What is best ball fantasy football?
Best ball is a fantasy football format where the best possible lineup is automatically selected for each team. At the end of the week, the highest-scoring players are automatically inserted into the starting lineup spots.
How does best ball fantasy football work?
There is no roster management in most formats. That means the team a manager drafts will be their team for the entire season. There is no need to worry about weekly waivers.
The most popular best ball contests are large tournaments.
In those contests, teams draft and compete in individual leagues. At the end of the regular season, usually 14 weeks, the top teams in each league advance to the knockout rounds.
Teams that survive until the final round compete for a large cash prize.
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Why play best ball fantasy football?
Best ball fantasy football has become more popular in recent seasons for several reasons including easy roster management and the opportunity to utilize different strategies.
The set it and forget it nature of most best ball formats is appealing. There are no lineup decisions. There are no waiver decisions. There are no week-to-week responsibilities.
For people who love to draft but do not want to deal with hundreds of teams each week, best ball fantasy football offers a great experience.
The nature of best ball also leads to different strategies than traditional fantasy football formats.
Understanding the nuances of roster construction, the benefits of stacking, and the players that offer more value in best ball is critical to success.
2025 Fantasy Football Rankings
Best Ball Fantasy Football Analysis & Insight:
- Roster Construction and Player Exposure
- Leverage Uncertainty
- Why You Should Draft in Early May
- Challenge Assumptions to Find Value
- Mixing Player Exposure
- Draft Your Guys Close to the Season
Disclosure
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Help is available for problem gambling. Call (888) 789-7777 or visit ccpg.org (CT). 18+ in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. 1 per customer. Must enter a lineup into the NFL Best Ball $15M Headliner Contest by 9/4/25. $20 entry fee. Bonus issued as 1 ticket to NFL Best Ball $15M Headliner Contest. Ticket reward is site credit valid for use only on NFL Best Ball $15M Headliner Contest. Ticket reward is single-use and expires on the sooner of 30 days (720 hours) or contest lock. See terms at https://www.draftkings.com/nfl-best-ball. Ends 9/4/25 at 6:20 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.