While I’m familiar with the high-stakes formats over at the NFFC, the Gladiator Championship presents a new challenge. This is a spin-off of best ball where every player you draft is in your lineup each week. Only 14 players are selected, and you can start two quarterbacks.
Anyone who has ever played in a league with a superflex (SFX) roster spot knows how dramatically ADP gets shifted around. The limited supply and scoring potential create rooms where it becomes a race to fill the SFX spot.
My approach was to fill my entire lineup with high-scoring receivers, so I was racing to fill the flex spots before it dried up. Here’s a look at the final results.
PlayerProfiler is proud to announce a best ball partnership with the home of high stakes, NFFC. Along with that, PlayerProfiler readers get a ton of promo codes to enter contests at a discount! Check out all the details RIGHT HERE.
Constructing a Gladiator-Worthy Roster
1.08 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
My approach would revolve around the wide receiver position, so I opted to select last year’s WR1 over the loaded tier of running backs that were available. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has regression concerns, but the floor is sky high for a player that went over 90 receiving yards in over 3/4ths of his games.
My thinking was this gave me the most versatility when it came back around to me in the second round.
2.05 | Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Justin Jefferson or CeeDee Lamb swinging around would have been too fun to pass up. However, once that didn’t happen, the choice to go with a “hero running back” was easy for me. Kenneth Walker III should be a bell cow after getting $14 million/year in free agency. Reports out of camp have backed that up as well. Even in a split backfield in Seattle, he showed the upside ability:
3.05 | George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
2025 George Pickens. pic.twitter.com/OVgrBFy2Vi
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) August 5, 2026
The aforementioned Lamb started the season red hot. Then his injury opened the door for George Pickens to get more focus. In the games Lamb missed-he had two games with 30 fantasy points and totaled five touchdowns. After Lamb returned, Pickens had three more games as a WR1 but even more finishes as a WR3 or worse. After landing the ceiling and floor combo with JSN, I’m good with the risky spike week potential here.
4.08 | Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Emeka Egbuka is one of the stranger ADPs in this format. In the $350 Championship, Egbuka has lived in the second round. Here he falls in a tier of receivers that push the fourth. His rookie season was disappointing, but the opportunity was there. Egbuka ranked top-10 in targets and air yards, and that should stick with the departure of Mike Evans.
Pivot Option: Jayden Daniels being available gave me pause here. The QB1 upside was worth considering, but the board was falling in line with my plan.
5.05 | Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Tee Higgins is arbitrage George Pickens without a case to be just as good as his target competition. But his spike week potential is just as high when the Bengals offense is clicking. In 22 games that Higgins and Burrow have played together-he has averaged 16 fantasy points per game.
6.08 | Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants
In his rookie season, Jaxson Dart finished as the QB14—mostly driven by his ability to use his legs. Dart ranked inside the top six in every advanced rushing metric. Now he gets the same coaching staff that built around Lamar Jackson for years.
The game that Jaxson Dart became a superstar against the Eagles in primetime 😤🍿pic.twitter.com/HBFFhzm5IE
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) May 25, 2026
| Carry Share | Carries Per Game | Designed Runs Per Game | Scrambles Per Game | RZ Carries Per Game | Yards Per Carry | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.0% | 6.14 | 2.86 | 2.71 | 1.57 | 5.66 | 9 (10.5% rate) |
| #3 | #5 | #3 | #6 | #3 | #4 | #2 |
Dart’s true upside will be capped if he can’t elevate his passing game. Reports that Malik Nabers is available for Week 1 are encouraging. Reminder that Dart was third in fantasy points per dropback with the 22nd-ranked supporting cast.
7.05 | Mike Evans, WR, San Francisco 49ers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2025 season was so snake-bitten that I’m ignoring Mike Evans‘ down year. Two seasons ago, Evans ranked top ten in air yards share, first read target share, and fantasy points per route run. Now, he moves to a 49ers depth chart with even weaker target competition.
Last season, quarterback Brock Purdy ranked first in deep ball completion percentage and completion percentage against man coverage. That’s a strong fit with Evans’ skill set.
8.08 | Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Two of my favorite late-round running back options this season are Rhamondre Stevenson and Jonathon Brooks. Here is where I felt I needed to secure a second RB that could lead their backfield.
Splitting time with an explosive player like Treveyon Henderson isn’t ideal, but Stevenson still has a path to dominate high-value touches. He was quite effective as a pass catcher last season:
| Target Share | Routes Run | Route Participation | Yards Per Reception | Yards Per Route Run | Catch Rate | Drops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5% | 238 (17.0 p/g) | 53.2% | 10.8 (9.3 ypt) | 1.45 | 86.5% | 2 (5.4% rate) |
| #20 | #18 | #10 | #1 | #10 | #4 | #21 |
9.05 | Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Considering the Colts offense broke through last year, it was disappointing to see Josh Downs fall short of the third-year breakout. I’m prepared to be hurt again. The team has cleared the runway for him to take off after Michael Pittman‘s departure.
Josh Downs pic.twitter.com/iUA5UF1rSq
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) March 12, 2025
Alec Pierce was brought back on a contract that implies more usage, but he is still recovering from injury. Everything is lining up for Downs to lead the receiver room in targets.
10.08 | Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
I mentioned Jonathon Brooks in the Stevenson blurb as a target of mine due to his soft average draft position. I was hoping to max out the flex spots with one more receiver, but this was the best pick on the board.
Brooks had one of the better prospect profiles in recent memory but missed his rookie season due to ACL recovery. Now he is healthy and is getting positive reviews out of Panthers camp. I’m expecting him to outright take over this backfield.
11.05 | Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Dallas Goedert went right before me as another team’s second tight end. The next best option was Mark Andrews, whose upside case is similar to Goedert. With a new offensive system and the departure of Isaiah Likely, the bet is he gets back to a featured role in the offense. Questions remain about whether his down season was only due to Lamar’s health or something bigger.
12.08 | Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold was the QB22 last season as the team passed at the third-lowest rate in the league. He flashed some upside in the regular season with two games of 300 passing yards and four touchdown passes. Then he had a similar performance against the Rams in the playoffs to advance to the Super Bowl.
Losing offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will negatively impact efficiency, but an increase in pass volume can offset that. I’m banking on that being the case with my first-round pick, so I’m doubling down here.
SAM DARNOLD AND JSN COOKING THE 49ERS LMAOOO
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) January 18, 2026
The Verdict
I went in with a plan and executed it well, so I like how this team shook out. Every player in my lineup has the potential to hit in a big way on a weekly basis. This style build isn’t dependent on the quarterbacks hitting, although it can make a serious run if they do.
To jump into an NFFC contest (at a discount!), visit NFFC and use promo code FIRSTTIME100 during registration to get $100 off your first $150 entry!
For more articles from PlayerProfiler, check out the fantasy home page – NFL Fantasy | PlayerProfiler – Fantasy Football News & Media
