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Daily Fantasy, Daily Life: Volume XIX - NFL Best Ball: When And Where To Draft?

by Jeff Edelstein (jedelstein) Last Updated 2022-05-11 10:39:33

Underdog Fantasy launched Best Ball Mania III Monday, and with it a $2 million(!) prize to first place. Additionally, the top scoring team through the weeks 1-14 regular season will win $1 million. Not bad for a $25 entry.

Of course, I’m an Underdog Fantasy Best Ball Mania expert, as I made it to the finals last year, finishing a robust 151st out of the 160 (I think) final teams in classic “it was just an honor to be nominated” fashion.

This year, I plan on making a return trip to the final, mostly because I’m convinced that last year wasn’t a fluke.

And while I’ll let all you amateurs argue over Robust RB (draft two studs early), Zero RB (draft a bunch of backs late), Hero RB (draft a stud early, and a bunch of backs late), and Nero RB (draft a debauched Roman emperor early, Nyheim Hines late) I will be concentrating on a different, more important, strategy.

Namely … when and where to draft. There are plenty of variables at play here. This is seriously advanced best ball strategy you’re about to read, so apologies if I break your little mind.

Toilet Draft: This is where you loudly report to your wife and kids that “this one might take a while.” It’s best to punctuate this with a blast of gas, a belch if necessary. Lock the door behind you, take a seat, and you’re good until about Round 12 at which point you’ll have to begin engaging the “Be right down!” method of bathroom “use.”

Late Night Draft: The kids are tucked in, your wife announces she’s going to bed, you say you’ll be up in five minutes. At this point, you fire up a draft, figuring you’ve got all night to do this. Often, this results in falling asleep at the 7-8 turn and having an autodrafted team with four tight ends and five quarterbacks, so vigilance is a must.

Drunk Draft: This starts with Travis Kelce at 1:01 and devolves from there, though you do feel pretty damn smart by securing the Marcus Mariota // Kyle Pitts stack, until you remember you drafted Kelce at 1:01. And Mariota in round 8.. And Pitts at 2:24.

Two at a Time Draft: These start happening when you have the ADP memorized and think you can handle drafting two teams at a time, which you can’t.

When I Think I Have Time Draft: Kids are at friends’ houses, wife is at the supermarket, all is quiet, you pop open a cold one and grab Cooper Kupp at 1:06(!) and then one of your kids gets dropped off and your other kid calls and says he puked and your other kid comes back to the house with her friend for a sleepover and your wife calls and says she has a flat tire and you end up with four tight ends and five quarterbacks.

Too Early Draft: Like, right now, and when you look at this team in late August, you’ll almost certainly wish you just auto drafted four tight ends and five quarterbacks. (Of course, we all think we’ll look back and have beaten ADP on all 18 picks, but come on. Just stop it.)

Too Late Draft: When ADP has calcified into fossils.

Stack at All Costs Draft: “And with the 27th pick of the draft, quarterback Joe Burrow.

Beimfohr Draft: When you find yourself drafting next to SpikeWeek.com’s Erik Beimfohr and you’re determined to show this expert a thing or two and you take Jaylen Waddle over Tyreek Hill because game theory or something.

And lastly the …

This Is My 12th Draft In Two Days And I Don’t Want To Do This Anymore Draft: This usually hits in the 11th round of the aforementioned 12th draft, and you suck it up and finish and then tweet out, “Portfolio complete, let’s get this! @underdogfantasy” and then two days later realize it’s only June 27 and you’ll be drafting for two more months. You’ve also noticed your wife has removed the doors to the bathroom for some reason.

About the Author

jedelstein
Jeff Edelstein (jedelstein)

Jeff is a veteran journalist, now working with SportsHandle.com, USBets.com, and RotoGrinders.com as a senior analyst. He’s also an avid sports bettor and DFS player, and cannot, for the life of him, get off the chalk. He can be reached at jedelstein@bettercollective.com.