Best Ball Player Stance Adjustments and Tweaks

August 29, 2023

Best Ball Fantasy Football Fantasy Football

Megan Shoup

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I’ve heard people in the best ball space recently discuss “take-lock” or getting locked on a take and not willing to pivot away or to a player in your best ball portfolio. I think in some cases, it’s absolutely fine to stick with your fades or massive underweight stance on a player if you have sound reasoning for it. See Lance, Trey. But in other cases, as news changes, it’s good to be willing to pivot on a player and either add him to your portfolio or pump the brakes on how much exposure you have to a player.

Players I’ve Backed Off:

These players I was taking these players more often in early to mid-draft season and I’ve backed off drafting them so their exposure will bump down.

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-QB Desmond Ridder – I was high on the Falcons’ offense to start draft season, but now I’m a little more concerned about the passing game, and think the Falcons could be very run-heavy between Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allegier. So I’ve backed off my Ridder stacks and I actually like Mac Jones as a super late 3rd QB, to stack with TE Hunter Henry.

-RB De’Vone Achane – I was very high on the explosive rookie to start draft season, but now getting dinged up this preseason and concerns of his size and where he stands on the depth chart have made me back off. I’ve actually taken more Raheem Mostert at a discount now in the hopes that Jonathan Taylor is not traded to the Dolphins.

-RB Gus Edwards – I’m a little worried about how much RB Justice Hill will mix in on passing downs. So I’m fine with my Edwards exposure and still think he can contribute. I’ll still take him if I need another RB in Lamar Jackson stacks. But other than that I’m holding off.

-WR Allen Lazard – In an effort to avoid the WR avalanche, I was taking a lot of Allen Lazard as my 5th WR earlier in draft season, but now want to bump down that exposure and diversify my 5th WR in builds.

-WR Jameson Williams – Another WR I was taking to avoid the WR avalanche and I love the Lions offense this year. But given the suspension, I should have let him fall more. And then he struggled and got banged up this preseason. Not great, but hopefully the shares I do have still pay off!

-WR Christian Kirk – Early in draft season I didn’t factor in how much Calvin Ridley could be the true alpha WR in this offense. And by early July, I realized that Ridley will dominate targets so I backed off my Kirk exposure because I think that price is too high.

-TE George Kittle – Kittle can still put up huge spike weeks as we know from last year’s playoffs. So I’m fine with the exposure I have, but as you’ll see below, I’m very in on the late-round TE strategy builds. Also, Kittle was 4th in target share with QB Brock Purdy, behind Samuel, McCaffery, and Aiyuk.

Players I’ve Added Exposure To:

I was very underweight on these players, but now I’m taking a little more to up my exposure a bit.

-QBs Geno Smith and Trevor Lawrence – This is not that I don’t like these QBs, its that I’m overweight other QBs in same range around them (Justin Herbert for Lawrence) and (Dak Prescott and Jared Goff around Geno Smith). So now I just want to make sure to bump up my exposures to both.

-RB Tony Pollard – I’ve loved Pollard all draft season but because I was overweight on Nick Chubb in that same range, I’m now trying to bump my Pollard exposure up more.

-WR Jordan Addison – Again a product of being around other receivers I love all draft season. I really feel Jordan Addison is the rookie WR that will be the clear WR2 for his pass-happy team and I still want access to that at his price.

-TEs Dallas Goedert and Darren Waller – I’ve been in on the late round TE/rookie TE strategy all summer. Essentially, I load up the other positions QB, RB, and WR, even with depth before I draft 3-4 TEs late. This is if I’m not grabbing Travis Kelce in round 1 of course. But two mid-range TEs I think could really be top TEs are Dallas Goedert and Darren Waller. So I’m trying to bump up my exposure to both now.