Best Ball Scout Championship
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.
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The Paur Report
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 11
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp finished Sunday's win over the Patriots by amassing six receptions (10 targets) for 106 yards. He also found the end zone twice, bringing his total to four during the 2024-25 campaign. Without question, the wideout has been on a roll, catching 24 passes from Matthew Stafford in the last three games. Of course, Kupp still remains a starting fantasy option in the Week 12, Sunday Night Football matchup with Philadelphia. He just may have a tougher time being as productive against a challenging Eagles defense.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson had only one catch for 19 yards in Sunday's win over the Patriots. Fortunately, it at least resulted in a trip to the end zone, with the 25-year-old bringing in one of Matthew Stafford's four touchdown throws near the end of the third quarter. With that in mind, Parkinson wasn't targeted in the Rams' previous two contests, so fantasy managers shouldn't look in his direction as a streaming option for the Week 12 clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 23 of 33 pass attempts (70%) for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the 21-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Mahomes passed for under 200 yards in this contest but made up for it with three passing scores for the second time this season. Mahomes also threw multiple interceptions for the third time this season, including a game-ending pick in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The Chiefs quarterback also finished the game with zero rushing yards for the first time this season. Mahomes has continued to be a disappointing fantasy asset, especially in the team's last two games with tough matchups. The veteran quarterback will look to bounce back from the team's first loss next week against the Carolina Panthers, who rank 27th in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks this season. Mahomes will likely be ranked as a low-end QB1 next week, with one of the most favorable matchups for quarterbacks.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua looked great in Sunday's victory over the New England Patriots. The wideout finished Week 11 by leading his team on the receiving end, pulling in seven of his nine targets for 123 yards. He also finally found the end zone, catching a 12-yard toss from Matthew Stafford in the second quarter. With Nacua coming off his second 100-yard outing this season, he'll look to keep it going against a tough Eagles defense in a Sunday Night Football meeting between the clubs.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught two passes for eight yards in the 21-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs were handed their first loss of the season, and Kelce was the target on the game-ending interception. The veteran tight end finished the game with just four targets against the stingy Buffalo defense. Despite being the focal point of the Kansas City passing attack every week, Kelce was held in check in this contest. The 35-year-old will look to bounce back in a favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers next week. The Panthers rank 32nd in fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends this season, so Kelce should have his way against them. Despite this underwhelming performance, Kelce should still be considered a top-tier tight-end option for the rest of the season.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams had 86 yards off 15 carries in Sunday's win over the Patriots. It wasn't a horrible showing from the 24-year-old. However, after Williams found the end zone in seven consecutive games this season, he hasn't scored in any of the Rams' previous three contests. While the team leaned on him more while Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were on the shelf, fantasy managers are hoping he'll get back on track versus the Eagles in Week 12, a team that has played well against the run all year.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson put himself back on the fantasy map on Sunday, totaling three TDs, one via pass and two via rush, in a tight 28-27 win over the Jets. Coming into the game with a 44.4% completion rate, the 22-year-old completed 20 of 30 pass attempts (66.7%) for 272 yards and a touchdown. While it was an improvement for sure, especially given that he did not throw an interception, it wasn't pretty at times and the former first-round draft pick fumbled twice, losing one of them. The 6-foot-4 signal-caller added 10 rushes for 32 yards and two scores, finishing the day well within the top 10 at the position in fantasy scoring. The Colts and Richardson will have a tough matchup at home next week against the Lions, but it may be fruitful for fantasy if they are playing from behind all day.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver DJ Charkand tight end Hayden Hurst won't play in Sunday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both players are healthy. However, with receivers Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, and tight end Will Dissly all active, the move was made to give Hurst and Chark the night off. But considering Hurst has only seven catches and Chark doesn't have any this season, their absences won't have much of an impact on fantasy managers.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson completed 20-of-30 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, adding 32 rushing yards and two more scores in a win against the Jets. Dynasty Analysis: This may have been the best game he's played in his young career. After being benched for Joe Flacco, Richardson looked energized today and also in control, something we hadn't seen much of this season. The Jets area. mess, but this was a huge step in the right direction and should put his dynasty value drop to a sudden halt.
Dynasty | Jets running back Breece Hall had 78 rushing yards, seven catches, 43 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a loss against the Colts. Dynasty Analysis: The Jets looked competitive in this one and much of the credit should go to Hall, who finally looked like a RB1 in fantasy leagues today. While this is just one game, Hall could be poised for a better second half of the year as the Jets look to get him involved since their Plan A has clearly not worked this season. His dynasty buy low window may have closed this afternoon.
Dynasty | Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had six catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in the Browns loss to the Saints. Dynasty Analysis: Jeudy had an 89-yard touchdown, but still had a big game without it as he had a team-leading 11 targets. He came into the game with a 33/418/1 line in nine games, so you could say this came out of nowhere. Jeudy clearly has a lot of talent and is still relatively young, but we'll need to see a few more big games before recommending him in lineups moving forward.
Dynasty | Saints hybrid player Taysom Hill had 138 rushing yards, eight catches, 50 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in a win against Cleveland. Dynasty Analysis: Well, here we go again. With Dennis Allen out in New Orleans, it seems the Saints may be willing to use Hill in a variety of crazy ways again. Today certainly worked out as Hill had one of his signature epic performances. If the Saints decide to deploy him this aggressively moving forward, he's going to be a big-time player who could decide some fantasy leagues this season. Stay tuned.
Dynasty | Browns running back Nick Chubb had 50 rushing yards in a loss to the Saints. Dynasty Analysis: Chubb had a good matchup on paper and posted a healthy 4.5 yards per carry on the day. However, a negative game script put him on the bench for most of the game as Jameis Winston threw the ball 46 times on the day. Chubb has been decent since returning, but the Browns offense just isn't one to rely on at the moment. He should be on dynasty benches for the time being.
Dynasty | Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua had seven catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in a win over New England. Dynasty Analysis: Nacua has missed much of the season, but he looked like his rookie self today, making a number of contested catches. He and Cooper Kupp (6/106/2) dominated targets with 19 combined and both look like viable fantasy starters moving forward, with Nacua having both more short and long-term upside. He's a solid hold in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty | Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers had 13 catches on 16 targets for 126 yards and one touchdown in a loss against Miami. Dynasty Analysis: He's pretty good. Bowers was option 1, 2, and 3 on the day as the Raiders seem to be content just riding their rookie tight end each and every week. There are some veteran tight ends who could keep up with his production, but Bowers is quickly becoming the TE1 in dynasty leagues and it's really not close. He's nearly untouchable on rosters at this point.
Dynasty | Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith had six catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: Smith has always had a lot of talent, but it just hasn't translated to the field consistently. Today was different as Smith tied for the team lead in targets and made the most of them. He's still more TE2 than TE1, but the Dolphins are starting to roll again, making him a player with second half upside as we move through November. Smith is a decent hold in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty | Titans wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine had two catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in the Titans loss to the Vikings. Dynasty Analysis: Westbrook-Ikhine had a 98-yard touchdown reception in this one, the longest play in the NFL this season. He has now amazingly scored in five-of-six games, despite having fewer than 300 receiving yards and only 15 catches on the season. The ultimate boom or bust in dynasty leagues right now, it's hard to see this streak continuing for a player getting targeted this little. Still, it's hard to argue against his big-play ability and that should keep him on dynasty rosters for the moment.
Dynasty | Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 24-of-29 passes for 412 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a demolition of the Jaguars. Dynasty Analysis: Jacksonville was no match for Detroit in this one as Goff bounced back from a five-interception performance to post a four-touchdown day with no mistakes. Goff posted season highs all around and the Lions looked like one of the best teams in the NFL by far today, even if they were playing what could be the worst one. Goff looks like a solid hold in dynasty leagues and a back-end QB1 moving forward.
Dynasty | Jaguars running back Travis Etienne had 27 rushing yards, three catches and six receiving yards in a loss against Detroit. Dynasty Analysis: The Jags had no chance in this one, but this was still a disappointing day for Etienne considering Tank Bigsby was out. Etienne has had a simply terrible season thus far and his dynasty value is sufferering. At this point, he belongs on fantasy benches and may not have real value again until next season. Yes, it's that bad.
Dynasty | Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Jaguars. Dynasty Analysis: ASB caught every one of his targets and could have honestly went for more than 200 yards today if the game was even remotely competitive. Whlie Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson get a lot of the headlines, there are few players better to have in dynasty leagues than St. Brown, who has looked every bit the part of a dominant wide receiver in dynasty leagues all season. He's untouchable at the moment.
