You've heard the hype. You've seen the massive million-dollar prize pools. But just exactly what is best ball fantasy football?

Here's a basic intro to best ball fantasy football, including what it is, the basics of how to play, and why you should absolutely try it today.

What is best ball fantasy football?

In the simplest sense, best ball leagues are draft-only. There is no in-season roster management of any kind. This means there are no trades, waiver wires or free agents added or dropped from your team.

There's no lineup-setting, either. Each week, the top scoring players at each position will automatically count towards your weekly score.

Gone are the days of agonizing over weekly lineup decisions, scrambling to claim players, or negotiating complex trades. Instead, you're tasked with one and only one thing: drafting your team!

 

 

 

Once the draft concludes, the responsibility shifts from your shoulders to the site you're playing on. “The computer,” so to speak, will handle the intricacies of setting your lineups. You're guaranteed to rack up the highest possible weekly score without putting in any effort. 

So what is best ball fantasy football? It's fantasy football at its purest form – focused solely on the excitement of the draft and the thrill of watching your team compete throughout the season!

What makes best ball different?

Automatic Lineups

Automatic lineups are the key function of best ball and what differentiates them the most from traditional fantasy football leagues.

You draft your team… and that's it. An algorithm on the site you're playing on will select your highest-scoring players for you.

So it's not wrong to say that “in best ball leagues, you get to set your weekly roster after you know what each player scores.” But even setting your roster requires zero effort on your part. Your best ball league will automatically do that for you. 

No toiling over weekly start/sits. Draft your team and let it ride. 

 

 

 

Waivers & Trades

While there is a dynasty version of best ball fantasy football that allows you to make trades and waiver claims, the vast majority of leagues do not. The leagues that do not are called best ball redraft leagues, and these are what we are going to focus on in this guide.

With no waivers and no trades, the best ball fantasy team you draft is your team for the season. So, draft carefully. This guide will help with that.

League Formats & Scoring

There are a few different best ball league and scoring formats out there. You should recognize most of them.

For best ball scoring, there are standard, half-PPR, and full-PPR leagues. If you have a preference, then there's a league out there for you!

There are loads of best ball league formats available, including Superflex (1QB spot and a flex that includes a second QB), Tight End Premium (extra points for tight ends), and leagues that have various creative bonuses for scoring.

You can find a list of our top recommended best ball fantasy football sites below. For this guide, our best ball rankings and best ball strategy will all be centered around the most popular contest, which is Underdog’s Best Ball Mania V tournament. It uses a single QB, half-ppr format.

 
 
 

 

Why should I play best ball fantasy football?

We've explained what best ball fantasy football is, but if you're still on-the-fence about why you should play, then here are just a few of the many reasons.

  • Makes it easy to join more leagues and enjoy more drafts.
  • No in-season research or roster management required.
  • You can't be burned by coin-flip start/sit decisions.
  • Many leagues have both weekly as well as season-long prizes.
  • Multi-million-dollar tournaments available at many sites.

*You should now be able to answer the all-important question, “What is best ball fantasy football?” Now check out our Best Ball Strategy Hub and be the best player at your draft.