2026 DraftKings Best Ball Draft Guide: Tiers, Targets & Players to Draft

There is a wonderful simplicity to Best Ball.

You draft 20 players. You close the app. Then you spend the next four months taking full credit for every good pick and pretending the bad ones were obviously ruined by circumstances outside your control.

No waivers. No trades. No Sunday morning lineup decisions because your WR3 apparently tweaked a hamstring getting out of bed.

DraftKings automatically uses your highest-scoring eligible players each week. A standard lineup starts one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end and one RB/WR/TE flex. DraftKings uses full-PPR scoring and also awards three-point bonuses for 300-yard passing games and 100-yard rushing or receiving games. (DraftKings Network⁠)

That sounds passive.

It absolutely is not.

In a massive tournament like DraftKings’ 2026 $20 Million Best Ball Millionaire, your entire season is essentially one very long draft decision. The flagship tournament currently carries a $25 entry fee and a $3 million first prize. Two teams from each 12-team group advance after Weeks 1 through 14, followed by elimination rounds in Weeks 15 and 16 before the remaining teams collide in Week 17. (DraftKings⁠)

You aren’t trying to draft 20 respectable fantasy football players.

You’re trying to draft a roster capable of surviving four months and eventually producing an absurd collection of scores when the money actually gets decided.

That’s a different assignment.

And as we sit here in August 2026, price matters just as much as player.

The ADPs referenced throughout this guide are DraftKings-specific and were checked in mid-August. They will continue moving as preseason news hits, so treat the numbers as price ranges rather than holy scripture carved into a stone tablet somewhere in Bristol. Current DraftKings ADP has Jahmyr Gibbs at 1.17, Bijan Robinson at 2.05, Ja’Marr Chase at 3.18, Puka Nacua at 3.93 and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 5.68. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

Let’s draft.

First, How I Want to Build DraftKings Best Ball Rosters

I don’t enter a draft saying, “Today I’m going Zero RB.”

That is how you end up passing on a gift because a strategy article from three years ago told you not to draft running backs before Round 6.

The board should determine the build.

In most DraftKings tournament drafts, however, I’m generally trying to finish somewhere around:

• QB: 2-3
• RB: 5-6
• WR: 8-9
• TE: 2-3

DraftKings’ 20-man rosters give us room to attack variance, and the full-PPR format makes wide receiver depth particularly valuable. Other Best Ball analysts have similarly advocated WR-heavy DraftKings constructions rather than treating the format exactly like an 18-round half-PPR room. (Fantasy Life⁠)

Those aren’t commandments.

If I spend premium capital on Josh Allen, I’m much more comfortable stopping at two quarterbacks.

If I take Brock Bowers early, I don’t need to draft three more tight ends because I became emotionally attached to collecting them.

If I wait until the quarterback bargain bin, three makes more sense.

Every additional insurance pick at one position costs you a lottery ticket somewhere else.

The bigger rule: draft ceiling

Best Ball automatically removes your bad weeks.

That changes what we’re looking for.

The receiver who scores 11 points every week might be useful in a managed league. The receiver who alternates between four points and 28 points can be incredibly valuable here because DraftKings happily tosses the four into the garbage for you when your roster has a better option.

We want explosive receiving profiles, touchdown access, rushing quarterbacks, ambiguous backfields, contingent running-back upside and players capable of becoming dramatically more valuable than the price we paid.

Safe is nice.

Safe also usually doesn’t win a tournament with almost a million entries.

Quarterbacks

Quarterback is one of the easiest positions to screw up by solving a problem you didn’t actually have.

You only start one.

Yes, elite quarterbacks can absolutely bury a slate. But the position also has enough depth that paying a premium needs to deliver something we cannot reasonably approximate later.

The Luxury Purchase

Josh Allen, Bills

DraftKings ADP: 28.42

Allen is the first quarterback coming off the board, near the beginning of Round 3. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

I’m never going to tell you Josh Allen is a bad Best Ball selection.

The question is whether I want to pass on the WR/RB talent available around picks 25 through 35 to take him.

Sometimes, yes.

Particularly if the opening two rounds already gave me a foundation I love.

But Allen isn’t a mandatory click simply because QB1 appears next to his name. At this price, the opportunity cost is real.

Verdict: Worth the cost, but not someone I’m forcing.

The Sweet Spot

Lamar Jackson, Ravens

ADP: 55.64

This is much more interesting.

Instead of spending a third-rounder at quarterback, I can potentially build four strong skill-position pieces and then add Lamar around the fifth-round range. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

His rushing gives us the kind of week-winning quarterback ceiling that translates beautifully to Best Ball.

Verdict: One of my preferred elite-QB constructions.

Drake Maye, Patriots

ADP: 67.14

Maye’s price puts him in an area where I’m much more willing to attack quarterback.

New England also added A.J. Brown this offseason, giving Maye a premium stacking partner who currently goes in the second round. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

If I start with Brown, Maye becomes particularly interesting later.

Verdict: Target.

Jayden Daniels, Commanders

ADP: 70.71

We don’t need to perform advanced calculus here.

A quarterback with legitimate rushing upside available around the sixth round belongs in the tournament conversation.

Verdict: Target when the room lets him fall.

Jalen Hurts, Eagles

ADP: 77.43

Hurts falling behind several quarterbacks creates a compelling price.

The Eagles still give us multiple correlation options, and the rushing touchdown path remains exactly the kind of weekly spike mechanism I want from a Best Ball quarterback.

Verdict: Strong target.

The Price Is Right

Dak Prescott, Cowboys

ADP: 79.01

This is one of my favorite quarterback prices.

CeeDee Lamb is still drafted as a first-round WR, George Pickens goes around pick 25, and Dak is sitting there around Round 7.

That’s an easy high-end stack to understand.

You don’t need Dak to finish as fantasy QB1.

You need his good weeks to arrive when Lamb and/or Pickens are detonating too.

Verdict: Target.

Justin Herbert, Chargers

ADP: 84.93

Herbert gives us a clean pairing with Ladd McConkey and cheaper options later.

At this point in the draft, I’m not paying an “elite quarterback tax” anymore.

Verdict: Target.

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

ADP: 100.47

Yes, somehow we’ve reached the part of the timeline where Patrick Mahomes is the discounted quarterback.

I’ll take it.

Rashee Rice goes around 23. Xavier Worthy has fallen beyond pick 100. Travis Kelce is much cheaper than he used to be. Suddenly a Mahomes double-stack doesn’t require you to sacrifice half your draft. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

Verdict: Very interested at this price.

Brock Purdy, 49ers

ADP: 107.18

This is probably my favorite QB value on the board.

San Francisco’s receiving room has been ravaged by injuries, including Ricky Pearsall being ruled out for the season, but the 49ers added Mike Evans and brought Deebo Samuel back into the offense. George Kittle is also progressing from his Achilles injury with optimism that he can return for Week 1. Purdy himself has drawn strong reviews during camp despite working with a constantly shifting group of pass catchers. (San Francisco Chronicle⁠)

At approximately pick 107, I can tolerate some uncertainty.

Verdict: One of my favorite QB targets.

Jared Goff, Lions

ADP: 103.80

An easy Best Ball quarterback.

Build Detroit exposure through Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jameson Williams, then look for Goff later.

Verdict: Stack target.

Jordan Love, Packers

ADP: 114.63

Same basic principle.

I don’t need Love naked on every roster. But if I’ve already drafted Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden or Tucker Kraft, he’s an obvious way to finish the construction.

Verdict: Better in stacks than as an isolated pick.

Running Backs

Running back is where drafts get weird quickly.

Everyone knows the fragility.

Everyone also knows what happens when an explosive back suddenly owns a backfield.

The solution isn’t “avoid running backs.”

It’s to understand what you’re actually paying for.

Worth the First-Round Cost

Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions

ADP: 1.17

Gibbs is my 1.01.

There isn’t some contrarian speech coming.

The combination of receiving involvement, explosive-play ability and touchdown ceiling gives him basically everything we could want in DraftKings scoring.

Verdict: 1.01.

Bijan Robinson, Falcons

ADP: 2.05

If someone wants Bijan first, I’m not calling the authorities.

He’s in the same elite tier.

Verdict: 1.02, with a perfectly reasonable argument for 1.01.

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers

ADP: 6.10

There is obviously more age and injury risk here than with Gibbs or Bijan.

There is also still a type of ceiling very few running backs possess.

Tournament drafting requires being willing to accept uncomfortable downside when the payoff is actually worth it.

Verdict: I’m willing to take the risk around the middle of Round 1.

Jonathan Taylor, Colts

ADP: 7.91

A premium volume bet inside an offense that still projects to lean heavily on him.

Full PPR makes me slightly more enthusiastic about some receivers around him, but Taylor belongs in the first-round mix.

Verdict: Solid first-round anchor.

The Round 2 Cluster

James Cook, Ashton Jeanty, Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Walker III, Omarion Hampton, Chase Brown, De’Von Achane and Derrick Henry all currently sit between approximately picks 10 and 20. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

This is where roster construction starts mattering.

I’m more willing to pair one of these players with an elite Round 1 receiver than I am to automatically start RB-RB because the app keeps displaying running backs.

De’Von Achane

ADP: 18.23

Still one of the best pure Best Ball archetypes.

Explosive plays plus receiving work equals a player who can produce weeks you simply cannot manufacture through depth.

Verdict: One of my preferred Round 2 backs.

Kenneth Walker III

ADP: 14.43

Now in Kansas City, Walker carries an attractive combination of talent and offensive environment.

Verdict: Comfortable Round 2 target.

Chase Brown

ADP: 15.40

Good player.

Very aggressive price.

At pick 15, I need an outcome that materially separates from alternatives available multiple rounds later.

Verdict: Fine selection, but I’m usually letting someone else pay retail.

My Favorite RB Value

Breece Hall, Jets

ADP: 38.32

This is where I start clicking.

Hall is being drafted around the fourth round, and the Jets entered camp openly describing him as the lead figure in their backfield. More recent reporting has also indicated plans to feature him more prominently in 2026. (New York Jets⁠)

Maybe he never returns to the nuclear ceiling everyone imagined earlier in his career.

At pick 38, I don’t need that.

The discount has finally become more interesting than the disappointment.

Verdict: Major target.

Bhayshul Tuten, Jaguars

ADP: 46.96

This is exactly the general area where I want to attack running backs.

Not because the role is completely secure.

Because the price allows us to draft an ascending player without pretending the outcome is guaranteed.

Verdict: Target.

Bucky Irving, Buccaneers

ADP: 58.29

Another back I prefer after I’ve already attacked receiver.

He’s available roughly four rounds after the first RB wave, which makes the roster construction much easier.

Verdict: Strong target in WR-heavy starts.

TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots

ADP: 59.64

This is a ceiling pick.

New England has multiple backfield options, which is precisely why Henderson isn’t priced like a locked-in star.

If the talent wins out, Round 5 or 6 becomes a very good place to have made the bet.

Verdict: Tournament target.

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers

ADP: 96.69

We’re almost 100 picks into the draft.

At this stage, boring volume becomes pretty interesting again.

Verdict: Excellent structural RB value.

Jordan Mason, Vikings

ADP: 111.60

Now we’re buying contingent value.

If everything ahead of him stays perfectly healthy and roles remain exactly as expected, Mason might never become exciting.

Best Ball seasons rarely cooperate that nicely.

Verdict: The kind of RB depth I want after Round 9.

Wide Receivers

This is where I want most of my roster living.

DraftKings starts three receivers plus a flex, awards a full point per reception and gives a three-point bonus at 100 receiving yards. (DraftKings Network⁠)

If I’m deciding whether my ninth wide receiver or my seventh running back gets roster spot No. 20, I’m usually siding with the receiver.

The Elite Six

My opening WR tier is:

1. Ja’Marr Chase
2. Puka Nacua
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown
5. Justin Jefferson
6. CeeDee Lamb

Their DraftKings ADPs currently range from Chase at 3.18 to Lamb at 10.45. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

I don’t need to manufacture enormous gaps between them.

If Gibbs and Bijan are gone and I’m drafting third, I’m taking Chase.

If I’m picking fourth, Puka is completely fine.

If JSN gets to me at six or seven, excellent.

If Jefferson or Lamb slips beyond their normal range because the room gets drunk on running backs, even better.

Receivers I Want to Be Early On

Rashee Rice, Chiefs

ADP: 22.95

This is an upside bet at a meaningful discount from the elite tier.

Kansas City’s receiving room still has uncertainty, and both Rice and Xavier Worthy are trying to rebound after difficult 2025 seasons. (Arrowhead Pride⁠)

I’m comfortable betting on the offensive ecosystem.

Verdict: Target.

Nico Collins, Texans

ADP: 25.00

This is a very clean Best Ball profile.

Big-play ability. Touchdown ceiling. A quarterback pairing available much later.

Verdict: Target, especially if I’m willing to complete the C.J. Stroud stack later.

Tee Higgins, Bengals

ADP: 35.66

You do not have to be the No. 1 receiver on your own team to be extremely useful in Best Ball.

Sometimes being attached to Joe Burrow while defenses obsess over Ja’Marr Chase will do just fine.

Verdict: Strong target.

Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers

ADP: 42.09

The price isn’t cheap anymore.

But I’m willing to pay for a young receiver whose ceiling can still move meaningfully beyond current market expectations.

Verdict: Target.

Luther Burden III, Bears

ADP: 43.73

Burden was building major camp momentum before suffering a leg injury in practice on August 8. He had 53 catches for 718 yards as a rookie in 2025, and Chicago traded DJ Moore to Buffalo during the offseason, creating room for a larger second-year role. His health needs to be monitored before treating the current ADP as automatic value. (Reuters⁠)

Verdict: Interested, but current health matters.

Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars

ADP: 66.14

This might be my favorite receiver value inside the top 100.

Thomas played through multiple injuries in 2025, including hand/wrist issues, ankle trouble and a shoulder injury. Jacksonville’s own camp coverage says he considers this the best he has felt entering an NFL season, while coaches have noticed improvement at the catch point. (Jacksonville Jaguars⁠)

We already know the talent exists.

Now we’re buying after the disappointing season instead of before it.

That’s usually more fun.

Verdict: Major target.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Cardinals

ADP: 69.13

Remember when everyone was terrified to miss out on him?

Now the market has moved far enough in the other direction that I’m interested again.

This is a recurring theme throughout the guide.

Players don’t need to become different.

Prices do.

Verdict: Target.

Josh Downs, Colts

ADP: 85.90

Another player I’m above market on, assuming the current groin issue proves minor.

Michael Pittman Jr. is gone, and the Colts have openly discussed expanding Downs’ role. He missed a recent training-camp practice with the groin injury, so this is one to monitor rather than blindly draft through news. (Indianapolis Colts⁠)

If healthy, I love the price.

Verdict: Target pending health.

Xavier Worthy, Chiefs

ADP: 118.26

Now we’re talking.

Worthy has also dealt with shoulder trouble this summer after an injury-plagued 2025, but once we’re drafting beyond pick 110, the risk is properly represented in the price. (ESPN.com⁠)

A player with his speed attached to Mahomes should not need 130 receptions to produce Best Ball-winning weeks.

Verdict: High-upside target.

Khalil Shakir, Bills

ADP: 125.17

One of those players who can disappear in drafts because nobody gets a dopamine rush from selecting him.

I’m fine being bored in Round 11.

Especially when it gives me access to Buffalo’s passing offense.

Verdict: Useful target and Allen stacking piece.

Tight Ends

Tight end has two basic paths for me:

Pay for a difference-maker, or wait until the room gets uncomfortable.

The build I like least is spending meaningful draft capital on a tight end who doesn’t actually separate from the position.

Pay Up

Brock Bowers, Raiders

ADP: 19.08

Yes, this is expensive.

Yes, I’m willing to do it.

Bowers is the first tight end drafted and goes near the end of Round 2. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

If I’m spending this kind of capital, I want someone capable of producing wide-receiver-like scores from a tight-end slot.

That’s the argument.

Verdict: Worth the premium.

Trey McBride, Cardinals

ADP: 26.44

Same broad idea, slightly cheaper.

Taking McBride also creates interesting later correlations with Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson or rookie Jeremiyah Love depending on how your build develops.

Verdict: Strong target.

Middle-Round Upside

Colston Loveland, Bears

ADP: 40.11

I like the player.

I’m less excited about using a fourth-round pick at tight end when there are so many receivers and running backs I want in this range.

Verdict: Good player, uncomfortable price.

Tyler Warren, Colts

ADP: 59.89

This is easier.

Warren can be a central piece of the Indianapolis passing game without requiring me to spend a third- or fourth-round selection.

Verdict: Target.

Tucker Kraft, Packers

ADP: 76.79

Probably my favorite combination of price and ceiling at tight end.

Green Bay stacking options are plentiful, and Kraft doesn’t require a major sacrifice elsewhere.

Verdict: Target.

The Bargain Bin I Actually Like

Kyle Pitts, Falcons

ADP: 89.61

I know.

I know.

Somewhere, a fantasy manager just threw a remote at the television.

At a certain point, however, the joke becomes the price.

I’m not drafting Pitts as TE3 anymore.

I’m drafting him near pick 90.

That’s very different.

Verdict: I am once again asking you to consider Kyle Pitts. Please forgive me.

Harold Fannin Jr., Browns

ADP: 97.00

A young tight end with an established receiving profile available around the Round 8/9 turn is exactly where I can start betting on growth.

Verdict: Target.

Dalton Kincaid, Bills

ADP: 109.14

Cheap access to Josh Allen’s passing offense.

No need to make this complicated.

Verdict: Target in Allen builds and acceptable otherwise.

George Kittle, 49ers

ADP: 116.31

This one deserves the giant blinking injury disclaimer.

Kittle tore his Achilles in January and opened camp on PUP. The encouraging news is that recent reporting indicates San Francisco has a high level of confidence he can return for Week 1, and he has been running routes and doing extensive on-field rehab work. (Niners Nation⁠)

At his old price, I wouldn’t touch this.

At pick 116?

Now the recovery risk is buying us something.

Verdict: One of my favorite risk/reward TE selections.

The 2026 Rookie Class

This is where Best Ball drafts can change dramatically between May and September.

At this point, the landing spots are known. Training camp has given us more information. The discounts aren’t what they were before the NFL Draft.

But rookies still matter because their production does not need to be evenly distributed across 17 weeks.

If a receiver takes two months to earn a meaningful role and starts exploding late in the season, that can be exactly what a tournament roster needs.

The top of the fantasy rookie class currently includes Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, Jadarian Price, Fernando Mendoza, Omar Cooper Jr., Kenyon Sadiq and Denzel Boston. (ESPN.com⁠)

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Cardinals

ADP: 32.66

The discount is gone.

Love is already being drafted as a third-round player, and current opportunity has only increased interest with James Conner dealing with injury concerns. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

I’m willing to draft him.

I’m just not going to pretend we’re sneaking him past the room anymore.

Verdict: Worth the aggression, but you’re paying for the breakout already.

Carnell Tate, WR, Titans

ADP: 63.75

The top rookie wideouts are already getting serious respect, and Tate’s price reflects it.

This is a bet on talent becoming opportunity quickly.

Verdict: Strong rookie target.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Saints

ADP: 66.39

Tate and Tyson are almost back-to-back in the market.

I slightly prefer Tyson when both are available in the same area, but we’re talking about a narrow gap rather than some enormous stand.

Verdict: Target.

Jadarian Price, RB, Seahawks

ADP: 63.10

Price is fascinating because the market is already anticipating significant opportunity.

Running backs can become fantasy relevant quickly, but an ADP in the 60s leaves less room for error.

Verdict: Draftable, but not a player I’m reaching past ADP for.

Makai Lemon, WR, Eagles

ADP: 93.77

This is more appealing from a pure price standpoint.

Lemon was a first-round NFL Draft selection, but his summer has included injuries and some inconsistency, which has helped keep the fantasy price below Tate and Tyson. (Wikipedia⁠)

I’ll happily let uncertainty create the discount.

Verdict: Target.

KC Concepcion, WR, Browns

ADP: 127.71

Now we’re getting into the portion of drafts where I want rookie receivers.

A player doesn’t need to have a Week 1 role fully mapped out at pick 128.

Verdict: Target.

Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Jets

ADP: 158.83

This is one of my favorite late rookie swings.

The Jets invested premium draft capital in Cooper, and we’re getting him after pick 150 because the path isn’t immediately pristine. (ESPN.com⁠)

Exactly.

If everything were obvious, he would cost 80 picks more.

Verdict: Late-round target.

Denzel Boston, WR, Browns

ADP: 155.74

Another cheap rookie receiver in the zone where uncertainty should be embraced rather than feared.

Verdict: Target.

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Jets

ADP: outside the top 150 range

Sadiq is interesting, but he’s dealt with a hernia setback during camp. Rookie tight ends already require patience, so I’m not pushing him aggressively until the health situation improves. (New York Post⁠)

Verdict: Monitor.

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Raiders

ADP: roughly 180

Mendoza was the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Raiders have veteran Kirk Cousins ahead of him entering the preseason. (New York Post⁠)

That makes him an extremely different Best Ball proposition than the draft capital implies.

Verdict: Late three-QB builds only unless the starting situation changes.

Players I’m Struggling to Draft at Current Cost

This is not the “these guys suck” section.

Good football players can be bad fantasy selections.

Great fantasy players can be bad selections at the wrong price.

That’s the entire point of ADP analysis.

Chase Brown, RB, Bengals

ADP: 15.40

I’m just not excited about spending a mid-second-round pick here.

The player is useful.

The price asks me to pass on too many receivers and other high-ceiling options.

I’m underweight at this cost.

DJ Moore, WR, Bills

ADP: 46.56

Buffalo is obviously an attractive destination.

That’s also the problem.

Everyone knows Buffalo is attractive.

By the time we’re paying a fourth-round price, I’m not sure the move itself is still creating value.

I’m usually passing.

Parker Washington, WR, Jaguars

ADP: 56.21

This has gotten too aggressive for me.

Around the fifth round, I want a more substantial ceiling case than “useful piece of a good offense.”

Brian Thomas Jr. is actually going only about ten selections later.

I’d rather wait.

Pass at current ADP.

Caleb Williams, QB, Bears

ADP: 72.69

Again, not anti-Caleb.

This is a price issue.

Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy are all available after him in current DraftKings rooms. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

I don’t need to win an argument about which quarterback is better.

I need to decide whether Caleb is worth paying more for than all of them.

Usually, no.

Michael Wilson, WR, Cardinals

ADP: 77.90

Useful player.

Tough price.

I prefer several receivers available later, especially when we can access the Arizona offense through other pieces.

Pass more often than draft.

Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers

ADP: 81.16

Chuba Hubbard goes approximately 15 picks later.

That alone makes me uncomfortable with Brooks’ price.

I’m letting the room take him.

Alec Pierce, WR, Colts

ADP: 91.15

There is certainly a Best Ball argument because vertical players can create massive isolated weeks.

But Josh Downs is going in roughly the same area, and I prefer Downs’ overall path to volume if healthy.

I’m underweight.

Stacking: Stop Treating It Like a Cute Bonus

If you draft a quarterback and one of his receivers scores 30 points, there is a pretty good chance your quarterback had something to do with it.

Revolutionary stuff here at Cover The Slate.

That correlation matters even more in tournament formats because once we hit the playoff rounds, one monster passing performance can simultaneously activate two or three positions on your roster.

You don’t need to turn every draft into:

QB + WR1 + WR2 + TE + offensive coordinator + quarterback’s childhood neighbor.

But I want purposeful correlation.

Some of my favorite affordable stack frameworks based on current ADP:

Dallas

CeeDee Lamb + George Pickens + Dak Prescott

You can draft an elite WR first, potentially add Pickens around the 2/3 turn and still wait until around pick 80 for Dak.

Cincinnati

Ja’Marr Chase/Tee Higgins + Joe Burrow

Burrow’s ADP is around 62, which means Chase teams don’t need to immediately force the quarterback. (the Fantasy Fellowship⁠)

Kansas City

Rashee Rice/Xavier Worthy/Travis Kelce + Patrick Mahomes

The beauty here is cost.

Mahomes around 100 and Worthy beyond 110 make Kansas City correlation dramatically easier to build than when every Chiefs player was taxed simply for knowing Patrick Mahomes.

San Francisco

Christian McCaffrey/Mike Evans/George Kittle + Brock Purdy

The injury situation needs monitoring, but the falling prices make San Francisco one of the more interesting tournament ecosystems.

Green Bay

Christian Watson/Jayden Reed/Matthew Golden/Tucker Kraft + Jordan Love

This is the build for people who enjoy staring at six Packers and asking which one is actually going to score this week.

Best Ball answers that question for you.

Perfect.

What I’d Do From Each Draft Slot

ADP makes rigid mock drafts mostly useless.

The guy you expected at 3.02 goes 2.07.

Someone falls 15 picks.

A manager takes three quarterbacks in five rounds because apparently we’ve entered a Superflex league without being informed.

Your job is to react.

But here’s the general shape I want.

Picks 1-4

Preferred start

Gibbs / Bijan / Chase / Puka

Take the elite player.

Don’t get cute.

From there, I’m looking for WR/RB balance based on what Round 2 gives me.

A Gibbs start followed by Rashee Rice or Nico Collins is excellent.

A Chase start followed by De’Von Achane is excellent.

I don’t need my first three picks to prove I subscribe to a specific roster-construction religion.

Through six rounds

Ideally:

• 1-2 RB
• 3-4 WR
• Possibly an elite QB/TE if value falls

Picks 5-8

This might be my favorite area.

You’re looking at players like JSN, McCaffrey, Amon-Ra and Jonathan Taylor to start.

Then you aren’t waiting forever for the board to return.

Example

Amon-Ra St. Brown → De’Von Achane → Tee Higgins → Breece Hall

Now we’re cooking.

From there, I can spend the next several rounds hammering receiver and wait for quarterback.

Picks 9-12

This is where flexibility matters most.

Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, James Cook, Ashton Jeanty and Saquon Barkley can all enter the conversation depending on exactly where you’re sitting.

The turn also creates opportunities to pair players whose ADPs are separated by only a handful of picks.

Example

CeeDee Lamb → De’Von Achane → George Pickens

Now Dak becomes an obvious target later.

You have a stack developing without sacrificing value to create it.

That’s what we want.

My Favorite 2026 DraftKings Best Ball Targets

If you made me leave the draft room with a short list of players I’m consistently trying to beat ADP on, this is it:

QB

• Brock Purdy
• Dak Prescott
• Justin Herbert
• Patrick Mahomes
• Jalen Hurts

RB

• Breece Hall
• Bhayshul Tuten
• Bucky Irving
• TreVeyon Henderson
• Chuba Hubbard
• Jordan Mason

WR

• Rashee Rice
• Tee Higgins
• Brian Thomas Jr.
• Marvin Harrison Jr.
• Josh Downs, if healthy
• Xavier Worthy
• Khalil Shakir
• Makai Lemon
• Omar Cooper Jr.
• Denzel Boston

TE

• Brock Bowers
• Trey McBride
• Tyler Warren
• Tucker Kraft
• Harold Fannin Jr.
• George Kittle, assuming the recovery continues positively

Those aren’t my “highest projected players.”

That’s not the same question.

These are players whose combination of cost, ceiling and roster utility keeps pulling me toward them in actual DraftKings rooms.

The Best Ball Mistakes I Want to Avoid

Drafting ADP instead of using it

ADP tells you what the room is doing.

It does not tell you what you are required to do.

If you believe a player going at 75 belongs at 58, taking him at 63 isn’t a “reach.”

You aren’t awarded bonus points in December because DraftKings flashed a little red negative number next to your draft pick.

Building a roster full of floor

Your late-round receiver should not be someone whose dream outcome is six catches for 49 yards.

Take the guy who could become his team’s second target.

Take the rookie.

Take the vertical receiver.

Take the running back who needs one injury to suddenly matter.

You have 20 roster spots.

Use them to buy outcomes.

Ignoring correlation until the last three rounds

Don’t arrive at Round 18 and suddenly realize none of your quarterbacks have anyone to throw to.

Stacks should develop organically throughout the draft.

Over-insuring elite positions

If you spend Round 2 on Brock Bowers and another premium selection on a second tight end, you probably don’t need TE4 because you’re scared of a bye week.

Every roster spot has an opportunity cost.

Drafting for Week 1

This might be the biggest one.

You are not setting a lineup in September.

You’re drafting a season.

That rookie who plays 30 percent of the snaps in Week 2 could be an entirely different fantasy asset by December.

Let other managers draft August depth charts.

We want December points.

Final Thoughts

The easiest way to draft a mediocre Best Ball team is to select 20 players you feel good about.

Seriously.

A large-field DraftKings tournament roster should probably make you uncomfortable somewhere.

Maybe you waited longer than usual at quarterback.

Maybe you drafted a rookie whose role isn’t completely defined.

Maybe you took an older star coming off an injury because his ADP finally priced in the risk.

Maybe you loaded up on receivers and now your RB4 requires three flow charts and a minor miracle.

That’s okay.

We’re not trying to win a “most sensible roster” competition.

We’re trying to create a team that can first survive Weeks 1 through 14, then produce the kind of correlated spike weeks capable of advancing through the tournament rounds and eventually competing when the biggest money is decided.

Use ADP.

Don’t worship it.

Stack intelligently.

Draft enough receivers.

Embrace uncertainty when the price is right.

And once Round 20 ends?

You’re done.

No waiver claims. No start/sit threads. No Tuesday morning trade offer from the guy who thinks three bench players equal one superstar.

Just 20 players, four months and one very long sweat.

Welcome to Best Ball.

DraftKings ADP referenced in this article was checked in mid-August 2026 and will continue changing as preseason news develops. Injury and depth-chart information should always be rechecked before drafting.