X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

FLEX Draft Review and Superflex Strategies

Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Michael Florio reviews the 2021 FLEX expert league draft to give Superflex draft strategies for fantasy football.

Super Flex drafts are becoming more and more popular in the fantasy football community. For those who are new to the format, it is basically a modified two-QB league. Instead of having to start two quarterbacks, you only have one mandatory QB spot. The second spot is a flex position that could be used on a QB, or with a RB/WR/TE like a regular flex spot. That spot is almost always used for a QB, but in case one is on bye or injured and there is no quality backup available, you can pivot and use another position. 

Although you technically only need one QB, the position is greatly pulled up the board so you can not wait on it like in a regular league. The emphasis on the QB position adds a whole other layer of strategy since you cannot simply wait and address the others in the early rounds. Do you take a QB in the first round? Do you take two early? How late is too late to wait on QB2? There are so many options you can take in this format, which only makes it all the more fun! 

I had the privilege of representing RotoBaller competing in the FLEX (Fantasy League of Experts) Superflex draft this past week with 11 of the sharpest minds in fantasy football. It was a ton of fun, but I also think a great chance to learn from players who do this for a living.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Takeaways from FLEX Draft 

click for full-size view

For me, heading into any Superflex draft, I have the same priority: getting QBs and RBs early. But, one big caveat: every Superflex can be extremely different. Just a month ago I had the last pick in the Scott Fish Bowl (Mac Miller division), which is also a Superflex draft. By the time I got on the clock at 12 overall there were already eight QBs gone. At that point, I pivoted and focused on running back. But in the FLEX draft I was sitting at pick six overall and my thinking was hope for Lamar Jackson. But, much to my surprise, both Kyler Murray and Josh Allen were available when I got on the clock. I went with Murray, but couldn't have gone wrong either way.

In total, in this draft there were only four QBs taken in the first round, but 10 were off the board through two rounds. As I stated earlier, every draft can be very different. I would anticipate in most home leagues that are Superflex, you will see more QBs go in the first round, and would bank on most teams having one by the second or third round. Sometimes though, a fantasy manager will elect to completely wait on the position. That was not the case here though, as every manager but two had a QB through two rounds and the two that waited then nabbed their QB1 in the third round. 

 

Tackling Running Backs

Despite having to prioritize QBs early on, I will never ignore running backs early in any draft, Superflex included. I was not alone in this thinking in the FLEX draft. After taking Murray in the first, I selected Jonathan Taylor in the second and Joe Mixon in the third. Both of which to me are low-end RB1s and I was able to get them both because other positions tend to slide down the board when so many early picks are used on QBs. There were just three teams that did not have a running back on their roster after two rounds, and all three nabbed one in the third round.

Here's the thing - with everyone targeting QBs and RBs early, those positions thin out way quicker. Through three rounds, there were 18 running backs drafted, 12 quarterbacks, and just five receivers. Regardless of the draft, I am always emphasizing running backs early as the ones you can rely on to give consistent weekly touches and production thin out fast. I have it at around 18 RBs you can trust weekly and I was to have two of them on my team if possible. That means sacrificing on the elite talent at other positions, but as you can see in this draft, that was the right call and more often than not in Superflex receivers tend to fall well below ADP. 

 

When to Target Receivers

I did not nab my first WR until the fourth round and still ended up with Allen Robinson. Other receivers that went in the fourth round or later are A.J. Brown, Mike Evans, Terry McLaurin, CeeDee Lamb, Julio Jones, Chris Godwin and more. The RBs available in the fourth round or later included Mike Davis, Josh Jacobs, Miles Sanders, D’Andre Swift. All the RBs come with a lower ceiling and more risk than the WRs.

From the fourth round on the value at the WR position is just better than at the RB position. Think about it like this: teams routinely use two, three receivers and with passing being on the rise yearly, it is easier to sustain multiple receivers per team. But on the other hand, the workhorse RB is a dying breed and more and more teams are using multiple RBs, which makes it harder to sustain high-end production.

Despite having just one WR through five rounds I still ended up with a receiver core of Allen Robinson, Cooper Kupp, Jerry Jeudy, Chase Claypool, Mike Williams and Curtis Samuel. The one key for me when waiting on the position is to grab players that come with upside. Any of the receivers I drafted, outside of maybe Robinson cause he is a premium, have the upside to outlive their ADP and really break out this season.

This is what I tend to do in all of my Superflex drafts. I ensure getting QBs and RBs early and then spend the middle rounds loading up on high-upside receivers. Not only does this give me the chance of having a breakout and make up for me missing out on much of the early-round WR talent, but it takes advantage of the depth that the receiver position brings. You cannot totally ignore it, but you can wait and grab the positions that tend to thin out much quicker and still be fine. 

 

QB2 Dilemma

One unique aspect of Superflex is figuring out when to grab your second QB. In the FLEX draft, many managers had two QBs through five rounds, with every team having two by the eighth round. I grabbed Tua Tagovailoa in the fifth as my QB2, he was the 17th QB drafted. I really wanted Trevor Lawrence who went one pick before me, but both fit my approach when it comes to a second QB. I tend to shoot for upside. Both Lawrence and Tagovailoa have the upside to finish as a QB1.

I also am a fan of targeting Justin Fields or Trey Lance as a QB2, but you need to grab a QB3 who will start early in the season. You have a number of different options with the second QB, depending on your draft preferences. You can take my approach and shoot for upside. I believe this is the best way to win a league, as if your second QB hits, you will then have two studs at the position. However, I will add that this typically works best if you have a proven QB1.

If you wait on your first QB then I would consider going a safer route with the second QB. Some like to play that position safe and grab someone like Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan or Derek Carr. Those QBs are not going to suddenly break out and win you the league, but they will give you steady weekly production and you do not have to worry about them losing their job. You could also grab two high-end QBs in the first two or three rounds. I considered it as Russell Wilson nearly fell to me in the second round, but that strategy puts you behind at other positions.

To me, the perfect formula tends to be grabbing a QB early, then getting a second one somewhere in the round 4-6 range, particularly one with real breakout upside. It is important though to also grab a third QB in this format. I made the mistake of waiting too long and ended up with Tyrod Taylor as my QB3. That will work out if he ends up being the starter, but that is in question right now. Someone like Sam Darnold is a QB3 that I like a lot, as he has the job and still upside due to the talent around him. Zach Wilson, Jameis Winston, Carson Wentz were other late QB3s that I considered taking. 

 

What About Tight Ends?

Regardless of format, my tight end approach remains the same. I want one of the elite options, preferably Travis Kelce or Darren Waller, or I wait until much later. Once I took a QB in the first, I knew I was not getting Kelce. But Waller, who gives similar production but goes a little bit later, is who I really have been targeting in all my drafts. I was set to take him in round four, but he went just a couple picks before me. Once he went, I pivoted and decided to wait.

Here is an important tip if you wait on tight ends. Shoot for upside and grab two, as it just gives you a better shot at one breaking out. When it comes to tight end upside, much of the time you are talking about touchdowns. That is why I grabbed two tight ends that could flirt with double-digit touchdowns in Jonnu Smith and Gerald Everett. Not only could both provide touchdowns, but both have upside as they are good athletes, especially after the catch. So many times if you wait on tight end you end up streaming, which is why I had two QBs, three RBs and six receivers when I decided to finally target tight ends. I was lucky that I ended up with two of my favorite tight end sleepers, getting both outside the Top-12 too at the position. 

As in all drafts, defense and kickers are reserved for the last rounds. Kickers are not used in FLEX, but if they were, I would have taken one with my last-round pick. When targeting defenses, make sure to draft one with a Week 1 matchup that you like. That is why I took the Dolphins, who face the Patriots in the first game of the season. 

Super flex drafts are a lot of fun as they add another layer of strategy and help make the QB position a priority, rather than one you can simply wait on. These formats are becoming more and more popular and whether you are a seasoned vet or joining one for the first time ever, you can learn a lot from a draft like this! 

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Moises Ballesteros

Riding An 11-Game Hit Streak
Victor Mesa Jr.

Starting Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF