Best Ball Zero TE strategy

Steven Mullen here with another Best Ball blog. All my blogs are written from the perspective of 12 team Best Ball leagues so keep that in mind. We are going to take a look at a new strategy to Best Ball I have been discussing with other Best Ball writers. Zero Tight End Strategy. I started developing the strategy after listening to a podcast where they were discussing how Tier 2(Howard, Engram, Henry) and Tier 3(Cook, McDonald, Njoku, Ebron) tight ends were poor draft values in comparison to the other available players at their ADP. Our plan will be fading the tight end position in rounds 1-9.

Why Zero TE?

The biggest benefit Zero TE gives us is, instead of taking a Tier 2 (Howard, Engram, Henry) TE in that 6th-7th round spot we can grab a Tier 1 QB (Rodgers, Watson, Luck). I am especially interested in drafting Zero Tight End Strategy when I have taken Hopkins, Adams or Hilton in the early rounds and can pair them with their tier 1 QB. Mahomes usually goes in round 4 and usually I am trying to pair him with Kelce so I generally don't take him when running Zero Tight End. By taking Luck, Rodgers or Watson we are getting a serious difference maker at QB instead of a guy that makes us lose less at TE. We have trained ourselves to devalue QB's in season long fantasy because we can play guys off waivers, can trade for QB's easily and figure that position out on the fly. In Best Ball none of those options are open to us. I believe the tier 1 QBs are actually of much greater value in Best Ball then season long.

The King of Zero Tight End Strategy

The undisputed king and most important player when trying to run a Zero Tight End strategy is Dallas Goedart. We are looking to grab Goedart in round 10. Goedart is unique to Best Ball this season do to the fact if an injury were to occur to Zack Ertz he would leap into the top 3 TE performers and give you an advantage only given to players taking Tier 1 TE's. The nice thing about Goedart is he is a fine enough value in round 10 if nothing happens to Ertz.

Who do we pair with Goedart?

In Zero Tight End I will be looking to match Goedart with players from 2 of the following 3 player groups. We really want 2 players from these groups but not from the same group. Group 1 is comprised of players that have shown low to medium TE 1 upside. We can only take one player from group 1 or we will be using too much draft capital and defeating the purpose of going Zero TE. Group 2 is comprised of the older injury risk TEs that have had TE 1 seasons. We can only take one player from group 2 or we will be taking on too much injury risk. Group 3 is comprised of my favorite fliers at the position. Feel free to add any fliers you like into your group 3, keep in mind they can't share a bye week with Goedart(10). 

Group 1 Trey Burton(6), Mark Andrews(8), Chris Herndon(4), Kyle Rudolph(12)

Group 2 Delanie Walker(11), Greg Olsen(7), Tyler Eifert(9)

Group 3 TJ Hockenson(5), Will Dissly(11), Darren Waller(6)

***Emergency Plan***

So we have decided to go Zero Tight End and some $%!$@ took Dallas Goedart before us in round 10. I will now try and get 1 player from each of the following 3 groups to make up my TE group. Notice Jordan Reed and Noah Fant are now added they were not in the original groups do to sharing a bye week with Goedart. Be careful not to take two players with the same bye week. I believe getting 1 player from each group is optimal. 

Group 1 Trey Burton(6), Mark Andrews(8), Kyle Rudolph(12), Chris Herndon(4)

Group 2 Delanie Walker(11), Greg Olsen(7), Tyler Eifert(9), Jordan Reed(10)

Group 3 TJ Hockenson(5), Will Dissly(11), Darren Waller(6), Noah Fant(10)


Good luck! I will see you in the drafts!

Steve