Underdog is making history with Best Ball Mania IV. The total prize pool is $15 million, which is the highest in fantasy sports history. No wonder that new and seasoned NFL fantasy players are turning to Underdog for all of their DFS needs.
It may only be June, but it's already time to start prepping for the NFL Best Ball season. If planning your fantasy draft makes your head hurt or you don't know where to start, you've come to the right place. In this article, we're going to do a deep dive into proper Best Ball draft strategy.
Also, for a quick reference point for your Best Ball draft, check out our Underdog Best Ball Rankings article. Best of luck in your quest to bring home some of that $15 million in prize money!
Carefully Plan Out Your Budget
Best Ball is a different beast, even for seasoned DFS players. Before diving into any type of roster strategy, think about how much money you want to invest in the Underdog Best Ball Mania IV.
Do you want to enter once, a handful of times, or fire away with the max number of entries (150)? With a low entry fee of only $25, you can look at your disposable income and go from there.
Map Out Your Ideal Roster
With a Best Ball format, planning your roster is even more important than standard DFS leagues. That's because there are no trades, waivers, or other ways to shake up your roster. Once your roster is set on draft day, you're married to it for the rest of the season.
In the Underdog Best Ball Mania IV, you must draft 18 players. Keep in mind though that only 8 of these players will be in your starting lineup, which will consist of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, and 1 FLEX player. Here is a brief overview of how we approach each position in Best Ball.
QB Draft Strategy
This may be controversial, but we advocate only drafting 2 quarterbacks. While some folks like to take 3 just to be on the safe side, the stats prove that you're better off using that extra roster slot on a running back or wide receiver. Remember, you can only start 1 QB anyway, so why push the envelope with 3 on your roster?
Most season long fantasy players like to wait until late in their draft to find quarterbacks. However, since we're only going to be drafting 2 QBs, we want to make sure that they're both at least above average. Ideally, try to have both of your quarterback slots filled by the end of Round 10.
This year, we're targeting Justin Fields (42.4 ADP) because of his running ability and veteran Jared Goff (125.7 ADP) because of all of Detroit's offensive weapons.
RB Draft Strategy
Running back used to be considered the most important position in fantasy football. However, the tables turned a few years ago when some fantasy gurus started suggesting a NO RB strategy.
Our philosophy is somewhere in the middle of these two schools of thought. We want to draft 2 solid RB options by the end of Round 5.
By the end of the draft, you should have 4-5 running backs on your roster. Reliable options like Nick Chubb (18.3 ADP) and Dameon Pierce (63 ADP) may be just what you need.
WR Draft Strategy
Here's where it's time to take some chances with some high-risk high-reward type of players, especially late in your draft. You can only start 3 wideouts each week, but keep in mind that you'll often need a WR for the FLEX spot as well.
Make it a goal of selecting 8 solid wide receivers on draft day. You can get by with 7 but 8 is a much safer number. We like getting 4 WR on the roster before the end of Round 8.
Guys like Ja'Marr Chase (2.1), Amon-Ra St. Brown (14.6), DK Metcalf (29.3), and Keenan Allen (43.6) would make a great Top 4. With the other 4 wideouts, look for high upside rookies like Jordan Addison (67.4), Quentin Johnston (84.5), Jonathan Mingo (127.8), or Jalin Hyatt (146).
TE Draft Strategy
We think this is the toughest position to draft for in Best Ball. There is a serious shortage of high-quality tight ends in the league. Heck, that's why the Travis Kelce (6.5 ADP) No Matter What strategy has become popular.
You need 2 tight ends on your roster, but like we said, it can be slim pickings on the board. If you have an early first round pick and Kelce is available, take him.
If Kelce has already been taken, you should still be able to get a nice option like George Kittle (56.4 ADP) or Kyle Pitts (64.5 ADP) in Round 4 or 5. As far as a longshot, how about second-year man Jake Ferguson (210.5 ADP) of the Cowboys? Dak Prescott loves throwing to tight ends and Dalton Schultz is no longer in Big D!
Underdog Best Ball Mania IV FAQ
Still have questions about Best Ball? We've compiled the following FAQ section to assist you. We'll address common strategy questions, as well as questions related specifically to Underdog Best Ball Mania IV.
What draft options are available with Underdog Best Ball Mania IV?
There are 2 options: a fast draft and a slow draft. A lot folks prefer the fast option, because there is only 30 seconds in between picks. However, some serious Best Ball players like the slower option, which gives you 8 hours in between picks.
What's a snake draft?
A snake draft is the format of choice for Underdog Best Ball. This means that the person who picks last in the 1st round will get to pick first in the 2nd round. The draft order is randomly selected.
Do I have to set my lineup each week?
Nope, that's the beauty of Best Ball. Once your roster is drafted, Underdog will automatically set the best available lineup for you each week. How cool is that?
What's the entry fee and total prize pool?
The entry fee for the Underdog Best Ball Mania IV is only $25. The total prize pool is $15 million. The overall winner takes home $3 million! Holy cow!
Can I use my Underdog promo code on Best Ball entries?
Absolutely! If you're new to Underdog, use promo code EWB to get a 100% deposit match that caps at $100. That means that if you deposit $100, you get an additional $100 added to your account for a total of $200. That would buy you 8 entries into the Best Ball Mania IV!
