Five Question Friday With Madison Parkhill

We couldn't resist the opportunity to dive into some best ball takes with Madison Parkhill. You may know him from his insightful newsletter, "Reducing Uncertainty," where he delves into various best ball topics. We slid into Madison's DMs to pick his brain and gain valuable insights into his strategies.

 Q: What is your favorite activity to do while drafting Best Ball Teams?

A: My go-to is to take a long walk and listen to a podcast while drafting a team or two. Physical health, mental health, and competing in a game of nerd football. Hard to top that.

Q: What is a common mistake you see new best ball players make and how can they get better?

A: Not adjusting roster construction after the first few rounds. If you go heavy at one position early, you want to limit how much draft capital you spend there during the rest of the draft. A few common guidelines for me:

- 1 WR for every 2 picks in the first 10 rounds

- If 2 RBs in the first 3 rounds, no more than 5 total.

- Usually only 1 QB or TE in the first 6 rounds, with rare exceptions.

Q: At the moment, who is your favorite late round sleeper?

A: Chuba Hubbard. He’s on 50% of my teams so far, and no one else is over 30%. He’s a clear handcuff at worst, with a plausible standalone role, behind a good-not-great RB that has struggled with soft tissue injuries. And he was pretty good last year. His ADP is starting to climb, but he should be a good play until at least round 13 or so. 

Q: At the moment, who is your favorite team or stack to target?

A: I have two, depending on where my draft slot is.

1) If I have a top half pick, I love the Chargers, after nearly full-fading them at the more expensive ADPs last year. Herbert is the cheapest of the elite QBs, all of their weapons are reasonably priced, and they should play faster this year. Plus it’s easy to get a Broncos wide receiver for week 17 correlation.

2) If I have a bottom half pick, it’s the Cowboys. I’ll have an article out next week, but I think people are too concerned about the Dallas offense. Dak is still a very good quarterback, and his weapons improved this off-season. CeeDee has checked nearly every box a WR1 can check, and I wouldn’t be surprised if finished as the WR1 next year. Plus, the Lions weapons make for nice week 17 correlation.

 Q: What would you do with the $3 million if you won BBM4?

A: Probably some combination of save it, invest it, and spend it on experiences and trips. After visiting Australia recently, I would love to spend more time snorkeling and diving near the Great Barrier Reef, so that would top the list. I’d also have to set a bit aside for the inevitable Vikings Super Bowl in my lifetime (optimism is critical to life as a Vikings fan).