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FFL: Week 7 | NFL: Week 7

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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Bender's DFS Pickem Plays: Week 7

Player Notes
Justin Simmons Oct 20 12:30pm ET
Justin Simmons

Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons (hamstring) is officially active for the Week 7 game on Sunday against the visiting Seattle Seahawks. Simmons didn't practice on Wednesday but was limited on Thursday and Friday before picking up a questionable tag on the final injury report. The 30-year-old won't end up missing a game after suffering a hamstring injury in the Week 6 win over the division-rival Carolina Panthers. It's good news for the Falcons defense as they take on a talented group of Seahawks receivers this weekend. Simmons will start at strong safety for Atlanta. In his first year with the team in six games played, the two-time Pro Bowler has 23 tackles (10 solo), one interception and two pass breakups. Against a potent Seahawks offense, fantasy managers should be fading Atlanta's defense/special teams unit in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Ja'Lynn Polk Oct 20 12:30pm ET
Ja'Lynn Polk

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (head) exited during the second half of Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was officially listed as questionable but ultimately did not return to the contest. He finished Week 7 with zero catches on three targets. He continues to be plagued by drops and also fell down while being targeted on a two-point conversion attempt on Sunday. The Patriots are struggling to stay healthy on the offensive side of the ball with Polk off the field and Demario Douglas (illness) playing a reduced role. Douglas should be good to go for Week 8 against the New York Jets, but Polk is less of a sure thing. He'll presumably be evaluated for a potential concussion and closely monitored ahead of next week's contest. For the time being, Polk is off the fantasy radar.

From RotoBaller

Kenneth Walker III Oct 20 12:20pm ET
Kenneth Walker III

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (illness) is officially active for the Week 7 contest against the hosting Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Walker was a late addition to the injury report on Saturday due to an illness and was listed as questionable, but apparently he's feeling better and will suit up. However, there's a chance we could see backup Zach Charbonnet spell Walker a bit more in what could be a high-scoring affair between two high-paced offenses. Although there might be a bit more bust potential for Walker this weekend, there's no reason for fantasy managers to pull him out of their starting lineups as an RB1. The 24-year-old will look to bounce back on his birthday on Sunday after averaging just 2.68 yards per carry on 19 rushing attempts the last two weeks. The good news is Walker has five touchdowns already in 2024 and has scored in three of his four games.

From RotoBaller

Dexter Lawrence Oct 20 12:10pm ET
Dexter Lawrence

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (hip) and linebacker Brian Burns (groin) are both active for the Week 7 divisional contest on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Lawrence and Burns were both listed as questionable coming into Sunday's contest. Meanwhile, cornerback Adoree' Jackson (neck) is out, while safety Dane Belton (illness) is active. With Lawrence officially active, he's in play in IDP fantasy leagues as a starting defensive lineman. The two-time Pro Bowler already has seven sacks in six games in 2024 and is well on his way to setting a new career-high in the category. Burns, who is eligible as a D-lineman and linebacker in many leagues, is also worth a start as a defensive lineman in IDP leagues now that he's officially active. Burns has three sacks and 23 combined tackles so far this year for the Giants defense.

From RotoBaller

Jeff Wilson Oct 20 12:10pm ET
Jeff Wilson

Miami Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (coach's decision) is a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. He is the odd man out as the Dolphins enter Week 7 with a backfield featuring De'Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, and Jaylen Wright. Wilson will continue to be inactive as long as those three are healthy. He should be dropped in most fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Demario Douglas Oct 20 12:00pm ET
Demario Douglas

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (illness) returned to Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London during the fourth quarter. According to the NFL Network broadcast, Douglas is working through an illness and will continue trying to play, but he may be limited for the remainder of the contest. Hunter Henry and Kayshon Boutte should earn additional opportunities if Douglas isn't 100 percent.

From RotoBaller

Malik Nabers Oct 20 12:00pm ET
Malik Nabers

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (knee) is officially active for Week 7 on Sunday against the division-rival New York Giants. Slay was limited on Wednesday, didn't practice on Thursday and returned to a full practice session on Friday before being listed as questionable on the final injury report for the week. Slay was injured in the Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns, but the injury wasn't serious enough to keep him out of this week's game. The 33-year-old veteran defensive back could have a tough task on hand this week while trying to slow down impressive first-round rookie receiver Malik Nabers, who is returning to the field after missing the last two games due to a concussion suffered in Week 4. Despite the return of Nabers, the Eagles' defense/special teams unit should be considered a top-10 fantasy option against the Giants offense.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Jones Oct 20 11:53am ET
Aaron Jones

Minnesota Vikings RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) is active for Week 7's game against the Detroit Lions.

Fantasy Spin: Jones had been listed as questionable on the injury report after being a limited participant in two of the team's three practice sessions during the week. He can be a starting option in fantasy leagues this afternoon.

From TheHuddle

Nick Chubb Oct 20 11:53am ET
Nick Chubb

Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb (knee) is officially active for the Week 7 game.

Fantasy Spin: Chubb probably will see a limited workload this week since he has not played since last season but could still be a possible flex option in some fantasy leagues. He should have more fantasy value as the season goes on.

From TheHuddle

Odell Beckham Jr. Oct 20 11:53am ET
Odell Beckham Jr.

Miami Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr. (hamstring, personal) is officially active for the Week 7 game.

Fantasy Spin: Beckham returned to the lineup last week but did not have any receptions. He should see a few more targets this week but should be avoided in fantasy leagues until Tua Tagovailoa returns to the lineup.

From TheHuddle

Nick Chubb Oct 20 11:50am ET
Nick Chubb

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (knee) is officially active for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. He had been listed as questionable but was expected to play after being activated from the PUP list on Saturday. Chubb will make his season debut this week, just over one year after a gruesome injury that tore numerous ligaments and abruptly ended his 2023 campaign. The 28-year-old is likely headed for a reduced role as the Browns phase him back into the offense, but there are plenty of touches available to him with Jerome Ford (hamstring) sidelined. Chubb figures to split time with D'Onta Foreman on Sunday, and Pierre Strong Jr. could also see some work. Given the poor state of Cleveland's offense, it's tough to justify starting any of their running backs in 12-team fantasy leagues this week.

From RotoBaller

Dontayvion Wicks Oct 20 11:50am ET
Dontayvion Wicks

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (shoulder) is officially active for the Week 7 contest on Sunday at Lambeau Field against the Houston Texans. Wicks was limited in practice all week and picked up a questionable tag on the final injury report, but he will suit up after getting injured in last week's win over the Arizona Cardinals. The 23-year-old only caught one of his three targets for nine yards before getting hurt last week and had two receptions for 20 yards the week prior against the Los Angeles Rams. Wicks has found the end zone three times this year, including twice in the Week 4 loss to the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, but he'll continue to be a boom/bust WR4/flex for fantasy managers in a crowded receiver corps in Green Bay that also includes Jayden Reed, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.

From RotoBaller

Dorian Thompson-Robinson Oct 20 11:50am ET
Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (coach's decision) is inactive for Week 7 and has been listed as the team's emergency third quarterback. As a result, Dorian Thompson-Robinson is active, presumably as the backup quarterback behind Deshaun Watson. It's possible that this development is merely the result of Thompson-Robinson having a good string of practices, but it could also be preparation for a potential Watson benching, which has been speculated time and time again over the last few games. In the event that Cleveland, currently 1-5, does pull Watson from Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, they would turn to Thompson-Robinson, not Winston.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Jones Oct 20 11:50am ET
Aaron Jones

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) is officially active on Sunday for a big divisional showdown against the visiting Detroit Lions in Week 7. Jones was injured in Week 5 in London against the New York Jets but had the Week 6 bye to heal up and will now return to action this weekend despite being listed as questionable on Friday's final injury report. Fantasy managers can leave the 29-year-old in their starting lineups against Detroit, but Jones could lose some touches to both Ty Chandler and Cam Akers. As a result, Jones should be considered a bit more volatile as an RB2 coming out of the bye week. Jones has just two total touchdowns in five games in his first year in Minnesota, with his last rushing score coming back in Week 1. It's not a great matchup, either, with the Lions allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing RBs in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Adoree' Jackson Oct 20 11:43am ET
Adoree' Jackson

The New York Giants have declared OG Chris Hubbard, P Jamie Gillan, CB Adoree' Jackson, CB Anthony Johnson, QB Tommy DeVito and DE Carlos Basham Jr. inactive for Week 7.

From TheHuddle

Robert Woods Oct 20 11:43am ET
Robert Woods

The Houston Texans have declared LB Azeez Al-Shaair, WR Steven Sims, SS Jimmie Ward, LB Henry To'oTo'o, OG Nick Broeker, CB Kamari Lassiter and WR Robert Woods inactive for Week 7.

From TheHuddle

Kentavius Street Oct 20 11:43am ET
Kentavius Street

The Atlanta Falcons have declared CB Antonio Hamilton, OG Jovaughn Gwyn, OT Brandon Parker, LB Troy Andersen, DE Brandon Dorlus, OT Elijah Wilkinson and DE Kentavius Street inactive for Week 7.

From TheHuddle

Demario Douglas Oct 20 11:40am ET
Demario Douglas

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (illness) is questionable to return against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. He was involved in the first half but then exited around halftime. At the time of his departure, he had caught two of three targets for 14 yards. Douglas was Drake Maye's favorite target last week, but the rookie quarterback will now turn to tight end Hunter Henry as his preferred option in the passing game. Kayshon Boutte and Ja'Lynn Polk should also see additional opportunities with Douglas on the sideline.

From RotoBaller

Josh Downs Oct 20 11:40am ET
Josh Downs

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (toe) is officially active for Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction ahead of kickoff. He's widely viewed as the Colts' No. 2 wide receiver but has actually been more productive than Michael Pittman Jr. over the last three weeks. We'll see whether that holds true this Sunday as the Colts return to a healthy Anthony Richardson under center. Richardson replacing Joe Flacco is less than ideal for all of the Colts' receivers, but Downs is still talented enough to be a reliable fantasy WR3 on Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Michael Pittman Jr. Oct 20 11:40am ET
Michael Pittman Jr.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) is officially active for Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction ahead of kickoff. Pittman averaged 3.7 catches, 29.3 yards, and zero touchdowns per game with Anthony Richardson under center, and those averages jumped to 4.7 catches, 61.7 yards, and 0.7 touchdowns when Joe Flacco replaced the injured Richardson. Now that Richardson is healthy and has reclaimed his starting job, we'll see whether Pittman can keep up his hot stretch of games. Even if the passing offense does take a step backward under Richardson, Pittman is still talented enough to be deployed as a fantasy WR3/FLEX.

From RotoBaller