouts toward the start of the middle rounds. You’ll feel (and perform) much better knowing that you aren’t trudging out WRs ranked outside the top 40 as your weekly WR3.
• And one way to get high-ceiling ones at a discount is by targeting real-life No. 2 WRs. They have a strong record of high ROIs. Their prices will almost always be kept in check to some extent due to the presence of the No. 1 wide receiver on their own team. Call it the “WR1 firewall.” This is how you really get your edge at wide receiver, by hitting on these discounted No. 2 WRs in the middle-to-late rounds as the actual difference-makers/level-jumpers. The RB Dead Zone (or whenever the fantasy RB13-24 range is drafted) and the WR Shred Zone are one and the same.
• Be aggressive drafting WRs in this range, and be sure to load up on the position with so many roster spots to fill. Eight to nine receivers should suffice. And stack WRs not just with their QBs, but with their WR/TE teammates as well. An underrated aspect of this is that if one of them goes down or misses time, the other likely benefits from a higher target share – especially in the case of No. 2s.
• If all hell breaks loose, draft a wide receiver.
• Quarterbacks: Simply put, you NEED to acquire top-10 fantasy quarterback production in some form on your roster, and this can be done in a multitude of ways. You can still happily draft a top-five quarterback by ADP standards but don’t necessarily be so gung-ho on taking the first QB off the board. Again, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen finished first and second, respectively, in points scored, but neither was the top advancing quarterback in 2022. The top advancing QBs were being drafted later but still early relative to the double-digit rounds. I’d highly recommend a late-round “elite” quarterback approach for your first quarterback target. You want to be drafting the QBs at the back end of the elite tier of fantasy QBs to capitalize on the value while also capturing a high ceiling. Of course, this will change based on where QBs fall in ADP, but Rounds 4-6 is the more appropriate range than Rounds 2-3. Round 4 is where I feel most comfortable pulling the trigger on an elite fantasy QB such as Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow. DK scoring also gives pocket passers more to work with versus their rushing counterparts, with bonuses issued for 300-yard passing games.
• And for your second quarterback – you should draft at least two good quarterbacks in best ball – follow a pseudo-late-round QB approach. It’s probably better described as a middle-round approach considering the best hits from this past season came from the QB15-21 range (Picks 115-165). But here you are looking for a steady body that can stay healthy/active for a full 18-game season. Looking for pocket passers with high projected passing volume (perfect for stacking) or guys with mobility are the ideal targets.
• Among the QBs being drafted outside the top 100 picks (QB15-21), the ones that moved on the most played for teams that attempted at least 550 passes. And the ones that didn’t were the Daniel Jones/Justin Fields rushing fantasy quarterbacks. Among the top-10 quarterbacks last season in total points scored, eight rushed for at least 250 yards. Call it the 55-25 rule. Can quarterback “X” throw 550-plus times and/or rush for 250 yards? Those are your top targets.
• The value should be a key factor in selecting quarterbacks, as demonstrated by the success of quarterbacks drafted outside the top four rounds in previous seasons.
• The last thing you want to do is punt the quarterback position entirely until the late rounds. That’s a no-go. You will want to make sure you have at least one elite option (or one that can make the leap) and one that has a high chance of being a backend QB1 or top-15 option. Relying too heavily on late-round QBs that turned into duds kills advance rates. Remember best ball isn’t the same as redraft, and therefore no waiver wire makes the late-round QB approach completely different. Get those two QBs drafted as early as Rounds 4-6 and no later than Rounds 11 or 12.
• Tight Ends: Travis Kelce is in a tier by himself as a first-round pick. And having him this past year as a backend first-rounder was awesome with his 30% advance rate from Round 1 and 8% live rate on Underdog Fantasy. And that’s half-PPR scoring. If you miss out on Kelce, you’ll still want to target another tight end with a potentially high ceiling.
• A late-round tight-end approach isn’t as effective as it is in normal redraft leagues, where you have access to the waiver wire. If you hit on an elite tight end, it’s a massive edge. But it comes with high risk, as overpaying for a tight end that flames out dramatically hurts your advance rate. High risk, high reward.
• But in case you miss out on an elite tight end…you have to embrace waiting even longer. Stay out of the middle at tight end. Draft an elite guy, or just wait and wait. Note that when you spend that high-end draft capital on that top-six tight end, do not overly invest elsewhere in the position. You have more work to do addressing the other holes on your roster created by taking a tight end early. When you follow an elite tight end build, you only need to draft two TEs (unless stacking opportunities present themselves). But when you are taking all late-round guys, go for a three-man approach or even a four-man approach with DraftKings 20-player rosters.

Building for Weeks 15-17 playoff matchups

• The DraftKings best ball tournament format follows a regular season, Weeks 1-13, with the best teams advancing to the playoff rounds. During Weeks 15, 16, and 17, they are all treated as singular advance weeks. And the greatest prize money is weighted at the top in Week 17, which is why you need to make sure that your roster has Week 17 correlation built in. If your team can get to the championship round, you’ll now have a team that has the firepower to get you over the top.
• From a holistic view, teams such as Dallas, Detroit, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Chargers, and Minnesota have plus-matchups from Weeks 15-17. Specific
• Week 17 matchups to target include: DET @ DAL, MIA @ BAL, TEN @ HOU, CAR @ JAC, LV @ IND, ARI @ PHI, NO @ TB, CIN @ KC and GB @ MIN

Late-Round Approach

• Implement “what if,” thought exercises to identify players whose value could spike due to injuries or expanded roles later in the season.
• Focus on talent and range of outcomes for players with suppressed ADPs due to their situations.
• Target late-round wide receivers with potential for increased production due to injuries to teammates, proven assets, or defined roles on their respective offenses.
• Consider players with high air yards or aDOT (average depth per target) for potential spike weeks of fantasy production.
• Be proactive in drafting rookies, especially rookie wide receivers, as their ADPs may not fully capture their upside.
• Do not handcuff your running backs in traditional formats, where you have access to the waiver wire. However, you do want to handcuff your RBs in the best ball format. A No. 2 RB filling in for an injured starter that got you to the playoffs could be your key to victory in Week 17.
• If you missed out on a quality TE early, target multiple TEs in the late rounds.
• Don’t overvalue early-season opportunities versus talent.
• Look for proven assets and players who have performed well when given opportunities.
• Consider players who have defined roles and players who are the “discount version” of more expensive options.

Players to Target by Position

QUARTERBACKS

Early: Lamar Jackson (QB4), Justin Fields (QB6), Deshaun Watson (QB9)

Late: Anthony Richardson (QB13), Geno Smith (QB15), Matthew Stafford (QB21), Kenny Pickett (QB23), Mac Jones (QB28)

RUNNING BACKS

Early: Nick Chubb (RB5), Tony Pollard (RB8), Rhamondre Stevenson (RB10), Breece Hall (RB11)

Middle: Travis Etienne (RB13), Cam Akers (RB19), J.K. Dobbins (RB20), Rachaad White (RB26)

Late: Samaje Perine (RB31), Antonio Gibson (RB35), Zach Charbonnet (RB36), Jamaal Williams (RB38), Damien Harris (RB42), Jaylen Warren (RB44), Kendre Miller (RB48), Devin Singletary (RB50), Kenneth Gainwell (RB52), Chuba Hubbard (RB57), Leonard Fournette (RB62), Zamir White (RB69), Joshua Kelley (RB76)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Early: Ja’Marr Chase (WR2), A.J. Brown (WR6), Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR8), Garrett Wilson (WR10), Jaylen Waddle (WR11)

Middle: Keenan Allen (WR16), Calvin Ridley (WR17), Amari Cooper (WR19), Jerry Jeudy (WR20), Christian Watson (WR23), Drake London (WR27), Brandon Aiyuk (WR28), Chris Godwin (WR29), Diontae Johnson (WR30), Tyler Lockett (WR32), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR36), Treylon Burks (WR37), Jordan Addison (WR38)

Late: Gabe Davis (WR40), Jahan Dotson (WR41), Quentin Johnston (WR43), Elijah Moore (WR45), Zay Flowers (WR48), Jameson Williams (WR51), Zay Jones (WR52), JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR55), Jakobi Meyers (WR57), Skyy Moore (WR58), Nico Collins (WR59), Jonathan Mingo (WR66), Jalin Hyatt (WR76), Jayden Reed (WR77), Darius Slayton (WR86), Braxton Berrios (WR114), Deonte Harty (WR112)

TIGHT ENDS

Early: Mark Andrews (TE2), Dallas Goedert (TE5), Kyle Pitts (TE6), Darren Waller (TE7)

Middle: Nope.

Late: Greg Dulcich (TE13), Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE14), Gerald Everett (TE17), Mike Gesicki (TE23), Hayden Hurst (TE26), Isaiah Likely (TE28), Jake Ferguson (TE29), Trey McBride (TE30), Jelani Woods (TE34), Logan Thomas (TE35)

• More Best Ball Draft Advice
• Best Ball Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
• Player Rankings & Notes: QB | RB | WR | TE
• 2023 Best Ball Draft Kit

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