Because the fantasy football season is already in full swing, Fantasy Alarm's Howard Bender and Andrew Cooper jumped right into DraftKings' $15 million Best Ball Tournament with a $2 million prize hanging in the balance and a $20 buy-in. 

During their most recent live draft session, the pair provided player evaluations, strategy advice, as well as other insights on competing in this massive tournament. Below is a recap of their draft, notable player picks, as well as expert advice on dominating your best ball drafts.

You can check out the entire draft here!

 

 

 

DraftKings Promos and Tournament Details

The DraftKings Best Ball Tournament offers a whopping $15 million in total prizes, with a maximum of 20 entries and a $2 million top prize. 

DraftKings sweetens the deal with a sign-up offer on fantasyalarm.com/dkbestball a "Draft One, Get One Free" offer that rewards a free entry coupon for the same contest after playing. 

Also, a contribution of $5 or more wins an entry into a Week 1 DFS Millionaire tournament. These promos are the perfect time to be in on the action.

The structure of the tournament is a 20-round full-PPR draft with a standard lineup: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, and 1 FLEX. With 30 seconds remaining on the clock and 800,000 entries, strategic roster building is important to stand out.

 

 

 

Draft Recap and Key Picks

Early Rounds (1-3): Creating a Strong Base

Howard Bender (Pick 2): Selected a high-ceiling running back in Christian McCaffrey, whose stratospheric production upside was attractive. 

With his second pick in Round 2, he doubled down on running backs with Josh Jacobs, relishing his plug-and-play job with the Packers. 

In Round 3, Bender selected Lamar Jackson, requiring a high-floor, dual-threat quarterback to be the anchor of his roster in best ball, where weekly lineup decisions are a given.

Andrew Cooper (Pick 5): Drafted Saquon Barkley in Round 1 for his 100+ yards from scrimmage per game consistency. Cooper drafted Barkley alongside Jonathan Taylor in Round 2, another workhorse running back with a strong line. 

Cooper mentioned the relative safety of top-tier running backs in three-receiver formations but said he'd draft CeeDee Lamb as his WR1 in similar situations because Lamb offers 400-point PPR upside.

 

 

 

Middle Rounds (4-10): Managing Risk and Reward

Bender added depth at wide receiver with Jameson Williams and Courtland Sutton, emphasizing Williams' increased role and ability to outgain teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown in receiving yards. 

Sutton, the WR1 in Denver, is a beneficiary of Sean Payton's target-rich offense. Bender also picked up Bilal Crosky-Merritt in Round 9, a best-ball value with RB1 upside in case Brian Robinson gets traded.

Cooper spent Michael Pittman in Round 6, complementing his 140-150 target years and a complementary piece to new quarterback Daniel Jones. 

He also took a risk on rookie tight end Colston Loveland, taken by Detroit's offensive mastermind Ben Johnson, hoping his upside would make him a centerpiece of a pass-happy offense.

 

 

 

Late Rounds (11-20): Pursuing Upside

Both hosts were making high-upside selections in the latter rounds. Bender took Trevor Lawrence as his QB2 and Darius Slayton for late-round stacking upside. 

Cooper chose Tutu Atwell, a Rams WR3 with upside that would activate if Davante Adams or Puka Nacua were to get hurt, and Kyle Juszczyk, a fullback with touchdown possibilities in San Francisco's thin receiving corps.

Both highlighted the significance of late-round dart darts in best ball, where players such as Travis Hunter, Matthew Golden, or Emmanuel Wilson could deliver surprise value in case of injuries or role changes. 

 

 


 

Strategic Takeaways

QB Early for Stability: Bender's draft of Lamar Jackson in Round 3 is a best ball approach of locking down a high-floor quarterback in order to not have to concern oneself with backups. Cooper mentioned running quarterbacks such as Jackson, Jalen Hurts, or Jayden Daniels are perfect in this league because of the running potential.

Running Back-Biased Rosters: Both hosts stocked up on the running backs early, mentioning that workhorse backs are in short supply and that receivers are deep. Cooper pointed out that in three-WR leagues, top-tier RBs such as Barkley and Taylor are a big plus.

Stacking and Correlation: Cooper skipped Joe Burrow after taking Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins, noting that stacks can be made later using the likes of Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa. Bender's late selection of Lawrence, followed by Slayton, demonstrated how cheap stacks are obtained.

Rookie Value in Best Ball: Both hosts were in favor of taking shots on top pedigree rookies such as Colston Loveland, Travis Hunter, or Bilal Crosky-Merritt in deeper rounds. Best ball pays dividends to those who can spike in key weeks, so bets paid off.

Don't Overpay for Hype: Cooper warned against pursuing risers like Amari Buka and Drake May early, particularly in a competition with months-old submissions. New competitions provide more opportunities to draft hyped players at decent ADPs.

 

 

 

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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 $20M 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.