Best Ball on DraftKings is one of the simplest ways to play fantasy football. Instead of spending the entire season setting lineups, making waiver claims, and managing injuries, Best Ball puts the focus entirely on the draft. Once you draft your 20-player roster, DraftKings automatically sets your highest-scoring lineup each week for the rest of the NFL season.

That low-maintenance format has made DraftKings Best Ball increasingly popular for both beginners and experienced fantasy football players. Whether you are trying Best Ball for the first time or looking to understand how DraftKings scoring, drafts, and roster construction work, this guide covers everything you need to know before entering your first contest.

What is Best Ball?

Best Ball is a fantasy football format focused entirely on the draft. Once you draft your team, there are no more decisions to make for the rest of the season.

That means:

• No setting weekly lineups
• No waiver wire pickups
• No trades
• No adding or dropping players

Each week, the system automatically creates your highest-scoring lineup from the players on your roster. Your optimized lineup is then compared against the optimized lineups from the rest of your league.

A standard Best Ball lineup includes:

• 1 Quarterback (QB)
• 2 Running Backs (RB)
• 3 Wide Receivers (WR)
• 1 Tight End (TE)
• 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE)

Once all NFL games finish for the week, your best scorers at each position are automatically counted.

How much time does Best Ball take?

Very little.

The draft is the main time commitment. After the draft is complete, your team runs automatically for the rest of the season.

You can check in whenever you want, but there is no need to manage your roster weekly.

How do Best Ball drafts work?

When you join a Best Ball contest, the draft does not begin until the league fills.

Once the contest is full:

• A one-minute countdown begins
• Draft notifications are sent by email
• The draft starts automatically

Make sure you have access to the email account connected to your DraftKings account so you do not miss the start.

What types of Best Ball drafts are available?

There are two main draft formats:

Fast Drafts

• Each pick has a 30-second timer
• Drafts move quickly
• Best for players ready to draft immediately

Slow Drafts

• Each pick has an eight-hour timer
• Gives players more flexibility
• Helps avoid auto-drafting if notifications are enabled

How many players do you draft?

Best Ball drafts use a snake draft format.

In a 12-team league, the order works like this:

• Round 1: Picks 1 through 12
• Round 2: Picks 12 through 1
• This pattern repeats throughout the draft

You will draft 20 total players.

At minimum, your roster must include:

• 1 QB
• 2 RBs
• 3 WRs
• 1 TE

After meeting those requirements, you can build the rest of your roster however you want.

What are popular Best Ball draft strategies?

What is the Zero-RB strategy?

Zero-RB means waiting on running backs early in the draft.

Instead, you prioritize:

• Quarterbacks
• Wide receivers
• Tight ends

The idea is that running back depth is strong enough later in drafts that you can still build a competitive group after focusing on other positions first.

This strategy can also be reversed into a Zero-WR approach, where you focus on RBs early and wait on wide receivers.

How many quarterbacks should you draft?

Most Best Ball players draft at least two quarterbacks.

Because injuries and bye weeks happen, having backup options matters. Some players prefer drafting three quarterbacks for additional depth and protection.

Since only one QB can score in your lineup each week, some managers prefer using fewer roster spots at quarterback and using extra picks on RBs, WRs, or TEs.

Should you wait on tight ends?

Tight end can be one of the trickiest positions in Best Ball.

If you draft late in the first round, you may consider an elite tight end early depending on who is available.

Otherwise, many players wait until later rounds to draft tight ends and instead focus on stronger value at QB, RB, and WR first.

Many managers draft three tight ends to increase their chances of getting productive weeks from the position.

When targeting tight ends, pass-catching ability and red-zone success can be especially valuable.

Can you auto-draft in Best Ball?

Yes.

If auto-draft is enabled:

• The system drafts players automatically when you are on the clock
• Players are selected from your queue or based on DraftKings rankings

You can:

• Create your own rankings
• Build a custom queue
• Use DraftKings default rankings

How do you find a Best Ball league?

DraftKings offers multiple Best Ball contests with different:

• League sizes
• Entry fees
• Prize structures

You can browse available contests and see:

• How many spots remain
• Contest size
• Entry cost

More contests may be added throughout the season.

How do you set a lineup in Best Ball?

You don’t.

The system automatically chooses your highest-scoring lineup every week from your 20-player roster.

Can you make trades in Best Ball?

No.

Once the draft ends, your roster is locked for the season.

Can you add or drop players in Best Ball?

No.

There are no waivers, free-agent pickups, or roster moves during the season.

Your drafted roster is your roster for the entire year.

What happens if a player gets injured?

If a player gets hurt, the system will automatically use healthy players from your roster when possible.

This is why depth matters so much in Best Ball.

If a player suffers a long-term injury:

• You cannot replace them
• They remain on your roster all season

Drafting strong depth at every position can help protect against injuries.

How does Best Ball scoring work on DraftKings?

Passing Scoring

• Passing TD: +4 points
• 25 passing yards: +1 point
• 300+ passing yard game: +3 points
• Interception: -1 point

Rushing Scoring

• Rushing TD: +6 points
• 10 rushing yards: +1 point
• 100+ rushing yard game: +3 points

Receiving Scoring

• Receiving TD: +6 points
• 10 receiving yards: +1 point
• 100+ receiving yard game: +3 points
• Reception: +1 point

Miscellaneous Scoring

• Punt/Kickoff/FG return TD: +6 points
• Fumble lost: -1 point
• Two-point conversion: +2 points
• Offensive fumble recovery TD: +6 points

This scoring format applies specifically to DraftKings Best Ball contests.