No one’s really sure how many fantasy football leagues use the superflex format, but one thing’s for sure: it’s here to stay. With surging popularity over the past five years, more strategies, and of course—more fun—the superflex format might just usurp other fantasy leagues to become the preferred option of the veteran, intermediate, and uninitiated. The best part is you get to watch and cheer for two quarterbacks each week instead of just one.
Whether you’re new to the format or just keep hearing the phrase and asking yourself, “what is superflex fantasy football?” here’s everything you need to know from drafting to scoring to strategy and beyond.
Superflex fantasy football is a fantasy football format that allows you to have an additional starting roster spot. The superflex position gives you the opportunity to add any player to your starting lineup, although placing a quarterback in this position is the optimal move—but more on that later.
In a traditional flex fantasy football league, the flex spot only allows you to place a running back, tight end, or wide receiver into the starting lineup. Conversely, a superflex league allows you to start a second quarterback, which has several benefits.
The most obvious advantage of a superflex over a flex league is that you can start two QBs at the same time, accumulating more points in the process. While you could field a different player, there’s little reason to do so. Essentially, superflex is equivalent to a 2-QB league.
Having a second QB is ideal in 12-team leagues where at least four teams wouldn’t have access to a backup quarterback. In a 10-team league, the superflex format provides more depth, allowing you to have two starting quarterbacks without any team missing out on the opportunity to earn more points.
In some superflex leagues, the original flex position remains and an additional starting spot is added. However, some superflex leagues eliminate the flex position and simply make it a superflex in terms of the quarterback being a viable option.
Daily fantasy sports—or DFS—have also grown in popularity since DraftKings and FanDuel have become legalized in more states. Unsurprisingly, its biggest moneymakers are NFL-based games, which include a superflex format. So if you don’t have a league to join but you still want your chance at glory with a side of cash, almost all DFS leagues have superflex options to suit your fancy.
Aside from being able to start a second quarterback, superflex offers three major advantages:
The most fun position to watch in fantasy football is the QB because your player touches the ball on ~98% of the offensive plays. You also get to watch and cheer against your opponents QB two times more (or feel the pain twice as much). This is why superflex leagues can be two times the fun.
Just make sure to take our superflex draft tips below and you won't be in pain every Sunday.
Ultimately, a quarterback injury can derail even the most well-planned fantasy football roster. But some quarterbacks in the NFL have demonstrated exceptional ability when given the chance. When Trey Lance and Jimmy G. went down, Mr. Irrelevant himself Brock Purdy stepped into the spotlight. Even further back, Kurt Warner went from bagging groceries to a Hall-of-Fame career.
So when you think your fantasy team might be devastated due to injury, you’re still free to throw a potential sleeper into the mix.
Quarterback hoarding is a creative strategy. In certain weeks you may even have an opportunity to squeeze your opponent from even starting one if you pay attention to injury news and bye weeks. This strategy is a great way to force trades that weigh heavily in your favour to a desperate team.
In non-superflex leagues, hoarding the quarterback position is not a good strategy because there are so many available. In a superflex league, every quarterback becomes nearly twice as valuable. In superflex leagues it's especially important to have top tier quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen.
So now that you have the opportunity to start two quarterbacks, you might think that your entire draft mentality changes—and that’s 100% true. While the fantasy football draft format remains the same, the importance of selecting a quarterback is crucial to your success.
In most player-ranking systems, six quarterbacks are listed within the top-20 most valuable players in Superflex. Instead of waiting until the middle rounds or late rounds to draft a quarterback, a superflex draft strategy necessitates quarterback consideration in the early rounds and often the first round (or in auction drafts for a significant amount as high as 25% of your auction dollars).
Another interesting tip is that RBs and WRs fluctuate more in point scoring compared to QBs. One great resource for finding up and coming QBs is to watch The QB School on YouTube; hosted by J.T. O'Sullivan who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 6th round and played in the NFL for 8 seasons.
Drafting QBs early or for a lot of auction dollars doesn’t mean you should neglect a Justin Jefferson, Christian McCaffrey, or Travis Kelce in the early rounds. But like other types of fantasy football formats, you can still leave the defense and kickers to the end of the draft unless you're in an auction draft in which case you can draft whenever but for $1.
What is superflex fantasy football? It’s the chance to steal more than one star quarterback. It affords better matchups week in and week out, all other factors the same.
Imagine having Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the same starting lineup. Or maybe a veteran mix of Derek Carr and Tom Brady going 1-2 is your muse. Or you could even go with a youth mishmash of Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence in your QB and superflex spots.
Pay extra attention to what Vegas sportsbooks are expecting team records to be. This way you can ensure picking running backs on high powered offenses and avoid late season issues with players on teams that may purposely tank.
Drafting and strategies for superflex fantasy football go hand-in-hand. Like other types of fantasy football leagues, your drafting often sets the tone for how your season goes. However, you can soak in a few extra bits of fantasy gridiron wisdom to build a winning club. Here are a few things you should consider:
Whatever you do, avoid the temptation to add a third quarterback too early. Barring injury, you’ll only use this quarterback twice during the season—whenever your starting QB or superflex QB are in their bye weeks. Just make sure to know when the bye weeks are at the beginning of your season and prepare for them. Adding a third quarterback too early steals a spot from a better candidate such as a TE, WR, RB, or defensive player.
If you come across a bye week, use the superflex spot to swap in a player that’s going against a lackluster defense or is on a hot streak. It might be much more effective than a third QB.
You can use Vegas player props throughout the season to decide who to sit and start but before the draft you should look at player prop futures; which WRs are expected to have the most receiving touchdowns, which QBs are expected to have the most passing yards, which player is expected to be the Offensive Player of the Year? These player props will help you because Vegas sports books spend more time and money than anyone else setting these lines to be as accurate as possible. 'Experts' may have a few thousand dollars and their reputation on the line, but Vegas sportsbooks have billions on the line - they are rarely wrong.
Watching for waiver wire opportunities for added value is an important part of any winning fantasy football formula. Pay attention to weekly injuries, snap count changes, and trades to know who to pick up. Studies show that higher waiver activity correlates to better fantasy football results. You can get value on the cheap and oftentimes at the last second or in a moment’s notice.
If you need another QB at some point during the season, this is where you should go. Don’t waste an early-round draft pick on a QB or another long shot when you can get them off waivers. The best waiver opportunities typically happen at the beginning of the season and towards the trade deadline before November 1st.
Average draft position—or ADP—is a pivotal statistic that enables you to assess the value of a given pick. The idea is to pick up players who have a much higher ADP than the point in time you are drafting (ex. you are in round 5 but Alvin Kamara is still available and his ADP is round 2).
Instead of comparing one player to another, you’re using ADP as a ranking system to compare quarterbacks head to head—and in turn—whether you can find a steal in a late round. Just make sure you have your bases covered and draft good QBs early.
Like any other drafting strategy, you need to keep a watchful eye on how your opponents are drafting and do your research before the draft. People tend to be creatures of habit, and fantasy football is no different.
With the ADP in front of you, you’re able to find value picks that can translate into big points throughout the season.
It depends - this is why using Vegas player props to decide on who to start is very helpful. A second quarterback will often rack up more touchdowns and provide more points, whether you’re using PPR (points per reception) scoring or non-PPR scoring. Unless you’re in a situation where you have two tier 1 RBs like Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry going against the 31st- and 32nd-ranked defenses in the league, or if the only available QB is Nathan Peterman, it's almost always better to start a second quarterback.
Now that you’ve answered the question “what is superflex fantasy football?” you’re more attune to the strategies and qualities that can make you a champion in your own league. But is superflex really better than other formats?
There’s no right or wrong answer to whether you should join a superflex fantasy football league. Beginners might find that the format is overwhelming or too much to absorb for their first venture into the league. However, intermediate and advanced players may love the added challenge and strategies that can take their game to the next level.
Regardless of whether you opt for a superflex fantasy football league or a different type, make sure you check out Wise Guys Edge to plan your best line up. Using odds from Vegas sportsbooks who spend 100's of millions each year to be accurate, rather than simply trending news or 'experts', we help you decide who to start and who to bench—giving you a competitive advantage in your quest for your fantasy Super Bowl. With some planning and hard work, you might just be the one who hoists the fantasy Vince Lombardi Trophy.
