How to Build a Best Ball Draft Cheat Sheet
A cheat sheet is a living document you build in the days before a best ball draft. It’s not just a ranked player list — it’s your notes on tiers, stacks, and the specific decisions you’ve already made so that draft day is fast. The goal: confident picks within 10–15 seconds, not scrambling mid-draft.
Ready-to-Use Cheat Sheet Template
Position Tiers
QB
| Tier | Players | Target round | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Rounds 1–4 | ||
| Tier 2 | Rounds 5–8 | ||
| Tier 3 | Rounds 9–12 | ||
| Tier 4 | Rounds 13+ |
RB
| Tier | Players | Target round | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Rounds 1–2 | ||
| Tier 2 | Rounds 3–5 | ||
| Tier 3 | Rounds 6–10 | ||
| Tier 4 | Rounds 11+ |
WR
| Tier | Players | Target round | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Rounds 1–2 | ||
| Tier 2 | Rounds 3–5 | ||
| Tier 3 | Rounds 6–9 | ||
| Tier 4 | Rounds 10+ |
TE
| Tier | Players | Target round | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Rounds 2–4 | ||
| Tier 2 | Rounds 5–8 | ||
| Tier 3 | Rounds 9–12 |
Target Players
Players you specifically want — undervalued relative to ADP.
| Player | ADP | Good-deal round | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
Players to Avoid (Fades)
Players you’re explicitly skipping — overvalued relative to ADP.
| Player | ADP | Why I’m fading |
|---|---|---|
Stacks to Build
| Stack type | QB | WR target | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary stack | |||
| Secondary stack | |||
| Opponent stack |
Positional Thresholds
Define when you must act at each position:
| Position | Target count | “Must act” trigger |
|---|---|---|
| RB | __ by Round __ | If only __ by Round __, take best available RB |
| WR | __ by Round __ | If only __ by Round __, take best available WR |
| TE | __ by Round __ | If only __ by Round __, take backup TE |
| QB | __ by Round __ | If top tier gone by Round __, take best remaining |
Bye Week Alert
Note any positions with heavy concentration on the same bye week after Round 10.
Max starters on same bye week: __ (personal limit)
When to Build It
2–3 days before: Build your full tier list. Gives you time to update.
Day before: Review targets and fades. Check for breaking injury news.
Morning of draft: One final check for major news (injury, depth chart change). Update specific affected players only.
During the draft: Reference only — don’t rebuild mid-draft.
Format Tips
On paper: One sheet per position, tiers separated by a horizontal line. Green highlight = target, red = avoid.
Spreadsheet: Columns for Name / ADP / Your Round / Notes. Color-code by tier.
On mobile: A notes app with tiers listed by position. Simple beats elaborate — you need speed, not detail.
What Not to Include
Too many notes per player — one line max. If you’re reading 5 sentences mid-draft, you’re too slow.
Exact rankings within tiers — if Player A and Player B are both Tier 2 WRs, either is fine. You don’t need to know who is 14th vs. 15th.
Hyper-specific ADP — knowing a player goes “mid-3rd round” beats memorizing pick 36 vs. pick 39.
Worked Example
Imagine you are drafting from the eighth slot and your cheat sheet shows a thin second tier at tight end, a deep middle tier at wide receiver, and two quarterback stacks you like in rounds 7-10. When your pick comes up, the final tight end in the target tier is still available. The cheat sheet makes the decision fast: take the scarce tier now, then use the deeper wide receiver tier in the next two rounds.
Without the sheet, that same decision can turn into a clock-pressure guess. You might chase a receiver because he is ranked slightly higher, then realize one round later that the tight end tier is gone and the remaining options force a different roster shape. A useful cheat sheet prevents that by showing tier depth, stack timing, and positional thresholds at the same time.
Common mistake: building a cheat sheet that is too detailed to use during the draft. The sheet should speed up decisions, not become another document you have to study while the clock is running.
For the best ball draft strategy this cheat sheet supports, see: Best Ball Draft Strategy Guide. For stacking strategy, see: Best Ball: Stacking Strategy Guide.