Underdog Fantasy made waves last year by introducing College Fantasy Football Best Ball to a mainstream audience. As we gear up for Year 2 of Best Ball Mania, we’ve put together a draft plan designed to give you a significant edge, especially as others adapt to a deeper player pool and continue learning the best strategies for this unique format.
Note: This Draft Plan is geared toward Best Bowl Mania, factoring in playoff matchups in weeks 12 through 14.
This draft plan will cover roster construction, priority player targets, and strategies for navigating your draft. With 20 roster spots, an ideal build includes 4–5 quarterbacks, 6–7 running backs, 6–7 wide receivers, and 1–2 tight ends. Unlike in the NFL, stacking is less important in college football formats due to the high value placed on dual-threat, Konami Code quarterbacks in CFB.
Five General Principles
- Draft dual-threat QBs early. It’s nearly impossible to succeed in college fantasy football without quarterbacks who can run, especially in 4-point passing touchdown formats. Players like Jayden Daniels, John Mateer, and Caleb Williams were elite CFF producers thanks to their rushing upside — true Konami Code QBs. Aim to land two quarterbacks within the first five rounds and three by Round 10 to solidify your foundation.
- Prioritize Running Backs early. Running backs thin out quickly. Lock in at least two within the first three rounds to avoid scrambling for production later. If you miss on early RBs, you’ll likely be chasing upside the rest of the way.
- Let the Wide Receivers Come to You. Wide receiver is the most volatile position in CFF, so don’t reach. Let the board fall and scoop up value when it drops. There’s consistent depth at WR throughout the draft, and strong options regularly fall into Round 3 and beyond if you stay patient.
- Secure a Top-7 Tight End. The TE position falls off a cliff after the top seven. Grab one within the first 10 rounds to avoid a significant weekly scoring disadvantage.
- Build a Balanced Core by Round 10. Through the first ten rounds, you should walk away with one TE, two WRs, 3 QBs, and 4 RBs. If you hit that structure, you’ll be well-positioned to attack value in the final 10 rounds and round out a championship-caliber roster.
Bonus Tip:
Target high-upside RBs and WRs late. There are always hidden gems in explosive offenses that emerge as league-winners from the later rounds.
Now, let’s discuss our ideal strategies and players' position-by-position:
The Quarterback Plan
Quarterback is the engine of your fantasy roster — it’s the highest-scoring position in the game. In Superflex formats, where you can start two QBs, locking in a strong QB room is non-negotiable. As I mentioned earlier, dual-threat QBs are king in 4-point passing touchdown formats. Their rushing upside gives you a weekly edge that pocket passers simply can’t match. My approach is simple: grab two quarterbacks in the first four rounds, ensure you have at least three by Round 10, and finish the draft with five. Depth matters more than you think, especially with bye weeks and injuries waiting to wreck your season.
Best Early-Round QBs
Cade Klubnik (Clemson, 3.5 ADP) – Cade Klubnik comes into the 2025 season as one of the most consistent quarterbacks in CFF. We finally got that breakout season where Klubnik totaled 43 touchdowns (36 passing, 7 rushing), and nearly threw for 3,700 yards and rushed for 463 yards. We saw him click last year as Garrett Riley unleashed a more tempo-driven passing game that played to Klubnik’s strengths. With the exceptional talent at wide receiver, his usage in the run game, and another year of experience, we expect more of the same from him. He brings the best floor over from 2024, where he only dipped below 22 points once.
LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina, 7.5 ADP) – If you are searching for that Konami Code QB, look no further than South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers. This dude is a 6’3”, 240 lb QB with 4.5 speed that can hit over 20 mph. Sure, he was still a bit raw as a passer last year, but he does have the arm strength and athleticism to be a true playmaker on the run. He is an elite runner who scores points, and that is what we care about in CFF. His 2025 schedule doesn’t do him any favors, but we did see him score 30+ last year against teams like Texas A&M, Missouri, and Clemson.
Arch Manning (Texas, 8.6 ADP) – The Manning name carries a lot of weight, but in our world, it’s the system and supporting cast that make Arch Manning one of the more intriguing QBs entering 2025. When you combine a mobile QB with an elite arm, Sark’s fantasy-friendly system, and arguably some of the best weapons at every skill position, this just screams breakout CFF season. There is a lot of projection surrounding Arch, but the fit, floor, and fantasy-friendly system point to a top-10 finish in 2025.
