Super Flex Strategy

Tue Jun 17 12:25pm ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

A new scoring system that has become very popular in fantasy circles is super flex. This is a league that starts two flex positions but one can be a quarterback. This means you can have two starting quarterbacks in your lineup on a weekly basis.

If you have never done one of these drafts, I highly recommend it (click here to see all the super flex options on our site). This is a totally different way to draft a fantasy team. There is actually an emphasis on the quarterback position. You will see quarterbacks picked early and often.

In super flex formats, there are seven quarterbacks with an ADP 20 or below. If you compare that to a standard PPR league, there is not one quarterback with an ADP below 20 and the first quarterback off the board is Josh Allen at 28.

And when quarterbacks go that early, the dynamic of the draft is totally different. This makes for some interesting choices, especially early in your draft. Players normally picked in the first round can fall all the way into the third because of quarterbacks flying off the board.

The league lineup devalues running back and receiver a little, having the ability to play a quarterback at one of the flex spots. And as mentioned, you will want to do that. Think about it. Matthew Stafford ranked 19th in quarterback scoring last year, averaging 15.49 points per game. In standard leagues, players like Brian Robinson and Khalil Shakir were flex plays last year. Robinson averaged 9.52 points per game while Shakir averaged 10.74 points. That is a big difference in points compared to Stafford (5.97 for Robinson and 4.75 for Shaklir).

To hammer that point down even more, there were just eight receivers and nine running backs total that averaged more points per game than Stafford, who was ranked just 19th in quarterback scoring. So starting two quarterbacks on a weekly basis is a must for fantasy teams in this super flex format. If you do anything else, you are likely going to lose.

I think you need to have those two quarterbacks on your roster after four or five rounds. If you wait too much longer, your second quarterback might not be the best. It is essential to have quality options you can run out there on a weekly basis at the quarterback spot - even if you have to reach for a quarterback earlier than you would like.

And in a standard league, having three quarterbacks on your roster is almost unheard of. Well, that isn’t the case in a super flex league. I would get three quarterbacks if you can because they carry so much value. And with most leagues having 12 teams, getting that third quarterback might mean you reaching a tad early. If every team drafts three quarterbacks, that means 36 quarterbacks are picked. Yeah, there are only 32 teams in the NFL, so four teams are taking quarterbacks that aren’t even in the starting lineup right now. Just keep that in mind come draft day.

The rest of your lineup is pretty standard. You are likely going to get some really good running backs and receivers later than normal, but the value of them isn’t too much different in super flex. The elite running backs still carry a lot of value because the position is a little top heavy. I think the receiver position is the deepest of all, so if I have to wait on that position, I will do it in a super flex league. In many of my drafts, I will have two quarterbacks and two running backs on my roster after four rounds, taking my first receiver in Round 5. I might not get an elite receiver at that point, but I should be able to get a really good No. 2 or even low-end No. 1. I’m fine with that because I can attack that position the next several rounds. And I should be able to get some good talent because receiver is so deep this year.

So in closing, the super flex format is a totally different way to draft. You will do things in this format you would never think of doing in a standard PPR league. It is a lot of fun and a different way to draft. Get in a league today (click here)!

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Super Flex Strategy

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