Fantasy football is a game that is always evolving. Whether it’s in draft strategy, different league formats, or even the introduction to daily fantasy sports the game is always changing. Hell even ESPN made PPR scoring the default option when creating a league just a few weeks back. One thing is certain. The game today is different than it was 10 years ago. And the game today will be different 10 years from now.

One type of format that is becoming more and more popular is the superflex league. Very similar to the 2-QB format, the superflex league makes it possible to start two quarterbacks in your weekly matchup. It’s still possible to start a positional player like a running back, wide receiver, or tight end. But if given the opportunity to start a quarterback, arguably the most consistent position in terms of point production, you should probably do so.

Drafting

Because of the added value to the quarterback position in superflex leagues, you’ll notice the ADP’s are a bit higher in this format. In a standard league where you may only start one quarterback you can wait. You can stack up at running back and wide receiver and grab Ben Roethlisberger, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, or Matthew Stafford in the mid-to-late rounds. In a 2-QB or superflex league, all those guys will be gone by round 6, or round 7 at the very latest. Never prepare or draft the same in a superflex league compared to your other leagues where you start 1 quarterback each week.

Historically teams that take two stud quarterbacks early have a great chance of making the playoffs. Can you imagine beginning your season with two of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, or Matt Ryan? It was tempting to put Andrew Luck in that list but his shoulder injury is slightly concerning. Being able to start two top-tier QB’s almost guarantees you 40-45 points off the bat on a weekly basis. Of course both have their Bye Weeks, but it’s such a warm and cozy feeling to know you have such a luxury.

The problem with that strategy is that it leaves you vulnerable to missing out on top-tier talent. Sure there will be a mid-round run on QB’s that you won’t have to worry about, but you may miss out on a reliable RB1 or WR1. There are plenty of late-round players with a lot of upside that you should target should you go this route. Jacquizz Rodgers, Eric Ebron, Duke Johnson, etc. could all be targets for your team in the late rounds. You’ll be able to fill your roster with mid-round talent, but these are some names to look at late.

The Best Strategy?

Starting two quarterbacks really complicates things. But the best way to approach the draft is to take one of the top-end quarterbacks with one of your two or three first picks. You ensure consistency and the ability to go into your weekly matchups with an advantage at the position. Now you don’t need to go overboard here. You can wait on a quarterback a little bit in this format. The Top 5 quarterbacks all averaged over 18 points per game last season. You can throw Tom Brady in that group to make it 6 considering he averaged almost 21 fantasy points each week in 12 just games last year.

So with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, Kirk Cousins, and Tom Brady off the board you can grab one of the mid-tier QB’s. This is a wide open mid-tier. There are 12 quarterbacks in this group that averaged between 15-17 points per game last season. The names in this group include Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, Blake Bortles, Russell Wilson, Derek Carr, Tyrod Taylor, Philip Rivers, Andy Dalton, Marcus Mariota, Ben Roethlisberger, Jameis Winston, and Cam Newton. So you can grab an elite level quarterback early on and focus on grabbing one of those mid-tier QB’s in rounds 5, 6, or 7. When there are 12 guys that were only separated by 2 points per game each week there’s enough value to go around in the group so you don’t need to grab another QB in rounds 3 and 4. Even if you miss out on the players listed above, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, and Carson Wentz didn’t finish in that tier last year but there are all very capable of getting to that level in 2017.

What to be Mindful of…

It’s always important to know your league rules. Unlike the running back and wide receiver positions there are only 32 players (at most) that start at quarterback in a given week. During a Bye week it may only be 28. If you’re in a 10-team league that incorporates a strategy where you can start two quarterbacks, you might be able to wait a little bit longer in your draft. 20 QB’s at most will be started in a 10-team superflex league. You can find a streamer occasionally in this format.

12-team superflex leagues are more of a gamble. 24 QB’s can be started in this league (Math is so hard sometimes). The position scarcity puts more emphasis on grabbing a reliable QB2. Do you absolutely need to start a QB in your flex? No, but it’s very risky to not start a QB in your in this particular spot. In total there were 20 QB’s that averaged over 14.4 points per game last season (4 points per passing touchdown). In PPR formats, only 7 RB’s and 12 WR’s averaged more than 14.4 points per game. In what was a very inconsistent and rough year for tight ends, Travis Kelce led the group but even he only averaged 13.6 points per game. And these are numbers in PPR leagues. The RB, WR, and TE averages go down in standard leagues. If you’re in a 6-point per passing TD league then it makes even more sense to start a QB in your superflex spot each week.

The superflex league is a format that tries to “level the playing field,” but arguably puts too much value on QB’s. For so long there has been a growing trend in standard 1-QB leagues to sit, wait, and build up the rest of your team. It’s been no secret for a while now that it’s safe to draft a competent QB in the mid-rounds as opposed to taking an elite QB early on. Superflex leagues introduce a whole new wave of strategy to spice things up so you have to throw out the old playbook.