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Looking Back at 2024 Best Ball Drafts

Last season, Christian McCaffrey was the clear-cut consensus No. 1 pick across nearly every draft format. After him, wide receivers dominated the top of best ball drafts, with names like CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, and Ja’Marr Chase consistently coming off the board early. Running backs didn’t really start to reappear until the back half of the first round, led by Bijan Robinson and Breece Hall. Tight ends, meanwhile, typically didn’t enter the mix until late in the third round, with Sam LaPorta, Travis Kelce, and Mark Andrews headlining the position.

Of course, hindsight always makes draft boards look obvious, but one key lesson remains: the top picks at each position aren’t guaranteed to hit—let alone carry you to a best ball tournament win. Sometimes, the edge comes from taking chances, going against the grain, and building differently than the field. Below, you’ll find the 2024–2025 DraftKings Best Ball winning lineup, which shows exactly how the champion zigged where others zagged.

Analyzing the Winning Roster

This roster took a balanced approach, opening with 4 running backs, 4 wide receivers, a tight end, and a quarterback in the first 10 picks. Bijan Robinson and Derrick Henry were both drafted inside the top three, while Trey McBride came in the fourth round. The other two tight ends weren’t added until the late rounds. In full PPR formats, drafts are typically wide receiver heavy early, but this build showed how a more balanced strategy can pay off.

Championship Week underscored the importance of late-round picks. Bucky Irving, with a 14th-round ADP, provided strong value, while Ricky Pearsall—often available in the 19th—erupted for over 30 PPR points. Those final selections, often overlooked, can swing tournaments.

What’s just as striking is what this roster avoided: there was no heavy stacking of quarterbacks with receivers and no reliance on handcuffs. Justice Hill was drafted but served as a change-of-pace option rather than insurance for Henry. The lesson is clear—there are multiple paths to building a winner in DraftKings Best Ball, and sometimes success comes from breaking away from conventional trends.

 

Now is the time!  Download the DraftKings Daily Fantasy app using code EDGE25 to draft your $20 Best Ball lineup to play for a share of $15 million and get a second ticket to play FREE for a share of $15 million.

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