The King's FFPC Pros vs. Joes Best Ball Superflex Draft Breakdown

Scott "The King" Engel breaks down his fantasy football draft strategy in an FFPC Superflex Best Ball league to evaluate ADP and provide insight into this Pros vs Joes draft.

I admitted on Twitter this week that I prefer Best Ball drafts over mocks. The results actually count for something and are much more competitive. Best Ball drafts help you get the reps you want while also demanding you make your picks with full authenticity. You get better as a drafter every time you do one, and your picks truly matter. Execute some Best Ball drafts and you’ll be ready to feel comfortable in any draft setting.

I have been reeling off Best Ball reps in the Fantasy Football Players Championship in various formats. Because there are no in-season moves required, you can do as many of these as you want without being overloaded when the seasons starts. My latest Best Ball draft was in a 28-round FFPC Superflex format. Reviewing my results and strategies can help you build your own strong draft plan. FFPC scoring is PPR with an extra half-point for TEs and four points for a TD pass. Starting lineups are 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 FLEX, 1 Superflex, 1 TE, 1 K and 1 Defense.

This was a “slow” draft, which I always enjoy for the regular anticipation of picks to come and the fun of extending the draft over more than a week, etc. I drafted from the third position. Full results follow the analysis.

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The King’s FFPC Superflex Mock Draft

Rounds 1 Through 3: Lamar Jackson, Julio Jones, Austin Ekeler – I was actually wondering whether Jackson would slip to me at third, and was prepared to take Patrick Mahomes. As I noted in Engel’s Angles this week, always be ready with alternatives if the player you prefer does not fall to you. Sounds simple, but it is an approach not exercised enough. In high stakes formats and Best Ball leagues, you must opt for upside, and Jones still has a lot of that. He had the second-most receiving yards in the league last year, and 31 is not yet “old” for a WR. I have Melvin Gordon ranked over Ekeler, but where you have players ranked and where they may be taken can often differ. I came out of the first three rounds with strong anchor players at every key Superflex position here. That is an approach to consider in these types of drafts in no certain order in the first three rounds.

Rounds 4 Through 6: Ben Roethlisberger, Melvin Gordon III, Darren Waller: I have Roethlisberger ranked 13^th at QB and expect a strong rebound season with alluring Best Ball value upside. If you grab two QBs in the first four rounds in a Superflex or two-QB format, odds are you will be very satisfied with your starting duo. I certainly lucked out waiting on Gordon. He is an underrated bounce-back target. Two years ago, he was a first-round pick, and he can be much the same player with a heavy workload in Denver. Waller was a very good pick in a format that awards 1.5 points per reception for a TE. Knowing how deep WR is, you can wait on some starters at the position while you fill up on other key slots first. RB is always in high demand, two QB starters are required here and there was the added emphasis on the TE. The wide receiver position is one where you can be patient and still land quality starters.

Rounds 7 Through 9: DK Metcalf, Tua Tagovailoa, Rob Gronkowski: The Metcalf pick was proof that patience pays off at WR in a Superflex format when many players are loading up at other positions. The Rams WRs, Terry McLaurin, Tyler Lockett and D.J. Chark, all fine WR2 types, also went in the fifth round. Tagovailoa was a “need” pick by this point as a potential backup QB. All Superflex drafts are different. In some, many of the better QBs will be gone in the first four rounds. In others, GM/coaches will wait longer and you can still land a comfortable QB2 in the fifth round and later. Gronkowski actually gets flex consideration in the TE-emphasized scoring here. A year off and a reunion with Tom Brady should make him a Top 10 TE target.

Rounds 10 through 12: Sony Michel, Tyler Boyd, Breshad Perriman: The news this week that Michel is still dealing with a foot injury was frustrating, but one regrettable pick doesn’t ruin a full draft. During a slow draft, good news and bad news will break. The Edwards-Helaire/Damien Williams and Derrius Guice news also broke during this draft. In a slow draft, you can at least make potential adjustments when the headlines emerge. That is usually not possible during a regular live draft. Boyd is an underrated fantasy WR3. Perriman could become the Jets’ No. 1 Fantasy WR. Again, patience paid off at WR as I was very satisfied with my Top 4.

Rounds 13 Through 15: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Carlos Hyde, Joshua Kelley: Taking Fitzpatrick to combine with Tagovailoa assures me of locking up the Miami QB situation to back up my two starters. The veteran can certainly be a decent Fantasy backup and the rookie has upside. I had waited on my QB depth and determined this was the ideal backup QB solution. The Miami QB competition can produce one respectable reserve option no matter who wins out. Hyde could end up starting a few games for the Seahawks if Chris Carson continues to deal with injuries. Kelley is being widely overlooked. He should be the Chargers’ preferred inside and goal-line runner. Plus, I already had Ekeler and Kelly could see an even larger role if the veteran were to miss any time.

Rounds 16 through 18: Hunter Renfrow, Steven Sims, Saints Defense: Renfrow is an internal favorite in Las Vegas and has some serious sleeper promise as the possible WR1 for the Raiders. Sims has a good chance to become a nifty speed complement to McLaurin. He is a clever late Best Ball target. The Saints have a Top 5 Fantasy defense. They are solid from the front wall to the back end and Cameron Jordan leads a strong pass rush. Defenses were starting to go off the board by this point and I also grabbed another of my preferred choices, Tampa Bay, with the next selection. It’s fine to go with the flow for non-skill position picks in the late stages. Keep picking at other positions until the run starts on the necessary defenses and kickers.

The Late Rounds: Dan Arnold (Round 21) should be a deep sleeper target, as the Cardinals plan to utilize him on key passing downs and in shorter yardage TD situations. Alshon Jeffery (23) can still have a few good games when healthy. Tee Higgins (24) may push for a starting job as a rookie and could play a significant role if A.J. Green gets hurt again. Qadree Ollison (26) may steal some TD chances from Todd Gurley and could operate in a timeshare as the lead short-yardage runner if the ex-Rams RB misses any time. Peyton Barber was worthy of a 27^th round dart after Guice was cut by Washington.

Pros vs. Joes Draft Results

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