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Best Ball is a new type of fantasy football that has gained major traction in recent years. This is due to its unique format and lack of commitment needed. Similar to DFS, you draft once, and your work is done. Best ball is now available in almost all states where daily fantasy sports can be found, including Arizona. DFS and Best Ball launched on August 28th in the state, and Arizona Sports Betting is coming September 9th, right in time for the NFL season. This means that you can not only play fantasy but also bet on sports in Arizona. Several of the major brands like DraftKings & FanDuel are offering DFS, Best Ball, and sports betting in the state.
The NFL Season is right around the corner, and our staff has done a ton of Underdog Fantasy Best Ball drafts in preparation for the new season. Best Ball is one of the most exciting and simple ways to play, as once you draft your lineup, you don’t have to do anything else for the remainder of the year. Underdog automatically starts your best quarterback, two best running backs, three best wide receivers, best tight end, and best flex every week throughout the season. With that type of format, the upside is king in the later rounds as you’re looking for players who can break through to your starting lineup over your highly-drafted players. Once you get to the last few rounds in your draft, though, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of names and not know where to turn for that week-winning upside. The following are some of my favorite targets in the late rounds using Underdog ADP:
Quarterbacks
Sam Darnold (ADP 188, QB25)
It’s hard to remember a time when Sam Darnold wasn’t down in the dumps as the former first-round pick had nothing short of a disastrous tenure with Adam Gase and the Jets. Now, the former USC passer gets a fresh start in Carolina. The Panthers have an exciting group of skill position players with Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and Terrace Marshall Jr., and I have a ton of faith in the coaching staff, primarily Matt Rhule and Joe Brady. Darnold is practically undrafted at the moment, and you could do a lot worse than betting on a resurgence from the once-celebrated prospect at this point in the draft.
Carson Wentz (ADP 194, QB26)
The other late-round quarterback I have my eyes set on is another guy hoping for a resurgent campaign in a new location. Carson Wentz is coming off an absolutely horrific season. Wentz’s fractured foot certainly throws a wrench into things; however, he gets the fresh start he desperately needs in Indianapolis and is reunited with head coach Frank Reich, formerly the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, when Wentz was a Pro Bowler in 2017. The Colts have a lot of intriguing pass-catchers, including Michael Pittman Jr., T.Y. Hilton, and Parris Campbell, among others, and Reich is one of the best offensive minds in the NFL.
Running Backs
Rhamondre Stevenson (ADP 195, RB58)
The preseason isn’t always prescriptive for what we will see during the regular season, but you’d have to imagine Rhamondre Stevenson is playing his way into more action this year. He finished the regular season as the leader with 216 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. New England has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, particularly in run-blocking, which opens up a ton of opportunities for Stevenson on the ground. The Patriots have now traded Sony Michel, and while Damien Harris is the presumed starter, for now, Stevenson should have plenty of opportunities to make a big impact this season.
Kenneth Gainwell (ADP 204, RB60)
The Eagles spent a fifth-round pick on Kenneth Gainwell this year and signed Jordan Howard, indicating the new regime doesn’t have the utmost confidence in Miles Sanders handling a massive workload throughout the year. Gainwell compiled over 2,100 yards from scrimmage and 16 total touchdowns last year at Memphis and has the opportunity to contribute to the rushing and receiving game for the Eagles. I’m very excited about the Eagles’ rushing offense with Jalen Hurts at quarterback and a healthier offensive line than we saw last season. While Boston Scott remains in place, don’t bet against Gainwell seeing significant opportunity early this season.
Devontae Booker (ADP 227, RB66)
Saquon Barkley tore his ACL under a year ago, and it’s still very unclear whether or not we should expect to see him take the field in Week 1. If Barkley is unable to play, the recently acquired Devontae Booker will be the every-down back in the New York offense to start the year. Booker is practically going undrafted at the moment, but if you’re spending a first-round pick on Saquon, you’d be wise to pick up the next-in-line running back in the offense should he miss time. Tony Pollard and Alexander Mattison have similar profiles as handcuff RBs and are being drafted multiple rounds ahead of Booker.
Wayne Gallman (ADP 261, RB77)
The 49ers’ rushing offense is arguably the best in the NFL, but they rarely seem to be satisfied with one player getting the bulk of the work in the backfield. Last season, three running backs had over 80 carries and 300 rushing yards. In the year prior, three backs had over 120 carries and 500 yards. San Francisco spent a third-round pick on Trey Sermon and brought back Raheem Mostert, the likely one-two backfield punch to lead the team. However, don’t forget about Gallman after he had 147 carries for 682 yards and 6 touchdowns in relief for Saquon Barkley last season. If Gallman gets the hot hand in the offense, he could have some very strong top-20 RB weeks at some point this season.
Wide Receivers
Amon-Ra St. Brown (ADP 156, WR72)
Late in drafts, the Lions’ rookie wide receiver is one of my favorite targets for a few key reasons. First, St. Brown has received high praise in training camp from beat reporters, and he parlayed a strong camp into an enticing preseason performance. The Lions lost Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay this offseason and didn’t do a whole lot to replace them. Tyrell Williams is far removed from his lone 1,000-yard season in 2016 and opted out of last season due to COVID-19 concerns. The Lions released Breshad Perriman, signaling they believe St. Brown is ready to contribute as a starter on this team.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (ADP 166, WR76)
Valdes-Scantling isn’t really on the radar for me in redraft leagues due to his inconsistencies, but he’s exactly the type of player I’m looking to add in the Best Ball format. Valdes-Scantling had five different games last year with 16+ half-PPR points, and entering a contract year, he will be looking to make a splash again. It was impossible to figure out when those big games would come, but when they did, he was among the top-scoring wide receivers in the league for fantasy football. In Best Ball, you don’t need to figure out when to start him, and you can just benefit from the monster weeks whenever they do happen.
K.J. Hamler (ADP 168, WR78)
There won’t be enough passing volume in Denver to go around for all of their talented receivers, but K.J. Hamler can fly. He ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash in training and recorded a top speed of 21.76 mph while at Penn State. He averaged 16.9 yards per reception while at Penn State and has incredible separation ability downfield. Regardless of whether it’s Drew Lock or Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, Hamler has the ability to take the ball to the house on any play. That will make for some big games this season, and he’s very enticing in the final rounds.
Dyami Brown (ADP 178, WR81)
Washington beat reporters have been all over rookie wide receiver Dyami Brown in camp as the Biletnikoff semi-finalist has made tons of big plays. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a gunslinger who has the ability to get the ball to Brown deep downfield, and that should make for some high-flying weeks this season. Terry McLaurin is entrenched as the top receiver, but Curtis Samuel has missed a ton of time during training camp with an ongoing groin issue giving Brown the opportunity to see a ton of work with the ones in camp. He should be able to see a ton of playing time early on this season with his ability to take the top off the defense.
DeSean Jackson (ADP 185, WR83)
I understand where the complete disregard for DeSean Jackson is coming from after he’s only played 8 games in the past two years. He’s also going to turn 35 years old during the upcoming season. However, you can get Jackson and his game-breaking speed in the last round of your Best Ball draft. With Matthew Stafford a prolific gunslinger and Sean McVay’s offense looking like one of the best in the NFL, Jackson should have plenty of opportunities if he can stay on the field. Sure, he might miss most of the season again, but that downside is worth the huge potential late in drafts.
Josh Palmer (ADP 191, WR86)
One of my favorite mid-round rookie wide receiver prospects, Josh Palmer, may have been a surprise in the third round. His college stats were never too impressive as he failed to top 500 receiving yards in a season in four years at Tennessee. However, Palmer is a tremendous deep threat who never had a quarterback who could get him the ball. Now he does in a fast-rising Justin Herbert. Hunter Henry is now in New England, and Mike Williams is already injured again, so there should be a ton of opportunity for targets in the Chargers offense. Palmer could have a sizable role as a rookie and some big fantasy-relevant weeks along the way.
Tight Ends
Cole Kmet (ADP 164, TE19)
The Bears selected Cole Kmet in the second round of the 2020 draft and obviously envision a bright future for him. Unlike in redraft leagues, you always want to end your draft in Best Ball with more than one tight end, even if you grab one of the elite players in the first few rounds. Kmet has considerable upside in an offense without much in the way of target hogs outside of Allen Robinson and, to a lesser extent, Darnell Mooney. While Jimmy Graham remains in place, Kmet is the future of the position for Chicago and could have some big games this season, particularly if Justin Fields can win the starting job.
Donald Parham Jr. (ADP 218, TE29)
For many of the same reasons as I have interest in Josh Palmer, I’m interested in Donald Parham as a late-round tight end. Parham is a well-kept secret as a former undrafted free agent who only had 10 catches last year. He made the most of those catches, though, with 3 touchdowns. At 6’8”, 256 lbs, he’s a monstrous player who is a unique red-zone weapon. Jared Cook is the presumed starting tight end, but he’s 34 years old, and the Chargers have spoken about a bigger role for Parham, who is 10 years Cook’s junior. If you’re looking for a lottery ticket at tight end with your last pick, Parham is your guy.