2026 Underdog NBA Playoff Best Ball Rankings and Strategy Guide
Talent matters in NBA playoff best ball — but volume matters more. A mid-tier player on a team that goes seven games can outscore a superstar whose team sweeps. That tension is the entire game within the game on Underdog this postseason. With "The Dance" and "The Waltz" both live, we've built a top-60 board organized around one core question: which teams will play the most games? From five-man Thunder and Spurs stacks to opportunistic one-offs like LeBron James, here's everything you need to draft with confidence.
Overview and Strategy
Underdog NBA Scoring:
Point = 1
Rebound = 1.2
Assist = 1.5
Steal = 3
Block = 3
Turnover = -1
Drafts: Six managers draft 10 players in a serpentine format.
Rosters: One Guard, One Wing, One Big, Two Flex, Five Bench.
Full rules can be found here.
One of the key factors in this contest is the number of games played. Jaylen Brown could play great in the opening round, but if the Celtics sweep the Sixers, Brown can be outscored by a weaker fantasy player, such as Mikal Bridges, if the Knicks go seven games with the Hawks.
Teams likely to play the most games
Tier 1: Thunder, Celtics, Spurs
OKC is the favorite to win the title and go back-to-back at +110 (via DraftKings Sportsbook), while the Spurs and Celtics are the second and third choices, respectively. These are the teams I'm focused on for my five-man stacks.
Tier 2: Cavs, Pistons, Nuggets, Knicks, Rockets
Despite being the top seed in the East, the Pistons have the fourth-best odds in the conference to win it all at 22-1. The Nuggets and Knicks are the most likely amongst this group to have a six- or seven-game opening series and also have a reasonable chance of making the conference semifinals.
Tier 3: Hawks, Timberwolves
These are the two underdogs in the first round who have the best chance to pull off an upset, according to the oddsmakers, at roughly 25-30 percent to get through. Two-man stacks here are fine.
Tier 4: Everyone Else
Someone like Tyrese Maxey or LeBron James is going to have heavy usage (especially with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined in James' case), but they also might only give you four games. I can see taking them as the exception in the second half of drafts as a one-off.
We also have two Play-In Games remaining Friday night. The Suns are taking on the Warriors with the winner playing the Thunder, while the Hornets square off against the Magic for the right to play the Pistons. Unless you're drafting after those games have been completed, it's safe to fade those players entirely. Even if you're waiting, those teams are unlikely to play more than five games, and you're probably not going to miss out if you ignore players on those teams.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire's NBA News or follow @RotoWireNBA on X.
Rankings
Draft Review
Here's a draft I completed as the third pick.
I went heavy on the Spurs, selecting Wembanyama, Castle, Fox, Johnson and Champagnie. This will give me a chance in the championship round (should I get that far) if San Antonio makes it to the NBA Finals. I added secondary mini-stacks with the Knicks and Timberwolves, opting for Brunson/Robinson and Randle/Reid. We've seen the Timberwolves make some noise in the playoffs the past couple of years, and the thought here is that both teams can push their Round 1 (and potentially thereafter) to at least six games. Thompson is my one-off who should safely play a lot of games.
