Guest of the League
The Money Foundation Est. 2021
Dynasty $125 - 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

This Week in the TFC (7-25)

Player Notes
Alvin Kamara Jul 30 10:30am CT
Alvin Kamara

Coach Dennis Allen announced that New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (neck) was cleared for "full participation" on July 22. Allen noted that Young would continue to increase his daily activity and has complied with all the training staff's requirements. Young signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $13 million contract with the Saints this offseason. New Orleans aims to make Young a key component of their pass rush after he tied his career-high with 7.5 sacks last season, alongside 25 tackles and 41 pressures with Washington and San Francisco. The Saints finished the 2023 season ranked 28th with just 34 sacks, their lowest total since 2016. Young hopes to strengthen the New Orleans defense, potentially creating more fantasy opportunities for star offensive players like Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara.

From RotoBaller

Rashaad Penny Jul 30 10:30am CT
Rashaad Penny

The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Rashaad Penny on the reserve/retired list. Penny, who joined the Panthers this offseason, was set to reunite with head coach Dave Canales, the passing game coordinator during Penny's standout 2021 season with the Seattle Seahawks, and Brad Idzik, now the Panthers' offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, a series of injuriesincluding multiple strains, a torn ACL, and a fibula fracturehave hindered Penny's once-explosive performance. Despite rigorous rehab, he struggled to regain the speed that made him a dynamic force in college. Penny's 5.6 yards per carry would be the highest in NFL history if he had sustained it. He also recorded 2,248 rushing yards at San Diego State in 2017, ranking fifth for a single season in NCAA history. The former first-round pick had stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Panthers in May. Penny retires with 1,931 career rushing yards, 13 touchdowns on 348 carries, and 28 receptions for 227 yards.

From RotoBaller

Terrace Marshall Jr. Jul 30 10:20am CT
Terrace Marshall Jr.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. has been making a strong impression this year at training camp. Despite high expectations as a second-round pick out of LSU in 2023, Marshall has yet to fully realize his potential in the NFL. At LSU, he excelled with 106 receptions, 1,594 yards, and 23 touchdowns over 32 games. He is beginning to showcase the level of play he demonstrated in college, regularly providing highlights with his catches in training camp. However, Marshall faces stiff competition for playing time with the Panthers, having traded for Diontae Johnson, drafted Xavier Legette (32nd overall), and retained their leading receiver from 2023, Adam Thielen. Although Marshall's fantasy value remains uncertaingiven his modest 767 yards and one touchdown over his first three NFL seasonshe could still vie for the third wide receiver spot alongside Legette and Jonathan Mingo.

From RotoBaller

Roman Wilson Jul 30 9:30am CT
Roman Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson, who struggled during OTAs and minicamp, is now beginning to showcase the skills that led to his third-round draft selection. The rookie from Michigan received his opportunity on Saturday when the Steelers' first-team offense took the field, with Wilson stepping into the slot receiver role. He had a standout day, making several impressive catches from quarterbacks Justin Fields and Kyle Allen. Wilson is now firmly in the mix for the second wide receiver spot behind George Pickens, competing against Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson. If he can secure the No. 2 role, Wilson could emerge as a sleeper with significant upside, given the Steelers' track record of drafting and developing wide receivers.

From RotoBaller

Ty Johnson Jul 30 9:30am CT
Ty Johnson

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (undisclosed) suffered a noticeable injury after a significant hit from linebacker Terrel Bernard during a running play to the left side on Monday at training camp. Johnson, drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of 2019, has moved around the league before finding a place with the Bills in 2023. When starter James Cook missed practice on Sunday for personal reasons, Johnson and rookie Ray Davis split first-team reps almost evenly. This injury comes at a challenging time for Johnson, as he and Davis vie for the second spot on the depth chart, potentially giving Davis more opportunities. However, both backs may see playing time as they have distinct roles, with Davis being a power runner and Johnson being known for his speed and receiving skills. With Cook expected to handle most of the running back touches, Johnson's value is likely limited to a handcuff in fantasy at best.

From RotoBaller

Chase Claypool Jul 30 9:30am CT
Chase Claypool

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Chase Claypool (toe) is dealing with a toe injury, which Coach Sean McDermott described as a day-to-day issue. The Bills signed Claypool to a one-year deal in the offseason after underwhelming performances with the Dolphins and Bears in recent years. Although Claypool suffered the toe injury on Sunday, he is expected to make a swift recovery. Once he returns to practice, he will compete for a roster spot in the retooled Bills wide receiver group, which features Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins, and rookie Keon Coleman. Claypool currently holds little fantasy value unless he secures a spot in the starting rotation for Buffalo.

From RotoBaller

Rashod Bateman Jul 30 9:04am CT
Rashod Bateman

Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman (undisclosed) left practice early Monday, July 29, but head coach John Harbaugh said Bateman is just dealing with some soreness.

Matt Judon Jul 30 9:03am CT
Matt Judon

New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon appears to be holding in at training camp as he seeks a new long-term contract extension. On the first day of padded practices on Monday, Judon showed up in a sweatshirt, chatted with head coach Jerod Mayo for a while and then left the main field. The Patriots and Judon appear to be far apart on a contract extension. The 31-year-old is currently scheduled to make $6.5 million in 2024 in the final year of his current deal. A torn biceps caused Judon to miss the final 13 games of last season, but he made four straight Pro Bowls before last year, including a career-high 15.5 sacks and 60 tackles (36 solo) in 17 games (15 starts) for the Pats in 2022. The former fifth-round pick in 2016 by the Baltimore Ravens out of Grand Valley State combined for 28 sacks in 2021 and 2022 and could be back on the IDP fantasy radar this year if he proves he's fully healthy.

Rashaad Penny Jul 30 9:03am CT
Rashaad Penny

Carolina Panthers RB Rashaad Penny was placed on the Reserve/Retired list Tuesday, July 30.

Fantasy Spin: Scratch his name off the list of potential handcuffs to Chuba Hubbard. Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks will be in the mix as RB5s.

From TheHuddle

Calvin Austin III Jul 30 8:50am CT
Calvin Austin III

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III carried his impressive performance from OTAs and minicamp into training camp. A 2022 fourth-round pick, Austin missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury and saw limited action last year, with just 30 targets and 11 carries. At 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds, Austin is among the smallest players in the league, but the Steelers are giving him opportunities to play both inside and outside. He has demonstrated versatility by excelling in these roles, effectively handling short and deep routes and impacting various route types. Since the start of the year, Austin has been the team's second-best receiver, and nothing in the past week has altered that status. If he can outperform Van Jefferson and rookie third-round pick Roman Wilson for the second wide receiver spot, he could emerge as a valuable sleeper heading into 2024 fantasy drafts.

From RotoBaller

Royce Freeman Jul 30 8:33am CT
Royce Freeman

Dallas Cowboys RB Royce Freeman has impressed executive vice-president Stephen Jones. 'We were just talking about it last night at the scout dinner, 'What in the (world) was he doing sitting around out there?' An interesting guy to just have been sitting there. He's a great 2-3 combination in terms of what he can do as a backup. He's a big, thick guy. He'll be a good addition and great complement to (Ezekiel Elliott). And then we'll let these young guys between (Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis) and those guys battle it out.'

Fantasy Spin: That quote could mean that Freeman is ahead of Dowdle in the pecking order. He's one to watch that could rise up draft boards quickly from RB5 to RB4.

From TheHuddle

Tutu Atwell Jul 29 10:40pm CT
Tutu Atwell

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell is battling Demarcus Robinson for the third spot on the depth chart, but he'll most likely end up as the WR4, as long as rookie sixth-rounder Jordan Whittington doesn't unseat him. As training camp rolls on, it'll be worth monitoring who between Whittington and Atwell is getting more first-team reps because that'll be an indication of how the rotation might shake out in the regular season. Atwell started hot but faded late during the 2023 season, averaging 5.5 catches on 8.8 targets for 67.5 yards over the opening four outings of the year that star receiver Cooper Kupp was sidelined for. Atwell passed the 30-yard barrier just once over his closing 12 contests. The 24-year-old wideout is just a dart-throw WR6/7 bench piece for fantasy managers in deep leagues this summer.

From RotoBaller

Jonathan Mingo Jul 29 10:40pm CT
Jonathan Mingo

Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo continues to impress for the Carolina Panthers during practice at training camp. Mingo's first year in the league was a flop with the Panthers, seeing him collect just 41 of his 85 passes for 418 scoreless yards despite playing plenty of snaps in 15 games, but the second-year man out of Ole Miss is looking to bounce back in his sophomore season. The 23-year-old wideout was a second-round pick in the NFL draft in 2023, and he's currently battling with Terrace Marshall Jr. for No. 4 receiver duties behind rookie first-round Xavier Legette in Carolina's offense. Barring a trade involving Diontae Johnson's expiring contract later this year or Adam Thielen being phased out of the offense, Mingo still looks hard-pressed for a consistent role in three-receiver sets as a WR6/7 in fantasy leagues to begin the campaign.

From RotoBaller

Theo Johnson Jul 29 10:30pm CT
Theo Johnson

The New York Giants experimented with rookie tight end Theo Johnson in the first-team offense on Monday. It was a fairly uneventful practice, with the Giants installing early-down packages, but that allowed the team to get a closer look at Johnson. New York selected the 23-year-old out of Penn State in the fourth round of this past spring's NFL draft, and he'll compete with Daniel Bellinger in the tight end room for quarterback Daniel Jones' targets in the short and intermediate levels of the field in the New York offense. The G-Men have struggled to find consistent tight end play for almost a decade, and Johnson appears to be in the mix for the starting role. With that said, Johnson's appeal is more pronounced in dynasty setups in the aftermath of Darren Waller's retirement but should see his role grow as the season rolls on.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Rodgers Jul 29 10:20pm CT
Aaron Rodgers

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers' debut season with the New York Jets ended after just four snaps due to a torn left Achilles. NFL.com's Judy Battista visited with the highly motivated 40-year-old quarterback at training camp, and his mission remains the same: "I'd like to still have two great years." Rodgers is looking forward to the upcoming joint practices the Jets have scheduled against the Washington Commanders, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers for the measuring sticks they will provide as works his way back from such a serious injury, considering he's unlikely to play in any preseason games this summer. The four-time MVP's best fantasy days are likely behind him, but he has enough weapons in New York that he could still churn out some QB1-caliber weeks in the proper game environments. The vaunted Jets defense is likely to diminish shootout potential this year, so Rodgers is just a QB2 bet at his 134 ADP.

From RotoBaller

Cooper Kupp Jul 29 10:10pm CT
Cooper Kupp

After injuries setback his past two seasons, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is happy to "feel healthy" at the onset of training camp this year. "I feel good. We got a lot of good work in this offseason," Kupp said during a Monday interview on GMFB Overtime. Kupp sat out for the first month of the 2023 season due to an August hamstring injury, and he's glad to be able to practice and work with quarterback Matthew Stafford ahead of the 2024 regular season. Although the 31-year-old former triple-crown receiver showed significant signs of slowdown a year ago, he still commanded the ninth-most red-zone targets (19) among eligible wideouts in just 12 games. Kupp remains a preference in PPR fantasy leagues at this stage of his career, but he's looking like a safe WR2 bet in the fourth or fifth round of drafts this summer after averaging 6.4 catches (8.8 targets) and 68.8 yards per game with four total touchdowns covering his last five contests of the 2023 campaign.

From RotoBaller

Deshaun Watson Jul 29 10:00pm CT
Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) ended practice before the other three quarterbacks on the fourth day of training camp, but it was nothing of concern. Watson is coming off November surgery to repair the fractured right shoulder socket, and it sounds like the Browns are simply monitoring his reps in order to maintain his health. Watson threw for three consecutive days to begin training camp, and it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to play in time for the Aug. 10 preseason opener against the visiting Green Bay Packers. The 28-year-old three-time Pro Bowler doesn't carry a whole lot of risk at his 167 ADP this summer in fantasy drafts, as he's being treated as a QB2 after putting up just 2,217 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions over two years (12 games) since joining Cleveland in 2022. In 2021, Watson led the league passing yards (4,823), yards per attempt (8.9), and yards per completion (12.6) in his last fully healthy season.

From RotoBaller

Russell Wilson Jul 29 9:50pm CT
Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) was a partial participant in Sunday's practice, and head coach Mike Tomlin expects he'll work into some team periods this week. Wilson missed most of the first block of team practice at training camp last week, but he appears to be progressing well from his calf injury and could increase his activity during the second week of camp. He still has plenty of time to be ready to play by the time Pittsburgh's preseason opener comes around on Aug. 9 against the visiting Houston Texans. The 35-year-old former Pro Bowler is looking to give the Steelers some stability under center for the first time in years, but he's unlikely to be much of viable fantasy option outside of deep two-QB formats this fall in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's run-centric offense. Even so, Wilson closed with the ninth-most fantasy points per dropback (0.54) last year and could find himself on the streaming radar in potential shootout scenarios.

From RotoBaller

Lamar Jackson Jul 29 9:40pm CT
Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (illness), who was back at Saturday's practice after dealing with an illness, said he feels "wonderful" when asked about his health on Monday. Jackson missed four of the team's first five practices at training camp last week with a "bug." The 27-year-old two-time MVP has now participated in three straight sessions, and he doesn't feel as if he's behind with his reps. In his first season with offensive coordinator Todd Monken calling the plays in Baltimore, Jackson finished first among qualifying signal-callers in fantasy points per dropback (0.68) en route to his second career MVP award. With his ailment seemingly behind him, Jackson is safe to draft as a top-five fantasy option at his position this summer.

From RotoBaller

Jabrill Peppers Jul 29 7:43pm CT
Jabrill Peppers

New England Patriots S Jabrill Peppers (leg) left practice early Monday, July 29, after suffering an apparent lower leg injury.

From TheHuddle