6 Tips For New Super-Flex Drafters - NFL Fantasy Football

DFS Army’s Gthom goes over six key principles to follow if you are new to the super-flex fantasy football format. Follow Gthom on the cesspool they call twitter, @GarettThomas.

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) passes the ball as they face the Titans at Nissan Stadium Monday, Oct. 18, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. Titans Bills 308 Syndication The Tennessean

First Round QB’s Can Be Optimal

It feels gross, especially if you are a late-round QB believer, but you should select a QB as your first pick (not always, but most of the time). Even the first pick overall can be QB and I highly endorse that. Josh Allen is in another league when it comes to QB’s.

Getting one quarterback with elite mobility is also something to target. This not only secures a weekly floor for your main player, but it also allows your quarterback to reach his ceiling more often.

QB’s Are The New RB’s

There is always one team that starts off with three running backs in nearly every draft. Going that route will kill your super-flex teams. We want to target QB’s early, and sometimes often. By your fifth pick you should have both starting quarterbacks.

The scarcity that you normally see at the RB position flips to the QB position in super-flex. Don’t fall into the belief that RB’s are not scarce, it’s just that QB’s should be prioritized over the RB’s. Breakouts, waiver wire league winners, and streaming production will be much harder to find on waivers at the QB position.

Get At Least One Top-10 QB

Whatever you do, get a quarterback that will finish within the top-10. Sounds easier said than done, but it should be prioritized for several reasons.

First, the quarterback talent-pool quickly drops off around this mark. You can find some gems late, but the risks start to pile up. Second, it is important to lock this position down. You want your first QB to be an autostart; someone you don’t worry about; a player who wakes up on Sunday and balls out.

If You’re A Top-4 Pick Select A QB First

If you are one of the first four picks, go after a quarterback first. Having 16+ picks in between your first and second selection is plenty of time to miss out on top tier talent at the QB position. If that happens you are at a severe disadvantage compared to your league mates. The risk isn’t worth the reward.

If you are the fifth pick or later, it becomes less important to do this because you can select your first QB after the turn. There are still quality options in the early portions of the second round.

If you for some reason pivot from this strategy, make sure to get an elite running back. You should rarely select a wide receiver in the first round because of our next tip below.

Wide Receivers Tend To Fall

If seeing five quarterbacks go off the board in the first round is weird, just wait until you see the drop-off for wide receivers. This is the position group that really sees a drop in ADP in super-flex formats and you need to keep that in your back pocket. Not only can you get elite-potential wide receivers in the fourth and fifth rounds, but you can also get late-round hidden gems.

In normal fantasy leagues most end their drafts by going after high ceiling players who have a small chance of breaking out. In super-flex your final few picks can be players like Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Michael Gallup, George Pickens or Skyy Moore. All of these players have decent chances of breaking out, giving your WR position more upside.

Let Your Draft Board Dictate Your First Few Picks

Putting it all together, super-flex is a difficult format to draft with a single strategy for newbs. Your tactics need to be fluid and they should never be stagnant because this format can make draft flows a bit unorthodox. The draft board, and your roster, can easily guide you towards the right picks in the early portion of your draft. You just need to be prepared and understand the player pool.

Being flexible becomes even more critical if your league is new to the super-flex format. A lot of the time new super-flex leagues will be shy about selecting quarterbacks, which may allow you to get a few elite skill-position players before your second QB.