Best Ball Stack Strategy: Who to Stack and When to Do it

Best Ball Stack Strategy: Who to Stack and When to Do it
Best Ball Stack Strategy: Who to Stack and When to Do it

The NFL draft hasn’t even taken place yet, but that doesn’t stop us fanatics from drafting.  The best option in drafts right now is to take on some early best ball drafts.  In best ball, you draft your team and then forget about it the rest of the year.  The best lineup, points-wise, from the players you drafted will be your starting lineup for that week.  The most total points at the end of the season, or whenever that particular league ends, will be the winner.

But how should you approach your best ball draft?  Which players should you go after and how should you structure your team?  There are many different approaches and with so many platforms offering best ball drafts, you can try them all.  However, here is a little guide for some best ball stack strategies that will hopefully help you win your league.

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Best Ball Strategy: Tips To Win Your Draft

Best Ball Strategy:  What To Do In The First Round?

It’s always difficult to know how to draft in the first round.  However, the good news is they say most leagues are won in the middle rounds.  This year the consensus top choice so far is Jonathan Taylor.  Therefore, if you have the first pick or if he’s available at your first pick, taking Taylor seems like a safe bet after the year he had last year.  Taylor finished first in fantasy points last year and he has a chance to do it again this year.  After Taylor, things already get shaky because the second player, Christian McCaffrey, has become injury-prone.  If I’m picking second, I prefer Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, or Najee Harris instead.  Harris finished as the third fantasy football running back last year and I expect his carries and receptions to go up with Mitch Trubisky at the helm.  For the first round, throw the best ball strategy aside, and go with your gut.

When Is It Too Early To Draft A Wide Receiver?

Some people think they have to follow the best ball strategy of taking a running back in round one no matter what.  However, I think if you’re on the back half of round one and you aren’t crazy about any of the top running back options available, it’s not too early to take a wide receiver.  This year’s top receivers by ADP so far are Cooper Kupp, Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Davante Adams.  After being traded to the Raiders, Adams is an intriguing option to pair with former Fresno State teammate, Derek Carr.  This leads us to the number one best ball strategy: stacking.

What Is Best Ball Stacking?

Stacking is one of the most common best ball strategies.  To stack you simply draft a quarterback and wide receiver from the same team.  You can even go as far as stacking a quarterback with a wide receiver and tight end or two wide receivers.  The idea behind this best ball strategy is to maximize points on every play the wide receiver is involved in.  When your quarterback and wide receiver both score points on a touchdown pass, you’re point total is more likely to surpass your opponents.  The trickiest part of stacking is not reaching too far past better plays just to complete your stack.  However, sometimes the reach is worth it.

Finding The Best Value Stacks Best Ball Strategy

When you’re using your best ball strategy of building stacks, it’s not always easy to find the best value.  You may want to draft a player like Deebo Samuel, who provides rushing and receiving yards, but we still aren’t sure who his quarterback will be on Day 1.  You may also want to draft a quarterback with rushing upside like Justin Fields.  However, will Darnell Mooney be his number one receiver or will that player be found in the draft?  Other stacks may prove risky because in order to complete them you’ll have to draft a player higher than their ADP.  This is what makes this best ball stack strategy hard to nail down every time.  Let’s take a look at some of the stacks out there and what it may take to get them.

Bills’ Stack: Allen, Diggs, and Knox, Oh my!

Josh Allen:  ADP 2.10
Stefon Diggs:  ADP 2.11

Dawson Knox:  ADP 6.1

There’s no doubt that Josh Allen is one of the best fantasy football quarterbacks in the league.  However, if you plan on stacking him with his top wide receiver, based on ADP you’ll have to draft Diggs in the first round.  In a 12 team league, Diggs currently has a draft spot of 2.11.  Ironically, this is one spot lower than Allen’s ADP of 2.10.  However, Diggs is more likely to be drafted first if Allen is already gone rather than visa versa.  Last year Allen finished with 4407 yards, 36 touchdown passes while adding 763 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.  If you are going for the Bills stack I’d take Diggs, and then Allen, followed by a running back from a different team.  You could also stack Dawson Knox in with them.  Depending on when tight ends start going you should be able to wait until at least the sixth round to get Knox, who currently has a 6.1 ADP.

Chiefs’ Stack: Where’s Mahomes throwing? Kelce, Kelce, Kelce

Travis Kelce:  ADP 1.7
Patrick Mahomes:  ADP 4.1

JuJu Smith-Schuster:  ADP 7.10

The good news about following a Chiefs stack is Mahomes has fallen down draft boards a little bit after the Tyreek Hill trade.  The bad news is in order to create your Chiefs stack you may have to draft a tight end before anybody else does.  Travis Kelce has had an ADP that has been going higher and higher since the trade, given that he figures to be Mahomes’ top target.  Last year with Hill on the team he amassed 1,125 yards and 9 receiving touchdowns.  Currently sitting at 1.7 to 2.1, you may have to draft Kelce with your first-round pick.  Mahomes is currently sitting at 4.1, meaning you may need to use a third-rounder, depending on where you’re drafting.  The good news is, you can round this out with Chiefs wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster who currently has an ADP of 7.10.

Ravens’ Stack: Lamar gets the Band Back Together

Mark Andrews:  ADP 2.1
Lamar Jackson:  ADP 5.5

Marquise Brown:  ADP 8.7
Rashod Bateman:  ADP 11.1

If Travis Kelce is off the board and you missed out on your Chiefs’ stack you may want to turn your attention to the Ravens.  This best ball stack strategy would have you taking Mark Andrews.  He currently has an ADP of 2.1.  However, you may be able to draft a running back in round one and then get Andrews in round two.  Last year Andrews finished with 1,361 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns, surpassing Travis Kelce as TE1.  From there the dual-threat rushing quarterback Lamar Jackson isn’t going until an average of 5.5.  You could follow those picks up with Marquise Brown, 8.7, and Rashod Bateman, 11.1.  This may be one of the best value stacks as Jackson and Andrews are both figured to finish in the top five in their positions and you can wait on the wide receiver stack.

Raiders’ Stack: College Chemistry Reunited?

Davante Adams:  ADP 1.11
Darren Waller:  ADP 2.9

Derek Carr:  ADP 8.1

I already mentioned that Davante Adams is one of the wide receivers being considered in Round 1.  If you are in the back half of the round taking Adams at his ADP of 1.11 makes a lot of sense.  Derek Carr was one of the top quarterbacks in terms of passing yards last year.  Meanwhile Adams had 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns.  The downfall is you may need to reach as Round 2 snakes back around to grab Darren Waller.  This would leave you hoping a value running back will pop off in several games as your running back strength could be a little thin.  However, to complete the stack with a quarterback, Derek Carr is currently being drafted at 8.1.  Therefore, you’d have five rounds to figure out your running back and additional skill position players.

Rams’ Stack: Champs Run it Back and Reload

Cooper Kupp:  ADP 1.4
Matthew Stafford:  ADP 6.10

Allen Robinson:  ADP 7.2

Nobody surprised people more last year than Cooper Kupp.  This year, however, he won’t be found at such a value.  Kupp is currently being drafted in the first round across the board.  It’s no surprise as Kupp led the league in receptions with 145, receiving yards with 1,947, and receiving touchdowns with 16.  There’s good news though.  If you take Kupp in the first round, you can usually wait until the sixth round to add to your stack with Matthew Stafford, who has an ADP of 6.10.  Even better, you can also get Allen Robinson at 7.2.  Robinson had a down year but is a very talented player who could excel with his change of scenery.  Lastly, if you want to take a chance that Tyler Higbee has a big year, he can be drafted at an ADP of 10.3.  The Rams’ offense was potent last year and yours could be too at a great value if you can nab Kupp in the first round.

Bengals’ Stack: Ja’marr’s Down There Somewhere

Ja’marr Chase:  ADP 1.9
Tee Higgins:  ADP 3.4
Joe Burrow:  ADP 5.7

Nobody is sleeping on Ja’marr Chase anymore.  He currently has an ADP that’s landing him in the first round.  As a rookie, Chase had 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.  If you take Chase in the first round, grab a running back in the second.  Then follow-up with Higgins who currently has an ADP of 3.4.  You’ll then be able to grab one more running back before taking Joe Burrow.  Burrow currently has an ADP of 5.7.  The Bengals showed their ability to move the ball last year and they can help you and your best ball strategy by scoring plenty of fantasy points.

Other Best Ball Stacks

There are plenty of other stacks you can go after, such as the Chargers’ Keenan Allen, Justin Herbert, and Mike Evans.  These three are being drafted in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds respectively, meaning you could pick two running backs in the first rounds.  The Broncos’ stack now consists of Jerry Jeudy, ADP 5.10, new quarterback Russell Wilson, ADP 6.6, and underrated Courtland Sutton, ADP 7.12.  If you like dual-threat quarterbacks, and in the fantasy world you should, you could look at the Cardinals.  DeAndre Hopkins is going with an ADP of 3.8.  Quarterback Kyler Murray is going at 5.9 and provides both passing and rushing upside.  Finally, getting ready for his first full year with the Cardinals, tight end Zac Ertz is going at ADP 9.4.

SuperFlex

One of the new formats hitting best ball drafts is the ability to have a super flex.  A super flex allows you to put a quarterback in the flex position.  If you’re drafting in a super flex league, throw all your best ball strategy guides out the window and consider grabbing a quarterback, if not two, in the first two rounds.  Quarterbacks generally outscore other positions.  Therefore the ability to start two of the top quarterbacks will give you a significant advantage.

 

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