The value gap between quarterbacks in Superflex dynasty leagues and quarterbacks in 1-QB dynasty leagues is massive. We’re talking Grand Canyon here.
In Superflex, you can start a second quarterback in a Flex spot designated as a Superflex spot. You’ll almost always want to start a quarterback in the Superflex spot – even a mediocre one – because quarterbacks generally score more points than running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.
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Dynasty Draft Strategy, Rankings & Tiers: Quarterbacks
There is an insatiable demand for starting NFL quarterbacks in Superflex leagues. In a 12-team Superflex league, there are typically 24 quarterbacks in starting lineups every week and just 32 NFL teams. That means several of the teams in a 12-team Superflex league don’t have a third starting quarterback and could be crushed by quarterback injuries, benching and/or bye weeks.
Demand for quarterbacks plummets in 1-QB dynasty leagues. Sure, it’s still advantageous to have a high-scoring signal-caller such as Lamar Jackson, and having a high-scoring young quarterback such as Jayden Daniels is even better.
But 1-QB dynasty leagues often have more than one Flex spot in starting lineups. The more lineup spots, the more the impact of a high-scoring quarterback is muted. Also, you can more easily justify not having a high-scoring quarterback in a 1-QB league if you have a young quarterback capable of becoming a high-scoring quarterback.
Before we proceed, please allow me to make a quick sales pitch.
If you’re launching a new dynasty league, I recommend making it a Superflex league. The Superflex format adds another layer of strategy and gives the quarterback position the weight it deserves.
Once your startup draft is over, you’ll only draft rookies in subsequent years, and rookie drafts are far more interesting in Superflex formats with the added emphasis on quarterbacks. The 2026 NFL Draft class is expected to be quarterback-rich, so 2026 Superflex rookie drafts should be pretty fun.
Dynasty Startup Draft Strategy: Quarterbacks
You must have a plan for your dynasty startup draft. Chart a course and then build a coherent draft strategy around it. The course you choose will determine your tactical approach at all positions — not just quarterback.
Charting a course means deciding when you expect your team to establish its dynastic reign over the league. Here are the three options:
- Win Now: Establish your dominance immediately. While your competitors focus on youth in the startup draft, scoop up proven veterans at discounted prices and build a roster that will be a favorite for the league title in Year 1.
- Win in Year 2: Focus on youth while mixing in a few proven veterans. Your young roster might not have the juice to win right away, but you’ll have a collection of players whose value will likely be higher a year from now, positioning you to contend in the second year of the league.
- Productive Struggle: Ryan McDowell of Dynasty League Football gets credit for coining the term “productive struggle.” It’s a commitment to a slow build. If things go according to plan, you’ll be in title contention in two to three years, with a team positioned for sustained excellence. It requires a heavy focus on youth in the startup draft. You should also be willing to trade startup picks for picks in future rookie drafts.
The earlier you plan to contend for championships, the more aggressive you should be in addressing the quarterback position in your draft.
In a typical Superflex dynasty startup draft, about half of the players selected in the first two rounds will be quarterbacks. How many should you roster in the first two rounds?
Here are the pros and cons of the three possibilities:
- Two: Starting QB-QB gives you a big head start at a critical position, but by the time you shift your focus to other positions in round three, a lot of the top non-quarterback stars will be gone.
- One: You get a foothold at the quarterback position and can also land a star at another position. But you’ll feel pressure to find another quarterback in rounds three and four, which might mean reaching for a QB2.
- Zero: Ignoring the quarterback position in the first two rounds of a Superflex startup means falling behind the competition at a vital position. On the other hand, you’ll have a big head start at the non-quarterback positions. I typically avoid this strategy because there’s usually better value at wide receiver and running back in rounds three and four than there is at quarterback.
I like to draft one quarterback in the first two rounds, but I’m not married to that approach.
How many quarterbacks should you carry on your roster in a Superflex league? Having four or five makes sense if you have 25-30 roster spots. It’s fine to carry a couple of backup quarterbacks if they’re either quality veteran backups or youngsters with a chance to develop into starters.
Quarterback Strategy: 1-QB Dynasty Startup Leagues
In 1-QB leagues, maximizing quarterback value should be your primary objective. If a high-quality quarterback falls into your lap in a favorable spot in the draft, great. But if your competitors are over-drafting the top quarterbacks, or if you’re missing out on them by a few picks because of where you’re positioned in the draft, it’s fine to settle for a non-premium quarterback — especially if you’ve charted a course for a productive struggle.
The value of quarterbacks can vary based on your league’s lineup configuration. If your league requires you to start 1-QB, 2-RB, 2-WR, 1-TE and 1-Flex, your quarterback represents one-seventh of your starting lineup. That makes it more important than in a league with a starting lineup requirement of 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WR, 1-TE and 3-Flex, where your quarterback represents one-10th of your starting lineup. The fewer the starting lineup spots, the more important the quarterbacks become.
How many quarterbacks should you carry on your roster in a 1-QB league? It depends on roster size. With rosters of 30+ players, it’s fine to carry three or perhaps even four, especially if you don’t have a star. (You’ll have more flexibility to play matchups with your sub-premium quarterbacks.) Don’t feel compelled to draft more than two, however. In 1-QB leagues, there are usually starting quarterbacks available on the waiver wire, and you’ll be able to grab one if an injury puts you in a pinch. With rosters of 28 players or fewer, stick with just two quarterbacks.
In a 1-QB league, it’s a mistake to load up on quarterbacks with the intent to trade one or more of them. The trade market for quarterbacks is notoriously soft in 1-QB leagues. You’ll be amazed by how little you’ll be able to get in return for solid starting quarterbacks.
1-QB Dynasty Quarterback Tiers
Let’s sort quarterbacks into three tiers based on where they will likely be chosen in 1-QB startup drafts. Estimated round values are based on league formats that require you to start 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WRs, 1-TE and 1-Flex.
Elite
Expect these quarterbacks to be drafted in the first three rounds.
- Jayden Daniels (WAS)
- Josh Allen (BUF)
- Lamar Jackson (BAL)
- Joe Burrow (CIN)
- Jalen Hurts (PHI)
Foundational
Expect these quarterbacks to be drafted from rounds 4-6.
- Patrick Mahomes (KC)
- Drake Maye (NE)
- Justin Herbert (LAC)
- C.J. Stroud (HOU)
- Caleb Williams (CHI)
- Bo Nix (DEN)
- Jordan Love (GB)
Quality Veterans & Promising Youngsters
Expect these quarterbacks to be drafted from rounds 7-9. (I’m including rookies even though rookies may or may not be eligible for your startup draft.)
- Michael Penix (ATL)
- Kyler Murray (ARI)
- Brock Purdy (SF)
- Trevor Lawrence (JAC)
- J.J. McCarthy (MIN)
- Cam Ward (TEN)
- Baker Mayfield (TB)
Functional Veterans & Youthful Wild Cards
Expect these quarterbacks to be drafted in the 10th round and beyond.
- Justin Fields (NYJ)
- Bryce Young (CAR)
- Jared Goff (DET)
- Anthony Richardson (IND)
- Dak Prescott (DAL)
- Jaxson Dart (NYG)
- Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)
Final Thoughts
Two final thoughts on drafting quarterbacks in 1-QB startups:
- Value-seeking is the way to go in a 1-QB startup draft. Don’t zero in on a single target and overdraft that player by a full round or more. The quarterback position is too bountiful in 1-QB leagues to justify an overpay.
- While elite quarterbacks are needle-movers who can give your team a major lift, there is an opportunity cost to taking an elite quarterback and bypassing good young running backs and wide receivers. Besides, it’s pretty easy to trade for a quality quarterback in 1-QB dynasty leagues because of the abundant supply. There are likely to be managers in your league who are sitting on two or three good quarterbacks and would be willing to part with one for an affordable price.
Quarterback Strategy: Superflex Dynasty Startup Leagues
Quarterbacks drive the economy in Superflex leagues. That’s why the quarterback position is such an obsession in Superflex dynasty.
The laws of quarterback supply and demand are much different in dynasty Superflex than in 1-QB Superflex. Quarterback scarcity drives up the price.
In Superflex startup drafts, there will be at least five quarterbacks drafted in the first round, maybe more. Once the draft is over, good quarterbacks will always be expensive in the trade market. Acquiring a quality quarterback from one of your rivals will require you to develop a blockbuster offer involving some of your most valuable assets. Beyond Year 1 of your league, you’re better off taking quarterbacks in your rookie drafts than trying to trade for quarterbacks.
You might be forced to overspend for at least one of your quarterbacks in a startup draft. Don’t beat yourself up for overpaying; you’ll sleep easier if you have a decent group of quarterbacks. The consequences of punting the position in a Superflex dynasty league are harsh. It’s hard to win games in a dynasty league when you’re starting Bryce Young and Sam Darnold, and your opponents are rolling out Lamar Jackson/Justin Herbert and Jayden Daniels/Baker Mayfield combos.
Ideally, you’ll draft an anchor quarterback in one of the first two rounds of a startup. If you have a top-five pick in the first round, you’re obligated to take a quarterback. It’s simply the prudent thing to do.
Beyond the first two rounds, things get tricky. The goal is to draft opportunistically to maximize value while not being left out in the cold.
It’s a difficult balancing act because quarterbacks are almost always overdrafted from round two on in Superflex startups. That balancing act gets even harder when you’re drafting at or near one of the turns rather than in the middle because a quarterback run could wipe out a tier before you have a chance to make your next selection. You may be required to abandon your value-seeking principles when addressing the quarterback position.
It’s not impossible to win a Superflex dynasty league with below-average quarterbacks, but it’s difficult. The rest of your roster needs to be a war machine. The likely result of inadequacy at the quarterback position is also-ran status in your league and a daily preoccupation with fixing a hard-to-fix problem.
Supeflex Dynasty Quarterback Tiers
Let’s once again sort the quarterbacks into baskets.
Elite
Draft one of these quarterbacks in round one if you have the chance.
- Jayden Daniels (WAS)
- Josh Allen (BUF)
- Lamar Jackson (BAL)
- Jalen Hurts (PHI)
- Joe Burrow (CIN)
- Patrick Mahomes (KC)
Foundational
Draft one of these quarterbacks in the second round if you didn’t get a QB in the first round — or even if you did.
- Drake Maye (NE)
- Justin Herbert (LAC)
- C.J. Stroud (HOU)
- Caleb Williams (CHI)
Worthwhile
These quarterbacks will likely go anywhere from round three to round seven. Draft opportunistically if the value is right.
- Bo Nix (DEN)
- Jordan Love (GB)
- Michael Penix (ATL)
- Kyler Murray (ARI)
- Brock Purdy (SF)
- Trevor Lawrence (JAC)
- J.J. McCarthy (MIN)
- Cam Ward (TEN)
- Baker Mayfield (TB)
- Justin Fields (NYJ)
- Bryce Young (CAR)
- Jared Goff (DET)
- Anthony Richardson (IND)
- Dak Prescott (DAL)
- Jaxson Dart (NYG)
Filler
This group is an assortment of veterans who might not be starters for much longer and youngsters who might not be good enough to hold starting gigs long-term. Draft for depth if the value is right.
- Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)
- Sam Darnold (SEA)
- Jalen Milroe (SEA)
- Shedeur Sanders (CLE)
- Geno Smith (LV)
- Matthew Stafford (LAR)
- Tyler Shough (NO)
Final Thoughts
Here are a few final thoughts on drafting quarterbacks in Superflex startups:
- Don’t be so youth-obsessed that you overlook the value of aging veterans who have a firm grip on starting jobs.
- One way to maximize quarterback value in a startup draft is by trading up or down. In most dynasty leagues, there’s a lot of trading in startup drafts. Don’t be shy about entering the fray. If there’s only one quarterback from a tier still on the board and eight picks to go before your selection, trading up makes sense. If you’re on the clock and need a quarterback, but all of the available ones would be reaches in that spot, trade back. You can acquire extra draft capital and take a signal-caller a little later.
- Handcuffing a starting quarterback in Superflex can be a viable strategy, but only if league roster sizes are big enough to justify the opportunity cost (at least 26-28 roster spots) and if you’re convinced the backup would fare reasonably well if forced into action.
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