Best Ball Draft Strategy – Players to Target (2024)

In this article, I will highlight some players I am actively targeting in best ball drafts to start the summer on Underdog Fantasy. These players, often undervalued in drafts, have the potential to see their ADP change as we get closer to the NFL season. I provide actionable roster construction advice when drafting each of these players, aiming to ignite your excitement and optimism for your next set of drafts on Underdog. Keep in mind that you can certainly use this advice for your traditional fantasy football leagues as well. 

Remember, drafting with conviction and prioritizing roster construction is not just a suggestion; it’s a strategy that puts you in control. Consider the scenario you think is most likely, and you’ll be able to conquer as much upside as possible, dominating the rest of the best ball field. Let’s dive into it.

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Travis Kelce – Tight End, Kansas City Chiefs (TE2, ADP 37.6)

I can’t stop drafting Travis Kelce early on in Best Ball summer. Kelce was a first-round pick for the last couple of years, but you can pick him in the fourth round of Best Ball drafts on Underdog. The risk of extra target competition and the risk of father time explain his ADP drop compared to last season. Either way, Kelce produced next to Tyreek Hill for years, so I am not as worried about Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, or Rashee Rice.

To put this into perspective, Sam LaPorta was the TE1 in points per game last season, averaging 11.5 ppg. Aside from last season (11.5 ppg), the previous time Kelce averaged lower than LaPorta’s finish last year was in 2016 (11.3 ppg). Kelce is due to regress to the mean and is going a full round later than LaPorta.

Regarding roster construction, Kelce, in the fourth round, allows you to start with an elite trio of wide receivers or tackle a ‘hero running back build. ‘ In this strategy, you prioritize drafting a running back early to secure a strong foundation for your team. Getting a great start and then adding Kelce, who I can see regaining the thrown as the TE1 this year, is something we haven’t been able to do in years. Take advantage now because his ADP will surely rise closer to the Fall.

Schedule Correlations (Weeks 15/16/17): @CLE, HOU, @PIT

Tank Dell – Wide Receiver, Houston Texans (WR26, ADP 40.6)

Next on my list is Tank Dell. His ADP in the late third or early fourth gives you the cheapest option into one of the league’s best-receiving cores. ‘Stacking options’ are readily available later in the draft with Joe Mixon or C.J. Stroud. Stacking refers to drafting players from the same team, which can increase your team’s scoring potential if they have a strong game. Other options: if you want a week 17 correlation, you can draft Mark Andrews, which we will get to shortly.

Dell is the cheapest wide receiver in that group, and I want pieces of this offense. Nico Collins (ADP 22.4) and Stefon Diggs (26.5) are great options, but you must commit to a second-round pick to draft them. You can always add both to a Dell/Stround stack, too. Remember that the first three out of five/six selections will be Texans players. Dell was an electric rookie and will still have spike weeks even when Diggs and Collins take away opportunities. 

The safest bet for best ball is to have four wide receivers by the seventh round. Dell is an excellent option as your WR3 and provides immense ‘upside. ‘ Upside refers to a player’s potential to exceed their expected performance, often associated with high-risk, high-reward players. There is an outcome where he outperforms the two Houston receivers drafted ahead of him. 

Schedule Correlations (Weeks 15/16/17): MIA, @KC, BAL

Mark Andrews – Tight End, Baltimore Ravens (TE5, ADP 51.0)

Many of the arguments for Travis Kelce also go for Mark Andrews. The best part is that you can get Andrews even later than Kelce. Drafters are taking Andrews at the back end of the fourth or the fifth round on Underdog Fantasy. There are still many questions to answer in the Ravens wide receiver room, and Andrews will revert to being the number one receiving option again in the 2024 NFL season. 

Selecting Andrews gives you a lot of roster flexibility, similar to Kelce. While I don’t advise taking an elite tight end and quarterback in the first five rounds, the Andrews/Lamar Jackson stack would be my one exception. They are much easier to stack and require less draft capital than Patrick Mahomes/Travis Kelce. Plus, there are many late options to stack up with Lamar.

Outstanding options at both the tight end and wide receivers thin out significantly. The drafts that I feel the best about are ones where I can hammer elite receiver options early and then tack on Kelce or Andrews. Reverse engineering your drafts and knowing that options are thin later on justify prioritizing the elite tight-end options – getting them at a discount makes the decision even more accessible.

Schedule Correlations (Weeks 15/16/17): @NYG, PIT, @HOU

Anthony Richardson, Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts (QB6, ADP 55.9)

Only a few NFL players possess the amount of upside that Anthony Richardson does. If he can stay healthy, he has the potential to break fantasy football. Richardson averaged 18.2 points per game last season but only played four games. His rushing prowess is the reason he could be the top-scoring player overall. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry in those four games and hit paydirt four times.

Michael Pittman is one of my favorite guys to draft for stacking options in the third round. I recommend drafting something other than both Jonathan Taylor and Pittman to stack with Richardson because you are committing 3 of your first 6/7 picks to your stack. Instead, go with one of the earlier options and then target Adonai Mitchell or Josh Downs later in the draft.

While Richardson carries a lot of risk, he is the perfect guy to pair up with someone like Justin Herbert or Jared Goff. Don’t draft another quarterback within the first nine rounds because you miss out on highly-quality players. Getting someone safer with Richardson lets you capture his upside and mitigate risk.

Schedule Correlations (Weeks 15/16/17): @DEN, TEN, @NYG

Kyler Murray – Quarterback, Arizona Cardinals (QB8, ADP 78.5)

Kyler Murray is easily one of the most significant draft values this summer. The Cardinals drafted him an elite wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr., a young explosive running back in Trey Benson, and Trey McBride broke out once he was on the field full-time last season. 

Another reason I am so high on Murray this year is that he is an elite fantasy producer on the field. Even though last year seemed like a lost season, he only played eight games. Murray still finished in the top 10 points per game, averaging 18.3 points. The last time he played at least 14 games in a season, he finished as the QB4 with 21.5 ppg. 

Murray has an elite upside and can out-produce guys going several rounds ahead of him. If you draft Harrison Jr. early or decide to draft McBride, Murray is easily accessible to stack and does not have to commit significant draft capital to him. Not to mention, there are multiple late stackable and corollary options to draft, too. (Zay Jones, any Patriots receivers, Blake Corum, Xavier Legette, etc.)

Furthermore, Murray is the perfect quarterback to pair up with an elite upside swing rookie like J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye, or Bo Nix. You don’t need their production because you have Kyler, but their value is enormous for your team if they hit. Drafting Kyler late gives you flexibility at the beginning and in the back half. He has been a popular pick, so I don’t mind if you need to reach a little to secure your stacks.

Schedule Correlations (Weeks 15/16/17): NE, @CAR, @LAR

Blake Corum – Running Back, Los Angeles Rams (RB39, ADP 126.3)

Rookies are usually a great bet later in your drafts. It is best to target guys that you believe in a situation that will change for the positive throughout the season. Blake Corum has the security of contributing from day one, but if Kyren Williams gets injured or Corum outplays him, he has an immense upside. Right off the bat, I can see Corum vulture touchdowns from Kryen. 

Looking at roster construction, hammering the early wide receivers, and getting an elite tight end or quarterback gives you the flexibility to capture the upside with these younger running backs in the later rounds whose lead backs on their teams are going well before them. Some running backs in similar situations as Corum are Trey Benson (103.0), Tyjae Spears (118.6), Kendre Miller (145.7), and Antonio Gibson (163.3).

Consider yourself, “If Corum was the only running back in the Rams’ backfield, where would he go in drafts?” My first guess would be the back end of the fourth round. Kyren is going to the back end of the second and early third rounds of drafts. I continually see Corum go in the 11th round. The value gap between the two is massive, and the upside for Corum is even more considerable.

Corum has a favorable end-of-season schedule, too. Make him a high-value matchup corollary pick if you have Cardinal, Jets, or 49ers stacks. I can see all three of those teams having a high-powered offense, and with two divisional matchups, those games could go either way.

Schedule Correlations (Weeks 15/16/17): @SF, @NYJ, ARI

Jermaine Burton – Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals (WR70, ADP 152.2)

Jermaine Burton was a polarizing pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Some topics that popped up during his predraft process caused him to drop. Fortunately, he landed in one of the best landing spots in the NFL and now receives passes from Joe Burrow.

I believe in Burton’s talent, which I saw while he was at Alabama. Additionally, he can contribute immediately with Tyler Boyd‘s departure this offseason. If the Bengals trade Tee Higgins sometime in the future, I am confident that Burton would slot in as the number two option for Joe Burrow. If that happens, Burton will fly up the draft boards.

He is a tremendous upside play that could return value if anything were to happen to Higgins from here on out. Rookie fever is still in play, so I wouldn’t be surprised if his ADP drops as we get closer to the Fall. As for me, I am collecting my shares of Burton now because there is a real possibility his ADP will skyrocket, and I want to be ahead of the ADP surge.

Schedule Correlations (Weeks 15/16/17): @TEN, CLE, DEN

There are many great options on this list and throughout the draft board, but remember to draft with conviction, and that roster construction is critical for the best ball. Draft now, knowing that the market will change, so you should focus on who you might be moving up the board to capture the value at a discount as the summer continues. 

As always, you can follow me on X (@FF_Brows) and all the great content at Faceoff Sports Network. We have you covered regarding mental health advocacy, updates and breaking news around the NFL, and how to dominate your fantasy football leagues in the Fall. 

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