Best Ball: How I Learned to Stop Guessing and Reflect on the Build

by Chris Kerr (@bustermartin)

Why do you play Fantasy Football?

Is it to keep a group chat from 2005 alive? An excuse to see friends you used to hang out with every weekend? Did your boss tell you it’s basically required for office politics? Or are you an absolute psycho who is 27 leagues deep, firing off trade offers at 2 A.M., then sending follow-up texts when no one responds in 10 minutes?

Admittedly, this article follows up on “Drafting in The Dark” 

( https://www.sdfantasysports.com/drafting-in-the-dark-a-sudden-death-fantasy-sports-story/ ) .

More specifically, it comes from an obsession with Best Ball. For most people, that’s the real appeal. You get to experience draft day over and over again without the burden of managing 27 rosters all season. Below is one of the more interesting teams I’ve drafted this offseason. It’s not my best, but it’s one I learned the most from. If you want to win Best Ball consistently, you have to constantly reflect on trends, roster construction, and the decisions you made along the way.

Delta Squad 7 – [Round drafted is in ( )]

My Quarterback Room

QB – Drake Maye (2), Malik Willis (6), Shedeur Sanders (13), Marcus Mariota (22)

High ceiling, low floor. Drake Maye threw for almost 4,400 yards last year with league leading efficiency at 8.9 YPA. This level of efficiency is probably not sustainable. However, if the Pats add A.J. Brown who was top 2 in efficiency in 2024, future returns could be close. There is a strong possibility that Brown will be dealt after June 1 st, reducing the Eagles cap hit by $20 million. The unrest in Philly is real, and the Patriots are the projected most likely landing spot if a move is to be made. He is clearly not the concern. Pairing Willis and Sanders is boom or bust. I am finding over my first ten drafts that my best teams require me to draft THREE QBs in the first ten rounds. With this strategy, I do not need to take a quarterback in the first two rounds, and I still end up with a mix of Herbert, Nix, Purdy and sometimes even Hurts. Rounding out that room with Jacoby Brissett or even Tua feels good. I feel like I got lucky to grab Shedeur in the 13th round. No, these Dillon Gabriel/Deshaun Watson rumors do not concern me, and while Monken has known Ty Simpson since he trying to recruit him back at Georgia, I don’t think he’s willing to risk his one shot on this kid. Mariota is a solid flier in my mind. In 2025, he had an impressive three top 9 weeks (and six top 20) in his ten starts that Daniels consistently struggled to stay on the field.

My Running Back Room

RB – Jeremiyah Love (3), TreVeyon Henderson (5), Rico Dowdle (10),Zach Charbonnet (11), Tyjae Spears (14), Mike Washington (16), Isaiah Davis (24)

My running backs follow the same theme: high-ceiling, low floor. This time with solid potential for spike weeks. There is a chance that this team starts the season without a clear workhorse, (Love should be, but stranger things have happened.) Love’s landing spot could make or break this team. TreVeyon currently sits as a high upside RB2 with a huge ceiling should Stevenson go down for any significant period of time.  In Round 10 and 11, I grabbed Rico Dowdle and Zach Charbonnet in case either of my top two RBs went down, as both should have at least a full season split. Spears’ volatility is built for spike weeks, and if Mike Washington can land in his namesake backfield, he should be able to steal snaps from “Bill” and Rachaad White. In all honesty, the Davis pick was residual from a deep-dive I did last year, and looking back, I probably should have grabbed my last running back from a team with a starter who has a legitimate injury history like Javonte Williams (Malik, no not Isaiah’s brother).

My Wide Receiver Room

WR – Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1), Nico Collins (4), DJ Moore (8), Romeo Doubs (9), Jalen McMillan (15), Kayshon Boutte (17), Ryan Flournoy (18), Troy Franklin (19), Tez Johnson (23), Jalen Royals (25)

At pick seven I opened with JSN, then Nico and Moore who are the number 1 receivers in their respective roles. Doubs’ role depends majorly on what happens with A.J. Brown and/or if the Patriots take a wide receiver on Day 1 or 2. Even if this happens, think of Doubs as a younger Jakobi Meyers with more vertical ability. I group Jalen McMillan in with Boutte, Flournoy and Franklin as guys who will hit a few spike weeks but truly need someone ahead of them to go down to consistently contribute. Each of these wide receivers have done so in the past in that scenario. I like McMillan to have the best shot as Chris Godwin is a Jenga tower with one block on the bottom. I backed that pick up with Tez Johnson, who was unable to fulfill the role last year due to inconsistency, but scored five times on only 28 receptions. Jalen Royals is a dart throw in case Rashee Rice continues to channel Antonio Brown when making decisions off-the-field. If Rice misses time, Royals will get a real opportunity with only Xavier Worthy and possibly Tyquan Thornton in his way.

My Tight End Room

TE – Sam LaPorta (7), Dallas Goedert (12), Michael Mayer (20), Elijah Arroyo (21)

I continue with the same strategy here in my tight end room. I paired what I believe will be the resurgence of Sam LaPorta with the ridiculous efficiency numbers of Dallas Goedert to Frankenstein my tight end position. In 2025, Goedert saw his yards per reception efficiency drop by almost two yards but still managed 244 yards after the catch in 15 games last season. While he is 31 years old, players like Hunter Henry and George Kittle continue to have similar success at the same age near the end zone.Draft Michael Mayer late this year in best ball. If anything happens to Brock Bowers, you get Mendoza’s security blanket in the 20th round behind what might be the most intriguing, rebooted offense in football.

IF There’s One Thing I Did Right

I love a heavy focus on wide receivers in 3 WR, full PPR leagues. I often watch drafts where managers don’t put the proper premium on the position in this format. I also love finding pockets in the draft where I can get game changers if their situations even slightly change. Adaptation to format is essential, especially when going with high-risk, high-reward assets. Overall, I believe my off-season process requires me to try out many strategies before I develop any sense of comfort in a draft.

If There’s One Thing I Could’ve Done Better

Looking back, my biggest regret easily could’ve been taking Zach Charbonnet over Jacoby Brissett in the 10th, especially coming off his injury. But for some reason, grabbing Sanders so late made me feel better about this decision. In the end, I think Jeremiyah Love as my RB1 without knowledge of his landing spot is probably too risky even on a high-ceiling, low-floor build. Saquon, Chase Brown, Derrick Henry, Etienne, Jacobs, Kyren Williams and Breece Hall all followed him with higher floors for a single season with workhorse roles. This is why inexpensive, off-season best balls are so important to me as I develop strategy, and developing a willingness to be your own Jay Sherman is a vital part of the process.