Best Ball Roster Construction: The Do’s and Don’ts

To win in Best Ball, you need a sharp, intentional roster construction strategy and a diverse but focused player portfolio. This article breaks down my Best Ball roster construction do’s and don’ts, in the hope of helping you build a smart, risk-aware player portfolio. 

If you are new to Best Ball, you may want to start with my Best Ball Beginners Guide! Once you’re up to speed, we also have a few more Best Ball Strategy articles you can check out! Now, let’s talk roster construction.

The Foundations of Best Ball Roster Construction

Before diving into the specifics, let’s revisit what makes Best Ball unique:

• Optimal Lineups: Each week, the platform auto-starts your best players.
• No In-Season Management: What you draft is what you live with.
• Injury, Bye Week & Spike Week Mitigation: Drafting with a range of outcomes in mind is essential.
• Advancement-Based Payouts: Most Best Ball tournaments (e.g., Best Ball Mania) pay out based on weekly advancement, then playoffs.

Best Ball Do’s: What You Should Be Doing

1. Prioritize Structure Before Players

Roster construction is the single biggest edge in Best Ball. Common builds include:

• 3-5-8-3 (QB-RB-WR-TE)
• 2-5-9-2 (QB-RB-WR-TE)
• 2-6-8-2 (QB-RB-WR-TE)
• 3-4-9-2 (Zero RB builds)

The key is matching positional investments to your overall strategy:

Strategy	Ideal Construction	Notes
Anchor RB	2-5-9-2	Draft one RB early, fill in value later
Hero WR	2-6-8-2	WR early, load up on RBs mid-rounds
Double-Anchor QB	2-5-9-2	Two early QBs, no need for a 3rd
Late-Round TE	2-5-8-3	Chase TE value late, triple up in R14-18

2. Stack Strategically

Stacking (pairing a QB with one or more of their pass-catchers) increases correlation:

• Primary Stack: QB + WR/TE
• Double Stack: QB + 2 WR/TE from the same team
• Bring-Back Stack: Opponent WR/TE from the same game (for spike weeks)

💡 DO target stacks with high shootout potential or playoff weeks (e.g., Eagles vs Bills in Week 17).

3. Balance Floor and Ceiling

You need:

• Consistent Role Players: Target touch consolidation (e.g., RBs with pass-catching work)
• Spike Week Contributors: High aDOT WRs, big-play RBs, and boom/bust types

Tip: Aim to draft players who can win a week, even if they’re not weekly starters.

4. Use ADP as a Tool, Not a Rule

• Get exposure to players at ADP or better
• Play the ADP Game: Let values fall to you
• But… take your guys when it matters, especially when building stacks or when late risers haven’t caught up

5. Build a Diversified Portfolio

Drafting 50+ teams? Track your exposures:

• Anchor Players: Limit core players to ~ 25-30% exposure
• High Variance Players: Cap at 15-20%
• Sleepers / Fliers: Rotate regularly

Use spreadsheets or tools like:

• BestBallHub (formerly Spike Week)
• Rotoviz Exposure Tracker
• FantasyPros Best Ball Tools

Best Ball Don’ts: Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Don’t Punt Positions Entirely

Zero RB and Late-Round QB work, if done right. But don’t ignore positional needs:

• 2-QB builds must include two QBs who will start all year
• If you go late-round TE, draft at least three
• If you don’t have an elite RB, don’t wait until Round 12 to start

2. Don’t Over-Stack or Force It

Not every team needs three teammates. Over-stacking can reduce your weekly ceiling.

• Avoid WR-WR-QB trios where both WRs rarely hit together (e.g., possession WRs from the same team)
• Don’t chase low-upside stacks (e.g., QB30 with TE2 on his team)

3. Don’t Draft Redundancy

Avoid same-role redundancy:

• Don’t draft multiple pass-catching RBs on teams with mobile QBs
• Don’t take three slot receivers on the same team archetype
• Spread out your bye weeks, skill sets, and usage types

4. Don’t Chase Handcuffs on Your Own Team

Drafting Bijan Robinson? Don’t take Tyler Allgeier, either. You’ll never get both to hit.

Instead:

• Target other teams’ handcuffs (e.g., if someone else drafts Isiah Pacheco, you can take Elijah Mitchell late)

5. Don’t Ignore the Playoff Weeks

In Best Ball Mania, Weeks 15-17 are everything.

• Draft players with shootout matchups
• Stack across teams that play each other in Week 17
• Build for upside, make sure your WR7 or RB5 can break a slate

Player Portfolio Strategy: Sample Build

Here’s what a diversified, strategy-aligned portfolio might look like across 50 drafts: (These are just examples)

Quarterbacks (2-3 per team)

Player	Exposure	Stack Target	Note
Jalen Hurts	12%	A.J. Brown, Goedert	Anchor QB
Tua Tagovailoa	10%	Hill, Waddle	Stack for shootouts
Jordan Love	8%	Watson, Reed	Late-round value
Anthony Richardson	10%	Pittman, Downs	Spike week upside

Running Backs (5-6 per team)

Player	Exposure	Archetype	Note
Bijan Robinson	10%	Bellcow	Anchor RB builds
James Cook	12%	RB2 upside	Good stack with Allen
Tyjae Spears	15%	Late-round pass-catcher	Spike week candidate
Zach Charbonnet	8%	Handcuff + standalone	Correlated with a Walker injury

Wide Receivers (8-9 per team)

Player	Exposure	Archetype	Note
Chris Olave	15%	WR1 ceiling	Mini stack with Carr
Jaylen Waddle	12%	Stackable upside	Explosive WR2
Josh Downs	10%	Slot role + ARich stack	Floor WR5/6
Rashid Shaheed	10%	Boom/Bust	Great for best ball late rounds

Tight Ends (2-3 per team)

Player	Exposure	Archetype	Note
Jake Ferguson	15%	High-volume TE2	Great for value builds
Chigoziem Okonkwo	12%	Athletic upside	Late spike week potential

Final Thoughts: Draft With a Plan

Best Ball is won on structure, upside, and correlation, not volume alone.

Remember:

• You don’t have to be perfect, you just need the right structure and a few spike week players to crush the playoffs.
• Drafting with intention separates sharks from fish.
• Diversification protects your bankroll and increases the odds of at least one of your teams reaching the final week. Hopefully in the BIG Money!

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