Tue Jun 24th 2025

My Rotoviz Listener-League Best Ball Draft

Last weekend, I had the privilege of drafting in a Rotoviz listener league. The gracious Rotoviz podcast hosts Shawn Siegele and Colm Kelly invited me to join their $35 FFPC Best Ball league. I joyfully accepted the opportunity to play against some of my favorite podcast hosts and their loyal listeners. This article is not dynasty-related as usual, but I was so excited about the opportunity to draft with Shawn and Colm that I had to write about it.

For my followers who are not familiar with best ball leagues, they are redraft leagues where you draft a team but do not manage it throughout the season. Meaning there are no waiver transactions throughout the year. You draft a team, and then your highest-scoring players at each of the positions get inserted into your lineup that week. There are no head-to-head contests. Instead, the highest-scoring team at the end of the season wins the league.

I participate in a modest 10-15 best-ball leagues a year and have done so for years. I join best ball leagues over the summer to have some fun, prepare for the redraft season, and win some money. Except for last season, I have finished in the money every year I have played, including winning $800 a few years ago in another listener league I joined at Evan Silva's invitation.

This new league is different because it is a tournament. The top two scoring teams advance to the playoffs to compete with other top-scoring teams in the tournament. The grand prize is $100,000. I'm not aiming to win the grand prize.  I want to show my medal by winning this league against Shawn, Colm, and their fellow followers.

Before I share about the draft, let me mention the league settings. First, this is a superflex league. Second, it is a tight end premium with 1.5 PPR compared to 1.0 PPR for running backs and wide receivers. Other than that, the scoring for yardage and touchdowns is standard. The rosters consist of one QB, two RBs, two WRs, one TE, and two flex positions, with one of the flex spots can be filled by a quarterback. Again, the top-scoring players on rosters get inserted into the starting lineups for that week. Finally, we have 20 roster spots, and I was drafting from the three spots.

With all that, by way of context, here is who I drafted and why I drafted I drafted them.

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1.3 - Josh Allen

• I expected Allen and Lamar Jackson to go in either order at 1-2 and thought I would have to decide between Jayden Daniels and Ja'Maar Chase. Instead, Allen fell to me at 1.3 after Daniels was taken at 1.2. I gladly selected Allen, who was the second-highest-scoring player in the league last year in this format. Stacking is essential in best ball leagues, which is the only downside of Allen, as he does not have a top-scoring pass catcher to target. Still, he'll score plenty of points on my team by himself, and he never gets injured. He was the wisest and safest pick for me in the first round.

2.10 - Baker Mayfield

• Two top-tier wide receivers were available to me in the second round, Nico Collins and Drake London, but I decided to be a bit of a bully in this superflex league by being the first to draft two quarterbacks. I drafted Mayfield, who was the 7th highest-scoring player in this league last year and has better players to stack later in the draft. I decided to solidify my quarterback position so that I could load up with six to eight running backs and wide receivers later in the draft. My next pick made that strategy even more mandatory.

3.3 - George Kittle

• I drafted Kittle ahead of where he is usually drafted because I wanted to have the top quarterback depth and a top-three tight end in this tight-end premium league. For reference, Brock Bowers was selected at pick 1.4 and Trey McBride at pick 1.10. Bowers scored the 16th most points in this format last year, McBride the 20th, and Kittle the 24th. If Kittle stays healthy this season, I am confident that he will again be a top-24 scoring player. My strategy to solidify my quarterback position and TE-1 position allowed me to go heavy at running back and wide receiver for the next few rounds, and I knew solid players would fall to me as other teams drafted quarterbacks and tight ends.

4.10 - Kyren Williams

• Williams fell way further than he should have, and I was happy to select him so late in the fourth round. If he gets the same workload as last year, he'll be a steal in the fourth round. The Rams brought in competition with Jarquez Hunter, but they did the same last season a round earlier with Blake Corum, and he did not cut into Williams's workload. I'm betting on the same this year. He was the 22nd-highest-scoring player in this format last year and the 7th-highest-scoring running back. Jonathan Taylor and Bucky Irving were drafted ahead of Williams at 3.4 and 3.12, as were Chase Brown and Josh Jacobs at 4.5 and 4.6. I could see drafting Jacobs and Brown ahead of Williams, but Taylor and Irving were both drafted ahead of them. Williams was a steal this late in the fourth round.

5.3 - Terry McLaurin

• I was pleased to start with two quarterbacks, a top-tier tight end, and what I consider to be a top-tier running back to start the draft, but that meant I needed to load up on wide receivers throughout the rest of the draft, especially with the next several picks. My strategy was to draft the top-targeted wide receivers on teams whenever possible, maximizing their opportunities to make my starting lineup each week in a PPR league. McLaurin is a second or third-tier wide receiver, and he will have a hard time scoring more touchdowns than he did last year. He was the 7th highest-scoring wide receiver in this format last year. Still, he's the top target with an excellent quarterback on a surprisingly high-powered offense. I expect defenses to adjust and defend Daniels and the Commanders better in his second year, but McLaurin will still have a productive season. He was the wide receiver on the board with the steadiest floor, so I selected him for his consistency.

6.10 - Mike Evans

• I was surprised to see Evans, the 13th-highest-scoring wide receiver in this format last season, still available in the sixth round. I assume drafters were fearful of an age cliff this season and/or the depth the Buccaneers have behind him now. I have some concerns about his age, too, but I consider him a tremendous value at this point of the draft. Plus, I was pleased to add a stack for Mayfield. Evans is a touchdown maker, and he and Mayfield can double up to score massive points on weeks throughout the season. If he stays healthy, other managers who passed on him will regret it.

7. 3 - Courtland Sutton

• Another top-targeted wide receiver fell to me again late in the seventh round. I was very pleased to select Sutton at this late stage. He fell because ten quarterbacks and tight ends were selected between my sixth and seventh-round picks. I expected that to happen so that solid top-target wide receivers would fall to me. Sutton was the 15th-highest-scoring receiver in this format last year, and unlike Evans and McLaurin, who I drafted for their reliable floor, Sutton has a higher ceiling. He can outproduce what he did last season as the Broncos' entire offense improves in year two with Bo Nix. I'm confident that Sutton will have many high-scoring weeks to help this best-ball team and remain the top target in Denver.

8.10 - Aaron Rodgers

• In this superflex league, I aimed to draft three starting quarterbacks, increasing the likelihood that I would have two quarterbacks in my starting lineup most weeks. I was the first to draft a second quarterback, and I was also the second to draft a third. Rodgers was more productive last year than most drafters remember. With one more year of health and recovery from his Achilles injury, he can be productive again and help this best ball team tremendously. I secured a third quarterback starter who has no competition for his starting role. The only other quarterback drafted after Rodgers whose starting role is secure was Geno Smith, who went as the last pick in this round. I accomplished my goal of drafting three starting quarterbacks with no competition behind them, meaning I could draft running backs and wide receivers for most of the rest of the draft, with two tight ends added late to help bolster my lineup in case Kittle gets injured.

9.3 - Aaron Jones

• Jones will have competition this year with Jordan Mason, but he will still be the lead back in their one-two-punch offense. The Vikings improved their offensive line tremendously this offseason, and I am confident that coach O'Connell can keep the offense productive even with a first-time starting quarterback, J.J. McCarthy. Jones was the 14th highest-scoring running back in this format last season, even while battling injuries. His upside is capped this season, given his age and the new competition, but he will have very productive games and see my starting lineup frequently when he does. I was pleased to add RB-1 to a presumed committee on a high-scoring offense this late.

10.10 - Khalil Shakir

• I didn't think I would be able to do so in this draft, but I did add a wide receiver stack for Josh Allen, his top-target wide receiver last year, Shakir. He's not the focal point of the offense, but he'll have productive games throughout the season and help me double up points this week. The Bills gave him a new contract this offseason, demonstrating their appreciation for his role in the offense. He was Allen's most productive wide receiver again this year, and I am willing to bet on him doing so again late in the draft.

11.3 - Brian Robinson

• I considered drafting Robinson in the previous round, so I was pleased to have him fall to me four picks later after the 10-11 turn. Robinson will not do anything outstanding this season, and he's not effective in the passing game. However, he will receive most of the carries in Washington and secure goal-line touches and touchdowns, just as he did last season. The Commanders did not add a running back in the draft until the seventh round, so his role on first and second down in the offense is secure. His offense will be high-scoring, and his one and two touchdown weeks this season (he had ten last season) will help my starting lineup many times this season.

12.10 - Darnell Mooney

• As I wrote about last week in my dynasty article, I predict Mooney to be this year's Jauan Jennings. Meaning, he will have the best year of his career in his 27-year-old season. He had the second-best year of his career last year despite playing with a declining Kirk Cousins. The Falcons added no significant competition to the wide receiver position in this offense, and they have a younger and more competent quarterback, Michael Penix. Mooney will be the second-most targeted receiver in Atlanta and will have his share of breakout games. Last season, he scored double-digit points in 50% of his games. He will do so even more this season.

13.3 - Rhamondre Stevenson

• Coach Vrabel has stated that Stevenson will be a significant part of the offense despite drafting TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of the draft. I understand why drafters don't believe him and let Stevenson fall in best ball drafts. Still, there comes a time when he's worth the best, especially on a team like mine that intentionally neglected the running back position after drafting Kyren Williams in the fourth round. The Patriot offense will undoubtedly improve under Vrabel and Drake Maye this season, and Stevenson will be the goal-line back. He was off to a hot start last season but wasn't as productive in the second half.  He scored six touchdowns in the first eight games and just one in the second eight that he played. I'm banking on more consistent touchdown games to propel him to my RB-2 in starting lineups throughout this season. He's a good gamble for touchdown upside at this point in the draft.

14.10 - Cade Otton

• I almost drafted Otton as my Mayfield stack and second tight end on my team in the last round, but I took a gamble, hoping he would be available 18 picks later. Surprisingly, he did. Immediately after selecting him, another manager posted in the draft, "Such a value and way to get a stack so late." I agreed and said, "Thank you." Otton was the 13th-highest-scoring tight end in this format last season, yet he was selected as the 24th tight end in this draft. That's what I call value! I'm banking on Kittle to stay healthy and be the highest-scoring tight end on my team every week, but if he does get injured, at least I have a stack in Otton that can help my team double up points. I chose the "Great and Late" strategy at tight end by selecting a top-tier tight end early and waiting until the 14th round to draft the next one. It will pay off.

15 .3 - Adam Thielen

• This late in the draft, why not select one of the oldest players in the league but one who had one of the hottest starts to the season last year? If he and Bryce Young keep their beginning-of-the-year chemistry, he could be among my highest-scoring wide receivers some weeks, especially in a PPR league. He's not a player to draft for high upside, but he could be a steady force on my team that helps when my top receivers have bye weeks, injuries, or down weeks.

16.10 - Braelon Allen

• In my boldest prediction last week, I said that Allen would be this year's Chase Brown, a second-year back who becomes the leading back by the end of the season. Please read my article from last week to read more about why I believe he could surpass Breece Hall by the end of the season. Whether he does that or not, I wanted to add one back that could get a massive boost if he were to become the starter due to injury or performance. Allen was just the guy at this point in the draft. Tank Bigsby was the best backup back taken in the 16th round. He should have gone far earlier, but the other four backs taken in this round were Dylan Sampson, D.J. Giddens, Will Shipley, and Woody Marks, in that order. I prefer Allen's opportunity to be a late-season breakout for this team over those four players, and I was glad to add him late in this draft.

17.3 - DeMario Douglas

• Douglas should have been drafted way earlier in this draft. He was a top target of Drake Maye's in mini-camp and will be a much bigger part of the offense in Josh McDaniels's offense this season. I don't expect a lot of touchdowns from Douglas, but I expect a lot of catches, providing a safe floor for my team if my top wide receivers have bad weeks or are on bye. I expect occasional big games for Douglas when he does score touchdowns. I consider him a great find this late in the draft.

18. 10 - Xavier Legette

• I drafted Douglas for a safe floor and occasional breakout games, and I drafted Legette for the opposite reason. He'll either have a breakout sophomore season or get buried on the depth chart by Tetario McMillan and old man Thielen, who is already on my team, let alone Jalen Coker, who outperformed him in their rookie year. If you follow my dynasty takes, I've always been higher on Legette than most managers and analysts. I was happy to get one more of my guys near the end of this draft and hope I'm proved right by my strong stand on Legette last season. His first-round draft capital demands that they give him every chance to thrive or fail in his second season. I expect him to thrive.

19. 3 - Miles Sanders

• I wanted to add one more running back to my squad that had a climbable depth chart and/or a chance to excel if the lead back gets injured, so I decided to take a chance on Sanders. Ironically, he was sandwiched between two players who fit the same bill: Rico Dowdle (drafted before me) and Trevor Etienne (drafted after me). Jaydon Blue was drafted a whopping eight rounds earlier in the 11th round, and Javonte Williams was drafted in the 14th round. Meaning, there is a lot of speculation about this backfield. I wanted in on a piece of it, too. I expect Williams to get the leading role and Blue's role to be limited, so I was happy to draft Sanders as my last running back to see how it plays out in Dallas.

20.10 - Will Dissly

• I waited until the final round to draft my third and final tight end. Still, I have a starting tight end on a productive offense, even though other managers do not see him as the starter based on this draft. Oronde Gadsden was drafted three rounds earlier in the 17th round, and Tyler Conklin was drafted in the 19th round. Gadsden has impressed in mini-camp, but he is a rookie, and Conklin is new to the team. Whereas Dissly took 70% of the Chargers snaps last year at tight end and had 69 receptions, including 11 in the Chargers' two playoff games. All I wanted with my third and final starting tight end was a starter, and I found, even though managers in this draft don't think so. 

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In a superflex best ball league, I am very pleased to have Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, and Aaron Rodgers as my quarterbacks.

In a tight-end premium best-ball league, I am thrilled to have George Kittle as my anchor player, with Cade Otton and Will Dissly behind him. May Kittle stay healthy this season!

Given my strategy to draft quarterbacks and a tight end with my first three picks in a PPR league, I am pleased with the number of top-targets wide receivers I added on my team like Terry McLaurin, Courtland Sutton, Mike Evans (depending on Godwin's health), and Khalil Shakir, especially since two of them stack to my quarterbacks. I was also glad to add some players with breakout upside, like Darnell Mooney and Xavier Legette, and have them sprinkled in with PPR producers like Adam Thielen and DeMario Douglas.

I chose the hero running back strategy, drafting Kyren Williams to anchor my running back room. I need him to stay healthy. I drafted three relatively safe committee lead backs, Aaron Jones, Brian Robinson, and Rhamondre Stevenson, and two players late who could become big surprises, Braelon Allen and Miles Sanders, if their opportunities increase.

It features a balanced roster with three quarterbacks, three tight ends, six running backs, and eight wide receivers. I'm excited to see how I can compete with Shawn, Colm, and their loyal listeners, and I hope to earn bragging rights at the end of the season and advance in the larger tournament. It will be fun to follow this season!

Thanks to Rotoviz, Shawn, and Colm for the opportunity to join the league! Good luck, everyone!

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