Best Ball League Winners

Each week the highest scoring quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, one flex (WR, RB, TE), and one defense/special teams that were drafted for each team are counted as that week’s points. Every other score is ignored for that week. If there are any further questions about how the best ball format works just open up the settings/rules summary on whatever site you are playing and it will lay it out for you. Now, let’s get to the players starting at quarterback.

Quarterback

Derek Carr Las, Vegas Raiders

This may come as a shock to some people but Derek Carr finished with 4,059 passing yards in 2019, the most of his career. Carr also finished with a 70.4% completion percentage, 100.8 quarterback rating, and 7.9 yards per attempt, all career highs. Furthermore, the Raiders added 1st round draft pick Henry Ruggs, 3rd round pick Lynn Bowden, and another 3rd round pick Bryan Edwards to the WR room. Add those additions to the guys already in place on the Raiders offense and 2020 is looking good for Derek Carr. There are some concerns, with veteran Marcus Mariota signed to a deal earlier this offseason, but the investment cost is worth risk. Especially considering you can draft Carr in the last five rounds in Best Ball.

Running Back

Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles should be significantly better in 2020 than they have been in recent memory. Decimated by injuries in 2019 the Eagles faltered and ultimately missed the playoffs. None of that was Miles Sanders‘ fault. After beginning 2019 stuck behind the very boring Jordan Howard, Sanders quickly emerged as the superior back and eventually took over a lead role when Howard went down with an injury. Sanders finished with 811 rushing yards, 509 receiving yards, 50 total receptions, and six total touchdowns. Those numbers would be considered very good for a running back who started and finished 2019 as the starter. Yet, as we know that wasn’t the case with Sanders. Furthermore, Jordan Howard is gone. Only Boston Scott (a change of pace back) and a bunch of camp bodies remain. The 2020 season is looking like the year of the Sanders.

Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

Jason Garrett is gone! Finally! While Garrett has finally been replaced by Mike McCarthy the outlook for Tony Pollard hasn’t changed much this offseason. In order for Pollard to become a league winner in 2020, Ezekiel Elliot would have to go down with an injury. Yet, Elliot has rushed well over 300 times in three of his four seasons. Any injury to Elliot would vault Pollard into an every-down role inside one of the best offenses in football. Furthermore, there is a distinct possibility the Cowboys are more careful with Elliot, after giving him a six-year $90 million extension last offseason. Any limiting of Elliot’s role would allow Pollard to step in as a third-down back. There are several avenues where Pollard can be the running back to break open the best ball landscape in 2020 and it would be wise to invest now.

Wide Receiver

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

Don’t sleep on the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. It will likely cost you some money. The Colts have acquired Philip Rivers to be the quarterback of the present. Furthermore, the Colts drafted Michael Pittman Jr. and should benefit from better health for the upcoming season. The Colts offensive philosophy for 2020 should be run the ball and play action. It’s the play-action, people should be terrified of. Especially with the ghost out wide. The four-time pro-bowler, T.Y. Hilton, suffered from an injury-plagued 2019 season that saw his status of a perennial top wide receiver get knocked down a peg.

Let’s not forget that Hilton is 9th among active WR in receiving yards. Hilton has also been a top 25 fantasy WR every year he has been in the NFL excluding 2019. This year he should have the best supporting cast of his career and the second-best quarterback he has ever had. We should fully expect Hilton to be a top 20-25 fantasy WR in 2020 with upside for a whole lot more.

Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys

Amari Cooper is a well-known name, so this isn’t exactly diving deep. With that being said, there is more upside here than people may realize. As previously mentioned, Jason Garrett has finally got the boot out of Dallas. The Cowboys brought on Mike McCarthy to replace him. The last time we saw Mike McCarthy was with Green Bay in 2018 when number one receiver Davante Adams saw 169 targets, 40 more than any other year. Amari Cooper is the clear alpha male of this Cowboys passing attack and could see a massive jump in targets. Even if that doesn’t come to fruition, the Cowboys are expected to be one of the best offenses in football and Amari Cooper should reap the rewards.

Henry Ruggs, Las Vegas Raiders

This is in the same vein as Derek Carr’s write up. Henry Ruggs was the top draft pick by the Raiders in the 2020 draft class. Ruggs should enter that wide receiver room as the clear number two, to Tyrell Williams. Throwing Ruggs beside Darren Waller, Tyrell Williams, Lynn Bowden, and Bryan Edwards should indicate that the Raiders offense should take a step forward in 2020. If that is the case, then Ruggs should see a ton of work as one of the most explosive receivers on the roster. Ruggs can easily emerge as an elite wide receiver very quickly and he is currently being taken in the back half of best ball drafts across the board.

Tight End

Ian Thomas Carolina Panthers

Greg Olsen is gone and it looks like it is time for Ian Thomas to shine. The overall outlook on the Panthers is positive as well. They return the best running back in football with solid wide receiver weapons and a quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater who is vastly more talented than his predecessor. Furthermore, it is very clear that Bridgewater is a check down charlie. Meaning that when he is on the field if the first read isn’t open he is going to check it down the underneath route. Who will run most of those underneath routes you ask? Christian McCaffery and, the tight end, Ian Thomas.

With Greg Olsen removed from the equation, Ian Thomas becomes the undisputed number one tight end in this offense. He should also greatly benefit from a solid supporting cast. Yet, Ian Thomas can be drafted in the last five rounds of most Yahoo Best Ball drafts.

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