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.
RTSports Super Bowl Preview
Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell (concussion, knee) upgraded to a full practice on Thursday after he was listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Gainwell suffered a concussion in the NFC Championship win over the division-rival Washington Commanders and didn't practice at all last week, putting his status in doubt for the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9, against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 25-year-old could still end up being questionable for the big game, but his return to a full practice on Thursday gives him a much greater chance of clearing the league's concussion protocol and being active on Sunday. He will still need clearance from an independent neurologist, but another full practice on Friday could get him there. Gainwell has only seven carries for 32 yards and three catches for 26 yards in three playoff games, so his role will remain small if he's able to play.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday. After not practicing at all last week, Smith wasn't listed on last Friday's final injury report. It means that he will most likely practice in full on Friday and be cleared to play in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday versus the Kansas City Chiefs. The 26-year-old pass-catcher has been extremely efficient in three postseason games this year, catching all 12 of his targets for 121 yards, although he didn't find the end zone in wins over the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders. Smith did have four touchdowns in his final four regular-season games, though, so it wouldn't surprise anyone if he had a big game in the Super Bowl this weekend.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Bub Means (ankle) said that he was cleared from his ankle injury in late January and is back to full speed as he prepares for his sophomore season in 2025. Means suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 8 and then had a setback that cost him the final nine games in the second half. The 24-year-old fifth-round pick (170th overall) caught nine of his 15 targets for 118 yards (13.1 yards per reception) and one touchdown in his seven games played (one start) in his first year in the NFL for the Saints. The Pittsburgh product emerged as an intriguing downfield threat for New Orleans in his rookie season and won't be hindered by his ankle this offseason as he prepares for what will hopefully be a bigger role in 2025. Means will most likely be a boom/bust receiver for fantasy purposes for a Saints team that still hasn't settled on a new head coach.
From RotoBaller
The Washington Commanders announced on Thursday that they re-signed running back Michael Wiley to a Reserve/Futures deal. Wiley was an undrafted rookie out of the University of Arizona but eventually found his way onto the Commanders' practice squad during the 2024 season. The 24-year-old never got brought up to the active 53-man roster for a regular season game, though, and he will now look to continue his development this offseason in Washington before he makes his case for a roster spot in spring training this summer. Wiley stands at 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds and is a native of Houston, Texas.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's David Newton reports that Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen plans to play in 2025. Thielen said at the end of the 2024 regular season that he was contemplating retirement, but after hinting toward a return recently, it appears that he will indeed return to the team next season. The 34-year-old veteran pass-catcher has one year left on the three-year, $25 million contract he signed with Carolina before the 2023 campaign. The two-time Pro Bowler had the third 1,000-yard receiving season of his career in his first year with the Panthers but regressed to 615 receiving yards and 48 receptions in 2024, although he also played in a career-low-tying 10 games due to a hamstring injury. Thielen won't be an upside target in fantasy, but his chemistry with young quarterback Bryce Young should not be discounted as a flex option in 2025.
From RotoBaller
Former Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is expected to join the Buffalo Bills coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant, according to Bruce Feldman of the Athletic. Nielsen spent the 2017 through 2022 seasons with the New Orleans Saints in various roles before running the Atlanta defense in 2023 and the Jacksonville defense in 2024. Both of his head coaches were fired after his lone season with the respective teams, so he's now set to join Sean McDermott in Buffalo. The Jaguars surrendered the sixth-most points per game in 2024 (25.6).
From RotoBaller
The Seattle Seahawks and defensive lineman Leonard Williams have agreed to a restructured contract, according to team beat writer Corbin K. Smith. Seattle is converting $18.745 million of his salary into a bonus and adding two void years to the end of his deal. By doing this, Seattle drops his cap hit for 2025 by nearly $15 million. However, his cap hit will now jump to $29.6 million in 2026, and the Seahawks will carry $9.372 million in dead money in 2027 if he is not extended before the void years kick in. Williams, who was traded from the New York Giants during the 2023 campaign, registered 64 total tackles, 11 sacks, and a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown in 16 games in 2024 for Seattle.
From RotoBaller
During an interview on The Pat McAfee Show during Super Bowl week in New Orleans, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson indicated that either a new deal or a trade are the only viable options for him moving forward. Hendrickson is heading into the final year of his deal in 2025 after leading the NFL in sacks (17.5), which earned him an All-Pro selection. This really isn't nothing new, as the 30-year-old star pass-rusher stated his desire for a new contract last year after a failed trade request. He also had 17.5 sacks in 2023. All four of Hendrickson's seasons in Cincy have resulted in Pro Bowl appearances, but he currently ranks 11th in annual salary among edge rushers. The Bengals have said that Hendrickson is a priority this offseason, but they will also be negotiating a bit-time contract extension for receiver Ja'Marr Chase and could be looking to re-sign receiver Tee Higgins as well.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Jacksonville Jaguars plan to hire former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, likely as their passing-game coordinator, according to sources. Waldron coached with new Jaguars head coach and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen with the Los Angeles Rams from 2018-20. Before serving as the Bears' offensive coordinator last season, Waldron served as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator from 2021-23. He didn't make it through a full season in Chicago and was fired after just nine games. With the Rams, Waldron served as tight ends coach, pass-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2017-20. In Jacksonville, Waldron will work closely with first-time offensive coordinator Grant Udinski to hopefully help quarterback Trevor Lawrence bounce back in 2025.
From RotoBaller
Speaking on Breakfast Ball, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said he believes in the organization and that the Bengals have the salary cap space to retain core players like receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (impending free agent), defensive end Trey Hendrickson and tight end Mike Gesicki (impending free agent). Burrow added that he's motivated to keep the core of the team together and that he'd be willing to restructure his contract in order to make that happen. Although the Bengals couldn't overcome a dreadful start in 2024 to make the postseason, Burrow led the NFL in pass attempts (652), completions (460), passing yards (4,918), touchdown passes (43) and passing yards per game (289.3) in 17 games. Even without the elite rushing ability of QBs like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, Burrow finished as the QB2 in overall fantasy points and will be a top-five QB in drafts this fall.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (knee) is making good progress in his recovery from knee surgery, according to head coach Andy Reid.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter (illness) missed his media availability on Wednesday due to an illness, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Philadelphia has yet to release a practice report for Wednesday, so it remains to be seen if he took part in the first official session of the week. Needless to say, it would take a lot for a player to miss the Super Bowl, so it would be a shocking development if he wasn't ready to suit up against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The 23-year-old made his first Pro Bowl roster and earned a second-team All-Pro nod in just his second NFL season this year and will be a major factor in whether the Eagles can limit Patrick Mahomes by providing pressure against the Chiefs' stout interior offensive line.
Washington Commanders LB Dante Fowler led the Commanders with 10.5 sacks in 2024, and he ranked fourth in the NFL in sack rate among players with at least 200 snaps.
From TheHuddle
Atlanta Falcons WR Ray-Ray McCloud had a career-high 62 catches for 686 yards in 2024 after recording 90 catches for 768 yards in his first six seasons combined.
From TheHuddle
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey (neck) was a full participant at practice to kick off their week of Super Bowl prep. The Utah product is working back from his second stint on injured reserve this season. Covey's first stay on IR came in late September for a shoulder injury. He'd eventually work his way back to the field in Week 12 but played just two weeks before sustaining a neck ailment that's kept him from action since. The team opened his practice window two weeks ago, though Wednesday was his first full session. The 27-year-old is not heralded for his pass-catching chops but is better known for his work as a kick returner -- a position he held for Philly over the past two seasons. If he can get healthy enough to suit up for Sunday's outing against the Kansas City Chiefs, that's likely the role he'll operate in.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles tight end C.J. Uzomah (abdomen) was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's team practice. The 32-year-old picked up an abdomen injury back in Week 17 and could not participate in team activities until last week when his 21-day practice window was opened. Fortunately, he's continued to practice fully, putting him on track to potentially be ready to go for Sunday's Super Bowl showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs. Considering Uzomah hasn't suited up in over a month, he'd likely be on a snap count even if he did play. Look for fellow tight ends Grant Calcaterra and E.J. Jenkins to continue rotating in behind Dallas Goedert on the Eagles' offense if that's the case.
From RotoBaller
Per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs told 97.3 The Game that he thinks his team should invest in a true standout WR1 moving forward. "We've got a really young group of receivers. All can be really, really, really special," said Jacobs. "But I think personally we need a guy...that we know is going to be a little bit more consistent." Green Bay enjoyed much success this season -- finishing 11-6 -- but could not gain any traction in the playoffs. Despite the Packers bolstering four wideouts aged 25 or younger that eclipsed 400 receiving yards in 2024, none of them reached the 1,000-yard mark. However, Green Bay did rank eighth in the league with 26.1 points per game and lost their best deep threat (WR Christian Watson) to a late-season ACL injury. We'll see if the Pack move to secure a new alpha with a few big-name free-agent wideouts available in 2025, such as Tee Higgins, Cooper Kupp, and Amari Cooper.
From RotoBaller
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo skipped last weekend's Senior Bowl to focus on the upcoming NFL draft and scouting combine later this month. Skattebo had a huge 2024 season for the Sun Devils, recording 1,711 rushing yards (5.8 yards per carry) , 605 receiving yards (13.4 yards per catch) and 25 total touchdowns while helping ASU to an 11-3 record and a Big 12 championship. The 23-year-old forced 102 missed tackles, behind only Ashton Jeanty among RBs last year. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound back is powerful but also has good hands, catching 69 passes in his two years at Arizona State. While he's a physical RB, Skattebo isn't expected to wow at the combine and isn't expected to come off the board in April's draft in the first couple of rounds. Skattebo will be hoping to improve his draft stock at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and at ASU's pro day.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore (abdomen) was the only player on the team listed as limited in their first practice of the week on Wednesday. The Chiefs opened Moore's practice window last week to return from Injured Reserve potentially for the Super Bowl this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, although the Chiefs listed him as doubtful last Friday. The 24-year-old is going to have to upgrade to a full practice on either Thursday or Friday to improve his already dim chances of being activated from IR and suiting up this weekend in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. He has been on IR since October with a core-muscle injury, so even if he were to be activated, he may not even see the field at all. Moore has so far been a bust for the Chiefs since being taken in the second round in 2022, catching 43 of 74 targets for 494 yards and one touchdown in three seasons.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (triceps) said he remains on track to play on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in what will be his final NFL game, according to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. Graham suffered a torn triceps in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams and had surgery in late November, but he returned to limited practices last week and was also limited on Wednesday. The 36-year-old has a couple more days to prove to the Eagles coaching staff that he deserves to be activated from Injured Reserve by Saturday to play in the Super Bowl. The former first-rounder's return would be a boost to an already strong defense, but given his extended absence, we would expect Graham to be on a limited snap count if he's active. He had a career-high 11 sacks in 2022 but has just 6.5 sacks in 28 games since.
From RotoBaller