Practice makes perfect, right?
That’s true in all aspects of competition, including in the world of fantasy football, as fans prepare for their ever-important drafts. A draft format that's gaining momentum in recent years is what’s called a “super flex,” which allows managers to use a quarterback in a flex spot.
This sort of format brings in a completely different strategy than in a traditional PPR mock draft, which, by the way, you can find in the Sports Illustrated Draft Kit!
In a super flex league, quarterbacks become far more valuable just based on the nature of the position. They score the most points because the football is always in their hands, so it makes sense to start two every week when the league’s guidelines allow it. As you’ll see, the focus was heavily weighted toward the field generals in the first few rounds.
First, let’s get to the nuts and bolts of the draft. It included 12 teams and is based on a PPR (one point) scoring system. The starting lineup requires each manager to pick at least one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, three regular flex positions (RB/WR/TE), and one super flex position (QB/RB/WR/TE). There were no kickers or defenses required, and there was no positional limitation on reserves.
The managers (in order of position) are Cynthia Frelund from NFL Media, Nathan Jahnke from PFF, KC Joyner from Football Scientist, Jen Piacenti from Sports Illustrated, former NFL player Gary Barnidge, Lindsay Rhodes from Bleav Fantasy Football, myself, Tej Seth from Bet ESPN, Jim Coventry from RotoWire, former NBA player Brendan Haywood, Jason Schandl from Sports Illustrated, and Jamey Eisenberg from CBS Sports.
You can see the full results of the 15-round mock draft below (click here or click on the image for a full-size version of the draft board). Also, we’ve included a full roster list and a breakdown from each manager about their strategies, best and worst picks, and how they felt about their team when the draft was all said and done.
1. Cynthia Frelund, NFL Media
QBs: Josh Allen, Caleb Williams, Gardner Minshew
RBs: Jonathan Taylor, De’Vona Achane, Najee Harris, Austin Ekeler
WRs: Stefon Diggs, Zay Flowers, Tank Dell, Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Josh Downs
TEs: Brock Bowers, Cole Kmet
I started with Allen at the top of the draft and followed up with Williams in Round 2. Once I secured two quarterbacks, I focused on the best players available at running back and wide receiver. That included Taylor and Achane, as well as a trio of wideouts: Diggs, Flowers and Dell. I also like getting Harris and Ekeler as backup runners, and Worthy has the potential to be a strong WR4. I waited on tight end and still landed Bowers and Kmet, which isn’t bad considering I didn’t target the position until Round 10.
2. Nathan Jahnke, PFF
QBs: Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Daniel Jones, Justin Fields
RBs: Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Zamir White, Jaylen Warren
WRs: Puka Nacua, Tee Higgins, DeAndre Hopkins, Jakobi Meyers, Ja’Lynn Polk
TEs: Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson
My strategy coming into the draft at the 1.02 spot was to pick a quarterback in the first round and decide how much to prioritize a second quarterback depending on how many were picked in the first and second round. I was happy to see both Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels available when I was on the clock in the second round and knew one would be available for me in the third. I consider Puka Nacua a first-round pick in single-quarterback leagues, so I was also happy he was available in the second round.
I had no problem picking Travis Kelce in the fifth round. Had I known with confidence George Kittle would have been available for me in the seventh round I would have waited and settled for Kittle, but there is a chance all of the great tight ends would have been gone before my next pick. Tej Seth adding Kittle at 7.08 was one of the best values in the draft.
I don't usually advocate for drafting a second tight end after drafting an elite player, or adding a fourth quarterback in superflex leagues, but T.J. Hockenson in the 12th round and Justin Fields in the 14th were too good of values to pass up. This left me without much depth at wide receiver, but Puka Nacua, Tee Higgins and DeAndre Hopkins are relatively safe options. Had I taken more risks at wide receiver early on, I would have prioritized wide receiver more in the second half of the draft.
The teams who prioritized two quarterbacks in the first three rounds ended up with the best teams in my opinion. The teams with the last five picks combined for two quarterbacks selected from picks 8-17. This allowed six of the other seven teams to land two top-14 quarterbacks each. K.C. Joyner's team stands out for having two quarterbacks in the first two rounds, some pretty same wide receiver and running back picks mixed with three rookie wide receivers for upside.
3. KC Joyner, Football Scientist
QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Derek Carr
RBs: Isiah Pacheco, Alvin Kamara, Chase Brown, Chuba Hubbard
WRs: Drake London, Deebo Samuel Sr., Rome Odunze, Ladd McConkey, Xavier Legette, Jahan Dotson
TEs: Kyle Pitts, Dalton Schultz
It is imperative to get two strong quarterbacks in superflex leagues, as that can often
lead to two 20-point players in a weekly lineup. That’s very tough to beat even in a PPR
environment and it also warrants setting a high floor with your third quarterback, as that
gives you insulation from injury and bye weeks. Once you’ve done that, the next best
thing is to either start the run on RBs or WRs or go in the other direction once they have
started, as there is enough depth at both positions to be agnostic in these choices.
My favorite pick in the draft was Joe Burrow. Once six quarterbacks were taken in the first seven picks, it looked like Fabiano might be getting a second-tier candidate for the second QB spot, but he benefitted from the next seven picks being skill position players, and that left Burrow on the board midway through Round 2. I also liked Bijan Robinson going in the second round. Falcons coach Raheem Morris has made it abundantly clear that Robinson will get a big workload in 2024. Combine that with an incredibly favorable rush defense, schedule, and it makes Robinson a contender for the No. 1 spot among skill positions in a PPR environment, yet he was the eighth skill position player picked in this draft.
4. Jen Piacenti, Sports Illustrated
QBs: Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff, Russell Wilson
RBs: James Conner, Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Gus Edwards
WRs: Garrett Wilson, Mike Evans, Malik Nabers, Rashee Rice, Rashid Shaheed, Brandin Cooks, Michael Wilson
TEs: Sam LaPorta
Can I name my team "Whatchu talkin about, Wilson?" because I think I drafted all of them....
I had some fun with this draft and made a few moves I wouldn't normally make to see how the team would turn out.
I stuck with my SuperFlex strategy of always taking 2 QBs in the first three rounds, grabbing Lamar in the first and Goff in the third. That allowed me to get Garrett Wilson in the second- and yes, I took him ahead of Nacua to stay on brand! (See our head to head player series and our SuperFlex strategy articles in the SI draft Kit)
After that, I got a little crazy and took Sam LaPorta. I'm not really a fan of taking a tight end that early- especially one that could be due for regression after a breakout rookie season, but once I rostered Goff, I couldn't resist the stack. I knew I already had my breakout receiver and my plan was to wait until later rounds to get an RB, so I went for it.
After that, I grabbed a couple more solid receivers before getting my first running back in James Conner. Boring maybe, but I should get a solid floor. Later in the draft I grabbed both Chubb and Ford to hopefully have all of the Browns backfield, and my last RB shot was on Gus Edwards. I think I can survive with this crew.
I liked the late add of Russell Wilson, who could surprise in this format, and I also like my receivers (Evans, Nabers, Rice, Cooks, Shaheed and two Wilsons).
Did I win the draft? Nah. But could I win a league with a few smart waiver moves? Definitely.
5. Gary Barnidge, Former NFL Player
QBs: Tua Tagovailoa, J.J. McCarthy, Bryce Young
RBs: Christian Mcaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kenneth Walker, J.K. Dobbins
WRs: Brandon Aiyuk, Jaylen Waddle, Jordan Addison, Keon Coleman, Romeo Doubs, Quentin Johnston
TEs: Brock Bowers, Luke Musgrave
I did something I don’t know if a lot of others do when it comes to a super flex league, and that was avoid quarterbacks in the first two rounds. That wasn’t the initial plan, but I was picking 5 and I was hoping one of the elite QBs would make it to 5. When they didn’t, I changed it up and went with CMC as the best position player available because I figured I wouldn't be missing much by waiting for the next echelon of QBs.
I was planning on taking Joe Burrow in the second round, but he was taken before me, as was a lot of the rest of that echelon of QBs. So I decided "screw it," I waited and took the next best player available again: Jahmyr Gibbs. Pairing two great RBs was huge considering I was not able to get top QBs.
To start the 3rd round I was torn between Tua and Goff, but that decision became easy for me when Goff was drafted right in front of me. So I took Tua which I am very happy with Miami has a very pass-happy offense, and he will put up numbers for sure.
When we got to the fourth round I think most people would take another QB to get their two starters. But when I looked at the board and noticed that basically everyone had two alread I figured I could wait. That allowed me to stock up on two great WRs, including stacking one with their QB, in Aiyuk and Waddle.
I followed those two rounds up with three more position players, including another RB in Kenneth Walker. I was planning on taking a WR, but couldn’t pass him up. Then I went two more WRs in Jordan Addison and Keon Coleman, who I believe is in line for a big rookie season with all the Bills lost in the offseason. I also took Evan Engram as my TE because he has shown to be one of Trevor Lawerence’s favorite targets.
Now I thought it was time to take my next QB, and I was planning on taking Baker Mayfield or Russel Wilson if Baker was gone. Well they both were drafted before my next pick, so I decided to get another Stack with JJ McCarthy to pair with Jordan Addison. I followed that up with another QB just to make sure I had three starters.
If I had to choose my favorite picks from the draft ,it would be a tie between getting Tua in the third or Kenneth Walker in the 6th. I think both have shown they can put up great numbers; the only question mark they both have faced is whether they can stay healthy. If they both stay healthy then I could have a steal by getting a top-5 QB in the third, allowing me to get two stud RBs early while adding a potential top-8 RB in the sixth.
6. Lindsay Rhodes, Bleav Fantasy Football
QBs: C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love
RBs: Kyren Williams, James Cook, Raheem Mostert, Blake Corum, Jaylen Wright
WRs: Nico Collins, Keenan Allen, Clavin Ridley, Courtland Sutton, Mike Williams, Dontayvion Wicks, Marvin Mims Jr.
TEs: Trey McBride
I like my team a lot. I got two young QBs with top-5 upside, both in offenses I think will have lots of success. I was able to stack both of them with a WR, which I was happy about. (Fabs actually sniped Jayden Reed from me, but that’s ok. I think Dontayvion Wicks has WR1 breakout potential and I think he’s a steal in Round 14.)
Also, I’m excited about the potential for Kyren Williams and Raheem Mostert, but more than anything what I was chasing with both of them was exposure to their team’s backfields (both of which typically produce high end running backs), so I was thrilled that I was able to draft handcuffs for both.
7. Michael Fabiano, Sports Illustrated
QBs: Anthony Richardson, Joe Burrow, Sam Darnold
RBs: Rachaad White, D’Andre Swift, Zack Moss, Kimani Vidal, Bucky Irving
WRs: Marvin Harrison Jr., Davante Adams, Michael Pittman Jr., Jayden Reed, Brian Thomas Jr.
TEs: Dallas Goedert, Taysom Hill
I love super flex leagues, because the format elevates the value of quarterbacks to what it actually is in the NFL. So, I started off with Richardson and Burrow with my first two picks. With many other managers focusing on the position in the top 24 too, I was still able to land a great trio of wide receivers in Harrison Jr., Adams and Pittman Jr. Later, I landed Reed as a WR4 and Thomas Jr. as my fifth wideout (I guess I have the market on “Jrs.” cornered)! I didn’t draft a running back until the sixth round, but I still grabbed White, a top-five back from last season, Swift and Moss. I was also able to land one of my favorite deep sleepers, Vidal, and another rookie in Irving, who will be White’s handcuff in Tampa Bay. The tight end position is one that I punted a bit, but grabbing Goedert and Hill isn’t bad. In all, I’m liking this roster a lot. It’s balanced and loaded with stars and upside. I like that!
8. Tej Seth, ESPN Bet
QBs: Trevor Lawrence, Geno Smith, Drake Maye
RBs: Josh Jacobs, David Montgomery, Rico Dowdle, Khalil Herbert
WRs: CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir
TEs: George Kittle, Ben Sinnott
My draft strategy going in was to get two quarterbacks in the first three rounds. At the 1.08 spot, I was banking on at least Christian McCaffrey and CeeDee Lamb going before me leaving me with either C.J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson. However, this is not what played out as the six Tier 1 and Tier 2 quarterbacks went in the top 7 leaving me with CeeDee Lamb.
On the way back, I was hoping for a Cowboys stack with Dak Prescott or Kyler Murray but they were both taken before me so I pivoted to a heavy WR strategy and took A.J. Brown. Although it is a SuperFlex league, I was happy with having two receivers I have ranked in the top 3. From there I was able to pick up quarterbacks that should pass a lot but don’t have rushing upside in Trevor Lawrence and Geno Smith (I later stacked both D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba with him to get a full Seahawks stack).
To round out my roster, I went RB-TE-RB in rounds 6-8. A sneaky pick was taking Drake Maye in the 10th round as he does offer some rushing upside and should start the majority of games. This also started a run at QB. The rest of the draft was about building up depth, first at WR, then at RB and finally at TE.
This was a great exercise to do and watching how heavily quarterbacks were prioritized is a great lesson to take into future SuperFlex drafts when thinking about picks from a points over replacement standpoint.
9. Jim Coventry, RotoWire
QBs: Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins
RBs: Breece Hall, Aaron Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, Kendre Miller
WRs: DJ Moore, Amari Cooper, Marquise Brown, Christian Watson, Jameson Williams, Jerry Jeudy, Jermaine Burton, Darnell Mooney
TEs: Mark Andrews
Picking in the No. 9 spot, a top-five QB is unlikely to be on the board. In that scenario, I default to the hero-RB approach. I prefer to start with Breece Hall or Bijan Robinson and then wait until much later to address the RB position. After drafting Hall, Aaron Jones became my RB2 in the seventh round. With a solid duo, adding Ezekiel Elliott and Kendre Miller will cover bye weeks or for injuries.
There are some superflex leagues when waiting on QB is an option. In this draft, waiting would have been a poor decision. QBs were flying off the board. Regardless, I have both Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins ranked well above their positional ADP. I have no issues rolling with that duo, I did not go after the weak QB3 market. In superflex, I can start a position player to cover bye weeks.
This year, I prefer drafting WRs early. However, when starting with a hero RB and two QBs, that plan was shelved. Although not an elite group, I started with a pair of No. 1 options in DJ Moore and Amari Cooper. The next plan was to get a few WRs with volatility. If one or two of the trio of Hollywood Brown, Christian Watson and Jameson Williams hits, the WR group will be strong. Finally I prefer to pile up late dart throws at WR. Jerry Jeudy, Jermaine Burton and Darnell Mooney should all have substantial roles in their respective offenses.
At tight end, I usually wait. However, in the fifth round, there was not a receiver I liked at that point. I have Mark Andrews as my TE2, and I got him as the fourth TE off the board. I will not take a second tight end when making a substantial investment in the starter. In a managed league, I’ll just stream one for the bye week or injury.
10. Brendan Haywood, Former NBA Player
QBs: Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson, Bo Nix
RBs: Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, Devin Singletary, Brian Robinson Jr., Ty Chandler
WRs: Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, Christian Kirk, Dionte Johnson, Joshua Palmer, Demario Douglas
TEs: David Njoku
In any super flex league, my strategy is to always draft a quarterback within the first two rounds and pair him with an elite wide receiver. Getting Barkley in the third round was probably my best pick, as I think he’s going to thrive behind the Eagles offensive line. My least favorite pick was Njoku, who worries me with Deshaun Watson under center. I was hoping to get either George Kittle or Evan Engram, but they both went right ahead of me.
11. Jason Schandl, Sports Illustrated
QBs: Justin Herbert, Aaron Rodgers
RBs: Bijan Robinson, Travis Etienne, Rhamondre Stevenson, Javonte Williams, Trey Benson
WRs: Justin Jefferson, Devonta Smith, Terry McLaurin, Tyler Lockett, Gabe Davis, Ricky Pearsall
TEs: Jake Ferguson, Luke Musgrave
Picking in the back half of the round, I was sitting in the middle of a "tier drop" at QB. The gap between Anthony Richardson and the rest of the top 10 is big, but the gaps within the next couple tiers are much less significant. So that made it an easy decision for me to wait on quarterback and grab two of the top eight non-QBs off the board. And to me, Jefferson and Robinson may well be two top-five non-QB options.
More QBs went in the second and third than I'd expected, so I decided to swing for the fences. Herbert and Rodgers are both risky picks, but both also have the potential for huge upside. There's a decent chance they both flop and I'd have a really tough road even making the playoffs, but there's also a reasonable chance that they produce as well or better than most of the group of QBs that just went off the board.
The rest of my draft was pretty straightforward, scooping up value at RB and WR and ending up with a pretty balance roster as a result.
12. Jamey Eisenberg, CBS Sports
QBs: Matthew Stafford, Baker Mayfield, Will Levis
RBs: Jonathan Brooks, Tyjae Spears, Zach Charbonnet, MarShawn Lloyd, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyrone Tracy Jr.
WRs: Ja’Marr Chase, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Chris Olave, George Pickens, Chris Godwin
TEs: Dalton Kincaid
In a Superflex league, I usually draft at least one quarterback with my first two picks, but I wanted to try a different build here, especially once Ja'Marr Chase and Amon-Ra St. Brown fell to me at No. 12 overall. Matthew Stafford, Baker Mayfield and Will Levis aren't the ideal quarterback trio, but Levis could be a nice surprise this season with improved weapons and offensive line play in Tennessee. I also took a Zero-RB approach at running back, but I liked how it worked out. Jonathan Brooks is a steal in Round 10, especially if healthy coming back from last year's ACL tear, and this group is oozing with upside. The strength of this team is my receiving corps and tight end (Dalton Kincaid), and I love the potential of starting Chase, St. Brown, Chris Olave, George Pickens and Chris Godwin every week with all of these flex spots. If those receivers do their job, and my running back corps rounds into form, I should overcome any deficiencies I might have at quarterback -- if there are any at all.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Football Super Flex Mock Draft: Josh Allen Goes No. 1 in 12-Team Draft With Industry Experts.
