Superflex Strategy: How to Attack Draft Day

August 18, 2020

Superflex fantasy football leagues are vastly different from single-quarterback leagues. Gage Bridgford provides basic draft strategies for success based on QB rankings.

Draft season is here, and you're preparing to get to work defeating your opponents. Leagues aren't won on draft day, but they can certainly be lost on them. In Superflex, the strategy is vastly different than that of redraft. The importance of quarterback is greatly amplified because of the ability to start two quarterbacks every single week. With that in mind, you have to be ready to vastly alter your typical plan of attack. While single-quarterback leagues allow you to find your starter after the 10th round, Superflex will see the majority of teams find a starter no later than the third round.

Last year, quarterbacks made up 13 of the top 24 and 19 of the top 36 scorers in fantasy. Over one half of that group was a quarterback, and there are only so many of them to go around. Compare that to positions like wide receiver where one team can have multiple viable fantasy options. With quarterbacks scoring so many points, you can't afford to ignore the position for too long before you're going to end up without enough production.

Compared to last season, quarterback prices in Superflex have gone up. While only three quarterbacks had ADPs in the first two rounds last year, you're seeing six players going in the first two rounds this season, and four of them are names that are new from last year. It's important to find value at each spot, and, in Superflex, you're going to have to be even craftier to find them.

Strategy 1: Quarterback Early

While most single-quarterback leagues will see one or two quarterbacks coming off the board in the first three rounds, you're going to have to pay up in Superflex, and a lot of that is going to depend on your draft spot to determine who you're targeting when. If you're in the front half of the first round, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are going to be who you're looking at. Mahomes still has a loaded offense, and Jackson's running ability makes him the most dynamic player we've seen since Michael Vick 15 years ago.

If you're in the back half of the first round, you'll likely be targeting Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson. Both of them have a litany of weapons around them along with offenses that should allow for a large amount of production. Now that you have an elite option, you can do one of two things. You can double up on quarterbacks in the second with someone like Kyler Murray or Dak Prescott, or you can wait until the third round while grabbing a running back in the second. Tight end is the thinnest position in fantasy football, but running back isn't far behind. Grabbing a guy like Joe Mixon or Derrick Henry would give you a safe option with a high level of volume.

If you choose to grab a running back, the third round still has plenty of quarterbacks to choose from. Guys like Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees are all currently sitting with ADPs in the third round. Even Matt Ryan in the fourth round is an extremely viable second option due to the high volume of passing his offense does. Getting both of your quarterbacks straight before the end of the fourth round gives you an advantage over other players in the later rounds.

Strategy 2: Quarterback Split

If you're able to get one of the top five quarterbacks, you have the ability to be patient when getting your second guy. Having one of the truly elite players at the position will give you more leniency with who you fill out your Superflex spot. In that time that you're waiting on a second quarterback, you can start attacking running backs and wide receivers without feeling like you're at a quarterback disadvantage thanks to the elite player you already grabbed.

Some of the quarterbacks you could have had in the middle rounds included Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, and Kirk Cousins. Stafford and Allen were both going to be top-10 quarterbacks last season, and you could have gotten both of them after the ninth round. Contrary to the belief of a lot of fantasy analysts, you can get good fantasy production out of your Superflex without paying a premium price.

This year, you should be looking at players like Ben Roethlisberger, Gardner Minshew, and Cam Newton as your second option. Two out of those three should have no problem finishing at the top of the position as long as they remain healthy. Minshew is the sleeper here. He flew under the radar for fantasy last season despite being one of the most entertaining personalities in football. He averaged a tick under 20 fantasy points per game because he was able to take care of the ball while generating decent yardage.

There are multiple options available if you choose to wait for that second quarterback. You don't have to be tied to any individual one of them, and you can still be successful. With an elite first option, grabbing a high-floor second option would be in your best interest. A player that knows how to take care of the ball or has some rushing upside to him would be a good pairing to make.

Strategy 3: Quarterback Later

In 2019, you could have elected to completely punt on the position in Superflex while still coming out with a successful season. As I mentioned last year, Stafford and Allen could both have been had at a discount. This year is no different with other players that are available. After investing in your wide receivers, running backs, and maybe tight end through the first several rounds, it's time to grab a quarterback or two.

Starting in the eighth round, there are multiple starters available. Right off the bat, you can grab Minshew or Drew Lock, who saw his offense get completely reloaded with receiving weapons throughout the offseason. Lock brings some question marks with him due to his offensive tackle situation. We also only have a five-game sample size to work with after he was relegated to the bench until late in the season last year.

After those first few, we have a few other options available. Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow finds himself with an ADP above Newton, and he will start from Day 1. While he's a rookie behind a bad offensive line, his running back and receiving weapons are a pretty good group. Further down, you can grab Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick to give yourself a guaranteed starter depending on how the team lines up moving throughout the year. In a run-and-shoot offense, they give you an easy path to a high ceiling.

In every draft, there is no such thing as one size fits all. You have to be ready to change and adapt your draft as you're moving through. If your opponents are letting quarterbacks slip, you can take advantage of that value. If they're targeting them early, you may have to move up your plan of attack to fit the board. Keep yourself open to the flows of the draft, and adjust accordingly. If you do that, you'll be sitting with a great roster by the time it's all said-and-done.

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