Underdog Fantasy Best Ball Draft Breakdown And Player Analysis From Pick 1

Fantasy football has all kinds of avenues to keep fans engaged in games, even when the game score gets out of hand. Underdog Fantasy is running its sixth season of Best Ball Mania VI, where one lucky drafter will take home a cool two million dollars. Unfortunately, there will be 672,671 other teams standing in the way. Each draft consists of 18 rounds, allowing for any combination of QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs, with the requirement that one player of each category be drafted.

Over the past four seasons, I’ve maxed out my entries (150 teams – $3,750). I'm taking a BB-gun approach (10 teams) this year due to bankroll constraints and less time to do 100 eight-hour slow drafts at the same time.

Scoring:

4-Point Passing TDs

Half-Point PPR

.04 Points per Passing Yard ~ 0.1 Points Per Rushing and Receiving Yard

Here’s a look at my draft on August 18th from Pick 1:

Underdog Fantasy Draft — Underdog Fantasy

1.1 Ja’Marr Chase (WR), Cincinnati Bengals

With limited chances in this format, I have to take the top wide receiver on the board when given a chance. Chase comes off an elite season while helping many fantasy teams win championships last year. Repeating that success tends to be difficult in fantasy football. When opportunity knocks, I can’t be afraid to tee up a stud player.

2.12 Brock Bowers (TE), Las Vegas Raiders

In a short roster format with BestBall scoring, an edge at tight end can be a difference-maker late in the season when overall championships are on the line. I didn’t expect Bowers to make it to the last pick in the second round, but I thought he was a unique combo with Ja’Marr Chase.

Based on the draft flow (one RB taken from 2.11 to 4.2), this league was running back heavy in the second round (eight selected). I didn’t want to take three wide receivers in this draft, making Bowers a perfect option for my draft plan.

3.1 Tee Higgins (WR), Cincinnati Bengals

I’m skeptical that Higgins will play 17 games, but I’m stacking the Bengals in this draft. The ceiling of Higgins is exceptionally high, but he has yet to reach it over his first five years in the NFL due to some injuries.

4.12 Breece Hall (RB), New York Jets

As this draft moved through the fourth round, I was prepared to try to stack the Bears’ passing game with my Cincinnati players. Much to my surprise, Breece Hall walked down to be at the end of the fourth round. He slid about five picks to reach, saving me from chasing running backs on the 6/7 and 8/9 turns. Hall’s pass-catching upside gets devalued in this format.

5.1 Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

The Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Burrow stack will be easy to achieve at Underdog this year, almost making it a fade due to the high expected ownership of the combo. Burrow typically gets drafted at the end of the fifth round, so many teams with Bengal receiving options are choosing to pass on this All-Star Stack. Burrow has a chance to reach explosive heights in passing yards and touchdowns, so it’s mandatory to get a share of him somewhere.

6.12 D’Andre Swift (RB), Chicago Bears

The East Coast version of the 2024 Lions’ offense will be run in Chicago this year, creating a potential opportunity for the overlooked Swift. He had a career-high 295 touches last year, with a high pass-catching floor. If he plays 17 games, Swift will end up being one of the better running back values in 2025. Giddy Up!

7.1 Isiah Pacheco (RB), Kansas City Chiefs

My heart wanted to select Stefon Diggs coming out of this turn. I expect a bounce-back season, and he has looked good in his training camp highlights. I also felt this was a drop-off at wide receiver after him.

In the end, I decided to lock in a third back due to this scoring system. Pacheco should get plenty of chances, and the Chiefs are a top team in the NFL. I also view the running back options behind him as having more questionable opportunities this year.

8.12 Cooper Kupp (WR), Seattle Seahawks

For my team structure and beliefs, Kupp was a player I hoped that would slide to me in the eighth round. In 2024, his outcomes were inconsistent, with some hot and cold performances, and he also missed some games. He runs good routes and has a winning resume when healthy. Kupp is an overlooked asset this year.

9.1 Michael Pittman (WR), Indianapolis Colts

This draft was the day before Daniel Jones was named the starting quarterback for the Colts, which may improve the ADP of Pittman going forward. Last year, he played through a back injury that may reemerge in 2025. Based on his career body of work, Pittman should be drafted much earlier.

10.12 Quinshon Judkins (RB), Cleveland Browns

I knew in the next pick I was going to take Trey Benson as my upside running back swing, hopefully with more value over the second half of the season. I wanted to add a handcuff for D’Andre Swift and didn’t expect Judkins to make it to this pick. The wide receiver pool still had three viable options that all went in the next round. I also could have gotten in front of the QB2 run. In the end, I swung for the fence at running back.

11.1 Trey Benson (RB), Arizona Cardinals

The bet on Benson is based on James Conner failing to make it through this year healthy. Conner has been a very good player for Arizona, and I respect his talent when on the field. The coach-speak about the Cardinals’ young running back has been positive, and he should see more week-to-week touches out of the gate in 2025.

12.12 C.J. Stroud (QB), Houston Texans

I gambled out of the 10/11 turn that a reasonable second quarterback would slide to me. I feel incredibly fortunate to have Stroud make it back to my 12th pick. I wanted no part of Michael Penix, and the quarterback options after my selection would have been much weaker. Houston has the firepower to be a much better passing team, and Stroud proved to be a value in his rookie season. Thank you, fantasy draft gods!

13.1 Dallas Goedert (TE), Philadelphia Eagles

From the middle of the 11th round to this selection, there were three other tight ends I liked. I’m a fan of Goedert, but he tends to miss a few games, and the Eagles don’t get him enough scoring chances. He fell into the best available category while playing for a team that should be high scoring this year.

14.2 Andrei Iosivas (WR), Cincinnati Bengals

I selected Iosivas well above his ADP (206) to protect my investment in Tee Higgins and grab another share of another potential scoring option for Joe Burrow. I planned to draft only two quarterbacks and two tight ends in this league, thanks to having a top-tier player at both positions.

15.1 Quentin Johnston (WR), Los Angeles Chargers

The sky has been falling in Johnston’s outlook due to the signing of Keenan Allen and the addition of Tre Harris. I took a flier on him based on his big-play profile, and he did score eight times last season.

16.12 Kyle Monangai (RB), Chicago Bears

Monangai isn’t a lock to be the top handcuff for D’Andre Swift, but his summer reports have been positive, other than his recent unknown injury. He brings an earlier down profile, while Roschon Johnson projects better in short yardage and catching the ball. On the downside, he has been battling an injury.

17.1 Roman Wilson (WR), Pittsburgh Steelers

The backend of the wide receiver pool is full of unproven players or declining veterans. The best option on the table was Tyler Lockett, and I probably should have taken him. Wilson missed all of last season, so I’m hoping a weekly date with Aaron Rodgers will lead to some helpful games.

18.12 Calvin Austin (WR), Pittsburgh Steelers

Underdog only has a 20-second draft clock, so scouring the backend of the player pool can be challenging if you get sniped close to your pick. Austin has been battling an abdominal injury for multiple weeks, but he is getting closer to being ready for Week 1. Last year, Austin made the most of his 58 targets (36/548/4), so it made sense to pair him with Roman Wilson.

Position Breakdowns By Team

Quarterbacks: two (7), three (5)
Running Backs: four (2), five (3), six (6), seven (1)
Wide Receivers: six (2), seven (3), eight (6), ten (1)
Tight Ends: two (8), three (3), four (1)