First, is there a “Best Superflex Draft Strategy?” In fairness, probably not. Every strategy works when you draft the “right” players. Do you want to build long-term success, though?
What is the most important position in the NFL? The quarterback, of course! Doesn’t it stand to reason then that the most important position in Superflex leagues is the quarterback? I think it does. You have to roster two and ideally always start two, right? Everyone knows that! Although, it’s more like three for your bye weeks, right? Naturally.
Actually, no. In this strategy, I am talking about rostering more quarterbacks than that. Many more. More, more, more! What happens when you devote significant startup resources to accumulating quarterbacks?
Robust Quarterback or QBX – The Best Superflex Draft Strategy
The “Robust Quarterback” strategy, described in our recent startup strategy article by Dynasty Nerds’ own Justin Andrew, focuses on just that. I first heard this strategy explained and described as “QB Extreme” or “QBX” by John Hogue on podcasts around this time last year. He also wrote a great article about the strategy for DLF here.
Given the current quarterback environment in dynasty and the NFL itself, I will split the strategy into two simple cases. What if you have a pick within the first five picks, and what if you don’t?
Here are two sample mock drafts using this strategy to get a feel for what a “QBX” team potentially looks like. I used the Sleeper app using Superflex/TE PPR settings in a twelve-team league. These mock drafts include the 2023 rookies in the player pool.
Sample Mock 1 – Drafting from 1.05
I feel like I cheated a bit by taking the fifth pick. Why? Most would agree that the first five picks in your Superflex startup drafts will be the following quarterbacks in some order – Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert. If you are fortunate enough to get one of those quarterbacks, you have a lot of wiggle room with this strategy in the second, third, and fourth rounds. Why? Because the current drafting environment is fading s,o many lesser-tier quarterbacks. Grab a stud, draft some great players who fall to you in the next few rounds, and three quarterbacks.
Analyzing Sample Mock 1
Using the Best Superflex Draft Strategy, I drafted Burrow with the fifth pick. I was then lucky enough to get Kyler Murray in the next round. Notice, however, that I did not just focus solely on drafting only quarterbacks with this strategy. I think that’s where the disconnect comes with some dynasty drafters when they hear about this strategy. You likely don’t have to spend your first five picks drafting nothing but quarterbacks! Getting Kyle Pitts in the third round felt great to begin rounding out my roster, as now I feel as if I have solidified both my tight end and my quarterback rooms for years to come.
I drafted two top young wide receivers in the next two rounds, as I disliked any quarterback values in that area. Afterward, I swung back around and went quarterback in the next four rounds! Excessive, you say? No. I felt it made total sense, given the value. I drafted Russell Wilson over players like Dalvin Cook and Terry McLaurin. and then drafted Anthony Richardson over Alvin Kamara and Pat Freiermuth. I picked Jared Goff over Isiah Pacheco and Miles Sanders and later took Derek Carr over Brian Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
Yes, many of the non-quarterback players I named are excellent and productive, but they’re all mostly older, replaceable, or both. I will roster the quarterback of the Denver Broncos for years, yet how much time does Dalvin Cook have left? If Richardson is drafted in the top five of the NFL Draft, who will have more value, he or a soon-to-be 28-year-old Alvin Kamara? Wouldn’t you rather have Derek Carr knowing he will have his pick of teams in free agency over a fifth-round running back who could easily be replaced as early as this May?
Now, you may believe that landing one of those top five stud quarterbacks is the key to “The Best Superflex Draft Strategy” involving rostering a robust amount of quarterbacks, but what happens if you don’t? Every draft will be different, but I honestly like the results of my mock below even better!
Sample Mock 2 – Drafting from 1.10
What happens if you miss out on one of the top five quarterbacks? You will still be in great shape! As I said earlier, we are in such uncertain times. Who does Aaron Rodgers play for this fall? What about Carr? Jimmy G? Will Lamar Jackson be traded? Will Ryan Tannehill have a job or not? Is Daniel Jones going to break the bank? These are all situations that can be exploited. It all depends on your comfort level. There is risk involved, but this is dynasty fantasy football. There is always a risk! Think of it this way, though. In the end, there are 32 teams, and each player has to play somewhere, right?
Analyzing Sample Mock 2
I could echo many of my thoughts from above, but drafting at the end of the first round does pose a different challenge. If Trevor Lawrence manages to fall to you, congratulations. What a start! What if he doesn’t? Do you go for relative safety in a player like Dak Prescott, or do you go for a decent ceiling by taking a player like Justin Fields? How comfortable are you taking Jackson, given his contract situation?
As many fantasy analysts describe an annual “running back dead zone” in drafts, I believe there is an equal but opposite quarterback dead zone this season. Once you get past guys like Prescott and Fields, there are many question marks and many older players. If you can land one decent quarterback in the first round, it is in those later rounds where you can zig for the non-quarterback value. You do not have to reach at the moment. Grab the value. Let the “riskier” quarterbacks fall to you. Let the undervalued rookie quarterbacks like Will Levis and Richardson fall to you, maybe even Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.
If you look at the results of my mock, I have come away with the (almost certain) starting quarterbacks for the Bears, Dolphins, Broncos, and Lions. Three of those players (Fields, Tua, and Goff) finished with over 17 points per game. Only six running backs from 2022 can make the same claim using vanilla PPR scoring. Six! Wide receiver? Only nine. This, my friends, is why you get all the quarterbacks you can in Superflex.
And what about the rest of my quarterback room? Geno Smith is the likely quarterback for the Seahawks, while the Packers seem destined to start Jordan Love. Carr and Garopollo are weeks away from a landing spot in free agency. I drafted Brock Purdy late because what if and why not? If the cards fall my way, I just left this draft with 1/4 of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks.
Sacrifices Were Made
Did I make sacrifices along the way? Absolutely. I didn’t draft a single running back. It is also February. I do not have to set a lineup yet or really any time soon. I can trade for running backs once I am more comfortable knowing who goes where in free agency. We always recommend being careful when trading for running backs this time of year, so why would you waste high-value draft picks on a bunch of mid-tier running backs with uncertain situations? Who is more likely to lose value between now and August, running backs like Miles Sanders and Isiah Pacheco or starting quarterbacks drafted in the same range like Daniel Jones or Kenny Pickett?
The rest of my roster? Whew, this group would excite me! I have two of the top young wide receivers in the league in Lamb and Garrett Wilson. My next three receivers, Burks, Dotson, and Gallup, are a formidable trio of talent. I even drafted two top young tight ends in Dulcich and Bellinger. None of these players are older than 25, so I have locked down every position outside of running back.
As the season approaches, I now have the option and flexibility of trading my rookie picks or one of my many quarterbacks for running backs which could help me win now. Or, instead, I could stay the course and ride out the season with whomever I can get at running back off waivers. I can then use my 2024, and 2025 rookie picks to solely and continually trade for or draft running backs, running backs, and more running backs and complete my roster for years to come.
Don’t Believe Me? Try For Yourself!
If you don’t believe me when I say this is the Best Superflex Draft Strategy, try it out yourself. You’re a Nerd Herd member, aren’t you? I sure hope so! Use our Mock Draft tool and try to put together a team for yourself. It can be both Hero RB and Zero RB. Win Now or Productive Struggle. With shades of so many startup strategies rolled into one, I think you’ll be happy with the strategy I’ve set out for you here. Happy drafting!
