SF start-up strat w/ update and draft link

[Ghosted]

For all of my superflex friends out there, how did you guys attack your start-up, and was it successful? I'm doing my first this year, and while I think I have a decent idea of my personal tiers and positional values, I don't want to get sucked into a QB-run early. I'd almost rather punt the first year if that happens, in all honesty.

[Mjvb5]

I went QB/QB in mine that fits things the most closely, it was a 16 teamer though but I still ended up with Kirk and Carr picking at 13th. The rest of my team was good but not great and i ended up middle of the pack (Freeman, Alshon, Kelce were my next three picks whiffed on A LOT later).

[skip]

I've done a few of these over the years and the only strategy I would ever use is to load up on QBs. You can quickly go from being QB rich to QB poor and it is far and away the most difficult position to fill after-the-fact.

[WhatWouldDitkaDo]

I don't want to get sucked into a QB-run early. I'd almost rather punt the first year if that happens, in all honesty.

You will be punting for 2-3 years if you don't grab at least 2 QBs in the first 4 rounds. That doesn't mean you should reach for guys like Joe Flacco, but trading for a starting QB after the start-up draft is very difficult unless you are offering back another QB or QB prospect.

[Ghosted]

I don't want to get sucked into a QB-run early. I'd almost rather punt the first year if that happens, in all honesty.

You will be punting for 2-3 years if you don't grab at least 2 QBs in the first 4 rounds. That doesn't mean you should reach for guys like Joe Flacco, but trading for a starting QB after the start-up draft is very difficult unless you are offering back another QB or QB prospect.

Yeah, that's a good point man. I'm used to trying to create positional advantages, and it's hard to work out in my mind that getting sucked into a QB run would accomplish that. But I guess depth at QB outweighs that in SF?

[MikeHoncho]

What I have found is that it is really really hard to draft QBs in your rookie draft if you need a starter to compete. I have a league where I have starting QBs and can take chances on rookies with the hopes that they turn out and I have another where I HAVE TO take a rookie QB and he MUST be fantasy relevant for me to have a shot at a championship. The former is a much more enjoyable position to be in than the latter. Get your QB situation sorted out early and horde them if your league mates are sleeping. Much easier to get plug and play rookie RBs and WRs down the road. I hope that helps.

[StableOfRBs]

Was in the same boat you're in recently, did my first ever SF startup draft a week or so ago. A couple things I should note:
1. This is a 14 team SF league with IDP so it's not going to look quite like other SF drafts
2. We made the scoring specifically weighted so that almost all positions were of equal value after the true elite options
3. Pretty much everyone in my league agreed that QBs lasted a fair bit longer than they should have in regards to other positions
4. Starting requirements are 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1SFlex, 2Flex, 1DT, 2DE, 3LB, 1CB, 2S, 1DFlex

All that being said this is how my first 12 picks turned out:
1.10 Kareem Hunt
2.05 Cam Newton
3.10 Gronk
4.05 Marvin Jones
5.10 DeForest Buckner
6.05 Myles Garrett
7.10 Andy Dalton
8.05 CJ Anderson
9.10 Marquise Goodiwn
10.05 Jadeveon Clowney
12.05 Zach Brown
12.10 Case Keenum

Of the first 48 picks, 12 were QBs, 15 were RBs, 18 were WRs, and 3 were TEs. Again this isn't how SF drafts typically go from what I've seen/heard people talk about but I do think it highlights how important scoring can be as far as draft strategy goes. Even though there was never really a true "run" on the QB position I knew I had to get at least 2 solid starting QB options. Getting a guy like Cam who can add a ton of value with his rushing meant, to me, that I could wait longer on a second QB and I'm perfectly fine with it being a guy like Dalton who isn't really a week-winner but will be a decent option week to week (he was the 25th QB taken, only true starters left after him were Eli, Flacco, Tannehill, and Kizer). If Dalton had been my QB1 there's no way I'd feel as confident about my roster as I do and I made sure to grab a guy with some upside later on in Keenum.

[Goddard]

I don't want to get sucked into a QB-run early. I'd almost rather punt the first year if that happens, in all honesty.

You will be punting for 2-3 years if you don't grab at least 2 QBs in the first 4 rounds. That doesn't mean you should reach for guys like Joe Flacco, but trading for a starting QB after the start-up draft is very difficult unless you are offering back another QB or QB prospect.

Yeah, that's a good point man. I'm used to trying to create positional advantages, and it's hard to work out in my mind that getting sucked into a QB run would accomplish that. But I guess depth at QB outweighs that in SF?

Yea, if you punt and don't get at least two good QBs, you'll be in trouble for a long time. Trading for a QB will be close to impossible and drafting one is never a sure thing. If there's a position you don't want to ignore in the startup, it's definitely QB. RBs and WRs are a lot easier to find, trade for, or get lucky drafting.

[BigBawseRoss]

my advice is to try to not pick early and that lets you get a feel for how its gonna play out in your specific league.

i have done a few SF start ups...one went qb heavy early, one went qb spred but still saw them go earlier than most normal start ups, and a 3rd saw them go all over the place.

I had 5th pick in 2 of em and one i went qb (wilson) and then found out nobody else was going qb early so i found myself wishing i took obj/hunt/kamara rather than wilson because i would have been totally fine with say rivers and cousins as my 2qbs. the other draft i picked 5th and traded back to 10th and i took Bell and ended up with Newton,Ben, and Bortles and was extremely happy i didnt go qb early


The lesson i learned is in a SF start up i personally would rather pick late and have 2 of the top 16 or so picks and be able to get a feel for if the rest of the league is putting QB on a pedestal or not

[Mascott93]

Was in the same boat you're in recently, did my first ever SF startup draft a week or so ago. A couple things I should note:
1. This is a 14 team SF league with IDP so it's not going to look quite like other SF drafts
2. We made the scoring specifically weighted so that almost all positions were of equal value after the true elite options
3. Pretty much everyone in my league agreed that QBs lasted a fair bit longer than they should have in regards to other positions
4. Starting requirements are 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1SFlex, 2Flex, 1DT, 2DE, 3LB, 1CB, 2S, 1DFlex

All that being said this is how my first 12 picks turned out:
1.10 Kareem Hunt
2.05 Cam Newton
3.10 Gronk
4.05 Marvin Jones
5.10 DeForest Buckner
6.05 Myles Garrett
7.10 Andy Dalton
8.05 CJ Anderson
9.10 Marquise Goodiwn
10.05 Jadeveon Clowney
12.05 Zach Brown
12.10 Case Keenum

Of the first 48 picks, 12 were QBs, 15 were RBs, 18 were WRs, and 3 were TEs. Again this isn't how SF drafts typically go from what I've seen/heard people talk about but I do think it highlights how important scoring can be as far as draft strategy goes. Even though there was never really a true "run" on the QB position I knew I had to get at least 2 solid starting QB options. Getting a guy like Cam who can add a ton of value with his rushing meant, to me, that I could wait longer on a second QB and I'm perfectly fine with it being a guy like Dalton who isn't really a week-winner but will be a decent option week to week (he was the 25th QB taken, only true starters left after him were Eli, Flacco, Tannehill, and Kizer). If Dalton had been my QB1 there's no way I'd feel as confident about my roster as I do and I made sure to grab a guy with some upside later on in Keenum.

Would you mind posting a link or PMing me your draft? I have a SF/IDP draft coming up soon

[StableOfRBs]

Was in the same boat you're in recently, did my first ever SF startup draft a week or so ago. A couple things I should note:
1. This is a 14 team SF league with IDP so it's not going to look quite like other SF drafts
2. We made the scoring specifically weighted so that almost all positions were of equal value after the true elite options
3. Pretty much everyone in my league agreed that QBs lasted a fair bit longer than they should have in regards to other positions
4. Starting requirements are 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1SFlex, 2Flex, 1DT, 2DE, 3LB, 1CB, 2S, 1DFlex

All that being said this is how my first 12 picks turned out:
1.10 Kareem Hunt
2.05 Cam Newton
3.10 Gronk
4.05 Marvin Jones
5.10 DeForest Buckner
6.05 Myles Garrett
7.10 Andy Dalton
8.05 CJ Anderson
9.10 Marquise Goodiwn
10.05 Jadeveon Clowney
12.05 Zach Brown
12.10 Case Keenum

Of the first 48 picks, 12 were QBs, 15 were RBs, 18 were WRs, and 3 were TEs. Again this isn't how SF drafts typically go from what I've seen/heard people talk about but I do think it highlights how important scoring can be as far as draft strategy goes. Even though there was never really a true "run" on the QB position I knew I had to get at least 2 solid starting QB options. Getting a guy like Cam who can add a ton of value with his rushing meant, to me, that I could wait longer on a second QB and I'm perfectly fine with it being a guy like Dalton who isn't really a week-winner but will be a decent option week to week (he was the 25th QB taken, only true starters left after him were Eli, Flacco, Tannehill, and Kizer). If Dalton had been my QB1 there's no way I'd feel as confident about my roster as I do and I made sure to grab a guy with some upside later on in Keenum.

Would you mind posting a link or PMing me your draft? I have a SF/IDP draft coming up soon

Hopefully this works: http://www54.myfantasyleague.com/2017/o ... 36831&O=17

Was also my first IDP draft so I might have reached a bit for some of the defensive guys but I felt more comfortable getting value on offense later on in the draft

[pierson242]

my advice is to try to not pick early and that lets you get a feel for how its gonna play out in your specific league.

i have done a few SF start ups...one went qb heavy early, one went qb spred but still saw them go earlier than most normal start ups, and a 3rd saw them go all over the place.

I had 5th pick in 2 of em and one i went qb (wilson) and then found out nobody else was going qb early so i found myself wishing i took obj/hunt/kamara rather than wilson because i would have been totally fine with say rivers and cousins as my 2qbs. the other draft i picked 5th and traded back to 10th and i took Bell and ended up with Newton,Ben, and Bortles and was extremely happy i didnt go qb early


The lesson i learned is in a SF start up i personally would rather pick late and have 2 of the top 16 or so picks and be able to get a feel for if the rest of the league is putting QB on a pedestal or not

amen!

[Mascott93]

Hopefully this works: http://www54.myfantasyleague.com/2017/o ... 36831&O=17

Was also my first IDP draft so I might have reached a bit for some of the defensive guys but I felt more comfortable getting value on offense later on in the draft

Perfect, thanks for this! The draft I will be doing will be slightly different, it's SF and IDP with TE and DT premium with some big play scoring but this gives me a good idea of where people are currently going.

[StableOfRBs]

Hopefully this works: http://www54.myfantasyleague.com/2017/o ... 36831&O=17

Was also my first IDP draft so I might have reached a bit for some of the defensive guys but I felt more comfortable getting value on offense later on in the draft

Perfect, thanks for this! The draft I will be doing will be slightly different, it's SF and IDP with TE and DT premium with some big play scoring but this gives me a good idea of where people are currently going.

It should be good for a general idea but I think in most other SF drafts QBs will go earlier and more often than they did in ours.

[Madadamus]

I'll throw out my general strategy.

To start, it's extremely important to know your format. This is beyond, "it's Superflex." You have to know the scoring. Is it 4 point passing touchdowns or is it 6? Is it 1 point per 20 yards passing or 25? If it's "TE Premium," is it really just 1.5 PPR or an actual premium like starting 2 TE, or 1.5 points per 10 yards receiving to go along with the 1.5 PPR, etc. You also have to see how many other starters there are. Is it deep? Is it shallow? If it's deep, are there more flex spots? Or is it mandatory start 3 WR? Things change a bit when you are required to start 3 WR vs. 2, and even more so if you are just required to start 1 at a position with a lot of flex positions. So, again, know your format but beyond the basic stuff your average owner thinks about.

As for actual draft strategy, there are so many different strategies and they all work to various degrees. Since you are already open to the idea of punting year 1 which some owners fundamentally disagree with, I'd opt for that strategy.

1. Trade Down - The best way to get that ball rolling is to trade down, especially with your 1st round pick since you have the greatest leverage there. There's always at least 1 owner that loves the idea of having 2 1st rounders. You can also trade down in the middle rounds and still get your guy or a very similar guy and get something for free.

2. Future Picks - Find the owners that are discounting future picks and get them in as many deals as you can. Getting future 1st rounders are tough, but 2nd's and 3rd's are generally devalued and in Superflex they are worth a decent amount more then in traditional start 1 leagues.

3. Be Selective - As others have said, getting QB's are important, but I would definitely say you have to be selective. I wouldn't draft 2 QB's in the first 2 or 3 rounds just because "QB's are a premium and they are impossible to trade for." In my experience, Superflex is a lot different than mandatory start 2 QB's so acquiring low level QB's isn't impossible. The good thing is you won't take a 0, since you can still plug in an Mike Wallace type and get 8 points for the most part. Also, trading for QB's isn't impossible. Trading for young stud QB's is what is impossible. You can buy a Ben Roethlisberger or Andy Dalton type for reasonable prices. And there are always the Case Keenum's and Tom Savage's of the world on the waivers each year.

4. Rookie Picks - Remember that QB's can be rookie picks. The 1.07 doesn't have to be Christian Kirk, it can be Josh Allen. And as raw as Josh Allen is, his pedigree is going to keep him insulated for a while. So don't reach for Andy Dalton or Philip Rivers as your QB2 or QB3 in the middle rounds, go for those rookie picks because they only increase in value over time.

I've been in a few Superflex start-ups over the years. In our DLFS league that started 2 years ago, an owner started out with Luck and Wilson but didn't really hit on his other picks. And since he gave up a lot to get that pairing, he had a lot of holes to fill and he now is in a huge rebuild. I only drafted 2 QB's in that draft, Jameis Winston and Jimmy Garoppolo. I added Wentz via trade prior to his rookie year thanks to my draft picks and have one of the stronger youth/production combination core in the league.

All in all, just be selective with your QB's. I would say it's important to get 1 strong anchor, but don't pass up on elite guys at the RB and WR position for a QB with a lot of question marks. And mine for value. Wentz and Watson are flashy names, but Matthew Stafford can probably put up similar numbers over the next 5 years and can be had for 50% less. The more shots you give yourself, and if they are young, it gives you a safe roster value wise and if you are a savvy owner you can make trades along the way to shape up your team.