An Intro to Best Ball Leagues: Prizes, Rules & Basic Strategy
What are Best Ball Draft-Only Leagues?
Best ball is a fantasy football format where league managers draft their team but there is no in-season management—no waiver wire, no trades, no setting lineups. Instead, your highest-scoring players are optimized to form your starting lineup. Leagues are decided by cumulative season points rather than head-to-head matchups. Roster size and payout structures vary by platform and while there are traditional live drafts available, slow drafts (1- 2- 4- 6- and 8-hour timers) are also popular for best ball leagues.
The following will take a look at specifics for some of the most popular best ball platforms.
Best Ball Rosters and Leagues
| Site | QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex | DEF | K | Bench | Total Roster Spots | Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | N/A | N/A | 12 | 20 | PPR |
| Underdog | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | N/A | N/A | 10 | 18 | Half-PPR |
| FFPC | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 28 | PPR/TE-Premium |
| FFPC Slim | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | N/A | N/A | 12 | 20 | PPR/TE-Premium |
| Yahoo! | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | N/A | N/A | 9 | 17 | Half-PPR |
| BestBall10s | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | N/A | 11 | 20 | PPR |
| Drafters | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | N/A | N/A | 11 | 20 | PPR |
| Site | League Sizes | Buy-in Options | Pick Clocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | 3, 6, 12, Tournaments | $1–$2,120 | 30 Sec, 8 Hrs |
| Underdog | 3, 6, 12, Tournaments | $3–$500 | 30 Sec, 8 Hrs |
| FFPC | 12 | $35–$1,250 | 60 Sec, 2 Hrs, 6 Hrs |
| FFPC Slim | 12, Tournaments | $5–$250 | 30 Sec, 2 Hrs, 6 Hrs |
| Yahoo! | 10 | $1–$500 | 30 Sec |
| BestBall10s | 3, 6, 12 | $5–$100 | 1 Min, 1 Hr, 2 Hrs, 4 Hrs, 8 Hrs |
| Drafters | 3, 6, 10, 12, Tournaments | $1.10–$215 | 40 sec, 8 Hrs |
This is not a comprehensive list of all leagues available but these are the most popular offering. Payouts vary by site and league type and are not consistent enough across all platforms to list here. View each site for details on different league payouts. Note that there are variations in scoring across sites for yardage, points allowed, etc.
General Strategy to Get Started
Specific strategy for each site varies but, in general, you should go into a draft with the aim to draft the following number of players at each position in hopes of maintaining enough active players through all 17 weeks:
- 2–3 QB
- 4–6 RB
- 6–9 WR
- 2–3 TE
- 2–3 Defenses
- 2–3 Kickers
For more in-depth strategy, check out all of our best ball articles here.
