This article is taken from the 2023 Footballguys Best Ball Guide. To download the full 60+ page guide for free, click here.
Best ball is a game that isn’t always won by having the best players at the end of the year. It is a game that takes some strategizing and one that can be beaten in several different ways. You only have to start 1/2/3/1/flex each week, so building out a balanced 3/6/6/3 build is a very safe way to do it. We can have the debate that tournaments versus cash games are very different when it comes to Best Ball, but when you are first learning the ropes of how this game works, I think it is valuable to really focus on the cash game mindset and just keeping it simple and building out a 3/6/6/3 build.
When I say three quarterbacks and three tight ends, that might seem excessive for positions where you only need to start one player each week. But in a cash game mindset, I am actually most likely using my first 10-12 picks on only running backs and wide receivers as I want to lock up those two very important positions to help maximize 5-6 out of the required 8 roster spots that I have to start each week.
In 18-round drafts, often many will only draft 2 quarterbacks or tight ends, so you get a lot of value to fall to you later in the drafts at those positions as other drafters are just skipping those positions late in their draft process. This opens up value for you, and you can easily land on three starting quarterbacks and tight ends in rounds 13-18 in a best-ball game that just inserts your highest score each week into your lineup. I think this is a great way to learn how to play the game and to make a nice profit drafting Best Ball on the cash game level. You can also do this at the tournament level, but it limits your upside some by being so flat on each of the positions and just playing it safe. For tournaments, they are so top-heavy, so you need a lot more leverage in Weeks 15-17 to really win the big money. In cash games, it doesn’t matter as much as often 3 out of 12 get paid out, and it just totals your points for the entire Week 1-17 fantasy season.
Advantages
- A 3/6/6/3 build limits the peaks and valleys of weekly production
- Rising your floor will help you win in smaller pools
- While you will lose out on spike weeks, you’ll maintain production through byes and injuries
For more Best Ball content, download our free 2023 Best Ball Guide. We'll update after the NFL schedule release with information on correlating playoff matchups and navigating through bye weeks. An ELITE subscription will include future versions of our guide.
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