For those of you who’ve requested more points-based rankings and content, these next two articles are for you!
Over the past six weeks, I’ve participated in over 200 Best Ball drafts on both DraftKings (DK) and Underdog (UD). This hasn’t made my girlfriend very happy, but hopefully some of you will be more appreciative.
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Why do I like playing Best Ball formats? It’s simple: you get all the fun of drafting, without the extra time commitment from having to manage your rosters. And I’ve had a lot of success in Best Ball, winning contests across multiple platforms and consistently advancing teams to the final rounds.
I started drafting early so that I could get in on the action while the default rankings were still fresh, trying to gobble up as much value as possible.
Before we get to the 25 players who I think are being undervalued on both sites, first let’s review the subtle differences between these two Best Ball contests…
Differences in scoring and position requirements
In terms of their scoring systems, there are a few key differences between these two contests. On DK, steals and blocks are worth +2 points each, compared to +3 points each on UD. DK also awards +0.5 points for each 3-pointer made, whereas UD doesn’t award any extra points for threes. Turnovers are -1 point each on UD, but just -0.5 points each on DK. And lastly, DK awards bonus points for double-doubles (+1.5 points) and triple-doubles (+3 points), boosting those players who are consistent double-double threats.
Positionally, DK groups players into guards, forwards and centers, while UD groups players into guards, wings and bigs. Conceptually, I like Underdog’s decision here to use the more modern terms of wings and bigs, but in terms of execution, they could have done a better job of balancing the importance of each position — more on that below.
One thing I prefer about DK is that seven players score for your team each week, compared to just six players scoring for your team on UD. In this regard, having strong depth and vast league-wide knowledge isn’t nearly as important as it should be. But I digress, as both companies want to make these contests as accessible as possible. We can still try to leverage our knowledge against more casual fantasy basketball managers.
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Differences in position eligibility
This is where these two contests really differ, in particular at the wing (UD) versus forward (DK) position and the big (UD) versus center (DK) position. To see what I mean, I’ll examine my Top 100 player rankings for points-based leagues, from my latest cheat sheet. But first, consider that in both contests, across a 12-team league, a minimum of 24 guards, 24 wings or forwards, and 12 bigs or centers will be started each week.
On Underdog, the breakdown of my current Top 100 is: 43 guards, 30 wings and 27 bigs. On DraftKings, the breakdown is: 43 guards, 37 forwards and 20 centers.
On Underdog, it should be easy to deduce that reliable wings are extra valuable, due to there being only 30 wings available from my Top 100 players, yet 24 wings must be started each week. Conversely, their decision to classify many power forwards as big men has devalued the importance of the bigs position in their contest, since only one big man per team needs to be started each week, but there are 27 bigs available from my Top 100 players.
On DraftKings there is better positional balance, but instead it’s the centers who should be placed at a premium. With 12 starting center spots in each league, having 20 centers from my Top 100 players isn’t a terrible ratio to fill those spots. However, it should be pointed out that there are only six centers on DK who crack my Top 50 player rankings. So reliable star centers should be highly coveted and sought after when drafting in DK’s Best Ball contest.
The average draft positions (ADP) listed below are as of September 29. And if the “Wong effect” is real, you can expect most of these players to start moving up draft boards.
Here are the players who I’ve been drafting most frequently…
Tyrese Haliburton, IND – ADP: 9.8 DK; 9.3 UD
At the end of the first round, I tend to prefer Haliburton over players like Trae Young, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis in these contests. This is especially true on DK, thanks to the bonus points awarded for double-doubles. I think there’s a strong chance that Haliburton records 50+ double-doubles this season, which only three players accomplished last year.
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Bam Adebayo, MIA – ADP: 21.4 DK; 31.1 UD
Due to my point above about there being only a small handful of elite centers on DraftKings, I’ve been taking Adebayo early and often. I’m still willing to draft him on Underdog — and in Roto leagues as well — but I’ll wait a bit longer. I think it’s only a matter of time before Bam’s ADP on DK moves into the Top 20.
Mikal Bridges, BKN – ADP: 24.9 DK; 17.3 UD
Thanks to his proven durability and increased role on the Nets, Bridges has developed into one of the most reliable wings in the entire league. He’s been a favorite second round pick of mine on UD, and he rarely falls to the third round there. And going back to the fact that he hasn’t missed a game in four of his five seasons played, and that he’s entering the prime of his career, I’ll gladly take Bridges over LeBron James in most situations.
Evan Mobley, CLE – ADP: 31.3 DK; 36.5 UD
I actually haven’t drafted Mobley too much on Underdog, but I’ve selected him in over 40% of my DraftKings drafts, thus far, due to his coveted center-eligibility. Of course it’s a little confusing how Mobley is listed at center on DK, but Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Davis are not.
Zion Williamson, NOR – ADP: 35.8 DK; 31.2 UD
It makes sense for Roto managers to avoid taking Zion in the Top 30 since his free throw percentage is quite damaging and he doesn’t block many shots. But in most points-based leagues Zion is much more valuable, and I also think the Best Ball format works to his advantage compared to weekly lineup leagues — he might miss games, but you aren’t stuck with him in your lineup. With all of that said, I’m shocked he doesn’t go sooner in these drafts.
Jordan Poole, WAS – ADP: 46.0 DK; 43.8 UD
It’s tough to say for sure if Poole is being undervalued, but I do think he has Top 40 upside in these points-based leagues, so I’ve drafted him a fair amount. His career averages are just 3.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per 36 minutes, but those are two areas where he could really improve his fantasy value.
Scottie Barnes, TOR – ADP: 52.4 DK; 34.2 UD
Barnes has a lower ceiling in Roto leagues due to his mediocre foul shooting and shaky 3-point shot, but I’m definitely liking him in points-based leagues. Due to the lack of wing depth on Underdog, Barnes’ ADP has been skyrocketing there.
Chet Holmgren, OKC – ADP: 56.4 DK; 47.0 UD
Coming into this season as a bit of an unknown, I’m still happy to take the plunge on Holmgren when he falls into the 50’s. It’s tough to project his scoring output on the Thunder, but he’ll definitely be a rebounding and shot-blocking force.
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Nic Claxton, BKN – ADP: 60.5 DK; 61.2 UD
Claxton seems to be getting drafted higher in Roto leagues, thanks to his league-leading 70.5% FG mark from a season ago. But his lack of scoring allows him to fall a bit further than he should in these points-based contests, making him slightly undervalued.
Franz Wagner, ORL – ADP: 67.4 DK; 53.4 UD
I consider Wagner to be a gatekeeper of sorts in these contests because the quality of wings and forwards really starts to diminish once he’s off the board. In addition to his fantasy stats being rock solid, Franz has missed just five games combined over his past two seasons.
Anfernee Simons, POR – ADP: 77.9 DK; 72.2 UD
Not long ago, Simons’ ADP for both contests was floating in the mid-to-late 80’s, but that’s quickly changing due to the Damian Lillard trade. While I like Scoot Henderson as well, his ADP in these contests is already 10-15 spots earlier than Simons.
OG Anunoby, TOR – ADP: 81.6 DK; 64.3 UD
ADP-wise, a comparable player to Anunoby is Keldon Johnson of the Spurs. However, OG has a lot more upside, in my opinion, because he’s always had to play a supporting role on the Raptors, yet Johnson was given a starring role last season and didn’t really wow anybody.
Jalen Duren, DET – ADP: 84.0 DK; 99.5 UD
Duren getting drafted higher on DK is another example of the center scarcity issue in that contest. Savvy fantasy managers will also be targeting Duren, but there are plenty of casual hoops fans who still think James Wiseman is the superior talent and prospect. It won’t take long for them to realize they’re wrong.
Mark Williams, CHA – ADP: 92.6 DK; 103.4 UD
There were 14 games last season in which Williams played 24 minutes or more, and in those contests he averaged a rock solid 13.0 points, 10.8 boards and 1.1 blocks per game. The game will be even easier for him in Year 2 now that LaMelo Ball is healthy and Williams has a year of experience under his belt. Getting him at his current ADP could really pay off.
Marcus Smart, MEM – ADP: 99.3 DK; 105.0 UD
I’ve drafted Smart over 22% of the time on UD, and I’m going to call this my Underdog special pick. That’s because the big prize money on UD will be paid out right after the All-Star break, rather than in April. With Ja Morant guaranteed to miss nearly half of Memphis’ games before the break, Smart will provide a valuable boost in that contest.
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Aaron Gordon, DEN – ADP: 101.1 DK; 88.3 UD
Gordon’s negative free throw impact last season was pretty rough, as he shot under 61% from the foul line on 4.6 attempts per game. That’s a major negative in Roto leagues, but it’s something you don’t need to worry about too much in points-based leagues. As such, I think Gordon this late is a fine value.
Markelle Fultz, ORL – ADP: 115.9 DK; 124.4 UD
Fultz isn’t a big-time scorer, and I think he often gets overlooked as a result. But he manages to rack up stats in all of the non-scoring categories, and could easily take a jump this season if he can play closer to 32 minutes per game. Over the past two seasons combined, his per 36 minute stats are 4.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocks.
Tre Jones, SAS – ADP: 118.4 DK; 125.4 UD
In most drafts that I’ve participated in, Tyus Jones gets picked a good 20+ picks sooner than his younger brother Tre. I’m not sure if that should be the case, as Tre is locked into a starting role with the Spurs, and is still just 23 years old, meaning there’s room for growth this season and beyond.
Amen Thompson, HOU – ADP: 127.6 DK; 115.2 UD
Kevin Porter Jr. is likely to miss the entire season, but Thompson’s ADP doesn’t quite reflect that yet, especially on DraftKings. As a shaky shooter, I’m a little concerned about drafting Amen in Roto leagues, but he’s another player who gets a solid bump in points-based leagues.
Deni Avdija, WAS – ADP: 133.2 DK; 117.4 UD
When I started drafting on Underdog, Avdija’s ADP was in the 130’s, like it is now on DK. But thanks to the scarcity of wings, he’s now moved into the Top 120 on UD. Given the increased role coming to him, and the fact that he’s still scratching the surface of his potential, Avdija is a wise pick in the later rounds.
Tari Eason, HOU – ADP: 152.1 DK; 125.4 UD
Eason’s ADP on Underdog is much more in line with how I think he should be valued given his strong upside and proven ability to produce solid numbers off the bench. I’ve drafted a lot of him in both contests, and recommend drafting him over more boring veterans.
Jaden McDaniels, MIN – ADP: 160.7 DK; 125.0 UD
McDaniels is another player who isn’t going to score a lot of points, but he’s still quite capable of improving his fantasy value. He just turned 23 years old a few days ago, but McDaniels has quickly figured out his NBA role as a defensive stopper who can make defenses pay when double-teaming Anthony Edwards or Karl-Anthony Towns.
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Herbert Jones, NOR – ADP: 171.4 DK; 160.8 UD
Once Trey Murphy III went down with a meniscus injury, I started targeting Jones as a late round pick in both contests. Like McDaniels, he won’t score 20+ points very often, but he’s capable of racking up steals and blocks. And if Zion Williamson goes down, more minutes would come his way.
Paul Reed, PHI – ADP: 179.1 DK; 169.0 UD
Reed has been an excellent per minute producer the past few seasons, and this may be the year where he finally gets to play reliable rotation minutes, thanks to a new head coach, Nick Nurse, who believes in him, as well as an aging non-scorer to compete for minutes with him in PJ Tucker. Factor in the injury potential for Joel Embiid, and you have an excellent last round flier for these contests.
Jonathan Kuminga, GSW – ADP: 182.3 DK; 152.1 UD
Kuminga is another example of wings with upside flying off the board near the end of Underdog drafts. At first I was hammering the young Warrior in nearly every draft that I participated in, but then I started to diversify my exposure a bit, taking players like Jones instead. But with Draymond Green now injured and likely to miss the start of the season, I think it’s time to go after Kuminga again.
(Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)
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