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Dynasty SuperFlex Startup Mock Draft (2021 Fantasy Football)


 
What’s better than a fantasy football mock draft? Mock drafting with your friends and family! Yes, that’s now possible through our award-winning mock draft simulatorYou can check out our mock draft lobby to join a public mock draft, draft with friends, or try out our draft simulator for a lightning-fast mock draft experience. In fact, our writers will be using our multi-user draft simulator to provide you with a wide variety of mock drafts in the coming months leading up to the start of the regular season.

Below you’ll find the results of a mock SuperFlex dynasty startup draft that our writers participated in and answered questions about. The draft included 12 teams, five of which were drafted by our simulator.

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Full Draft Board

Full Team Roster

What was your favorite pick of the draft?

I loved snagging Taysom Hill in the 13th round. Sure, there is a lot of uncertainty with his future. But when looking at any quarterback that was taken after Trey Lance at 9.07, Hill has the highest ceiling and is most likely to be an immediate asset in 2021. It’s tough to predict what will happen in New Orleans. Jameis Winston could come back. The Saints could snag a quarterback with the 28th pick or in free agency. Drew Brees could even surprise us and return for a 16th year. In the four games we saw Taysom Hill start last season he averaged 208.5 yards per game with four touchdowns and two interceptions through the air on a league-best 71.9% completion rate. He added 20.5 rushing yards per game with four total touchdowns. That comes out to 21.1 points per game, which would have been good for QB8 on the season. Even a slight chance to get that type of production in the 13th round of a SuperFlex startup is a steal.
– Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge_FF)

My favorite pick on my team was Courtland Sutton in Round 7. At just 25 years old, Sutton has the makings of being a legitimate WR1 in the NFL. He showed his potential in 2019 when he finished as the WR19 in PPR. Coming off of a torn ACL, Sutton is being overlooked in drafts. Jerry Jeudy was completely unimpressive as a rookie, and K.J. Hamler is more a complementary weapon. I expect Denver to move on from Drew Lock within the next two years, which should benefit Sutton long-term. As my WR2/WR3, I’m happy to take a flier on a talented young receiver who’s flying under the radar. I also really liked Dave and Joshua’s selections of Dallas Goedert and Kyle Pitts, respectively, in Round 8. Think they both landed guys with top-five upside at a very shallow position.
– Matt Barbato (@RealMattBarbato)

My favorite pick in the draft is easily my fifth-round pick, Carson Wentz. I did not expect Wentz to still be there at that point in the draft. He finds his way into an ideal situation with Colts head coach and former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich along with one of the best young running backs in the game in Jonathan Taylor and a great offensive line. There are no excuses for Wentz, but I think Reich and Wentz’s reuniting brings him back up to the QB1 fringes with QB1 upside in dynasty. To get that at a fifth-round price is a bargain.
– Kevin Tompkins (@ktompkinsii)

My favorite pick of the draft was Antonio Gibson at 4.06. With running backs getting thinner and thinner as the draft progressed, Gibson was the best running back available according to my dynasty rankings and I did not want to be at the wrong end of a running back draft train. Being able to pair Gibson with J.K Dobbins as my stud-young running back core was enticing and hard to pass up. We saw a glimpse into Gibson’s fantasy superstar potential, ranking as high as the RB5 in PPR before his toe injury Week 12. Gibson saw 200+ touches for 1,000+ scrimmage yards and 11 rushing touchdowns while splitting time with J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber. I expect Gibson to take on a larger role in 2021, particularly in the passing game. Gibson is a top-10 dynasty running back for me already, and after his 2021 season, he will solidify himself as such, with a chance to climb inside the top-five dynasty RBs. Gibson to the moon.
– Josh Lefkowitz (@JLefkoNFL)

My favorite pick of the entire draft was Brandin Cooks at 10.09. I had already taken four wide receivers before the 10th round, but there aren’t many chances you get to snag the No. 1 wideout on a team that late in the draft. While there is uncertainty surrounding the future of Deshaun Watson on the Houston Texans, Cooks is going to be the clear-cut favorite option for whoever is operating Houston’s offense. Cooks just finished as WR17 in PPR leagues in 2020 despite sharing targets with Will Fuller early in the season. But with Fuller poised to sign elsewhere in free agency, that leaves Cooks as the player who will benefit the most, regardless of who is throwing him the ball in 2021. I was also a huge fan of Josh taking Damien Harris at 10.06 as Harris could be in line for an expanded role for the New England Patriots next season.
– Skyler Carlin (@Skyler_Carlin)

I think my favorite pick of the (for me) was Amari Cooper in the 5th or Darnell Mooney in the 11th. As it relates to Cooper, many forget how great he’s been over the past two years with Dak Prescott at QB. Albeit there’s a lot of uncertainty and reliance on the Cowboys tagging Prescott again for the 2021 season or re-signing him long-term. With Prescott returning, I think Cooper will be a fringe WR1 for many seasons (he’s entering his age 27 season after recently signing a long-term deal). Beyond my Cooper selection, I think getting Mooney late in the 11th can offer immense upside if the Bears do part ways with Allen Robinson II. Mooney flashed a bit throughout his rookie campaign, and can certainly take the leap into WR2 territory next season.
– Jared Lese (@JaredL_FF)

What was the most surprising part of the draft?

It was shocking to see N’Keal Harry get drafted at all, let alone in the 11th round, ahead of guys like Mecole Hardman, Jarvis Landry, Corey Davis, Christian Kirk, Robby Anderson, and DeVante Parker. I understand that he has a first round pedigree, but he should be written off as a bust at this point. After a rookie year that was marred with injuries, Harry was able to log just five starts in which he totaled 105 yards. Healthy heading into 2020, he was expected to take over as the Patriots first option in the passing game. Instead, he finished fifth on the team in receiving yards per game and only managed to punch in two touchdowns through 14 outings. Worst yet, he eventually lost his spot as a starter. The Patriots could bring in a new quarterback and pass more next year which is the argument for taking Harry. After getting outplayed by Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers, two undrafted free agents, I’m out on Harry.
– Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge_FF)

I’m most surprised that Tua Tagovailoa went 14th among quarterbacks in this draft. The market seems to be souring on Tagovailoa because he didn’t perform like Justin Herbert did in his rookie season. But the market seems to have forgotten that what Herbert did was an anomaly. Tagovailoa is still immensely talented. His accuracy and smarts can’t be taught. He’s entering this season fully healthy and I expect will get some upgrades to both his weaponry and his protection. It’s crazy to say this about a top-10 pick entering his second season, but I feel I bought low on Tagovailoa as my second quarterback on this team.
– Matt Barbato (@RealMattBarbato)

The fact that only NINE quarterbacks were drafted in the first three rounds of this draft. I honestly should have been more proactive in selecting my second quarterback, but I had a feeling that quarterbacks were going to get pushed down a bit, so I waited a little bit and was pleasantly surprised ending up with the new Colt Carson Wentz. Perhaps that was a consequence of how sharp the room was?
– Kevin Tompkins (@ktompkinsii)

The most surprising thing to me was not a single quarterback was drafted in the third round. If a manager drafts a QB-RB with their first two picks, there is still a lot of talent left to choose from in the subsequent rounds. Rounds 3 and 4 seem to be the money spot for scooping up tier-one talent at a discount. If a manager locks in two QB1s or a QB1 and RB1 in the first two rounds, there is a great chance of landing another high-end dynasty asset like J.K. Dobbins, Cam Akers, or Stefon Diggs in the third round. If you choose to hold off a few rounds for drafting your QB2, the tier drop-off seems to happen between rounds four and six. If waiting on QBs in SuperFlex dynasty startups is your go-to method for building teams, this seems to be the sweet spot for drafting low-end QB1s / QB2s with upside.
– Josh Lefkowitz (@JLefkoNFL)

After looking at the draft board, the most surprising part of the draft was how I was able to wait until the sixth round to grab my second quarterback. In SuperFlex leagues, it is vital to have two or more reliable quarterbacks on your roster. While Kirk Cousins isn’t exactly a quarterback you want on your team in real life, he’s a solid option in fantasy football. Cousins finished as QB11 in 2020 and he was the 19th quarterback selected in the draft. Besides Cousins, guys like Baker Mayfield, Matthew Stafford, Justin Fields, Matt Ryan, and Zach Wilson can be feasible QB2s. Even though Cousins, Stafford, and Ryan are older, they can be placeholders in dynasty for a year or two before you add a rookie in the future.
– Skyler Carlin (@Skyler_Carlin)

After so many QBs went early in the 1st and 2nd rounds, I was surprised by the immediate run-off in RBs over the next two rounds, before dropping off almost completely throughout the middle rounds (5th through 9th). I think this offers some insight on demand for the position – even in SuperFlex. However, I believe this may be driven by the uncertainty revolving the RB environment before the draft and free agency. Once we have a better understanding the RB landscape, I think drafters would be more willing to select RBs in the middle rounds, while potentially favoring other positions earlier in the draft.
– Jared Lese (@JaredL_FF)

What is your top takeaway from this mock draft?

It should be noted how important it is to grab a duo of quarterbacks in SuperFlex leagues early, especially with 12 or more teams. Looking at 2020 as an example, having two QB1’s compared to two QB2’s was a massive advantage. The top-12 quarterbacks last season averaged 24.18 points per game while QB13-24 averaged just 17.90. While there’s certainly no guarantee that you grab this year’s Josh Allen or Kyler Murray, I’d rather have two strong options that I don’t have to worry about year-in and year-out. Then, I can address other positions through rookie drafts. I, personally, locked in Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow while having Taysom Hill as a hopeful bye-week filler. At 27 and 24 years old, Prescott and Burrow should be elite anchors on my team. I stockpiled young wide receivers and grabbed a few running backs that can perform immediately, but I’l need to address that position in the coming years.
– Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge_FF)

In a SuperFlex dynasty league, you’ve got to get your first quarterback within the first two rounds. It seems completely counterintuitive to the “wait on quarterback,” strategy in redraft leagues. But it’s critical to building a good team. Take a look at the four teams who didn’t take one in the first two rounds. If you ask me, only Team Nine has a salvagable quarterback situation for the near-term with Aaron Rodgers and Baker Mayfield.
– Matt Barbato (@RealMattBarbato)

Whatever you have to do to get the players YOU want, do it. You’re not drafting a team to get likes or praise on Twitter, Facebook, or whatever the case may be. It’s your team. If you’re on either turn, don’t be afraid to reach to get the player you want instead of settling for a lesser player. Trade up or trade down. Be active. Be involved in the conversations going on in your league. All of that is information you can use to better your team.
– Kevin Tompkins (@ktompkinsii)

If you decided you do not want to draft a quarterback within the first two rounds, but you still are trying to build a contender, you better hit on your late-round QB. Target a quarterback that’s locked in to start in 2021 at the very minimum, such as Ryan Tannehill or Matthew Stafford. These will not be flashy picks from the traditional sense in dynasty due to their age, but choosing to wait on a QB and targeting a vet signal-caller could allow you to build up your team through young, proven talent in the earlier rounds. Rookie quarterbacks seem to fall around this range, so if your strategy is to draft as many young studs as possible, this could be an area to target your future franchise quarterbacks, such as Trevor Lawrence (4.08) or Justin Fields (6.06). Have a general sense of where you want to go with your draft, but be fluid, do not put yourself into a box when drafting. If you feel like a player won’t make it back to you by your next pick, don’t feel scared about “reaching”. Most of the time, a startup will be the cheapest you can acquire an ascending asset. Understand the draft board and be ready to make a move at any moment, whether that is trading up to secure a player or trading back to pick up additional assets.
– Josh Lefkowitz (@JLefkoNFL)

Similar to most years, it seems like grabbing an elite quarterback in the first or second round is imperative in a dynasty SuperFlex league. Taking the wait-and-see approach at quarterback in SuperFlex leagues can be dangerous as quarterbacks will fly off of the boards rather quickly. Also, in startup dynasty leagues, you’ll likely be able to grab one of the notable rookie quarterbacks at their lowest draft spot moving forward. So if you’re someone that prioritizes the future in dynasty leagues, then this offseason is the time to draft one of the rookie signal-callers in startup leagues.
– Skyler Carlin (@Skyler_Carlin)

My top takeaway from this draft is that there are ways to set yourself up for success whether you’re aiming for a long-term dynasty or short-term championship runs. Picking at the 1.01, I didn’t expect Travis Kelce or Stefon Diggs to both fall to me, and I was unsure whether I wanted to invest in “older” players; however, it was hard for me to shy away from two of the top players at their respective positions. With these picks, I believe I created a competitive advantage for my team in the short-run (which impacted my subsequent picks, like Cooper). I do wish, however, that I had better success finding a QB2 (although getting both Zach Wilson and Mac Jones should lead to at least one startable player for the next several seasons) along with focusing more heavily on RB after taking Miles Sanders in the 4th.
– Jared Lese (@JaredL_FF)

Mock Draft Results

Thanks to our writers and be sure to check back for future mock drafts!


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