Wed Apr 17 9:26am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
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.
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson signed with the organization on a three-year, $22.5 million deal this offseason following four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. The former fourth-round pick out of Stanford caught 57 passes for 618 yards and four touchdowns in his first 54 career games. With veteran Tyler Higbee (knee) still recovering from a torn ACL, Parkinson will serve as the team's TE1 in 11-personnel packages to begin the season, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. While the 25-year-old is unlikely to see a healthy target share while competing with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp for targets, he could be a factor in the red zone early in the 2024 campaign. Fantasy managers shouldn't count on him as an every-week starter, but he could be in streaming contention in favorable matchups.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb ended his holdout on Monday after signing a four-year, $136 million contract extension, making him the second-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. Lamb has been away from the team for most of the offseason and preseason, but he is not worried about returning to form quickly. When asked if he could play 60-plus snaps in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, Lamb said, "Yes, bro. No question. I'll be ready." While there remains at least a small risk that Lamb could get out to a slow start, he has plenty of chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott, and he maintains his target hog role. The former first-round pick out of Oklahoma caught 135 passes (most) for 1,749 yards (2nd) and 12 touchdowns (3rd) last year and finished as the overall WR1. Dallas did not add any impact pass-catchers this offseason, and with Brandin Cooks getting a year older, Lamb should be set up to post monster numbers again in 2024.
From RotoBaller
The Cincinnati Bengals and Ja'Marr Chase are still in contract negotiations, and if the two sides reach a new deal, it could make him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the contract talks are centered around reaching a deal that matches or surprises Chase's former college teammate, Justin Jefferson. The Vikings All-Pro signed a four-year, $140 million extension this offseason, so that's the ballpark Chase is reportedly looking to be in. The good news is head coach Zac Taylor said he feels confident that Chase will play in Week 1, so fantasy managers can continue to consider him in the top five of fantasy drafts in all scoring formats. Despite playing with an injured Joe Burrow or backup Jake Browning last year, Chase tallied 100 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns. If Burrow is at full health in 2024, the superstar wideout could be in contention to finish as the overall WR1.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | The Arizona Cardinals have cut running back Michael Carter. Dynasty Analysis: The fact Emari Demercado is on the initial 53 for Arizona is a bad sign for Carter's future for sure. It also means Trey Benson is the clear handcuff to James Conner moving into the season. Carter could land on his feet as a third down or change-of-pace back somewhere but he's way off the dynasty radar at this point.
Dynasty | The Jaguars have waived quarterback CJ Beathard. Dynasty Analysis: Beathard gets an injury settlement and Jones gets to be Trevor Lawrence's backup. This was a close battle but a late preseason injury to Beathard pretty much sealed the deal. Jones will now look to continue his development behind Lawrence and hope for a shot as a starter again elsewhere. The former first rounder is a tough hold on a dynasty roster, however.
Dynasty | The Commanders have released running back Chris Rodriguez. Dynasty Analysis: Rodriguez had some nice moments last year but was caught up in a numbers game after Washington traded for Austin Ekeler. With much of the "deep sleeper" bloom off the rose now with his release, it's going to be tough for dynasty managers to hold on to Rodriguez.
Dynasty | The 49ers have released wide receiver Robbie Chosen. Dynasty Analysis: The Chosen one will not be suiting up for the 49ers after all. With Brandon Aiyuk likely staying (at least at the moment), San Francisco didn't have a need for the speedster. After spending time with the Panthers, Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins and now the 49ers, it's fair to wonder if this may be the last we see of him. He's not worth a dynasty roster spot, unless you're in a league that rewards for multiple in-season name changes.
Dynasty | Packers running back AJ Dillon has been placed on season-ending IR. Dynasty Analysis: Wow. The Packers brought him back this year to back up Josh Jacobs and it seems he's not going to be recovered enough from last year's neck injury to do that. MarShawn Lloyd may have the inside track to back him up but Jacobs is in line for a monster workload. As for Dillon, this is going to be a tough time to justify keeping him on a dynasty roster.
Kansas City Chiefs RB Emani Bailey, LB Swayze Bozeman, TE Baylor Cupp, DT Neil Farrell, OT Chukwuebuka Godrick, CB Kamal Hadden, RB Keaontay Ingram, LB Curtis Jacobs, DE Truman Jones, DT Fabien Lovett Sr., CB D.J. Miller, OT Lucas Niang, QB Chris Oladokun, WR Cornell Powell, RB Louis Rees-Zammit, WR Nikko Remigio, WR Justyn Ross, CB Keith Taylor and WR Montrell Washington were waived on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The Chiefs also waived S Tyree Gillespie (undisclosed) with an injury designation and released S Deon Bush, LB Cole Christiansen and DT Matt Dickerson.
From TheHuddle
Free-agent QB Mike White (Dolphins) is expected to sign with the Buffalo Bills' practice squad, according to sources.
From TheHuddle
Dynasty | The Denver Broncos have released running back Samaje Perine. Dynasty Analysis: This comes as no surprise as reports circulated yesterday indicating Perine was on the trade block. It's also notable the Broncos kept four running backs - Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, and Blake Watson. Perine himself should have little problem landing a backup job but he's a hard sell as a dynasty asset.
Dynasty | The Broncos have released Tim Patrick and he's subsequently signing with the Detroit. Dynasty Analysis: Patrick expects to be on the practice squad in the short term but the expectation is he's signed to the active roster shortly. It's a decent landing spot for him, though it's tough to see him carving out real value in the short term. His injury history is troublesome and he's looking like more of a roster clogger than anything else at the moment.
Dynasty | The Minnesota Vikings have released tight end Robert Tonyan. Dynasty Analysis: This is a bad sign for Tonyan's career considering TJ Hockenson is still out with an injury. Tonyan had a great stretch with the Packers early in his career but he just hasn't been able to rekindle that magic over the past few years. He looks like dynasty waiver wire fodder at the moment.
Dynasty | The 49ers have placed running back Elijah Mitchell on season-ending IR. Dynasty Analysis: This is significant for a couple of reasons. First, Mitchell is clearly not worth a dynasty roster spot at this point. Second, Jordan Mason clearly is. While Christian McCaffrey is going to get virtually every touch for the 49ers, Mason would be a huge difference maker should he miss time. Hmm. Interesting.
Dynasty | The Tennessee Titans have released wide receiver Kyle Phillips. Dynasty Analysis: Philips has just not panned out for the Titans, despite having multiple opportunities. He battled a hamstring injury and could wind up on another team but his dynasty shine is clearly dimming and it's hard to make a case for keeping him on a dynasty roster.
Dynasty | The Dallas Cowboys have cut running back Royce Freeman. Dynasty Analysis: Freeman looked to have an inside track at a job but ended up being cut along with Malik Davis in favor of both Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. With Dalvin Cook also a possibility of being signed after his visit this week, this depth chart looks like a bit of a mess. Freeman is starting to run out of chances, despite performing relatively well when he's had chances.
Free-agent quarterback Mike White is signing with the Buffalo Bills' practice squad, per Adam Schefter. White has also been a member of the Jets and most recently, the Dolphins, where he's played 14 regular season games, throwing for 2,219 yards, nine touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. This will be White's third AFC East team in as many seasons, but as far as a fantasy asset in 2024, White shouldn't be drafted in any format. As a member of the practice squad, White would have to be activated ahead of time if he were to get any action on the field in the event of a Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky injury. If White does get the opportunity to start, he has looked the part in his limited time on the field.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens OT Corey Bullock, RB Chris Collier, CB Bump Cooper Jr., WR Malik Cunningham, OG Darrian Dalcourt, LB Joe Evans, TE Qadir Ismail, QB Devin Leary, OG Tashawn Manning, OT Julian Pearl, DE C.J. Ravenell, LB Yvandy Rigby, LB Joshua Ross, WR Dayton Wade, CB Damarion Williams, NT Deadrin Senat and DT Josh Tupou were waived Tuesday, Aug. 27. The team also placed RB Keaton Mitchell (knee) on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list and released CB Ka'dar Hollman, RB John Kelly, WR Keith Kirkwood, WR Anthony Miller and CB Daryl Worley. LB Deion Jennings (undisclosed), CB Christian Matthew (undisclosed), CB Arthur Maulet (knee), CB Trayvon Mullen (undisclosed), WR Isaiah Washington (undisclosed) and RB Owen Wright (foot) were placed on the Reserve/Injured list but only Maulet was designated to return later in the season.
From TheHuddle
Free agent edge rusher Tyus Bowser is scheduled to visit with the Dallas Cowboys, Todd Archer reports on Tuesday. Bowser, who spent seven seasons with the Baltimore Ravens as a second-round pick in 2017, was released by the Ravens this past March after not playing in 2023 following his placement on the reserve/non-football injury list and subsequent knee issues. Bowser only played nine games in 2022 as well after a 59-tackle, seven-sack season while playing all 17 games in 2021. Much has been said about the Cowboys bringing in Dalvin Cook, but the 29-year-old Bowser would be a talented defensive addition to any defense if he can get his health issues straightened out.
From RotoBaller
The Dallas Cowboys were granted a two-game roster exemption for All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on Tuesday, the same day where he returned to practice for the first time since signing his long-term extension. Per Tom Pelissero, Lamb remains on the commissioner's exempt list and doesn't count against the 53-man roster limit until he's activated, which can happen anytime. Fantasy managers let out a collective sigh of relief on Monday when Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million extension which includes $100 million guaranteed and a record $38 million signing bonus for receivers. A Pro Bowler in each of the last three seasons, Lamb put up his best season to date with 135 receptions, 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. Lamb is a locked-in top-two receiver in fantasy and with his financial security in place, should be a comfortable selection in the top-five picks in fantasy football this season.
From RotoBaller