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Jackson Sparks provides general guidelines and strategies on how to find success in Superflex fantasy football leagues.
Superflex fantasy football leagues have grown in popularity over the past few years and are now a staple among die-hard fantasy gamers. We'll explain the ins and outs of Superflex formats below, but the most important thing to know is quarterbacks carry a hefty premium compared to traditional single-quarterback leagues.
While finding a starting quarterback on the waiver wire isn't a difficult chore in traditional formats, Superflex leagues mirror the real NFL in terms of quarterback scarcity. There are also several ways Superflex leagues can vary from one another, so reading the fine print of the roster requirements and scoring rules is always important.
Without further ado, let's dive into the Superflex fantasy football guide, where we'll provide a general overview with some strategies and tips!
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What is a Superflex Fantasy Football League?
In Superflex leagues, you have a traditional quarterback slot, but the "Superflex" slot can be filled by either a QB, RB, WR, or TE. That said, there will be 24 quarterbacks in starting fantasy slots each week in 12-team leagues. Even if the quarterback is generally viewed as a poor fantasy option, they'll be rostered since the position is so scarce. Only eight out of the 12 teams have a shot at carrying three quarterbacks, meaning at least four teams could be out of luck when one of their signal-callers is on a bye week.
That said, many "real-life" backup quarterbacks are rostered, too. For instance, if a rookie quarterback is sitting behind a veteran for a period of time but is expected to start at some point, that rookie will usually be rostered. Stashing "handcuff" quarterbacks comes into play in these formats, as high-upside backups could prove valuable if a starter is benched or injured.
Generally, Superflex leagues are designed to make quarterbacks the most valuable position, just like in the NFL.
Many fantasy managers might be tempted to start a position player over a quarterback in the Superflex spot, but when comparing fantasy scoring from low-end QB2s to mid-level flex options at RB, WR, and TE -- quarterbacks have the edge.
In 2022, Marcus Mariota outscored Travis Etienne, Davis Mills outscored D'Andre Swift, Andy Dalton outscored Diontae Johnson, and Matt Ryan outscored AJ Dillon. All four of those quarterbacks were benched or injured for a solid chunk of the season, but their weekly upside and floors led to more fantasy points in 2022. None of them would even be on rosters in single-QB leagues, but all are must-haves in this kind of league.
Superflex Formats
Just like traditional leagues, Superflex leagues can come in all shapes and sizes. For the most part, this format doesn't utilize kickers or defense, but they certainly can. Often, kickers and defense slots are replaced with additional flex spots. One popular format is 1 QB, 1 Superflex, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, and 2-3 flex slots.
Superflex leagues can consist of standard, half-PPR, and PPR scoring. They can also feature tight end premium scoring, six-point passing touchdowns, bonuses for yardage milestones, etc.
Many fantasy platforms have given commissioners a ton of options to change around league and scoring settings, so make sure to have a great understanding of all the quirks of the league heading into the fantasy draft.
Draft Strategy
While there are plenty of ways to go about a Superflex draft, most consist of at least grabbing one quarterback in the first two rounds. While this is a wild concept in single-QB leagues, it's common practice among Superflex drafters in redraft and dynasty fantasy football leagues. Studs at other positions like Justin Jefferson and Christian McCaffrey are still drafted in the first round, but at least half of the opening round is usually filled by quarterbacks.
In 2022, most Superflex drafts saw Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, and Kyler Murray come off the board in the first round. Those six guys were viewed as the elite Superflex assets, but just three of them were worth the early capital. Still, they all made sense where they were drafted, as finding an anchor QB1 is paramount for success.
If you're drafting in the bottom half of the first round and your league mates pass on a ton of high-upside QBs, you can take advantage by taking the best available quarterback. In recent years, the high-end dual-threat quarterbacks have separated themselves from the middle-of-the-pack, so the late-round quarterback strategy has become less viable, and it's even weaker in this format.
That said, it's important not to overdraft quarterbacks too early. In general, you want your anchor QB in the first two rounds, but after that, let the value at QB fall to you if you didn't start the draft with two QB selections. In 2022, teams who drafted Allen, Mahomes, or Hurts early and then waited on Justin Fields in the middle rounds likely won their leagues.
Ultimately, your goal is to leave the draft with three quarterbacks. You either want two elite studs and a low-end late-round flyer or one stud, one middle-round signal-caller with upside, and one late-round flyer. As an example from 2022, an early selection on Allen, a middle-round selection on Tua Tagovailoa, and a late-round selection on Marcus Mariota is a viable build. That way, you have an unquestioned fantasy stud, a player who could take a leap based on production in his team's offseason, and a mediocre placeholder quarterback. Depending on the size of your league, taking Desmond Ridder in the last round to guarantee you had the Falcons' starter would be a smart move.
For 2023, this type of draft would look something like -- an early pick on Jalen Hurts, a middle-round pick on Daniel Jones, and a late-round pick on Sam Howell.
Waiver Wire/Transactions
The waiver wire is going to work similarly to traditional leagues, but again, quarterbacks will carry a premium. If a top quarterback is injured, his backup will immediately be the top priority waiver add. Even in cases where the QB is viewed as a bottom-tier backup, they will have immediate value.
Some 2022 examples include Cooper Rush taking over for Dak Prescott, Gardner Minshew stepping in for Jalen Hurts, and Brock Purdy replacing Jimmy Garoppolo. None of the three players mentioned were viewed as strong single-QB options since each manager only needs one healthy QB, but all were must-adds in Superflex formats.
Players like Kyler Murray who will return at some point during the 2023 season or rookies who will eventually take over a starting job will likely be drafted in the mid-to-late rounds, but there will still be some backup QBs with upside on the waiver wire during the season. Backups with rushing upside or backups on great offenses with top-tier weapons should always be monitored, and often stashed on the bench depending on the roster size.
Conclusion
If you take nothing else away from this guide, the main point is quarterback play is the driver of your fantasy success in Superflex and two-QB formats. Even if your position spots are weak, two high-end signal-callers can carry a fantasy team to a title. Quarterbacks often post 30+ fantasy points, but this is a rare feat for position players. If you have two bottom-of-the-barrel QBs in starting roles, there's a low chance you'll even make the playoffs, regardless of how great your running backs and wide receivers are.
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