'Superflex' option adds an extra wrinkle to fantasy football leagues

“Super” is simply a super word. It is even better as a prefix. Everything you put it in front of it makes better: Supersize, Superman, Super-Walmart. “Duper” is nothing without a super in front of it.

So it makes perfect sense that fantasy football is elevated when you add a “super” element. More specifically, Superflex.

The Superflex format allows fantasy managers to use a quarterback in a Flex position — in addition to running backs, wide receivers and tight ends being eligible for that spot as well. This makes such leagues essentially default two-QB leagues – since you almost always want a QB in that spot because QBs routinely score more than players at other positions.

We think this format is super for a couple of reasons. First, it elevates the fantasy value of QBs.

Sure, we like our fantasy formats to as closely as possible resemble real-world football, but we can swallow this inconsistency (no real team actually uses two QBs) because it fixes a more problematic inconsistency, that of QB value.

Even in standard 12-team leagues, the fantasy value of top QBs doesn’t reflect their real-world impact. You can pass on drafting a fantasy QB early and still have a championship-caliber roster. You can even stream QBs week-to-week, particularly in 10-team leagues, and be among the top squads. Such approaches are not that difficult to execute.

But when you add in the option for a second QB, suddenly grabbing a couple of the top options at QB becomes a much higher priority. It puts quarterbacks on similar value ground as wide receivers, and not far below running backs in terms of draft value and roster impact.

For this reason alone, we prefer Superflex formats to traditional roster construction. Though, there are some leagues that [ital] require [end ital] you to start two QBs. Our disdain for this requirement is a reason we prefer the flexibility of Superflex to actual two-QB leagues.

Even in 10-team leagues, it is likely almost every team in a two-QB or Superflex format is going to draft three QBs – two to start each week and one to fill in for injuries and byes. That is 30 QBs expected to be drafted. There are just 32 real-world starting QBs each week – and fewer during bye weeks. So this makes the pool of options incredibly shallow when you need to find a replacement because, perhaps, you have one QB injured and another on a bye week. The larger the league, the more likely such a scenario arises, since there will be even fewer options available.

The difference in Superflex is the second QB isn’t required. You can put a running back, receiver or tight end there as well. You don’t necessarily want to, but at least you have that option. You won’t get stuck having to pick up a real-life backup hoping he gets garbage time or the real-world starter gets injured.

So talk to your commish, graduate from Mediocre Flex to Superflex. Why? Because it is super, silly. It is right there in the name.

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