The 1-4-5 Start to Best Ball Drafts

June 4, 2024

Best Ball Fantasy Football Fantasy Football

Megan Shoup

View Profile

Check out Steve’s Underdog Fantasy Best Ball Rankings!

Last year, most of my best ball builds were late-round TE builds. Now it helped that I had 50% TE Sam LaPorta! But I was high on various other late-round tight ends and would always draft three late. Some others panned out well like Jake Ferguson or Hunter Henry and some were busts like Gerald Everett and Logan Thomas.

So many of my successful teams and favorite builds started 1 QB/4RB/5WR, and I would keep up with wide receiver pacing no matter what strategy I leaned into hero RB, double hero RB, elite QB, etc.

As Hayden Winks often has recommends, having 4 WR through Round 7 is optimal, and 5 by Round 9. So as best as possible, no matter the build, I would keep the pacing of 3WR through 6 rounds, 4WR through 7 rounds, and 5WR through 9 rounds.

But as you can also see from this article, not only has that pacing for wide receivers worked in all four years of Best Ball Mania, but 3-4 RBs through round 10 has also been optimal. I highly recommend this entire article to see what worked for not just one year, but all four years.

I see the points for elite TE builds this year (not bully TE) but grabbing one elite TE in rounds 3-9 of best ball drafts. Elite tight ends are priced down this year, and they can separate when it matters most, in best ball playoffs. So this year, I will be mixing in elite TE builds more than I did last year. But when I do, my first 10 rounds will likely be 1QB/3RB/5WR/1TE.

Hayden Winks talked about his favorite draft construction so far and how he’ll lean into elite TE builds later in drafts. He’s currently drafting his first tight end more like round 12.

Bottom line, it’s important to diversify your portfolio, not just on players, but types of build structures and positional allocation. So again, I will have a higher percentage of elite TE builds this year compared to last year, but I’ll make sure to still have good pacing at my other positions when I do.

And I will still have plenty of late-round TE builds. And when I do, often my first 10 rounds will start 1QB/4RB/5WR. That makes for a solid foundation. And this leans into my favorite type of build, which is 3QB/5RB/7WR/3TE. Because after taking your base, your 3 late-round TEs, you’re adding 2 more stacked QBs, 1 more RB late, and 2 WR fliers with upside.

See below for some of my favorite 1/4/5 starts in the first 10 rounds this year. What do you think? Will you mix in this late-round strategy some and build a solid base at the other three positions? My favorite is the first one that drafted on the Fanspeak Network.