Breaking down a recent Superflex draft

Best ball, Superflex, TE Prem, 25 roster spots — a great format

I didn’t really set out to write a draft strategy post when I started yesterday’s “The 7 pillars of 2022 drafts,” but I think it does a pretty good job of laying out the important elements in a (for me) succinct way.

Today, I want to show how I apply those pillars in a unique format. Similarly, the theme of this week’s Monday Mailbag is going to be formats other than single-QB, full-PPR leagues where you start three WRs plus a flex. That’s the format a lot of my discussion has been geared toward over the past couple years, and I get a ton of questions about applying tiers or draft strategies to different scoring and starting lineup formats. As such, I want to dedicate that whole article to just answering those questions. If you’re interested in me breaking down how I’d approach your league, even if it’s just 0.5 PPR or a small starting lineup tweak, shoot a reply to this post with:

1. Starting lineup requirements

2. Scoring settings (the ones that differ from your typical full-PPR, 4-point per pass TD league)

3. Number of bench spots (the depth of your league — how many total players you roster — is far more important to draft strategy than I’ve probably emphasized in the past)

4. Any other specifics, but preferably in a concise way. If it’s a keeper auction, who you might keep and what you know about who might be available is important information. If you know your draft slot and specifically want to talk 0.5 PPR leagues from the 1.10, of course mention that.

Looking forward to spending the entire article Monday talking through your specific leagues and what adjustments I’d make to my approach given the settings.

Alright, let’s talk about this draft. It’s from the DraftSharks Invitational, which is a really fun best ball format I’ve had the opportunity to compete in over the past couple years. The format is total points i.e. no playoff structure, and it’s Superflex with TE Premium and 25 draft slots. You start one QB with a slot for a second (Superflex), two RBs, three WRs, one TE, and there’s a Flex along with the Superflex spot. It’s four points per passing touchdown and full PPR and the rest is all fairly normal.

The one element of this that’s a little unique is there are six or seven leagues and there’s an overall prize, so you’re trying to win your 12-team league, but you also want to be beating the winners of the other leagues, as well. That said, it’s not a massive overall contest, with under 100 total participants. The invitational element of this simply means the competition is hand-picked — they’ve done a great job with it, too, including some of the best analysts in the industry and also some of the best high-stakes players.

It really is a great format, and with two years of experience, I felt pretty good about how I approached things. Let’s start by reviewing my drafts from the past two seasons, because this is a format where structure is extremely important — with the Superflex and TE Premium elements, you’re hoping for strength at all four positions. In thinking through the idea of “detours” that I wrote about yesterday, this is a draft where your number of detours is undoubtedly going to be higher. You’re definitely willing to sink draft capital into QB early, and you’re more likely to want strong TE production. The only way to achieve the balance of production at each position is strong structure that understands the key areas of drafts to target each position.