Heard of best ball? Interested in getting into a league that uses best ball? Great! It is a well known format used in fantasy football and a lot of people are getting involved. Before doing so, however, it is wise to know just what exactly it is and what strategies to use to prepare for it. Belly Up is here to turn even the biggest novice into a master performer. Come along as we dive right into this fantasy football best ball introduction.

What is best ball?

First and foremost, what is best ball? The name itself comes from the concept that managers don’t have to set a lineup from week to week. Instead, the highest scoring players from each category are automatically placed into the lineup after all that week’s games have been played. However, that is not the only difference between it and other forms of fantasy football. Remember that not all leagues are the same, but continue reading to find out what the rules are for a typical best ball league.

Typical best ball rules

As stated above, the best players on a roster are automatically placed into the starting lineup once that week’s action is complete. Further, there are no waivers, pickups or drops and there are no trades during the season. Because of these factors, the typical best ball league will have 20 to 30 rounds in a draft. This is to ensure that each team has the sufficient amount of players to get through a season.

While it is always smart to check the league’s settings that you are getting into, there is a typical scoring system used when playing best ball. Scoring is totaled throughout the season. There are no head-to-heads. Rather, the manager with the most points at season’s end is the winner

Why play best ball?

Now that best ball is explained, the next question must be why play it? First and foremost, best ball requires the lowest personal maintenance in all of fantasy football. Managers complete their draft and then that is the team each will use during the entire season.

All that is required after the first week to year’s end is to check out the results every Tuesday to know the standings. It is a great introduction to fantasy football. Even for seasoned players in a lot of leagues, best ball is an easy way to have fun without a lot of involvement.

Best Ball Strategies

It is essential in this format that a manager has enough players at each position to fill bye weeks and the inevitable injury that comes along. Since there are no transactions, players cannot be added during the season. Not drafting enough quarterbacks, or worse, drafting two with the same bye week, could result in a big zero in that slot. Thus, taking bye weeks into account for the quarterback position is job one for a manager. This is super important for leagues that have two QB slots. Several will be drafted and probably early, so keep this is mind.

Other positions it isn’t so critical to keep a focus on bye weeks with the exception of tight ends. If the strategy is to draft just two, they better be on two different bye weeks. Additionally, best ball is also a place where taking a chance on a player falling in a draft won’t hurt a manager as much if it doesn’t work out.

Another wise strategy is to take a backup to a player that has an injury history later in a draft. If that player stays healthy the entire season, it’s not a big deal. However, if that player does get hurt again, the backup can step in and deliver an excellent reward.

Remember: Practice, Practice, Practice

As with any draft format, practicing with mock drafts before the actual draft will pay off big. All mock drafts can be preset to the requirements of a particular league. Program in best ball and the size of the league and go to town. Doing so will erase a lot of the unknowns that can make a manager timid when their actual draft begins. There is no bigger piece of advice that can be given beside practice, practice, practice on this fantasy football best ball introduction.

In addition, there are quite a few sites that can be used to research the subject of best ball. Feel free to use as many as you feel necessary to become more knowledgeable and help set a strategy. All that is left is to have fun with it! That is what fantasy football is all about, after all.

The Final Word

Does best ball sounds like something that you want to get involved with? If so, Belly Up is teaming with Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a foundation for childhood cancer for this season’s Belly Up Bowl. Last season was a massive success and there is much more to come this season! There are prizes and a donation will be made to this worthy charity. If interested, all of the information can be found here.

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy football best ball introduction! As always, I welcome input and suggestions from all of my readers. Have further questions? Disagree with the strategies? Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea, and be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports and Picks for all the latest football and sports news!

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