BestBall leagues are a growing slice of the Fantasy Football world and even if you aren't interested in competing in that format they also serve as a harbinger for redraft ADP. If you are interested in BestBall, we'll start with a quick explainer. Don't need it? You can skip to the ADP review below.
The basic premise behind BestBall is that you don't have to choose your starters. You draft a team full of players, typically with deeper rosters than a standard league, and each week your top scorers at each position are automatically slotted into your starting lineups. There are many benefits to this, not the least of which is that an injury is far less likely to cost you a given week. There are a wide variety of these types of leagues; redraft, Superflex, Dynasty, etc. In some BestBall leagues, you still play a weekly opponent, while others are based solely on total points at the end of the season. In some leagues you still have waiver claims, in others, you play the entire season with the players you drafted.
For the purposes of this article we're looking at BestBall10s ADP since May 1st. In this specific format, you draft 20 players and your top nine (1 QB/2 RB/3 WR/1 TE/ 1 FLEX/1 DST) count each week. There are no waivers throughout the year, so you need to draft at least two quarterbacks and tight ends. I also prefer at least two DSTs. These leagues are full PPR and reward four points per pass touchdown.
Below are five of my favorite targets in the first five rounds at their current ADP as well as five players I'm targeting outside of the top 100.
I have long been a critic of drafting Mixon in the first round, but now Giovani Bernard is gone! This could easily be the largest role Mixon has had in the NFL and it may very well be the best offense he's ever played on. It's a great comfort to know that he should be there in Round 2, maybe even at the Round 2/3 turn.
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That Jackson averaged 25.6 Fantasy points per game in a "down" year should tell you all you need to know about why he's my QB2 behind only Patrick Mahomes. In BestBall leagues especially, you should be concerned about weekly upside and Jackson has it, and then some.
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I understand discounting Jacobs because he's in a committee with Kenyan Drake. But Jacobs has always been in a committee with the Raiders. First with DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard, then with Richard and Devontae Booker. He's also always been a solid No. 2 running back and those aren't generally available in Round 5.
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As much as I like Jacobs' ADP, I love Carson at this cost. The Seahawks added no one of consequence to compete with Carson, who has been a borderline No. 1 running back whenever he's been healthy. Sure, there may be a slightly higher injury risk, but in this format that's not as big of a concern, especially if a top-15 running back is available in Round 5.
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I must really be expecting a bounceback from Cooper Kupp, right? More like regression. Kupp had scored on 7.4% of his targets throughout his career prior to 2020. Last year he scored three times on 124 targets. Other than that, he was the same high-end WR2 he's been for most of his career. The quarterback upgrade with Matthew Stafford doesn't hurt either.
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I would certainly expect Waddle to have more appeal in BestBall leagues than redraft, and I have Waddle ranked 40 spots higher in this format than this ADP in redraft. He's the most talented receiver on the Dolphins roster and he has more experience playing with Tua Tagovailoa than any other Dolphins receiver.
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It was pretty shocking how little the Bills did this offseason to address running back and that means we have to at least consider Zack Moss and Devin Singletary again. Singletary has so far been the more efficient runner and the better pass catcher in his career. Since he's also the cheaper option in the Bills backfield, he's the one I'll target in BestBall. But I don't hate taking these guys back-to-back in Round 10 and Round 11.
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It's hard to know what to make of T.Y. Hilton at this stage of his career. There has been a lack of continuity in the offense and he hasn't looked like the same player. But even in his miserable 2020, he finished as WR42 and he had 11 or more PPR Fantasy points in five of his final six games, including two games with more than 25. That's worth more than a 12th round pick.
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Much like Waddle, I think Marshall could be better in BestBall than redraft, and I like him a lot more in redraft than his BestBall ADP. He's playing for his former college coach and this was a Panthers offense that drove redraft managers crazy with their target distribution but produced quite well for BestBall. You won't know when Marshall is going to go off, but I'd anticipate him producing as a starter far more than your average 15th round pick.
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I hope Jameis Winston wins the starting job, but if it's Hill he's going to win some people their leagues as a pick in the final rounds. His rushing production gives him a better Fantasy floor and ceiling than Winston. And even if Hill loses the competition, there is no guarantee Winston holds on to the job. As a backup quarterback Hill is worth this cost.
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