Guest of the League
All World League Est. 2003
FFL: Week 10 | NFL: Week 10

Best Ball Scout Championship

Wed Apr 17 9:26am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Get in the Scout Championship


RealTime Fantasy Sports is once again very excited to bring you the Best Ball Scout Championship this season. This contest is a little different from our normal Best Ball Championship. All these drafts take place before the NFL Draft, so you don’t know where any of the rookies are going this year. You are taking them blindly. This makes for even more strategy come draft day. Should you load up on rookies? Should you just avoid rookies? What is the winning strategy? We are here to help.

First of all, the winner of the Best Ball Scout Championship takes home $10,000. You also win money for finishing first or second in your 10-team league. The cost to enter the contest is just $20. There are a maximum of 10,000 teams in this contest. Rosters are 20 deep with starters consisting of a QB, two RBs, two WRs, one TE and two FLEX spots. There are no kickers and defenses. Remember, this is a best ball contest, so there is no roster management. Your roster is set once the draft is complete.

With that said, we thought it would be a good idea to look at the championship roster from last year to see what won it all. Here it is:

Round 1: Ja’Marr Chase, WR
Round 2: Davante Adams, WR
Round 3: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
Round 4: DeVonta Smith, WR
Round 5: Deebo Samuel, WR
Round 6: George Kittle, TE
Round 7: Keenan Allen, WR
Round 8: Joe Mixon, RB
Round 9: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB
Round 10: Dak Prescott, QB
Round 11: Khalil Herbert, RB
Round 12: Jared Goff, QB
Round 13: Raheem Mostert, RB
Round 14: Ezekiel Elliott, RB
Round 15: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB
Round 16: Leonard Fournette, RB
Round 17: Tyler Boyd, WR
Round 18: Taysom Hill, TE
Round 19: Zach Ertz, TE
Round 20: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB

The big thing to notice on this roster is just one rookie was taken. Obviously, this owner hit big with that one rookie, taking Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 9. Gibbs was the 10th rated fantasy back last season. But the championship team from last year took just one rookie. This owner did not load up on rookies and waited until the middle rounds to take his one rookie target. This could be a good lesson learned for owners this season. Maybe going early on rookies or taking several is a losing strategy. Just something to keep in mind this year.

And like with many best ball owners, this roster had three quarterbacks and three tight ends. This owner did not take a quarterback early, waiting to take a quarterback until Round 10. But the owner did got a little early on a tight end, getting George Kittle in Round 6.

The other winning strategy for this owner was loading up on receivers early while waiting to get his running backs until later. This was a very interesting strategy that worked. The owner took five straight receivers to start the draft and didn’t get a running back until Joe Mixon was picked in Round 8. This is a little riskier but another strategy that can obviously worked. Take those sure thing receivers first and get a bunch of question mark running backs in the mid- to later rounds and hope some hit. The big hits for this owner was his pick of Gibbs and getting Raheem Mostert in Round 13. The Mostert pick likely was the big one that put him over the top, getting the fifth rated fantasy back in the back half of the draft. The owners also had some misses at running back with Leonard Fournette and Clyde Edwards-Helaire but that didn’t impact his team too much, hitting on some of those other backs. 

So overall, the winning strategy of last year’s Best Ball Scout championship team was going early on receivers, loading up on running backs with question marks in the middle to later rounds, take few rookies and wait on the quarterback spot.

There are numerous strategies to use but this was the winning one from last year. Just something to think about when drafting your team in this year’s Best Ball Scout Championship. Start drafting here.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 10

Player Notes
Garrett Wilson Nov 10 9:50pm ET
Garrett Wilson

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson caught five of his six targets for 41 yards in a 31-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Wilson and the rest of the New York passing attack struggled against the Arizona secondary in the blowout loss as Aaron Rodgers passed for just 151 yards on 35 attempts. The slow outing for Wilson breaks a streak of five straight games with at least 61 receiving yards. Wilson now has 65 catches for 704 yards and five touchdowns through 10 games. He has a good shot at bouncing back against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11.

From RotoBaller

Cade Otton Nov 10 9:50pm ET
Cade Otton

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has been unbelievable over the last few weeks, but was finally held in check on Sunday. Otton hauled in five of his eight targets for 35 yards in what ended up being a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Well, Otton's tremendous run had to end at some point, but at least he was still able to do some damage here. Fantasy managers will have to look elsewhere for help next week with the Bucs on a bye week. After that, wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) is expected to make his return to the field. If that happens, Otton could lose some fantasy value heading into the Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Nov 10 9:50pm ET
Davante Adams

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams caught six of his 13 targets for 31 yards in a 31-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Adams struggled to get anything going downfield despite drawing 13 targets as he averaged just 5.2 yards per catch in the blowout loss. That being said, the workload was encouraging as Adams has now drawn 24 targets over his past two games. Adams will be a strong fantasy play against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11.

From RotoBaller

A.J. Brown Nov 10 9:50pm ET
A.J. Brown

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown hauled in 5-of-7 targets for 109 yards in Sunday's 34-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Brown had receptions of 14, 18, 30, and 44 yards on the day as Philadelphia dismantled a Cooper Rush-led Cowboys squad. It's the third time in six outings this season that the Ole Miss alum has eclipsed the century mark, and he's recorded at least 84 yards in all but one contest. Ho-hum. He led the team in receiving by a wide margin, as no other Eagles pass-catcher notched more than 27 yards. Brown would have likely had an even more significant performance if the game were more competitive, but Philly benched their starters just minutes into the final frame. The team will line up for a second consecutive divisional clash this Thursday when they host the visiting Washington Commanders. The 27-year-old will again be a top-flight WR play.

From RotoBaller

Spencer Shrader Nov 10 9:50pm ET
Spencer Shrader

New York Jets kicker Spencer Shrader made both of his field-goal attempts in a 31-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Shrader was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday after the Jets cut Riley Patterson earlier in the week. They also had veteran Anders Carlson on their roster but opted to give kicking duties to Shrader, who hit three extra points as a member of the Indianapolis Colts earlier in the season. That being said, Shrader will take on those same Colts in Week 11.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Rodgers Nov 10 9:40pm ET
Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 22 of his 35 passes for 151 yards but failed to throw any touchdowns in a 31-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Rodgers and the entire Jets offense came up short in what appeared to be a decent matchup against the Arizona defense on paper. He got off to an especially painful start, throwing for just 40 yards in the first half. Things picked up a bit after halftime but it was still a disappointing performance for the entire New York offense. Rodgers will hope to bounce back heading into a Week 11 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

From RotoBaller

Breece Hall Nov 10 9:40pm ET
Breece Hall

New York Jets running back Breece Hall carried the ball 10 times for 52 yards and caught all four of his targets for 31 yards in a 31-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Hall performed well when he got the ball, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, but the Jets fell behind early and went pass-heavy after halftime. He managed to bolster his fantasy outing with another strong showing in the passing game as he has 39 catches for 358 yards through nine games. The explosive running back has now failed to find the end zone in three straight games. He will look to bounce back in Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts.

From RotoBaller

Saquon Barkley Nov 10 9:40pm ET
Saquon Barkley

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (arm) rushed 14 times for 66 yards and brought in his sole target for an additional 12 receiving yards in the team's 34-6 win over their division-rival Dallas Cowboys. The long-time New York Giant wasn't needed much in this one, as Dallas had trouble getting anything going with Cooper Rush calling signals for the Cowboys offense. It's worth mentioning that Barkley missed a drive late in the first half after coughing up a fumble on a Micah Parsons tackle the drive before. Zach Berman of the team noted that the 27-year-old had a sizeable bandage on his "left wrist/forearm area" that went up to his elbow after coming out of the locker room for the start of the second half. However, he would remain in the game and rack up another eight touches until the Eagles benched their starters early in the fourth quarter. With a quick turnaround on tap for Philadelphia in a home matchup against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football, fantasy managers should monitor the superstar RBs practice status through Wednesday.

From RotoBaller

Rachaad White Nov 10 9:40pm ET
Rachaad White

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White was once again sluggish on the ground, but was able to salvage his fantasy value with his ability as a receiver. On Sunday, White rushed the ball 10 times for 31 yards on the ground. It was another lackluster game for White on the ground against a tough San Francisco 49ers defense. Luckily, White was able to save his value by hauling in six of his seven targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in the loss. The Bucs now head into a bye week, but White could lose some steam after that. Wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) is expected to return in Week 12 which could take away some of the targets for White going forward. That might make White fall into the flex conversation for the Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller

Braelon Allen Nov 10 9:40pm ET
Braelon Allen

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen carried the ball seven times for 27 yards and caught his lone target for seven yards in a 31-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Allen mixed in behind starter Breece Hall, notching seven carries to Hall's 10 in the blowout loss. The Jets have been inconsistent in their touch distribution for Allen this season as he saw just four carries in Week 9 and two in Week 7. Allen remains a high-end handcuff in fantasy behind Hall but is tough to trust in starting lineups. He will face off against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11.

From RotoBaller

Baker Mayfield Nov 10 9:30pm ET
Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was held in check by the San Francisco 49ers defense on Sunday. Mayfield has been incredible throughout most of the season, but didn't have the same success this weekend. He completed 18-of-29 passing attempts for 116 yards and one touchdown in the three-point loss. Mayfield showed heart in this game and even stiff armed his way to giving his team the lead with less than a minute left. Fantasy managers shouldn't get frustrated by this performance. Mayfield is likely to get wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) back after the bye week. The expectation is that Mayfield will resume his QB1 ways in Week 12 against the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller

Josh Downs Nov 10 9:30pm ET
Josh Downs

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs led his team in targets and receptions in Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Bills, hauling in seven of 10 passes thrown his way for 72 yards. While it was productive and what fantasy managers have grown accustomed to from him, it could have been better had he not dropped what would have been an easy score early on in the game. Still, it was the third straight game in which the former third-round pick has recorded at least nine targets and sixth time in eight games that he's reached that level, affording him plenty of opportunities for receptions and a solid weekly floor. The 23-year-old will have a more difficult task in Week 11 as the Colts take on a Jets defense that has been great at limiting fantasy points to opposing receivers. Downs likely projects as a fringe WR2 next Sunday so long as Joe Flacco remains under center.

From RotoBaller

Bucky Irving Nov 10 9:30pm ET
Bucky Irving

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was able to put together a solid performance on the ground during Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. The rookie back rushed the ball 13 times for 73 yards and a touchdown in the loss. He also hauled in all three of his targets for 14 additional yards through the air. Irving has been impressive this season, but his ceiling is limited with Rachaad White splitting up the carries with him in the backfield. Despite that, Irving should remain a fine flex option for the Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller

Jalen Hurts Nov 10 9:20pm ET
Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 14 of 20 pass attempts for 202 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in Sunday's 34-6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He added two touchdowns and 56 yards on his seven carries. Hurts was sacked quite a bit in the first half, but Philadelphia molly-whopped their divisional opponent in this one -- controlling the game from start to finish. It's the fourth straight contest in which the 26-year-old scored a rushing touchdown and the third time in that stretch with more than one of them. The fifth-year QB could have had an even bigger day but was benched for teammate Kenny Pickett early in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand. It's another superb performance for Hurts, who has totaled 16 TDs with just two turnovers since the team's Week 5 bye. Philadelphia will get another divisional matchup in Week 11 when they square off against the visiting Washington Commanders.

From RotoBaller

Caleb Williams Nov 10 9:10pm ET
Caleb Williams

The New England Patriots defense had a field day against the Chicago Bears, surrendering just three points while sacking rookie quarterback Caleb Williams nine times. The unit didn't register a turnover, but it did tally 13 tackles for loss and five passes defended. In the end, the Bears registered just 69 net passing yards and 73 rushing yards as they fell to 4-5 and the Patriots improved to 3-7. New England's defense is trending upward, but they're tough to trust in fantasy football against an impressive Los Angeles Rams offensive attack in Week 11.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Jones Nov 10 9:10pm ET
Aaron Jones

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (chest) appears to have escaped Sunday's 12-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars without a serious injury. Jones was carted to the locker late into the third quarter after sustaining a chest injury, but his x-rays were negative, and he would return to the contest. Fortunately for the 29-year-old, he was able to close out the game, participating in the team's final two drives. He was seen in the locker room after the game, wearing his typical post-game garb (a sombrero), and seemed jovial when speaking with reporters. When asked how he felt, Jones replied, "A little sore, but mentality is everything. I feel strong...it's about these guys in this locker room, and that's why I went back out there." Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on his practice status this coming week, but it doesn't seem like he should miss any time. Minnesota will travel to Nissan Stadium to face off against the Tennessee Titans in Week 11.

From RotoBaller

James Cook Nov 10 9:10pm ET
James Cook

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook rushed 19 times for 80 yards and scored a touchdown in the team's 30-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He also caught one pass for five yards. Without starting wide receivers Amari Cooper (wrist) and Keon Coleman (wrist) and playing with a lead for the entire second quarter, Cook saw plenty of usage. The exclamation point of his afternoon was a two-yard touchdown plunge with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Cook draws a matchup against a stout Kansas City run defense in Week 11.

From RotoBaller

Khalil Shakir Nov 10 9:10pm ET
Khalil Shakir

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught six of nine targets for 58 yards in the team's victory over the Indianapolis Colts. It was a mostly quiet afternoon for the Bills slot receiver, who needed a 30-yard reception late in the fourth quarter to avoid a disappointing stat line. Shakir missed on three targets, matching his season total entering Week 10. Fantasy managers were expecting more from Shakir with Amari Cooper (wrist) and Keon Coleman (wrist) sidelined, but he didn't completely burn those who started him. His slot role did not change with their absence. Shakir will be in the WR3/flex range next week against the Chiefs.

From RotoBaller

Mack Hollins Nov 10 9:10pm ET
Mack Hollins

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins caught all four of his targets for 86 yards in the team's 30-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. He led Buffalo in receiving yards. Hollins made the most of his increased playing time with Amari Cooper (wrist) and Keon Coleman (wrist) sidelined. He and Curtis Samuel primarily manned the outside receiver spots. Most of his production came on a 44-yard completion to set up a last-second field goal before halftime. Hollins will revert to a secondary role if Cooper and Coleman can return against the Chiefs.

From RotoBaller

Joey Slye Nov 10 9:00pm ET
Joey Slye

New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye went 4-for-4 on field goals and also converted his lone extra-point attempt during Sunday's Week 10 win over the Chicago Bears. Slye was responsible for more than two-thirds of New England's scoring in the victory. He converted kicks from 25, 30, 33, and 37 yards in the effort. The 28-year-old had been quiet over the last handful of weeks, but he bounced back in a huge way in Chicago. Still, he needs to be more consistent before fantasy managers can trust him in their lineups. His next chance to do so will come in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams.

From RotoBaller