SuperFlex Rookie Draft Strategy

The SuperFlex format is starting to take over fantasy football, especially in dynasty. A typical Flex position is one where you can play running back, wide receiver, or tight end. SuperFlex leagues usually contain one SuperFlex spot as well, where a quarterback can also be played. Having the ability to play 2 quarterbacks per week increases the scarcity of the position and thus elevates the value. This is reflected in dynasty rookie drafts. How you might ask?  Here is SuperFlex Rookie Draft Strategy to answer those questions.

1.J0e1

Looking at my dynasty rookie rankings, you can see that I have Joe Burrow as my highest rated quarterback entering the NFL in 2020. Even in 1QB formats, I consider him a 1st-round pick. Moving over the SuperFlex elevates Burrow to the top of draft boards.

Quarterback becomes the most important position in SuperFlex leagues. Therefore, anyone who should start for the entire length of their rookie contract (and likely beyond) definitely deserves consideration as the #1 overall pick.

The reason that I have Burrow in a tier of his own is primarily health. Watching college tape, both Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa demonstrated excellent movement both inside and outside the pocket, with the ability to gain yards on the ground when needed. However, with Tagovailoa’s hip injury, we are not sure how that will affect his mobility. As a rookie, I could see Burrow running more often than expected, in order to protect the football against NFL defenses. That is fine for fantasy as rushing yards are worth more than passing yards. It could be to the point where Burrow is a viable starter in SuperFlex right from year 1.

Finally, with Andy Dalton no longer on the Bengals, Burrow as the team all to himself. He should be the unquestioned starter right off the bat and thus the 1.01 in SuperFlex rookie drafts.

1.0Tua?

Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa will likely not start week 1 as a rookie. However, I still consider him as a potential 2nd overall pick in SuperFlex rookie drafts. While the health concerns are evident, so is Tagovailoa’s football IQ and maturity. Like Burrow, Tagovaila is excellent at making full-field reads quickly. He also does the little things like looking off safeties. This tells me that he is pro-ready.

Again the only concern is, primarily the hip injury. On top of his elevated mental processing, Tagovailoa also has excellent accuracy and arm strength. The main question outside of when will he be able to play is will this hip injury affect his throwing velocity. The truth is that we will not know until Tagovailoa takes the field and attempts a pass.

If you are in desperate need of a quarterback and are sitting at 1.02 in a SuperFlex, I would have no problem selecting Tagovailoa. However, I would advise you to try and trade up to get the 1.01. I did just that in a league where I was slotted in at the 1.02 spot. I gave up the 1.02 and 2.02 (16th overall pick) to move up one spot to get Joe Burrow. Hopefully, that gives a frame a reference for trade range. Also, this is not meant to lower Tagovailoa. This has more to do with how much faith I have in Burrow as an elite talent.

Herbert Hopping

There may be no player whose value is most affected by the format. Both Gavin Frick and I have Justin Herbert ranked outside the top 25 dynasty rookies. But those rankings are done with a 1QB format in mind. In SuperFlex, Herbert hops high in the rookie ranks.

How high? Herbert is regularly found in the first round of fantasy rookie drafts. SuperFlex changes the equation when it comes to quarterback value. Personally, I would select Herbert before any wide receiver in SuperFlex rookie drafts. The moment Herbert is named the starter for the Chargers, his value increases. It will get to the point where you can draft Herbert and trade him for almost any wide receiver you want, rookie or otherwise.

The real question in SuperFlex is how does Herbert compare to the rookie running backs? Well, there is no simple answer. It’s all about team needs. If a fantasy manager was is so desperate for a quarterback, I cannot fault anyone for selecting Herbert at 1.03 before all the running backs. Yes, you could trade down from the 1.03 and still get Herbert. However, I would be wary of trading down too far as other managers may be in need of a quarterback.

If you are not so desperate for a quarterback, meaning you have at least 2 unquestioned starters for the next couple of seasons, I would consider passing on Herbert. The immediate potential production of the running backs makes it so that all five of the main rookies could help you win this year. All to say, that in SuperFlex rookie drafts, Herbert belongs anywhere between 1.03 and 1.08.

Backups

Outside of the top three quarterbacks, there are others at the position who may warrant interest. In 1QB formats, not all of the starting quarterbacks may even be on rosters. Let alone any backups. Burrow, Tagovailoa, and Herbert will all likely be starting games during their inaugural NFL seasons. For other rookies, that is less likely. No other rookie quarterback will likely get selected in 1QB rookie drafts.

Again, SuperFlex changes the equation. That means that Jacob Eason, Jalen Hurts, and Jordan Love should all be taken in SuperFlex rookie drafts. Those three were the next quarterbacks selected after the first three in the NFL draft. They have the likeliest paths to starting outside of the signal-caller selected in the top 6. How long will they have to wait is the question.

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So, in what round should they be taken in rookie drafts. It all depends on position needs. In SuperFlex formats, it is very difficult to compete without at least 3 solid quarterbacks that you can count on. During rookie drafts that I have participated in, I saw Jordan Love go as high as 2.07 (19th overall pick).

Personally, out of those three, I would go with Eason, simply because he has the clearest path to starting. Philip Rivers only signed a 1-year contract, and Jacoby Brissett will be a free agent in 2021. That leaves Eason as the only quarterback on the Colts roster. Aaron Rodgers will be with the Packers until 2022 (at the earliest) and looking at his contract details, Carson Wentz will be on the Eagles until probably 2023.

I selected Eason in a rookie draft at 2.10 (20th overall) while Hurts and Love were both still on the board. So I’m preaching what I practice, even though Eason does not have the draft capital of either Hurts or Love. It is just that I do not want to wait as long as needed in order to get Hurts and Love as starters.

Thank you for reading SuperFlex Rookie Draft Strategy. Be sure to stay connected to Full Press Coverage for more great Fantasy Football content.

– Kyle Senra is the managing editor for the Full Press Fantasy Sports. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @nyama_ks Follow @FPC_FF and Facebook.