Something that is often discussed in weekly DFS theory and strategy is the “story” your lineup tells. Basically the idea is to think about what the recap of the day would have to be for each particular lineup to have been the “right” combination of players that gets you to a first-place finish on that slate. I like to do something similar when drafting Best Ball rosters, thinking about the “story” that the roster is telling about how the NFL season will play out with each pick that is made.
At every selection in a draft, there are a variety of reasonable options available and whatever choice you make also implies some things about the other players you passed on. Similar to price point or positional pivots on a regular DFS slate, we want to be aware of the scenario where your picks are “right.” While everyone understands team stacks and most of the industry is focusing on late-season correlations and balancing exposures, very few are actively trying to leverage the decisions made for a particular roster with their later-round picks by using these indirect correlations. Below is a summary of a draft I did on Sunday, August 3rd in the $10 Drafters SUPERFLEX Best Ball Championship, with a $125,000 prize pool, $25,000 to first place, and 13,992 total entries::
Picking from 9th slot
Picks 1.09 – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, DET – Gibbs is a player who doesn’t require any justification in any format. After the top four quarterbacks in this format, I am looking to acquire studs at the other positions first and foremost. Running backs in the first round have a greater opportunity cost in regular Drafters contests because they cost you a shot at a top-tier WR and we know top-five and top-10 overall WR seasons are critical to placing high in these cumulative scoring contests. In Superflex, however, you can take one of these stud RBs in the first and still get a high-end WR on the way back.
Pick 2.04 – Saquon Barkley, RB, PHI – Well, something about the best-laid plans. Dak Prescott and Bo Nix went far earlier than usual in this draft, which pushed Barkley into my lap. I don’t care which format, it is hard to pass on last year’s RB1 on the same team/offense in the second round. Pairing Gibbs and Barkley will give me a very unique build, as both are usually gone before the end of the first round and even when one of them does fall to the second round, people usually are taking at least one QB or WR at that turn. So the two of them together provide high upside with an unusually unique build.
Picks 3.09 and 4.04 – De’Von Achane, RB, MIA and Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA –
