Building your best ball roster is both an art and a science – an intricate process that requires careful consideration of player values, positional depth, and draft strategy. In this dynamic realm of fantasy football, success hinges on your ability to craft a roster that maximizes upside while minimizing risk. 

From identifying breakout candidates to navigating the ebb and flow of draft trends, every decision plays a crucial role in shaping the destiny of your team. Join us as we embark on a journey through the nuances and offer insightful tips when it comes to how to build your best ball roster.

Take Advantage of Volatility

When setting lineups, guys who are inconsistent from week to week drive us crazy. It’s hard to pick the right guy. In this format that doesn’t matter - the algorithm picks for you. Here are some examples of players that this format is a lot more forgiving for:

The Field Stretching WR - If they hit a homerun that week, they are in your lineup. If they don’t who cares.

The TD Vultures - Some players, like goal-line RBs or big red zone wide receivers and tight ends, are a threat to score at any moment. But they don’t do much else. You get all the TDs in this format with none of the down weeks.

The Handcuff Plus - These inconsistent guys can crack your lineup on their own running the clock out or mopping up the losing end of blowouts. But they are also one injury away from being a league winner. You get all of that without worrying about the rest.

Roster Composition

When it comes to how to build your best ball roster, because there are no waivers or trades, you need to make sure you draft enough of each position. With bye weeks, you need at least two QBs and two tight ends (and the same goes for formats with K and DST). 

Based on advance rates in major tournaments with starting spots of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX, 10 Bench you ideally want to build within these parameters. Keep in mind, teams have absolutely advanced and won with different builds. But these ranges historically have had the most success.

QB: 2-3 RB: 4-7 WR: 6-9 TE: 2-4

Stacking

When it goes right, stacking QBs with pass-catchers on the same team can make for huge weeks which is especially beneficial in tournaments that have playoffs. And, if they have a down week, you have other QBs, WRs, and TEs that slot in. 

If you reach too far in the draft to complete a stack however, you essentially erase any benefit generated from the stack. My rule of thumb is to use stacking as a tie-breaker. Don’t reach multiple rounds or tiers but, if it’s close enough between a couple of options, completing that stack can pay dividends.

*Comfortable with the process involved in how to build your best ball roster? Perfect. Next, check out our Best Ball Strategy Hub for even more expert analysis.