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.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin did everything he could during Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The Bucs moved Godwin back to the slot and it paid off for them in Week 1. The veteran wideout hauled in all eight of his targets for 83 yards and a touchdown in the win. Godwin got out of the gate slowly last season and he made sure that didn't happen again. Both Godwin and Mike Evans should have no problem getting the ball in this pass-heavy offense on a weekly basis. Godwin should be a solid WR2 in PPR formats going forward.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau (concussion) is officially in the league's concussion protocol, per head coach Dennis Allen. Moreau picked up the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 47-10 thrashing of the Carolina Panthers. He hauled in all four of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown on a day where everything fell the Saints' way. The veteran tight end racked up the second-most yards, targets, and receptions on his team and finished the day with just one less target than Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson combined. Quarterback Derek Carr looked very comfortable in a new Saints' offense, and Moreau will now need to progress through the league's protocol before he is cleared to suit up for New Orleans' Week 2 road matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. If he is not ready to roll, expect Johnson to take on the bulk of the more traditional tight-end duties for the Saints.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving put together a fairly nice NFL debut during Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The rookie back won the No. 2 job behind Rachaad White during training camp. Irving made the most of his chances during Sunday's game. He rushed nine times for 62 yards in the blowout win. To be fair, Irving saw most of his yardage come on a 31-yard run in the fourth quarter. However, the rookie back did look solid as he was finding holes and making smart decisions as a runner. White remains the workhorse back in Tampa Bay, but Irving could start stealing away some of those touches. Irving is still a shaky option for Week 2, but he should be stashed in most fantasy formats.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (knee) was targeted five times in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. He made three catches and gained 15 yards before having to be helped off the field after a catch in the third quarter. After the game, head coach Mike McCarthy said Ferguson was "in good spirits and moving around well." More information will certainly come out soon, but for now it does not seem like Ferguson will need to miss any significant time. Just in case, Luke Schoonmaker is next up on the Cowboys tight end depth chart.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White was heavily involved in the offense during Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders. The 25-year-old continued to be the workhorse back in this one. He rushed 15 times for 31 yards as White couldn't get anything going on the ground. Luckily, White was able to salvage his fantasy value with six receptions for 75 yards through the air. His struggles on the ground are a concern, but not too alarming considering how well he does as a receiver. White should continue being a significant part of this offense going forward. Fantasy managers in PPR formats should be able to plug White in as a RB2 for Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey made all seven of his kicks in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. He made four field goals and three extra points, putting up 15 of the Cowboys 33 points. Aubrey's field goals came from 57, 40, 50, and 46 yards out. He was the top-scoring fantasy kicker last season and could very well be on his way to doing that again this year.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans had seemingly no issues during Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The veteran wideout has been one of the most consistent players throughout his career. That trend continued during Sunday's game as Evans hauled in five receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns in the win. To be fair, the Commanders secondary is shaky, but Evans took advantage of that with two fairly easy touchdowns. Fantasy managers should be able to plug Evans in as WR1 on a weekly basis going forward.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in the team's 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. His score came on a screen pass from 11 yards out late in the third quarter to give the Bills the lead for good. The touchdown saved what was a low-volume, mediocre stat line. Shakir earned three targets, two fewer than rookie Keon Coleman and the same number as running back James Cook. Nine different receivers recorded a catch on Sunday as Josh Allen spread his 23 completions throughout the offense. The target distribution will prevent Shakir from being much more than a WR4 when the Bills travel to Miami for Thursday Night Football in Week 2.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks scored a touchdown in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Cooks was targeted seven times, making four catches for 40 yards. His touchdown came in the first quarter on a 21-yard pass from quarterback Dak Prescott. Cooks mostly played a support role in the passing game last season, but he did occasionally play a larger role like he did in this one. He's a tough fantasy asset to roster because of his up-and-down performances, but he could certainly develop into an asset behind alpha WR1 CeeDee Lamb.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield made easy work of the Washington Commanders defense on Sunday. He was able to escape pressure and looked at ease in the pocket throughout most of the game. He completed 24-of-30 passing attempts for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the 37-20 victory. Mayfield spread around the love with two touchdowns to Mike Evans, one to Chris Godwin, and his final touchdown to Jalen McMillan. This Bucs offense appears to have multiple capable scoring options which is a great thing for this team. To be fair, the Commanders defense is awful, but Mayfield capitalized and did what he was supposed to. Fantasy managers should consider Mayfield a possible low-end QB1 for the Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel logged two catches on two targets for 15 yards in the team's 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Samuel appears to be the odd man out of the Buffalo wide receiver rotation. Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Mack Hollins were the three receivers on the field the most. Samuel, meanwhile, played a handful of snaps and ran just 9 routes, according to Pro Football Focus. If Samuel continues to be the backup slot receiver to Shakir, he won't be worth a roster spot in standard-sized fantasy football leagues. Fantasy managers should keep him on the bench for another week to confirm his spot in the Buffalo pecking order. The Bills travel to Miami for a divisional tilt on Thursday Night Football in Week 2.
From RotoBaller
ynasty | Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had five catches for 66 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Based on the way Daniel Jones played, this has to be considered a minor miracle. It's clear Nabers has some next-level talent but this offense already looks putrid. New York plays at Washington next week in a game that feels pretty important in terms of what we can expect in terms of fantasy value for Nabers moving forward. He remains a solid hold in dynasty leagues but he could have some ups and downs this year playing in what looks to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL already.
Dynasty | Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby had 12 carries for 73 yards in Jacksonville's week one loss to the Dolphins. Dynasty Analysis: More importantly, Bigsby's 12 carries matched those of Travis Etienne. As we heard all off-season, it certainly does seem the Jaguars have no desire to have Etienne simply carry the mail week after week. This is a big development in dynasty leagues as it could vault Bigsby into relevance and knock Etienne down to RB2 territory. We'll see what happens next week but Bigsby's 6.1 yards per carry outshined Etienne's 3.7 on the day, making this a huge dynasty story. Stay tuned.
Dynasty | Colts rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell had just one catch for two yards in the Colts opening day loss to the Texans. Dynasty Analysis: Mitchell clearly didn't do much in terms of points on the day but the big story is the fact Anthony Richardson missed him on what would have been two long touchdowns. While the line is a disappointment, anyone who watched the game can see Mitchell has real talent. It certainly looks like better days are coming, so Mitchell remains a solid hold or even buy low at the moment.
Dynasty | Panthers rookie receiver Xavier Legette had four catches for 35 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Legette did all he could on a day where Bryce Young struggled mightily. For what it's worth, his 7.5 fantasy points look like a win based on how inept the offense looked for the Panthers. Better days should be ahead but Legette should be firmly on benches until we see Bryce Young play at a level much, much higher.
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught three passes for 28 yards in their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ertz tied a team-high with four targets Sunday afternoon. In his regular-season debut, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels struggled to find consistency in the passing game, which affected Ertz's fantasy output. Ertz was typically found in short range in the middle of the field as a safety valve. As Daniels gets accustomed to the professional level, Ertz should continue to see an uptick in targets. However, rookie tight end Ben Sinnott did not see a target on Sunday, solidifying Ertz's starting role in the offense. Fantasy managers looking for another value play in DFS next weekend should consider selecting Ertz, as he will face a New York Giants defense that allowed 42 yards to the Minnesota tight ends in Week 1.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman secured four out of his five targets for 51 yards in his NFL debut against Arizona. Those marks led all Buffalo receivers. The rookie second-round pick also led the Bills' wideouts in snaps and routes. It's an encouraging first effort from Coleman, who should continue to improve as his rookie season progresses. Still, Josh Allen will spread the ball around without an alpha wide receiver on the roster. Nine different receivers recorded a catch on Sunday. Coleman shouldn't crack fantasy football starting lineups when the Bills face the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, but his stock is trending in the right direction.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton was a non-factor in Sunday's 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, finishing with 26 receiving yards on three receptions and no touchdowns. Slayton also muffed a punt as a last-minute replacement as the punt returner when Gunner Olszewski was injured in pre-game warmups. Slayton's role as a receiver looks to be diminishing with the limited targets, as Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson will see the lion's share of the work this season. Fantasy managers are better off leaving Slayton on the bench unless injuries move him up the depth chart.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott led the Cowboys backfield in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. "Zeke" ran the ball 10 times, gaining 40 yards and scoring a touchdown. He added nine yards on two receptions, catching both of his targets. It was a mostly even split in the backfield between Elliott and Rico Dowdle, who ran eight times. This pattern will likely continue, but will get even more crowded once Dalvin Cook is up to speed and joins the backfield as well. It could be tough to choose what Cowboys running back will be fantasy relevant each week, but Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints could be more illuminating.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led the team in targets, catches, and yards in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Lamb missed the entire preseason while holding out for a contract extension, and at points it was unclear if he'd even play in Week 1. He did, of course, and saw 10 targets, making five catches for 61 yards. Lamb was the top overall fantasy pass catcher last season and has a good chance to do it again this season. He'll only heat up more and once he gets more up to speed he should distance himself from the rest of the Cowboys pass catchers. He'll be a weekly WR1 regardless of matchups.
From RotoBaller