One of the more rapidly rising fantasy formats is Superflex fantasy football.
Once upon a time, fantasy football leagues were all largely the same. Of course, variations existed, but the general format across leagues was similar. Now, it seems as though there’s no limit to the different styles and formats of leagues available.
For those new to the game or for anyone who has only played in the more traditional formats, here is a basic primer on Superflex leagues and how they differ from other formats.
What Are Superflex/2QB Fantasy Football Leagues?
While this article is directed toward more novice players, I will take some liberties in assuming a certain base level of knowledge regarding fantasy football roster construction. One such assumption is that everyone knows what a Flex position is.
As long as you’ve played any basic fantasy football format, you’ve surely come in contact with a Flex spot. A Superflex position is just a Flex spot that also allows you to start a quarterback.
If your first thought is that you’d always start a quarterback in the Superflex, you very well may be onto something. After all, the title of this article says “Superflex and 2QB.”
The idea behind starting two quarterbacks is to restore fantasy value to the NFL’s most important position. The late-round quarterback strategy was optimal for many years because QB production was so replaceable in fantasy football.
Quarterback is the most important position for an NFL team. Yet, it was an afterthought in fantasy leagues. When fantasy managers can start two of them, supply and demand take over, and suddenly, the QB position is immensely valuable.
I don’t know exactly when the Superflex position was created. The earliest record I can find is 2017, but it may very well have been sooner. It certainly didn’t exist on the mainstream fantasy platforms when I started playing in 2003.
Back then, I actually did participate in a league that wanted to allow us to start two quarterbacks. Our only option was to add a second QB spot.
If you’re doing some quick math in your head, you will quickly realize that in a 12-team league, for every team to roster two starting QBs, plus one backup, that means 36 quarterbacks have to be rostered. There are only 32 starting QBs. This fact contributed to 2QB leagues struggling to gain traction.
In theory, you should be able to roster a backup for every player at every position. That’s simply not possible if you’re required to start two quarterbacks every week.
The Superflex position is an ingenious solution to the quarterback problem. It is essentially a 2QB league, but it also provides fantasy managers who are unable to roster a third starting quarterback with outs. By allowing managers to start any offensive player, you can still field a full lineup even if you don’t have two quarterbacks to start.
With that said, strict 2QB leagues do exist. They just don’t typically have more than 10 teams because, with 10 teams, every team can theoretically roster three quarterbacks.
Should You Always Start a QB at the Superflex Position in Fantasy Football?
Should you? Unequivocally, yes. Your goal should be to start a quarterback in your Superflex position every week, and most teams will be able to do so.
At worst, there should only be one or two weeks where you can’t due to bye weeks. If there are more, it’s probably due to some bad injury luck.
A common lineup construction in Superflex leagues will look like this: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, Flex, Superflex. It’s like a regular fantasy football lineup, just with a Superflex spot tacked on. Even if you have a stacked team, odds are the last player entering your starting lineup is no better than a WR4 or an RB3.
MORE: Superflex/2QB Strategy for Dynasty Fantasy Football Drafts
The typical threshold for WR4 performance is around 11 PPR fantasy points per game. An RB3 will get you around 10 points per game. Last season, the QB40 still averaged 10.6 ppg.
It should be no surprise that quarterbacks score the most fantasy points, and it isn’t particularly close. Even the worst fantasy QBs are better than legitimate starting-caliber fantasy WR4s and RB3s.
Scenarios do exist where you’d want to start a wide receiver or a running back over a quarterback, but they’re few and far between. If you have two starting quarterbacks on your roster who are both active on a given week, 95% of the time, they will both be in your lineup.
What Are Some Key Differences Between Superflex/2QB and 1QB Leagues?
When it comes to how players score fantasy points, having a Superflex position doesn’t change anything.
The manner in which players score fantasy points is the same. You have your usual formatting options: PPR, half-PPR, non-PPR, PPFD (point per first down), TE premium (1.5 PPR for TEs), or any other scoring system you can think of.
However, as one would expect, the average weekly score will increase when you have a second QB in the lineup. Most weeks, your two highest-scoring players will be your quarterbacks.
The most glaring difference is in Superflex/2QB fantasy football drafts and the waiver wire.
How Does Drafting Strategy Change in Superflex/2QB leagues?
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a bit of a resurgence in the value of quarterbacks in 1QB leagues.
With the influx of rushing quarterbacks, it’s not as easy to stream the position. As a result, the consistently elite QB1s are justifiably going earlier in fantasy drafts. Even so, you cannot compare QB values in 1QB formats to Superflex/2QB leagues.
As previously mentioned, it’s basic supply and demand with just 32 starting QBs. Thus, quarterbacks fly off the board early and often in Superflex fantasy football drafts.
Any quarterback that averages around 20+ points per game will be gone by the end of the second round … and that’s probably too high of a threshold. Quarterbacks that are a little worse than that likely won’t last, either. You should expect 12-14 QBs gone in the first 24 picks.
As one might expect, with so many QBs going early, there will be RBs and WRs you typically see going in the first and second rounds available in Rounds 3 and 4. It’s a rippling effect throughout the draft.
When I first started doing Superflex drafts, the most difficult adjustment was changing that frame of reference in my mind. It feels wrong to pass on an elite RB1 or WR1 for a mid-QB1 you would typically draft in the middle single-digit rounds of a 1QB league — but it’s necessary.
If you’re new to Superflex, you need to train your brain to think differently. If you don’t draft at least one QB in the first three rounds, you’re gonna have a bad time. I prefer to start QB-QB as frequently as possible. The draft room doesn’t always let me, but when I can, I will.
While even the weakest starting quarterbacks in the NFL are fantasy-viable, if your QBs both average below 15 ppg, even if you’re stacked elsewhere, the QB deficit will be tough to overcome. So, if you’re not taking two quarterbacks relatively early, you better hit on your QB2 or QB3.
In a single-QB league, even the worst starting QB may only average 3-5 points per game less than most other starters. In Superflex/2QB leagues, the difference is massive. If a team starts QB-QB (and doesn’t whiff on either), and you don’t take any in the first two rounds, you may be looking at a 20-points-per-game gap.
The strongest argument against Superflex/2QB leagues is they devalue other positions. If you nail the QBs and you have two guys averaging over 20 points per game, it’s really just not possible for the other positions to make up the difference.
Your advantage at WR and RB won’t be able to make up the difference if your quarterbacks are combining for under 30 ppg.
With that said, there’s still no hard-and-fast rule about how to draft your team. If you get the picks correct, you can win with any strategy.
Take two within the first three rounds, take one early and a couple late, or even roll the dice on a bunch of QB2s (not recommended).
How Does the Waiver Wire Change in Superflex/2QB Leagues?
In 1QB formats, if you miss on your starting quarterback, you’re going to be able to find someone on the waiver wire. He may not be great, but you’re not going to be without options. At any given moment, there are typically around 10-14 QBs available to claim.
In Superflex/2QB, however, not only will every single starting QB be drafted, but several backups as well. Most teams will roster three quarterbacks despite the fact that eight of them won’t open the season as a starter. Some will even draft four.
Since quarterbacks are so scarce and valuable, when an unexpected starter pops up due to injury or a surprise benching, he’s going to be added by someone in your league. And if your league uses FAAB waivers, he’s going to be expensive.
In 1QB leagues, quarterbacks are replaceable. You can always find someone on the waiver wire. That’s not the case in Superflex/2QB.
The instant a starting quarterback goes down or gets benched, if his backup isn’t already rostered, he will be immediately. Everything revolves around the QB position, and you can’t bail out a bad QB draft via the waiver.
Closing Thoughts on Superflex/2QB Leagues
While it may seem scary at first, Superflex/2QB leagues are just another way to have fun in this great game we play.
Whether you’ve only played 1QB redraft your entire career or dabbled in all sorts of formats, there’s never a bad time to give Superflex leagues a shot.