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FFL: Offseason | NFL: Superbowl

Best Ball Scout Championship

Wed Apr 17 9:26am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

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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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Davante Adams Feb 8 12:10pm ET
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Jalen Hurts Feb 8 10:40am ET
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts enters the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs looking to avenge the Super Bowl loss two years ago. Hurts has been steady throughout the playoffs, balancing efficient passing with his elite rushing ability. He finished the regular season with 21 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing scores, making him one of the league's top dual-threat quarterbacks. Kansas City's defense has been stingy against quarterbacks, allowing just 24 passing touchdowns all season while forcing 13 interceptions. However, Hurts' ability to extend plays and find the end zone with his legs keeps his floor high. He has rushed for multiple touchdowns in four of his last 17 full games, and with the Eagles' offensive line protecting him, expect him to play a significant role in both the passing and rushing attack. Hurts is primed to deliver on the biggest stage.

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Saquon Barkley Feb 8 10:40am ET
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A.J. Brown Feb 8 10:40am ET
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Jake Elliott Feb 8 10:40am ET
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Kareem Hunt Feb 8 4:30am ET
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Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt will be the preferred back for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. Hunt has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to compete at a higher level than Isiah Pacheco. In the team's crucial AFC Championship win over the Buffalo Bills, Hunt rushed 17 times for 64 yards and a touchdown compared to five rushes and 12 yards for Pacheco. The 29-year-old will be leaned on again in the Super Bowl as Kansas City will do their best to manage the clock throughout the contest. Hunt will have to face one of the most formidable defenses in the league this weekend, but he will likely get enough opportunities to make something happen. Hunt's role as the primary back in the red zone makes him an interesting play in DFS and playoff leagues. The Chiefs will need to rely on the run game to prolong drives and Hunt should be the back they turn to.

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Xavier Worthy Feb 8 4:30am ET
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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy has blossomed into the top receiver for the team in his rookie season. The Chiefs will rely on Worthy to make plays in his first Super Bowl appearance against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend. The 21-year-old caught six passes for 85 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills. Worthy received nearly twice as many targets as Travis Kelce in the biggest game of the year to that point. All signs point to the Chiefs relying on Worthy again on Sunday against one of the most formidable defenses in the league. The record-breaking speedster has demonstrated tremendous growth down the stretch and has even hauled in some highlight catches in recent weeks. Worthy is an easy play in both DFS and playoff leagues for the last game of the NFL season.

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Harrison Butker Feb 8 4:30am ET
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Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl this weekend. Butker will be making his fifth Super Bowl appearance on Sunday, and he performed well in his previous outings. The Chiefs kicker has attempted 10 field goals in the last game of the season and nailed nine. Butker has also made all 10 extra-point attempts in the Super Bowl. Regardless of the pace of play, the Chiefs kicker should make his mark on this contest. The 29-year-old has been a clutch performer in Super Bowls for Kansas City, notably nailing a kick in the final seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime. The opportunity to impact the game will be offered to Butker and it will be up to him to deliver. Butker is a good pick in DFS and playoff leagues, especially given his consistency compared to Jake Elliot.

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Saquon Barkley Feb 8 4:30am ET
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Patrick Mahomes Feb 8 4:20am ET
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Travis Kelce Feb 8 4:20am ET
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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will have multiple incentives to perform in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday. By his standards, the 35-year-old had a down regular season but has turned it on in the playoffs as the team attempts to complete the first three-peat in NFL history. Kelce had seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans, before nearly disappearing against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills defense held Kelce to just two catches for 19 yards in the AFC Championship game, but there is still reason to be optimistic. The veteran tight end sits two touchdowns behind Jerry Rice for the most playoff receiving touchdowns in NFL history. The Eagles defense was one of the best units in the league during the regular season, so it could be tough sledding for Kelce. Kelce's floor is low, as shown by his performance against the Bills, but his ceiling could be the highest of any player in this game. Kelce is not a sure thing in DFS or playoff leagues, but relying on him could pay off in a big way.

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Jordan Addison Feb 7 10:20pm ET
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Pete Carroll Feb 7 10:00pm ET
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Arik Armstead Feb 7 9:40pm ET
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Robert Saleh Feb 7 9:20pm ET
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The San Francisco 49ers have hired ex-Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to their defensive staff. He'll reunite with San Francisco's defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, whom he worked with on the Seattle Seahawks (2011-12) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2014-16). It's a smart hire for San Fran, whose defense ranked seventh in yards allowed per game (317.4) but let up the fourth-most points per contest in the league (25.6). Bradley is a solid addition to aid Saleh in his day-to-day operations and runs the same scheme as the former Jets head coach, leaving a natural contingency plan in case Saleh opts for a head coaching gig in 2026. While his official role with the team has yet to be confirmed, it's reported that head coach Kyle Shanahan attempted to hire Bradley back in 2017, so this has been a long time coming.

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Zack Baun Feb 7 6:30pm ET
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Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (groin) practiced in full all week and was removed from Friday's final injury report for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans. Baun was listed on this week's injury report with what apparently was a minor groin injury. It's something to watch in Sunday's big game, but the 28-year-old should be just fine to play his usual amount of snaps in the middle of Philly's top-ranked defense as they look to prevent the Chiefs from becoming the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. Baun, a former third-rounder, was a beast in his first year with the Eagles, being named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro after recording 151 tackles (93 solo), 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, one pick, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 16 regular-season games.

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C.J. Uzomah Feb 7 6:20pm ET
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Britain Covey Feb 7 6:20pm ET
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Despite practicing in full all week, the Philadelphia Eagles have ruled out wide receiver Britain Covey (neck) for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday versus the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans. Covey will stay on Injured Reserve this weekend and won't help the Eagles in the passing attack or on special teams. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Utah was only active for five games in his second NFL season in 2024 and caught seven of his eight targets for 34 yards and no touchdowns. He also returned six punts on special teams for a total of 46 yards. Covey last suited up for the Eagles in their Week 13 win over the Baltimore Ravens and was unable to haul in his only target.

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Jalen Carter Feb 7 6:10pm ET
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Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (illness) put in another full practice on Friday and was removed from the final injury report for Super Bowl LIX this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Carter was feeling under the weather earlier this week and was listed as limited in practice on Wednesday, and he also missed several of the Super Bowl media sessions. However, the 23-year-old former ninth overall pick out of Georgia appears to be just fine now and will be ready to go for Sunday's big game against KC. It's good news for the Eagles interior defensive line, as Carter has been a key player for the top-ranked Philly defense in his second year in the NFL. He had 4.5 sacks and 25 solo tackles in 16 regular-season games and has added two sacks, three solo tackles, two tackles for loss, five QB hits, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in three playoff games.

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