The FFPC is one of the longest-running fantasy football platforms for those searching for higher-stakes action. They host redraft contests, including the $350 FantasyPros Championship and the $1,900 entry Main Event. When it comes to best ball, there are two main contests: the $35 entry Superflex contest and the $125 buy-in single QB format.
One of the most significant advantages we can give ourselves in fantasy football is understanding the key differences between different platforms. FFPC is a full PPR format with tight end premium scoring, meaning the TE position scores an extra 0.5 PPR points per reception over other positions. In other words, each catch for a tight end is worth 1.5 PPR points plus the yardage gained on the catch. This naturally drives up the value of the position, making it better to secure a top option than play the late-round lottery.
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
FFPC Roster Construction & Draft Strategy (2024)
Superflex Roster Construction
These drafts are 20 rounds long, with both slow and fast draft options, and the starting lineup consists of: 1-QB, 2-RB, 2-WR, 1-TE, 2-Flex (1-Flex can be QB RB, WR or TE, 2-Flex can be RB, WR, or TE). The beauty of this contest is that there are many different ways to construct a roster and still win. In 2023, I finished eighth out of 10,800 teams in this contest with a 4QB, 6RB, 7WR, and 3TE build, but it wasn’t uncommon to see teams in the final with two QBs or two TEs and a massive variance across the wide receivers and running backs. According to data available on Rotoviz’s FFPC Roster Construction Explorer, builds with four tight ends tend to have the most success, along with somewhere between four to seven running backs and six to eight wide receivers, with the rest of the roster filled out by quarterbacks.
Using the FantasyPros Mock Draft Wizard, you can easily and quickly simulate drafts in this format by adjusting the roster settings to add a second quarterback and boosting the positional values on quarterback and tight end. In standard drafts, we typically want to have five wide receivers by the time we get to the double-digit rounds, which has been proven to be favorable on both Underdog and DraftKings. When drafting for Superflex tight end premium formats, it can be tempting to ignore the wide receiver position or devalue it slightly in favor of the positions that have been enhanced, but teams that took five wide receivers before round ten still progressed at a better rate.
Total WRs Drafted | WR5 Before R10 | WR5 After R10 |
6 | 13.70% | 8.00% |
7 | 9.10% | 8.70% |
8 | 8.00% | 8.30% |
9 | 7.50% | 8.30% |
10 | 7.90% | 5.40% |
This table shows FFPC win rates for teams based on where they drafted their fifth wide receiver and how many they took in total. The win rate average is 8.3%, so we are aiming for anything above that. As we can see in the table, getting wide receivers early and then stopping, or not drafting too many more, is the optimal approach.
Single QB Roster Construction
The single QB $125 contest competes for a grand prize of $300,000, with a total of $1,377,750 in prizes available. Similar to the Superflex contest, the top two teams from each division advance after Week 14 into the playoffs, eventually hoping to make it to the 81-person final in Week 17. Because these finals are smaller than the likes of DraftKings’ 1,500-person final, or Underdog’s 500-person final, stacking is slightly less important. Typically we stack because we want a large amount of correlation to help us gain leverage on our competitors, but when there is less competition, we can ease back slightly and focus more on smaller stacks.
Like the Superflex option, drafts are 20 rounds with no kickers or defense and the starting lineup is: 1-QB, 2-RB, 2-WR, 1-TE, 2-Flex (Flex can be RB, WR or TE). The tight end premium becomes even more valuable here and we can see that reflected in the ADP.
FFPC ADP | UD ADP | Difference | |
Sam LaPorta | 14.4 | 32.9 | -18.5 |
Travis Kelce | 19.5 | 41.3 | -21.8 |
Trey McBride | 21.4 | 49.3 | -27.9 |
Mark Andrews | 29.3 | 54.1 | -24.8 |
Dalton Kincaid | 32.6 | 59.4 | -26.8 |
Evan Engram | 42.6 | 75.5 | -32.9 |
Kyle Pitts | 45.7 | 64 | -18.3 |
Brock Bowers | 54.2 | 79 | -24.8 |
George Kittle | 58.7 | 69.5 | -10.8 |
David Njoku | 65.2 | 92.3 | -27.1 |
Jake Ferguson | 73.8 | 93.4 | -19.6 |
Dallas Goedert | 80.3 | 113 | -32.7 |
Dalton Schultz | 90.7 | 119.4 | -28.7 |
Pat Freiermuth | 100.2 | 142.9 | -42.7 |
Comparing ADP from FFPC with that of Underdog’s, we can see that on average, tight ends go around 25 picks earlier than they would with non-tight end premium settings. FFPC is also full PPR, compared to Underdog’s half PPR, which further adds to the value of the position on that platform. Nine tight ends are drafted within the first five rounds on FFPC, a stark contrast to Underdog where only five are typically off the board that early. Drafting your first tight end before round six had a win rate average of 8.7% compared to 8.0% when waiting till round six or later. This might not sound like a lot, but when 8.3% is average, even a small edge can make a big difference.
Another notable variation is how much earlier running backs are being drafted in FFPC; the RB20 was drafted at pick 66, compared to pick 78 on Underdog. However, over the last three years, teams waiting till after Round 6 to draft their first running back had far more impressive win rates than those taking their RB1 before then.
Total RBs Drafted | RB1 Before R6 | RB1 After R6 |
4 | 7.70% | 6.00% |
5 | 8.40% | 11.30% |
6 | 8.60% | 7.70% |
7 | 8.20% | 10.20% |
8 | 7.00% | 9.20% |
9 | 5.50% | 3.60% |
The ideal approach to FFPC single QB formats would be find 4-5 wide receivers in the first nine rounds along with at least one tight end, then scoop up value where possible along the way.
If we were to simulate this type of draft on the Mock Draft Simulator, the only tweak needed is to increase the tight end positional value to “high.”
More Fantasy Football Draft Advice
- Erickson’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- Fitz’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- DBro’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- Hoppen’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
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