Quarterback is the most important position in the game of football. Furthermore, it is arguably the most valuable position in all of sports. However, is quarterback the most important position in fantasy football?
The answer is yes and no. Quarterbacks are the highest-scoring position in fantasy football. Last year, the four highest-scoring players were Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Joe Burrow. However, the depth at the position limits how valuable quarterbacks are for fantasy players. For reference, Russell Wilson was the QB16 last season, averaging 15 fantasy points per game. Yet, the veteran was the 30th highest-scoring player, totaling 225.26 fantasy points despite missing two games with injuries.
Most fantasy experts recommend waiting to draft a quarterback in a 1QB league, since the depth at the position allows fantasy managers to play the matchups and stream quarterbacks off the waiver wire. In superflex or two-quarterback leagues, however, streaming off the waiver wire is near impossible.
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2QB/Superflex Draft Strategy Guide
So how should fantasy players adjust their draft plans when playing in a superflex or two-quarterback league? Let’s dive into it.
The Differences in 1QB vs. Superflex Drafts
The first thing you will notice in a superflex draft is that quarterbacks get picked much earlier than in 1QB drafts. Patrick Mahomes is the only quarterback with a top-36 draft ranking, according to the FantasyPros consensus 1QB rankings. However, Mahomes is the second-highest ranked player in the FantasyPros consensus superflex rankings.
Furthermore, the 1QB rankings have only 11 quarterbacks in the top 100. By comparison, 22 quarterbacks are within the top 100 picks in the superflex rankings. To look at another player example, Desmond Ridder is the QB31 in both sets of rankings. He is the 235th overall player in the 1QB rankings, but the 139th in the superflex rankings. That means Ridder won’t get drafted in your 1QB league, but he would be a 12th round pick in superflex or two-quarterback leagues.
The Impact of PPR vs. Non-PPR Scoring
We’ve established that quarterbacks will get drafted significantly earlier in superflex or two-quarterback leagues compared to 1QB leagues. The question then becomes: does the league scoring impact how fantasy players should handle the early quarterback run?
Overall, the answer is no. Fantasy players do not want to end the draft with a weak quarterback unit. However, there is more depth at the flex positions in PPR scoring leagues. Third-down or pass-catching specialist running backs have little value in non-PPR scoring, but by comparison, they can be RB2 some weeks in a PPR league.
Anyone who is a fan of the Zero RB or Hero RB draft strategies knows it’s easier to execute the strategy in a PPR league because of the passing-catching studs. That same rule applies in superflex or two-quarterback leagues. While Leonard Fournette isn’t the prototypical pass-catching specialist, the veteran had 73 receptions last year, finishing third by that metric among running backs.
He was the RB12 in PPR scoring, averaging 14.1 fantasy points per game. However, Fournette was only the RB20 in non-PPR scoring, averaging 9.6 fantasy points per contest. Furthermore, the veteran had double-digit PPR fantasy points in 75% of the games last season, as compared to only six performances with over 10 fantasy points in non-PPR scoring.
How to Handle the QB Position During the Draft
The first thing fantasy players need to know is that the quarterback run will happen; it’s just a matter of how early. More importantly, do not be afraid to start the run. It’s better to be at the start of the run than the tail end. The quarterback run will also push running backs and wide receivers down the draft board, so don’t panic if the first round or two of the draft is loaded with quarterbacks.
Another thing fantasy players need to know is that size matters. The draft results in an eight-team superflex league will be drastically different than in a 14 or 16-team league. Most superflex or two-quarterback leagues are 10 or 12 teams, but fantasy players need to take their league size into account. More teams in the league means fantasy players should be more aggressive with the quarterback position.
There are all types of strategies to use in a superflex or two-quarterback league. You can use your first two draft picks on quarterbacks. Another option is two in the first four rounds, where you spend your first or second-round pick on a quarterback and grab a second within the first 50 picks. Fantasy players can also go with a Hero QB strategy, where you draft a stud with your first-round pick and then wait until rounds 8-11 to select 2-3 of the lower-end quarterbacks. However, that strategy comes with plenty of risks.
Read the superflex draft strategy guide for more general advice on how to crush your superflex league drafts.
Final Thoughts
The thought of drafting Jimmy Garoppolo or Ryan Tannehill isn’t very appealing. However, every starting quarterback will get drafted in a superflex or two-quarterback league. Furthermore, any top-end backup with a chance to start this season will likely get drafted too.
Therefore, streaming off the waiver as you would in a 1QB league isn’t an option. Unless there is another Brock Purdy this year, fantasy players will struggle to find a quarterback from the waiver wire.
More importantly, low-end starting quarterbacks outscore most flex players. For example, Marcus Mariota was the QB20 in 2022 despite missing the final four contests, averaging 15.1 fantasy points per game. Only six running backs and six wide receivers averaged more half-point PPR fantasy points per game than Mariota. While no one wanted to see him in their starting lineup, the veteran quarterback was more productive for fantasy players than most flex options.
First-time superflex or two-quarterback fantasy players should be aggressive – spend multiple early picks on the quarterback position. While it might hurt your top-end talent to a degree, it’s better to have your quarterback situation solved all year than scrambling around on the trade block to fix it.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.