What is Superflex Fantasy Football?

As someone who has played fantasy football for more than 20 years, I can firmly say that superflex leagues are the best format for redraft. 

Why is that? I’m glad you asked.

For years, one-quarterback leagues have devalued the most important position in football. We all know that having a good quarterback is an absolute game-changer for NFL teams. 

But in one-QB fantasy football drafts? Most managers will wait as late as possible to nab their signal caller. Some even choose to play the waiver wire at the position, opting for whichever low-level starter has the best matchup each week.

I’m not saying that you can’t enjoy playing in those types of leagues; I’m just saying that superflex leagues are far superior.

Instead of just forgetting about the position until late in the draft, quarterbacks will fly up the draft boards. It creates a more compelling draft—all four positions are viable with almost every selection – and more accurately reflects the importance of the QB position in real life.

If you’re looking to dip your toes into the superflex waters—or considering an exciting new format for your home league—let’s break down everything you need to know about superflex leagues.

What is superflex fantasy football?

Superflex leagues operate the same as traditional fantasy football leagues, with one major caveat. Instead of just having a regular “flex” position, which can be occupied by a running back, wide receiver, or tight end, it uses a “superflex” position. Any player is eligible for that spot—including quarterbacks.

Nov 13, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) attempts a pass against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

That means that every quarterback now has multiple locations where they can be played: the quarterback spot and the superflex spot. That doubles the number of quarterbacks that can potentially be started in a given week. A 12-team league goes from 12 potential starting quarterbacks to 24, which has a massive impact.

Most teams will opt to play a second quarterback in that spot since QBs tend to score more fantasy points than other positions. That said, you don’t necessarily have to play a QB there. If you happen to have a ton of elite running backs or receivers, you can absolutely use one in the superflex spot.

That added flexibility adds another layer of strategy to your draft and lineup-setting decisions each week.

Approaching superflex drafts

Just like you wouldn’t want to walk into a dynasty draft with traditional fantasy football rankings, you’ll want to make sure you have specific superflex rankings for superflex drafts.

As you can probably guess, the biggest difference between superflex drafts and traditional ones is that quarterbacks tend to fly off the board.

Let’s look at an example. Josh Allen is ranked as the No. 1 quarterback for fantasy purposes. For redraft leagues, he has an Underdog ADP of 37.3. That means he is routinely going in the beginning of the fourth round, and if you’re lucky, you might be able to grab him with a late fourth-round pick.

When setting the Fantasy Life+ Draft Champion Tool to superflex, Allen is being selected in the first two picks. Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson are regularly following right behind Allen, so three or four quarterbacks are routinely coming off the board in the first half of the first round. Instead of possibly being able to get an elite fantasy quarterback in the third round, you now need to spend a top-five pick at the position.

It doesn’t just apply to the top QBs, either.  C.J. Stroud and Joe Burrow also move into the first round from an ADP perspective, while Kyler Murray, Anthony Richardson, and Dak Prescott are usually selected by the second rounde.

Remember, these are just mock drafts. I would argue that, in reality, quarterbacks will be even more expensive come draft time.

A look at our superflex rankings reveals that taking a quarterback early is almost mandatory in this format. Our top six players in superflex leagues are quarterbacks, and we have nine quarterbacks ranked in the top 20:

In a standard redraft league, you would likely get laughed out of the room if you took Richardson over Chase. Not only is that a decision in superflex leagues, but three of our four ranking experts—Dwain McFarland, Matt Freedman, Ian Hartitz, and Rob Waziak—have Richardson ahead of Chase. Such is the value of quarterbacks in the superflex format.

Why are quarterbacks so important in superflex leagues?

This one is pretty simple on the surface—quarterbacks score the most fantasy points—but there’s also a bit of math that plays into it.

Let’s assume that each person in a 12-team league is going to start a QB in their superflex spot. That means that instead of having 12 starting quarterbacks each week, we’re going to have 24. That now means the difference between the highest-scoring starting QB and the lowest-scoring starting QB is going to be massive.

Jan 21, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs for a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Giants during an NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, Allen was the No. 1 QB in fantasy scoring, averaging 24.2 points per game in 0.5-PPR leagues. Sam Howell was No. 12 in points per game among QBs with at least 11 starts, and he averaged 16.4 points per game. The means the theoretical difference between the best and worst starter at quarterback was 7.8 points per game.

While that may seem like a huge difference, it’s not that much when compared to the other positions. Let’s say that you play in a league with 24 starting running backs and 36 starting receivers. The difference between the “best” and “worst” starters at other positions is pretty comparable:

The main difference here involves cost. Drafting the “worst” starting wide receiver or running back might cost you a sixth-round pick in a traditional redraft format. The No. 12 quarterback might come with a double-digit round price tag.

This also considered half-PPR formats with zero players being counted in the flex spot. If we were to change either of those, the gap between the top and bottom running backs, receivers, and tight ends would become even more stark.

However, changing the formula to superflex changes things drastically. Now, instead of QB12 being the worst fantasy starter, it’s now QB24. Last year’s No. 24 QB in terms of fantasy points per game was Joe Burrow, checking in at just 15.3 per game. That’s a difference of 8.9 points when compared to Allen

Moving to 36 running backs or 48 receivers isn’t going to have nearly the same impact on the top players at those positions. The gaps between the flex-caliber players in those spots are much smaller, so landing a premium QB (or two) is worth the sacrifice.

Should I start a quarterback in the superflex spot?

The answer to this question is almost certainly yes. There are possible exceptions to the rule. Last year, if a team somehow ended up with Kyren Williams, Derrick Henry, Raheem Mostert, and David Montgomery at running back, but could only start three of those players between running back and flex spots, a top performer would sit each week.

Though last year with the plethora of prominent starting quarterbacks who suffered season-ending injuries—Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, and Richardson to name just a few—it might have been tough to fill that superflex position. One of those aforementioned running backs could have slotted into the superflex position. 

In general, quarterbacks are going to score more points than all but the top players at other positions, so you need to be absolutely loaded at receiver or running back and extremely weak at quarterback to justify it.

Let’s look at some numbers again. This time, let’s break each position into 12-player buckets. For example, QB1 through QB12 would be one bucket, while QB13 through QB24 would be another. We can do that for each position to see how many points per game each player in each bucket averaged last season. Let’s leave tight end out of the equation since it’s hard enough to find one good tight end these days, let alone two:

I specifically picked PPR scoring because it is the format where receivers and running backs are going to score the most. Even so, only the top bucket at both positions can outscore the No. 2 bucket at quarterback. When looking at the No. 1 bucket at QB, no one can touch them.

With the league continuing to gravitate toward the pass at a higher frequency each season, and more and more dual-threat quarterbacks entering the league, I don’t see this trend dipping any time soon. If anything, the gap between the top quarterbacks in fantasy and the other positions could become even wider in future seasons.

When should I draft quarterbacks in superflex leagues?

As the old saying goes, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’ve never been much into cat-skinning, but you certainly don’t need an elite quarterback to build a dominant team in superflex fantasy football leagues. If you beef up your roster at receiver and at running back, you can still contend with mediocre QB production.

That said, it’s much easier to just take good quarterbacks.

In general, I don’t really think it’s possible to “overdraft” quarterbacks in a superflex league. That doesn’t mean you should only focus on the QB position in the early rounds, but my personal experience with superflex leagues is that most people don’t value quarterbacks enough.

Five of our top eight spots in our superflex rankings are quarterbacks, but the top six spots in ADP will almost certainly not be six quarterbacks when all is said and done. The thought of passing on someone like CeeDee Lamb or Christian McCaffrey with a top-3 pick is going to be tough for some of your league mates to pass up.

That said, if I have a top-six pick in my superdraft league this season, I’m not hesitating to pull the trigger on a QB. If that means taking Allen over Lamb or McCaffrey, so be it.

Dec 11, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

If you miss out on the top six guys, you can pivot toward some of the elite running backs and receivers. That said, the next tier of QBs comes up quickly. If I’m picking toward the back end of the first round, guys like Herbert and Lawrence are going to be prime targets.

Starting your draft QB-QB is also very possible. Something like Stroud and Dak Prescott is very possible, giving you two guys in that top bucket of QB production. Someone like Richardson even has the potential to be the highest-scoring player in fantasy with his rushing ability.

It might feel like you’re sacrificing the rest of your roster if you draft a second QB early, but the other owners in your league are going to have to address the position as well. That means that receivers and running backs who might go in the second round of one-QB leagues will likely fall into the third round. There’s a domino effect, so you’re not going to be completely barren if you attack QB early.

Ultimately, I’m much more worried about leaving a superflex draft with subpar quarterbacks than with subpar running backs or receivers. Sleepers at running back and receiver pop up on the wire every year, but when’s the last time a non-starting QB became a fantasy superstar? OK, Joe Flacco at the end of 2023 happens only once in a great while. 

Finally, finding a third quarterback is a nice luxury. I wouldn’t overpay for a third QB if I’ve spent heavy draft capital on my first two, but it’s a great player to have on your bench. Not only do they serve as a bye-week replacement, but they can also make for great trade bait. All the owners who passed on QBs to load up elsewhere? Don’t be surprised if they’re looking at your roster to make a trade when they realize how overwhelmed they are at QB.

Are superflex leagues the same as two-QB leagues?

I like to think of these as fraternal twins. They may not be exactly the same, but they're close enough.

As discussed previously, you should almost certainly be starting a quarterback in your superflex position. That means that almost every manager in your league will be starting two quarterbacks, and most will carry three.

Sep 25, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (91) tackles Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

In two-QB leagues, owners will have no choice but to start two QBs each week. Since you don’t want a zero at the position, expect most owners to have three, four, or even five QBs on their roster. Even high-quality backups like Huntley are worth rostering since they immediately become extremely valuable if the starter gets hurt.

Having a reliable third option at QB is even more important in two-QB leagues. You do not want to have to take a zero at the position, and bye weeks and injuries happen. While superflex leagues give you the insurance policy of starting another player at the position, you don’t have that luxury in two-QB leagues.

With that in mind, expect the waiver wire to be barren at the position on most weeks. If a starting QB does get injured, expect the new starter to become an extremely hot commodity.

Why play in superflex leagues?

This is a matter of preference, but I firmly believe that superflex leagues are the best format for fantasy football. After all, do you want to play in a league where quarterbacks are important or one where they’re a dime a dozen? Which one do you feel is a more accurate reflection of the NFL?

I commish my home league, and we made the switch to superflex several years ago. I can honestly say it’s my best decision as commissioner. We still have plenty of spots for the other positions—two running backs, three receivers, and two flexes—so there are plenty of different draft strategies to consider. 

With such a large starting roster, it’s nearly impossible to leave the draft with studs at each position. Everyone is going to be weak somewhere, which makes for a really fun year.

If you’re looking to spice up your home leagues, consider making the switch. There’s no need for defenses or kickers anymore. Add in a superflex spot—and maybe another regular flex as well—and join the 21st century.

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