Guest of the League
TBL2 Est. 2008
FFL: Week 6 | NFL: Week 6

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 6

Player Notes
Ja'Tavion Sanders Oct 13 10:20pm ET
Ja'Tavion Sanders

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders caught 5-of-7 targets for 49 yards in Sunday's loss to their division-rival Atlanta Falcons. It was the most productive outing of Sanders' young career thus far, and he's performed well in the stead of teammate Tommy Tremble (concussion). The rookie tight end's five targets in Week 5 were more than Tremble had racked up in any contest this season, and he might have made a case for a more prominent role even when the injured Tremble returns to the lineup. It's a case worth monitoring, though the future of this offense is murky. For now, Andy Dalton is the quarterback, but for how long has yet to be determined. The 21-year-old could be busy again in Week 7 when he lines up against a Washington Commanders squad that came into this Sunday averaging the most points in the NFL. However, he'll be tough to trust as a viable source of fantasy output, especially if Tremble is active.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Allgeier Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Tyler Allgeier

Dynasty | Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 95 rushing yards, three catches, ten receiving yards and two touchdowns in a win against Carolina. Dynasty Analysis: That's the good news. The bad news is the fact Tyler Allgeier had 18 carries (Robinson had 15) and scored a touchdown of his own. At this point, it is what it is - Robinson is a committee back who is going to be stuck in somewhere around a 60/40 touch-share with Allgeier for the foreseeable future. While he'll have RB1 days like this, he's also a player who has a lower floor than many had expected. Robinson's dynasty value is slipping a touch while Allgeier's is rising.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Ja'Tavion Sanders Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Ja'Tavion Sanders

Dynasty | Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders had five catches for 49 yards in a loss to the Falcons. Dynasty Analysis: Sanders had just eight catches for 41 yards on the season, so today's line (and seven targets) are a good sign for him moving forward. While the Panthers offense can't be trusted on a weekly basis, this should at least put Sanders on the map. He's a solid hold moving forward as Carolina tries to right the ship.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Xavier Legette Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Xavier Legette

Dynasty | Panthers rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette had three catches for 23 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Falcons. Dynasty Analysis: Legette still hasn't passed 200 total receiving yards on the season but you can certainly tell he has some talent. The Panthers are a mess and Legette hasn't been given much of a fighting chance all season, so today was a good day. He remains a solid buy candidate as a rookie receiver who hasn't hit his stride but has some solid long-term potential.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Justin Fields Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Justin Fields

Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed 14-of-24 passes for 145 yards, adding 59 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a blowout win over Las Vegas. Dynasty Analysis: Fields hasn't been very inspiring as a passer this year, but his rushing ability has won Pittsburgh some games and kept his dynasty value afloat. Most importantly, he has just one turnover all season through six games and has done nothing but keep the Steelers in football games. At this point, Fields' dynasty value is stable and it would be a shock to see Pittsburgh turn to Russell Wilson while he keeps winning games.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Najee Harris Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Najee Harris

Dynasty | Steelers running back Najee Harris had 106 rushing yards and a touchdown in a win against the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: He added 16 receiving yards on two catches and posted his big day on just 14 carries. This was a much-needed big performance from Harris, who was likely benched by a host of dynasty managers this afternoon. While we need to see a lot more before trusting him, Harris still seems like the clear RB1 in Pittsburgh and a threat to score every week.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Brock Bowers Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Brock Bowers

Dynasty | Raiders tight end Brock Bowers had nine catches for 71 yards in a loss to Pittsburgh. Dynasty Analysis: Bowers now has 37 catches through six games, putting him on pace for more than 100 on the season. While dynasty managers may be frustrated at the lack of touchdowns (he has just one), it's hard to look at Bowers and not see the future TE1 in dynasty leagues. He's locked and loaded in lineups moving forward and a player to build around moving forward.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Jared Goff Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Jared Goff

Dynasty | Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 18-of-25 passes for 315 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 47-9 road demolition of the Dallas Cowboys. Dynasty Analysis: Despite going 18-of-18 last week, this was Goff's best game of the season as he simply carved up the Dallas defense and did whatever he wanted. The Lions are rolling and Goff looks like he's hitting his stride. While dynasty managers are always going to complain about the lack of rushing yards, Goff is again in the weekly QB1 conversation as he looks like he's getting into a serious groove. He remains one of the more underrated dynasty quarterbacks and a clear target for contending teams in need of a signal caller.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dak Prescott Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Dak Prescott

Dynasty | Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed 17-of-33 passes for 178 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a home blowout loss to Detroit. Dynasty Analysis: Prescott traditionally has some serious ups and downs, but this was a truly awful performance. He routinely missed open receivers and was outdueled by Detroit quarterback Jared Goff on his home turf. With just eight touchdown passes and six interceptions through six games, it's time to start wondering if dynasty teams can truly count on him as a QB1 moving forward this season. In short, it may be time to panic.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Gus Edwards Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Gus Edwards

Dynasty | Chargers running back JK Dobbins had 96 rushing yards and a touchdown in a win against Denver. Dynasty Analysis: He added two catches for six yards. Dobbins was predictably busy in this one after Gus Edwards was put on IR this week. It's been a big-time bounce-back season for Dobbins, who had a season high 25 carries in this one. While he hasn't had a 100-yard game since the second week of the season, the thought Dobbins was going to be unable to return to his pre-injury form seem to have been put to rest. He'll be a solid RB2 moving forward and dynasty managers need to really look at him as a potential buy or sell depending on where they sit after six weeks.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Devaughn Vele Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Devaughn Vele

Dynasty | Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele had four catches for 78 yards in a loss to the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: Vele has been talked about a lot as a potential breakout player this year after making the team as a seventh round draft pick. Today was a good start as he returned form a short-term absence to post a decent game. While expectations should be tempered, you could certainly do worse on a waiver wire add this week.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Javonte Williams Oct 13 10:13pm ET
Javonte Williams

Dynasty | Broncos running back Javonte Williams had 23 rushing yards, three catches and 13 receiving yards while also losing a fumble in a loss against the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: After six games, it's fair to make an assessment about Williams and he just simply hasn't been very good. His 23 yards today put him just over 200 on the season and his 3.7 yards per carry isn't inspiring much confidence moving forward. His 17 catches on the year have helped but Williams has yet to score a touchdown on the season. At this point, the idea Williams was going to have a big year have come and gone and he belongs on dynasty benches as his value sinks each week.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Diontae Johnson Oct 13 9:50pm ET
Diontae Johnson

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson reeled in 6-of-10 targets for 78 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Johnson scored his third touchdown in the last four games in this one and led his team in every significant receiving category. Since quarterback Andy Dalton took over as Carolina's signal-caller in Week 3, the 28-year-old has done as such in 3-of-4 contests and is the PPR WR5 over that stretch. He'll look to keep it rolling in an enticing Week 7 road matchup against the Washington Commanders. Their defense has registered just one interception on the season and entered Week 6 tied with the Panthers for the most passing touchdowns let up to opposing offenses (11).

From RotoBaller

Chuba Hubbard Oct 13 9:40pm ET
Chuba Hubbard

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard rushed 18 times for 91 yards in the team's 38-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, adding 11 yards through the air and five receptions on eight targets. It was another effective day for Hubbard, while the only thing missing from his stat line was a trip to the end zone. It's the fourth-straight game for the 25-year-old with at least 92 yards on the ground and the fifth in a row with at least four receptions. Since Week 3, the Oklahoma State product's 82.8 PPR fantasy points are second only to Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry. Hubbard has a favorable Week 7 matchup against the Washington Commanders and can continue to be fired up as a strong RB2 while Carolina's backfield is his.

From RotoBaller

Andy Dalton Oct 13 9:30pm ET
Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton completed 26-of-38 passes for 221 yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to their division-rival Atlanta Falcons. He threw two touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed three times for 21 yards. It was another underwhelming performance for the Red Rifle, who has thrown at least one pick in his last three outings, leading Carolina to its third-straight loss. The more of a sample we see from him, the more that his 300-yard, three-touchdown performance in Week 3 looks like the anomaly. He'll have a chance to turn it around in a solid Week 7 road matchup against the Washington Commanders. Still, one has to wonder how much longer it is until we see second-year QB Bryce Young regain control of the offense.

From RotoBaller

Nick Herbig Oct 13 9:10pm ET
Nick Herbig

The Pittsburgh Steelers recorded one sack, one interception, two forced and recovered fumbles, and a blocked punt while surrendering 13 points to the Las Vegas Raiders in a Week 6 win. Once again, it was DPOY candidate T.J. Watt leading the charge, forcing both fumbles by Las Vegas ballcarriers. Defensive back Donte Jackson logged his third interception of the campaign on an overthrow by quarterback Aidan O'Connell in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh was still missing linebackers Alex Highsmith (groin) and Nick Herbig (hamstring) but is expected to have the former back in time for a Week 7 clash with the New York Jets. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with the Steelers DST in most weeks this season.

From RotoBaller

Dak Prescott Oct 13 9:10pm ET
Dak Prescott

Detroit Lions star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson (tibia) will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after undergoing emergency surgery Sunday to repair a compound fracture, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Hutchinson suffered the injury while sacking quarterback Dak Prescott in the Lions' 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys. The third-year defensive standout completed the sack but immediately grabbed his leg upon hitting the ground and was carted off the field in an air cast. He'll now spend the night in a local Dallas hospital. It's a massive blow to Detroit's defense, as the 24-year-old led the league in sacks (6.5) entering Week 6 and is a formidable game-breaker off the edge. Defensive end Isaac Ukwu figures to pick up snaps with the injury to Hutchinson, and Detroit may seek help elsewhere with no other healthy defensive ends on the roster. The Lions will get a road matchup in Week 7 against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.

From RotoBaller

Cameron Dicker Oct 13 9:10pm ET
Cameron Dicker

Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker made all five of his kicks in a Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos. Dicker tried three field goals, making them all while also adding two extra points. His field goals came from 20, 33, and 46 yards out. He remains one of the most consistent kickers inside 50 yards and with the way the Chargers offense is going, he could continue to get several chances to score per game. He'll be a top-12 option more weeks than he won't be, and should be rostered in most formats that still have a K spot in the lineup.

From RotoBaller

Kimani Vidal Oct 13 9:00pm ET
Kimani Vidal

Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back Kimani Vidal scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in a Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos. Vidal ran the ball four times, gaining 11 yards. He was targeted twice in the passing game and made the most of it, scoring a 38-yard touchdown and gaining 40 yards total through the air. Vidal only got six touches total, but his workload should be going up after this solid performance and with Gus Edwards (ankle) now on IR. J.K. Dobbins will clearly be the RB1 on the Chargers offense, but Vidal should work his way into the main backup role before long. He should be picked up off waivers wherever he's available.

From RotoBaller

Ladd McConkey Oct 13 9:00pm ET
Ladd McConkey

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey was in and out of Week 6's win over the Denver Broncos, but appears to have escaped the game without a serious lasting injury. Several times, McConkey was forced to the sideline only to return to the game later on. In total, he was targeted eight times, making four catches for 43 yards. He led the team in targets and catches, falling one yard behind the team lead in receiving yards. McConkey has proven to be the WR1 on this offense, but it will continue to be a run-first unit that severely limits the upside of any pass catcher on the roster.

From RotoBaller