Guest of the League
Roman Empire Est. 2019
Dynasty $250 - FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

Best Ball Scout Championship

Wed Apr 17 9:26am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Get in the Scout Championship


RealTime Fantasy Sports is once again very excited to bring you the Best Ball Scout Championship this season. This contest is a little different from our normal Best Ball Championship. All these drafts take place before the NFL Draft, so you don’t know where any of the rookies are going this year. You are taking them blindly. This makes for even more strategy come draft day. Should you load up on rookies? Should you just avoid rookies? What is the winning strategy? We are here to help.

First of all, the winner of the Best Ball Scout Championship takes home $10,000. You also win money for finishing first or second in your 10-team league. The cost to enter the contest is just $20. There are a maximum of 10,000 teams in this contest. Rosters are 20 deep with starters consisting of a QB, two RBs, two WRs, one TE and two FLEX spots. There are no kickers and defenses. Remember, this is a best ball contest, so there is no roster management. Your roster is set once the draft is complete.

With that said, we thought it would be a good idea to look at the championship roster from last year to see what won it all. Here it is:

Round 1: Ja’Marr Chase, WR
Round 2: Davante Adams, WR
Round 3: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
Round 4: DeVonta Smith, WR
Round 5: Deebo Samuel, WR
Round 6: George Kittle, TE
Round 7: Keenan Allen, WR
Round 8: Joe Mixon, RB
Round 9: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB
Round 10: Dak Prescott, QB
Round 11: Khalil Herbert, RB
Round 12: Jared Goff, QB
Round 13: Raheem Mostert, RB
Round 14: Ezekiel Elliott, RB
Round 15: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB
Round 16: Leonard Fournette, RB
Round 17: Tyler Boyd, WR
Round 18: Taysom Hill, TE
Round 19: Zach Ertz, TE
Round 20: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB

The big thing to notice on this roster is just one rookie was taken. Obviously, this owner hit big with that one rookie, taking Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 9. Gibbs was the 10th rated fantasy back last season. But the championship team from last year took just one rookie. This owner did not load up on rookies and waited until the middle rounds to take his one rookie target. This could be a good lesson learned for owners this season. Maybe going early on rookies or taking several is a losing strategy. Just something to keep in mind this year.

And like with many best ball owners, this roster had three quarterbacks and three tight ends. This owner did not take a quarterback early, waiting to take a quarterback until Round 10. But the owner did got a little early on a tight end, getting George Kittle in Round 6.

The other winning strategy for this owner was loading up on receivers early while waiting to get his running backs until later. This was a very interesting strategy that worked. The owner took five straight receivers to start the draft and didn’t get a running back until Joe Mixon was picked in Round 8. This is a little riskier but another strategy that can obviously worked. Take those sure thing receivers first and get a bunch of question mark running backs in the mid- to later rounds and hope some hit. The big hits for this owner was his pick of Gibbs and getting Raheem Mostert in Round 13. The Mostert pick likely was the big one that put him over the top, getting the fifth rated fantasy back in the back half of the draft. The owners also had some misses at running back with Leonard Fournette and Clyde Edwards-Helaire but that didn’t impact his team too much, hitting on some of those other backs. 

So overall, the winning strategy of last year’s Best Ball Scout championship team was going early on receivers, loading up on running backs with question marks in the middle to later rounds, take few rookies and wait on the quarterback spot.

There are numerous strategies to use but this was the winning one from last year. Just something to think about when drafting your team in this year’s Best Ball Scout Championship. Start drafting here.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

Fantasy Receiver Preview

Player Notes
Kelee Ringo Jun 26 3:50pm CT
Kelee Ringo

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. missed the entire 2023 season after being suspended for violating the NFL's gambling policy. However, ESPN reporter Tim McManus said Rodgers has been impressive this offseason, and he's been splitting first-team reps with second-year cornerback Kelee Ringo. He's been making plays against the Eagles' strong first-team offense and is viewed as a surprise standout for the organization. "For a guy that has not played football for a year, coming back, he looks like he has been playing nonstop," All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown said. "He's flying around, and he's going to do special stuff for us this year." Rodgers spent the first three seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts and racked up 90 tackles, three interceptions, and 10 pass deflections in his first 45 games. Philadelphia allowed the third-most passing yards per game last season (255.7), so any boost they can get from Rodgers would be significant.

From RotoBaller

Adam Thielen Jun 26 2:00pm CT
Adam Thielen

The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye projects Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen to remain as the team's slot receiver in 2024 despite the addition of Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette. The 33-year-old Thielen managed to stay fantasy relevant in his first year in Carolina in 2023 despite rookie quarterback Bryce Young and the offense being one of the worst in the league. Thielen caught 103 of his 137 targets for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in 17 starts. He should continue to be a safety blanket for Young this year, but the additions of both Johnson and Legette will inevitably take valuable targets away. Fantasy managers certainly shouldn't expect another 1,000-yard campaign for Thielen in 2024. You should be targeting Thielen as merely a late-round flier for receiver depth in deeper fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Deane Leonard Jun 26 1:30pm CT
Deane Leonard

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still might have been the most surprising player in the team's secondary during offseason workouts after the team's pass defense was their Achilles heel last year. Still was the team's fifth-round pick this year at 137th overall out of Maryland. He had an interception and had multiple pass deflections throughout minicamp. Safety Derwin James Jr. pointed to Still as a player who impressed him, while defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said he has appreciated how much Still has improved since the start of the offseason program. "He made a bunch of really nice plays out there," Minter said. The 22-year-old defensive back thrives in man-to-man coverage due to his aggressive and physical style of play. Still could immediately compete for a starting job with Deane Leonard this summer.

From RotoBaller

Josey Jewell Jun 26 1:20pm CT
Josey Jewell

The Denver Broncos signed linebacker Cody Barton in free agency this offseason thinking that he would be a prime contributor on special teams and could carve out a niche on defense if things went well. However, Barton has put himself squarely in the battle for the starting middle linebacker job to replace the departed Josey Jewell. He will be competing with Jonas Griffith, who missed last year due to a torn ACL he suffered in training camp. Barton got plenty of work with the defensive starters this offseason in organized team activities and minicamp, so he will arrive to training camp this summer to compete for a starting job. The former third-round selection by the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 out of Utah has had 100-plus combined tackles in each of the last two years with the Seahawks and Washington Commanders, so there's a chance Barton jumps onto the IDP radar if he seizes a starting job and runs with it.

From RotoBaller

Anthony Richardson Jun 26 1:10pm CT
Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said on The GM Shuffle podcast that second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder) will be "full-go" for the start of training camp at the end of July despite dealing with some shoulder fatigue during offseason activities. The shoulder soreness was something expected after Richardson had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder during his rookie season in 2023. Despite the fact that the 22-year-old former fourth overall pick played in just four games last year, his elite rushing abilities make him an attractive midrange QB1 going into his sophomore season. The 6-foot-4, 244-pounder also has above-average arm strength and has an incredibly high ceiling for fantasy managers if he can remain healthy. Once the elite names at the QB position come off the board in fantasy drafts, Richardson will be hard to pass up.

From RotoBaller

Chidobe Awuzie Jun 26 1:10pm CT
Chidobe Awuzie

Tennessee Titans undrafted free-agent cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally took full advantage of available repetitions during organized team activities and minicamp this offseason due to veterans Chidobe Awuzie and L'Jarius Sneed having limited participation. Jeudy-Lally said his length and comfort in press coverage gave him confidence to play in defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's aggressive scheme. "If I get up there and give myself the opportunity to win by getting my hands on guys and being in good position, it allows me to use my length to my ability, and everything falls into play from there," Jeudy-Lally said. He held his own in coverage against both receivers Treylon Burks and DeAndre Hopkins, so he could be a defensive back to watch in training camp this summer for the Titans.

From RotoBaller

Tre'Davious White Jun 26 10:13am CT
Tre'Davious White

Los Angeles Rams new cornerback Tre'Davious White (Achilles) signed a one-year deal with the Rams on April 9 after being released by the Buffalo Bills. White continues to rehab this offseason after tearing his Achilles in Week 4 of last year. He was working off to the side with trainers for the majority of organized team activities before participating in the walkthrough in the final week. It remains to be seen how much White will be able to do in training camp this summer. "He's making good progress. He was able to partake in the walkthrough. It's obviously a significant injury that he's overcome. He's gotten a lot of good stuff done on the side. You could see he's really locked in and engaged in the meeting setting," head coach Sean McVay said. White's 18 career interceptions are tied for 11th-most among active cornerbacks, per Pro Football Reference.

Jalen Brooks Jun 25 10:50pm CT
Jalen Brooks

Dallas Cowboys wide receivers Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks are both candidates to open 2024 in the third slot on the depth chart behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Both players have showcased their talent during OTAs and are pushing to make the WR3 competition interesting this summer. In terms of the players' specific skill sets, Archer wrote, "Brooks was able to work through traffic well, especially on tight throws on slants. Tolbert worked all three receiver spots and was able to make plays at all different levels." There's clearly a path for both receivers to get involved this season, and Dallas has shown that its WR3 can have bursts of fantasy relevance in the past. Perhaps Tolbert or Brooks could be a late-round sleeper in redraft leagues this year.

From RotoBaller

Nikko Remigio Jun 25 10:50pm CT
Nikko Remigio

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Nikko Remigio impressed while running with the first-team offense and is pushing to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. An undrafted free agent back in 2023, Remigio earned more reps this summer with Xavier Worthy (hamstring) sidelined. Remigio may struggle to pass the likes of Worthy, Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney in the pecking order, but his strong summer and talent as a kickoff returner could be enough to secure a roster spot and earn a few extra looks on offense. He's off the fantasy radar but is a rising name to watch as the 2024 campaign draws closer.

From RotoBaller

Kemoko Turay Jun 25 7:53pm CT
Kemoko Turay

Free-agent DE Kemoko Turay (Falcons) is expected to receive interest from multiple teams, according to sources.

From TheHuddle

Dante Pettis Jun 25 6:33pm CT
Dante Pettis

Chicago Bears WR Dante Pettis (undisclosed) missed a majority of the offseason workouts because of soft tissue injuries.

From TheHuddle

Dallin Holker Jun 25 3:40pm CT
Dallin Holker

New Orleans Saints tight end Dallin Holker was a priority undrafted free-agent signing by the team following the 2024 NFL Draft, and with Juwan Johnson (foot) potentially missing the rest of the offseason due to foot surgery, he has a chance to crack the Week 1 roster. "It was apparent the Saints liked Holker when they guaranteed him $235,000 to sign as an undrafted rookie free agent this spring," ESPN's Katherine Terrell wrote. "Holker has a real opportunity to make the team now that Juwan Johnson is sidelined indefinitely by a foot injury. Foster Moreau is the only veteran tight end on the roster with experience, which means Holker, who has had an impressive showing so far, could find playing time quickly." Holker had a quiet three-year career at BYU before posting 64 receptions for 767 yards and six touchdowns in 2023 at Colorado State. While he wasn't an overly impressive athlete during the pre-draft process, he could have a path to opportunity. He should enter the fantasy radar in deep tight-end-premium setups, but he's likely not worth a draft choice yet.

From RotoBaller

Lawrence Cager Jun 25 3:30pm CT
Lawrence Cager

New York Giants tight end Lawrence Cager has hauled in just 19 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns through the first 20 games of his NFL career, but after the retirement of Darren Waller, he could earn legitimate playing time in 2024. According to Giants reporter Jordan Raanan, Cager has capitalized on his opportunities this offseason. "It looked this spring like Cager and fourth-round pick Theo Johnson will be asked to fill that pass-catching role," Raanan wrote. "Both received some first-team reps and made plays in what primarily serves as a passing camp. Coach Brian Daboll even mentioned that Cager was 'probably one of the most improved players throughout the offseason,' which could open the door for him to make a significant contribution this season." Expectations should be tempered for the 26-year-old, but there are unexpected tight-end breakouts every year, so his performance at training camp later this summer should be monitored.

From RotoBaller

John Metchie III Jun 25 3:20pm CT
John Metchie III

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III has had a slow start to his NFL career, but there have been plenty of factors to cause the quiet start. The Alabama product missed his entire 2022 rookie season coming off an ACL tear and being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. He appeared in 16 games in 2023 but caught just 16 passes for 158 yards. However, ESPN Texans reporter DJ Bien-Aime suggests Metchie could be back to form in 2024. "Metchie is flashing signs of what made him a second-round pick in the 2022 draft." Bien-Aime wrote. His explosiveness appears back. He has also been in the rotation with the first-team offense." While Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell are locked into the starting lineup, Metchie has plenty of fantasy football intrigue if he secures the WR4 role. He'd be one injury away from entering the starting lineup in C.J. Stroud's offense, meaning he should be on the fantasy radar in deep leagues.

From RotoBaller

Ray-Ray McCloud Jun 25 3:10pm CT
Ray-Ray McCloud

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud signed with the team this offseason, but he largely went unnoticed since the Falcons had a busy offseason of new acquisitions. However, ESPN Falcons reporter Marc Raimondi said McCloud could be more involved in the offense than expected. "Most figured McCloud, a veteran going into his seventh year, would make his mark primarily as a return man," Raimondi said. "But he also got reps with Atlanta's first team this spring and performed well, catching passes from Cousins for big plays. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson figures to use many wide receivers. McCloud will be in that mix." The 27-year-old has just 768 receiving yards and one touchdown through his first 77 games, so it's tough to get too excited about him. However, this report should at least put him on the fantasy radar in deep leagues.

From RotoBaller

Trey Sermon Jun 25 2:00pm CT
Trey Sermon

With no clear replacement for Zack Moss after he left in free agency this offseason, the likeliest option to ascend to the No. 2 running back spot behind starter Jonathan Taylor appears to be Indianapolis Colts RB Trey Sermon. His hard running style has earned him the first crack at the job during offseason workouts. Sermon is on his third team in four seasons in the NFL, but this is the closest he's come to establishing some consistency in his career. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2023. Things are looking up for Sermon with training camp on the horizon, but fellow backups Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson will also be factors in the competition this summer and in the preseason. The 25-year-old Sermon had 35 carries for 160 yards last year in Indy and would be a popular waiver-wire pickup in fantasy leagues if Taylor misses more time with an injury in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Keion White Jun 25 1:20pm CT
Keion White

New England Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo mentioned defensive lineman/edge rusher Keion White when asked if there was a player this offseason that has surprised him so far. "Keion has kind of taken that step forward as far as being a leader -- not as much vocally, but you see him actually leading the groups and working well," Mayo said of the 2023 second-rounder. White played 45.8 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie last year and looks primed to increase that number in his sophomore campaign in 2024. In 16 games played (four starts) in his rookie season in 2023, White compiled 26 tackles (12 solo), one sack, three tackles for loss, five QB hits and three pass breakups for the Patriots secondary. Look for him to have a bigger role this year.

From RotoBaller

DJ Turner Jun 25 1:20pm CT
DJ Turner

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill entered the offseason in a precarious spot. The first-rounder in 2022 was the starting free safety last year in an experiment that didn't go well. As a result, Hill was moved to outside cornerback, where he appears to be taking charge in a position battle with DJ Turner, a second-rounder from 2023 who started 12 games his rookie season. Hill has taken the position change in stride and was disruptive in 7-on-7 drills during mandatory minicamp earlier this month. He is shaping up to remain a useful player for the Bengals' secondary as they enter training camp this summer. The 23-year-old had 110 tackles (72 solo), 1.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, five QB hits, two interceptions and 11 pass breakups in 17 starts last year, but he may be less productive in IDP fantasy formats with the move to corner.

From RotoBaller

Ray-Ray McCloud Jun 25 1:13pm CT
Ray-Ray McCloud

Atlanta Falcons WR Ray-Ray McCloud 'got reps with Atlanta's first team this spring and performed well,' according to ESPN.com's Marc Raimondi.

Fantasy Spin: McCloud will be worth using in leagues that reward fantasy points for return yardage, but the odds he earns significant playing time on offense - barring a rash of injuries - are low. Drake London and Darnell Mooney will start, while Rondale Moore will likely get the nod in three-receiver sets. McCloud will likely have to beat out sixth-round draft pick Casey Washington, who received some positive offseason hype, to be the team's fourth receiver.

From TheHuddle

Russell Wilson Jun 25 1:10pm CT
Russell Wilson

Unless something unforeseen happens, quarterback Russell Wilson will be the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting QB in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons this fall. It's his job to lose in training camp and the preseason. "I'm really pleased with what I heard coming (out) of there with Russ," NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said on the Rich Eisen Show. "I know there's been a lot of talk with him and Justin Fields. It's Russell Wilson's gig. Everything I've been told, they've been impressed with how he's thrown. Throwing with anticipation." The Athletic's Mark Kaboly also listed Fields as a "loser" in OTAs and minicamp because he feels Wilson has a chokehold on the starting gig right now. It doesn't really change anything from when head coach Mike Tomlin said Wilson would be in pole position as the starter earlier this offseason. Wilson is also embracing a leadership role and has embraced the city of Pittsburgh.

From RotoBaller