Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide 2025: Introduction to Best Ball

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  • By André Lemos

    Last Updated on August 14, 2025 8:49 pm by Keston Paul | Published: August 14, 2025

    Best Ball offers an antidote for daily lineup setting, injury alerts pinging at all hours and last-minute game-time decisions. It is a format that rewards preparation, long-term thinking and draft-day execution without the relentless maintenance. And it’s not just catching on—it’s evolving into a cornerstone of high-stakes, volume-based fantasy play.

    At its core, Best Ball strips fantasy hoops down to its most essential—and for some, most enjoyable—element: the draft. After that, it’s a season-long simulation that measures how well you anticipated the ebb and flow of an 82-game NBA grind.

    Here’s how it works, and why it matters.

    The Format: Hands Off, but Skill-Intensive

    1. You Draft—Then Walk Away

    Best Ball leagues begin and end with the draft. Whether snake or auction, you’ll typically build out a larger roster than you’re used to—think 16 to 20 players. Once you’re done drafting, that’s it. No waiver wire. No trades. No FAAB. No managing injured reserve or juggling schedules. Your job is to build a deep, flexible, and high-ceiling roster capable of riding out the natural volatility of an NBA season.

    There’s beauty in that simplicity. But don’t mistake “set-it-and-forget-it” for low-skill. The game just front-loads the decision-making.

    1. Your Best Lineup Is Played Automatically

    This is where Best Ball gets its name. Each scoring period (usually weekly), the platform automatically selects your highest-scoring players at each position to form your lineup. Most leagues follow a structure similar to: 2 guards, 2 forwards, 1 center, 1 utility. You get full credit for your top scorers, regardless of whether they were “in your starting lineup,” because there is no such thing.

    This rewards not only star power, but roster balance. You want reliable producers, but also high-variance players who can spike for 50 fantasy points any given night—even if they’re bench fodder most of the season. In Best Ball, volatility is a feature, not a bug.

    1. Cumulative Scoring Across the Entire Season

    Unlike head-to-head formats, there are no matchups, no playoffs, and no tiebreakers. Every week, your team accumulates points, and whoever has the highest total at the end of the regular season wins. Some formats (like on Underdog Fantasy or Drafters) do introduce playoff-style brackets or tournament structures, but in standard Best Ball leagues, it’s a straight race.

    This makes player durability, availability, and long-term production paramount. A top-tier player who plays 65–70 games is almost always more valuable than a flashier star who might miss 25+ games. Availability is fantasy viability.

    Why Best Ball Is a Different Beast

    Looking to continue your introduction to Best Ball? You’ll need to have an NBA FantasyPass membership or purchase the Draft Guide. Click here to learn more and sign up!

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    August 14, 2025, 8:49 pm