MLB Best Ball: Roster Builds to Avoid

Most losing MLB best ball rosters don’t look obviously bad. They look reasonable. They’re balanced, safe, and full of familiar names—and that’s exactly the problem.

Here are the most common roster constructions that consistently underperform, why people draft them, and what to do instead.

1. The “All-Floor, No-Ceiling” Team

What it looks like:

• Lineup full of .270 hitters with 15–18 HR power

• Pitchers who “won’t kill you” but don’t miss bats

• Very few players capable of week- or slate-winning scores

Why people draft it:

• Fear of strikeouts and bad ratios

• Overvaluing consistency in a best ball format

Why it fails:Best ball already smooths out variance for you. If your roster lacks spike potential, you’re drawing dead in tournaments and barely competitive in smaller leagues.

What to do instead:

• Trade some batting average for power

• Prioritize pitchers with strikeout ceilings

• Ask: Can this player win me a week by himself?

2. Overdrafting Closers (Especially Early)

What it looks like:

• 3–4 closers drafted by the middle rounds

• Paying up for “job security”

• Passing on upside starters and hitters

Why people draft it:

• Saves feel scarce

• Role certainty is comforting

Why it fails:

• Closers lose jobs constantly

• Saves are highly volatile

• Closers rarely produce slate- or week-breaking scores

This is especially damaging on Underdog.

What to do instead:

• Draft 1–2 closers at most (often 1)

• Chase strikeouts and innings instead

• Take late relievers with paths to saves if needed

3. The “No Correlation” DraftKings Build

What it looks like:

• 9 hitters from 9 different teams

• Zero intentional stacking

• “Best player available” every round

Why people draft it:

• Fear of putting too many eggs in one basket

• Season-long mindset bleeding into best ball

Why it fails: On DraftKings, daily scoring rewards team explosions. If no one on your roster is ever scoring together, your ceiling is capped.

What to do instead:

• Aim for 2–3 meaningful team stacks

• Let correlation guide tiebreakers

• Accept short-term risk for long-term upside

4. Too Many Injured / “Stash” Players

What it looks like:

• Multiple pitchers returning midseason

• Prospects without clear roles

• “They’ll be great when they’re healthy” logic

Why people draft it:

• Discounted ADPs

• Optimism bias

Why it fails:Best ball rosters are finite. Every non-contributing spot:

• Reduces lineup flexibility

• Increases zero-score weeks

• Forces the rest of the roster to overperform

What to do instead:

• Limit yourself to 1–2 stash players

• Prefer players with defined roles

• Late rounds are for upside—not dead roster spots

5. Pitching Extremes (Both Directions)

A) Too Few Pitchers

What it looks like:

• 5–6 pitchers on DraftKings

• Heavy reliance on fragile aces

Why it fails:Injuries and innings limits will bury you. You simply won’t have enough starts.

B) Too Many Pitchers

What it looks like:

• 11–12 pitchers

• Thin, weak hitting core

Why it fails:Pitchers are replaceable. Elite bats are not.

What to do instead:

• DraftKings: 8–10 pitchers

• Underdog: 6–7 pitchers

• Let format dictate roster balance

6. Ignoring Positional Scarcity on DraftKings

What it looks like:

• Waiting forever at catcher or shortstop

• Ending up with glove-first, bottom-of-the-order hitters

Why people draft it:

• “I’ll figure it out later”

• Overconfidence in depth

Why it fails:Certain positions dry up fast. Once the upside is gone, you’re drafting players who need miracles to matter.

What to do instead:

• Track positional runs

• Be proactive, not reactive

• Secure at least one upside option at scarce positions

7. The “Perfectly Average Everywhere” Roster

What it looks like:

• No glaring weaknesses

• No elite strengths

• Finishes 4th–6th every time

Why people draft it:

• It feels responsible

• It avoids regret during the draft

Why it fails:Average rosters don’t win best ball. They just avoid embarrassment.

What to do instead:

• Pick a lane and lean into it

• Be elite at something

• Accept that risk is the price of upside

Final Thought

If your draft feels calm, safe, and tidy the entire time… that’s usually a red flag.

Winning MLB best ball rosters:

• Take uncomfortable stands

• Embrace volatility

• Look slightly wrong in the draft room

Avoid these common builds, and you’re already ahead of a huge percentage of the field—before Opening Day even starts.

*For more fantasy baseball content, check us out on X (@FTO_picks).