Imagine going to a steakhouse where the premier cuts of meat are the cheapest choices on the menu. You pay much more for the chicken or the shrimp. Even side dishes might be more expensive. But the steaks, they’re dirt cheap.
In a fantasy football steakhouse, that underpriced steak is the quarterback position. It easily is the most important spot on a real NFL team. But in fantasy, they barely carry any weight at all. You can get productive ones so late in the draft, there is no reason to go after the early-round filet mignons, when numerous choices of a tasty skirt steak are waiting in the late rounds.
The Madman likes fantasy formats that simulate actual game action and impact. And basic fantasy formats just don’t do that because QB is so severely hampered by the more shallow draft pools at other positions.
The most equitable solution for this is to have roster that allow for a second starting QB. Yeah, we know, this goes against our imitate-the-game principle – because teams don’t have two QBs on the field any given play. But we’re willing to overlook this aesthetic to give the most important position a needed boost.
A true-to-its-name two-QB league requires each team to start two QBs each week. This certainly helps rectify the problem, but if you’re in a 12- or 14-teamer, or more, the QB options finally will begin to run out, particularly when it comes to finding bye-week subs.
That is why we prefer a Superflex league. In this format, instead of adding a second QB spot, you add an additional Flex position in which you can start a QB. This makes it a de facto two-QB league, since smart owners will aim to always have a QB in that position (since they generally score more than players at other spots). But it also doesn’t require that spot be filled by a QB, so you could treat it like a normal Flex spot if you have no QB options.
In addition to correcting QB fantasy value, it significantly changes draft strategy. With every team looking to grab at least two QBs, they will run out almost as quickly as running backs. This thrusts the best QBs into the early rounds, even as early as late in the first round (particularly if your league scores six points for a passing TD instead of just four).
Because QB injuries don’t happen as frequently as, say, running back, you don’t have to worry about significant depth. Having three is plenty, and you can survive even with just two. But it does mean you likely would need to spend two of your first five or six picks on QBs.
Though the difference between the top QB and the 12th QB isn’t insurmountable from week to week in basic leagues, if you double that difference (using two QBs), you begin to feel the sting if you wait too long. Plus, it eliminates the option of streaming QBs, since few reliable options will be available on waivers on any given week.
Using such a format alters that fantasy steakhouse menu. The items and pricing and impact make a whole lot more sense. And contrary to our moniker, the Madman likes things that make sense. So we recommend updating your league menu. Don’t give away the steak for free.