It’s almost time for MLB! We have a great MLB team over here at the DFSARMY, and I recommend following all of them and subscribing for great content on every sport. I may not be on the MLB team, but I am an avid best-ball drafter and I will be giving my two cents on some strategies on how to manufacture a winning best-ball team.
To win in best-ball (in any sport) we have to take risks because we are only playing to win. Getting in the top 2 in a 12 player league means that we only have around a 17% chance of cashing if all drafters were created equal. So, we want to maximize upside and take risks on players outperforming their average draft positions (ADP). We also will want to take stands on certain strategies. If you are building a team a certain way, you have to commit to that build. There is no half-ass’ing anything in regards to best-ball, you have to push your chips in the middle to win the biggest prize.
Basic Strategy Tips: Understanding ADP and how the rosters and scoring work in best-ball are crucial to our overall success. You don’t want to significantly over-draft a player, unless it’s a player you are super high on, it fits your strategy, and you are certain that the specific player will not be there for your next pick. What I mean by over-drafting a player is drafting a player way above their ADP. Conversely, if a player goes way under-drafted and that player falls to you, draft them; accept the gift that your competition is giving to you.
Understanding Team Builds: First and foremost you need to hit on your first 3 or 4 rounds of picks. These players are the glue of your team, and they have to produce and stay healthy. Always take the best player available in your estimation that is close to where your ADP is in these first 4 rounds. Position scarcity is a real thing, and needs to be accounted for. Every sport is a little bit different, but in MLB there are 3 positions, and one is the most precious. Did you guess it correctly? The answer is the outfield position. There are 3 starting outfielders on every MLB team, and every team in a 12 team best-ball league should have around 6 outfielders on average. So, most of the MLB outfielders will be drafted, and a lot of them in the bottom half of the ADP are not viable. On the other side, every MLB team has around 5 starting pitchers, as well as 5 starting infielders. So, if you are going to slightly over-draft a player, it should probably be an outfielder. If you fall behind on outfielders early in the draft, it should be because you are chasing crazy upside or are going for an aggressive pitcher strategy. However you decide to draft your first 4 rounds should determine your roster construction. If you draft 3 outfielders and 1 infielder in your first 4 rounds; I would recommend a team of 7 pitchers, 7 infielders, and 6 outfielders. I say this, because you absolutely need those first 3 outfielders to pan out for you because you committed to that positional investment.
Oct 26, 2021; Houston, TX, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred before game one of the 2021 World Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Pitcher Strategies: With 20 players available in your draft, and only 3 pitchers scoring every week, you should be very sure you have a league winner if you take an early pitcher. If you take a Skubal or Skenes in your draft, I would recommend drafting no more than 6 pitchers. I say this because if your early pitcher falls to injury, you are simply sunk. So, if you take an early pitcher, it has to work, and their score should be entrenched for you all year. This means that you only need 2 more pitcher scores out of 4 or 5 pitchers on your team. Aggressive strategies can yield highly volatile results, but we are here to win! With the outfield position being the most precious, you guessed it, there are awesome ADP values late at the infield and pitcher positions. Remember that your pitchers score once a week, and your hitters are playing nearly every single day.
With a solid fundamental understanding of basic best-ball strategy you actually are giving yourself a competitive advantage against your opponents. You would be shocked at how many people are either; drafting for fun, think they know a sport and that knowledge is enough, or simply are degenerate gamblers. Here at the DFSARMY we exploit our opponents and make strong moves to win baby win. I hope this helps in your upcoming best-ball drafts, I hope you all come in second place!