Lessons Learned from Best Ball 2025-2026
Here are some scattered thoughts about what I learned from the most recent Best Ball contests I participated in during the 2025-2026 season. I only entered contests on DraftKings, so that is the environment I am evaluating. I was not profitable, but I didn’t lose a lot either and it was clear I could’ve done much better with some simple tweaks.
You need to draft one reliable RB. Every team I had that advanced to the Best Ball playoffs had a running back that gave me consistent value. Bijan Robinson was the most common factor on the teams I had, but I also had Jahmyr Gibbs, De’Von Achane, and the Tyron Tracy/Cam Skattebo combo. I did not draft any Jonathan Taylor or Christian McCaffrey, which ended up being a big mistake in of itself, but they still revolve around the idea that you need to have a running back you can rely on. I especially love running back rooms that have a clear backup. For example, every Bijan Robinson team I had I also drafted Tyler Allgeier, which ended up being a great combo since Allgeier seemed to score a decent amount of points certain weeks.
Don’t worry too much about nailing the perfect stack. Just get a stack. Everyone knows (or should know) that stacking is a great strategy for winning a Best Ball tournament. However, it was clear that I focused too much on getting the “full stack” for a team instead of just getting a simple stack. The greatest example for me was the Dallas Cowboys. I thought you had to have both Lamb and Pickens in order to draft Dak Prescott. You really only needed just one and then hopefully sprinkle in some Jake Ferguson as well. It’s certainly a good idea to try and get a full team stack, but you don’t have to be perfect and that’s something I will take into next year.
Do not draft a TE in the first two rounds. I read a lot of analysts saying that grabbing an elite tight end early was a bona fide strategy. Some touted getting Brock Bowers in the first round while grabbing Trey McBride in the second round. Both of these tight ends are better suited for the third round. We have to remember that they are still tight ends. While they may be the best tight ends for fantasy football, they are not going to give you the same consistent upside and value as a stud wide receiver or running back in the first two rounds. I had a good amount of Trey McBride teams advance to the playoffs, but they were all teams where I got McBride in the third round not earlier. Something like Amon-Ra St. Brown in the first, Jonathan Taylor in the second, and Trey McBride in the third would have been realistic in the 2025-2026 season. That would’ve set up your team for vast success.
Three QBs is essential. This strategy has more to do with getting into the playoffs rather than winning the playoffs, but hey you can’t win if you don’t get in. None of the teams I had with just two QBs made the playoffs. Even teams where I drafted elite QB, the ones that had three QBs instead of two made it. So, even if you draft Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, you should still grab three quarterbacks. Drake Maye was arguably my best pick. I drafted him heavily in the late rounds and he was on almost all of my teams that advanced to the playoffs. The year before I know a lot of people hit the jackpot with Jayden Daniels late.
Do not so heavily draft injury prone players. I got killed this year by heavily drafting both Jayden Reed and MarShawn Lloyd. They were my number 1 and 2 most drafted players. What a huge mistake that ended up being. I don’t care how much upside a player may have, if they are injured every year they are not worth a heavy investment. Just sprinkle them in.
