RADIO
Jorden Hill discusses the importance of the quarterback position as well as some strategies and tips for drafting in Superflex fantasy football leagues.
If you're getting bored of traditional leagues that require you to start just one quarterback, you may be looking to spice things up next season by playing in a Superflex league. Like a flex slot, a Superflex slot in your lineup allows you to start a running back, wide receiver, or tight end, but also gives the additional option of starting a second quarterback. In my personal opinion, joining a Superflex league or converting your current league to one is the best fantasy football-related decision you can make.
I have been playing in Superflex leagues for over 15 years and cannot recommend them enough. They emphasize the quarterback position, which often gets ignored until later rounds and has little trade value in traditional formats despite being the most important position in real-life football. The mere possibility of starting a second quarterback introduces a new challenge and opens up a plethora of different strategies you can take on draft day.
We'll be digging deeper into Superflex leagues and some strategies you can look to implement in your drafts for next season. First, let's discuss how the value of the quarterback position is altered.
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Quarterback Value In Superflex Leagues
As I alluded to earlier, quarterbacks are often drafted late in single-QB leagues, and for good reason. With decent roster construction, you can generally get by with any top-12 quarterback and could even opt to stream the position on a weekly basis.
In Superflex leagues, however, you shouldn't be surprised to see upwards of five or six quarterbacks drafted in the first round alone. This makes sense when you consider the upside of hitting on an elite-level fantasy QB.
For example, if you were able to snag Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen in a single-QB league this past season, you had a significant advantage over the vast majority of your league mates as these three averaged more than 24 fantasy points per game. This advantage is twice as important in Superflex as there may be weeks where your one quarterback outscores both of your opponent's quarterbacks combined.
Massive scoring potential aside, quarterback value is affected due to simple supply and demand. The demand is much higher for the position in Superflex leagues because the supply is drastically lower. In a 12-team league where every manager hopes to start two quarterbacks each week, there are 24 quarterbacks in lineups and 8 starters on fantasy benches. When you add injuries and bye weeks to the equation, there simply aren't enough signal-callers to go around for every squad to have two reliable starters every week.
Your league's scoring settings will also impact quarterback value. All QBs should get a boost in leagues that award six points per passing touchdown, but in standard four-point passing touchdown scoring, rushing quarterbacks reign supreme. This past season, Hurts finished as the QB1 in fantasy points per game in four-point passing touchdown leagues but slightly trailed both Allen and Mahomes in six-point scoring. It's crucial to get familiar with your league's settings before ranking players or drafting.
Superflex Draft Strategies
In my opinion, there are two main strategies to consider when drafting in a Superflex league. One is prioritizing the quarterback position heavily and drafting two studs early on, and the other is selecting one high-end quarterback and filling out your roster before drafting a second. In my experience, punting the position entirely and drafting the best running backs and wide receivers is not a good recipe for success.
When taking the first approach, I would generally look to draft two top-12 quarterbacks to ensure an advantage over the rest of the league. This normally results in having two QBs rostered by the end of the third round, but it ultimately depends on your personal rankings and how the rest of your league values the position. Most managers will not draft two quarterbacks this early, so this strategy allows you to capitalize on value for skill-position players in the middle rounds while others are drafting mediocre QB2s.
The second method should still have you selecting one top-12 quarterback within the first three rounds, but your team will look more balanced when you also have elite talent at RB, WR, or TE. While there is no right or wrong time to draft a QB2, I still recommend drafting one somewhere in the middle rounds before the well runs dry.
A good rule of thumb I like to follow is making sure I would be comfortable with my QB2 as my lone starter in a single-quarterback league. Players such as Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, and Geno Smith are prime examples of quarterbacks in this range.
The format of your league will also play a huge role in determining when to draft quarterbacks. If you are playing in a Superflex league that is full-PPR and requires you to start three wide receivers, it could make sense to draft some of the top receivers if other managers are heavily favoring quarterbacks. Just like in traditional leagues, it's important to stay flexible with your strategy and prioritize value rather than entering a draft with a strict plan of attack.
That being said, you may be wondering if it would be worthwhile to start a receiver, running back, or tight end in the Superflex slot in a full PPR league. Last season, 18 quarterbacks averaged at least 15 fantasy points per game in four-point passing touchdown scoring. Only 13 wide receivers, 10 running backs, and one tight end hit this mark.
In other words, you are much more likely to find success with a low-end starting quarterback in your lineup than a WR2, RB2, or any tight end not named Travis Kelce. In a pinch, you could get by with a skill-position player in your Superflex slot, but it's not a viable strategy to employ going into a draft.
How Many Quarterbacks Should I Draft?
We've established that it's probably in your best interest to draft and start two quarterbacks every week, but how many should you select in total? The idea of hoarding quarterbacks to keep them away from your opponents may sound appealing, but your team would likely lack talent and depth at all other positions. At the same time, there are only 32 starters available, and you don't want to be one of the few teams in your league without an insurance policy in the event of an unfortunate injury.
For these reasons, aiming to draft three quarterbacks is an excellent goal. Your QB3 doesn't need to be a league-winner, but just a guy that can get you 12-15 fantasy points while your starter is on bye or injured. Keep a close eye on how other managers are constructing their rosters throughout the draft and look to snag your third quarterback when most teams have two.
Although three seems to be the perfect amount, there's nothing wrong with drafting a fourth quarterback if an opportunity presents itself. If there is an NFL team with a murky quarterback room heading into next season, don't be afraid to take a late-round flyer on a backup quarterback that has a shot to start at some point. You may not need this player when he does get a chance, but someone else will.
Conclusion
There are no set rules when it comes to drafting your Superflex team, and just like in all fantasy football leagues, luck is bound to be a huge factor. Perhaps the most paramount advice, more valuable than any draft strategy you could choose to follow, is to know your league. Understanding your league's settings and familiarizing yourself with the other managers you are drafting with can give you a massive leg up on your competition.
If you play in more than one Superflex league or plan to, consider taking different approaches in each. Try out some mock drafts to get a feel for average draft position, specifically that of quarterbacks. Just remember, every league and even each individual manager may value QBs very differently, so be prepared to make adjustments on the fly.
Have fun and best of luck in all of your drafts for the 2023-2024 season!
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