Superflex fantasy football draft strategy can feel a bit straightforward — draft two quarterbacks early and call it a day. However, when you consider the value you can get by investing in elite players at other positions and pushing a quarterback pick into the later rounds, things start to get a bit more complicated.
Which quarterbacks are worth early-round picks?
Superflex Quarterback Draft Strategy (Fantasy Football)
There’s a very clear Tier 1 set of quarterbacks this year — Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts. Joe Burrow sits at the top of Tier 2, but I consider him extremely close to the first grouping for draft strategy purposes. Your priority in round one is grabbing one of those five quarterbacks.
Superflex fantasy football draft strategy can feel a bit straightforward — draft two quarterbacks early and call it a day. However, when you consider the value you can get by investing in elite players at other positions and pushing a quarterback pick into the later rounds, things start to get a bit more complicated.
Which quarterbacks are worth early-round picks?
Superflex Quarterback Draft Strategy (Fantasy Football)
There’s a very clear Tier 1 set of quarterbacks this year — Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts. Joe Burrow sits at the top of Tier 2, but I consider him extremely close to the first grouping for draft strategy purposes. Your priority in round one is grabbing one of those five quarterbacks.
If you’re drafting in the back portion of the round and they’ve all been drafted, pivot to an elite option at running back or wide receiver. If your first pick is a non-quarterback, you can swing around and grab your QB1 in round two with one of the Tier 2 or Tier 3 options.
While you can always double up early at quarterback, my advice in 2025 is to play a game of chicken on your second quarterback and invest in mid- to low-end QB2s this season. Quarterback is truly deep this season, with players being drafted at QB16 and later who have top-10 upside and breakout potential.
If you grab the right low-end QB2 at value while using those early-round picks to separate at other positions, you’re team is set up for league-winning upside.
Who should you target at QB2?
QB2 Draft Targets in Superflex
Drake Maye’s 2024 numbers are a bit misleading when you don’t contextualize them. Maye had multiple games where he played fewer than 50% of the snaps. In the weeks Maye played the entire game, he never finished below QB17. Considering the Patriots had one of the league’s worst offensive lines and extremely limited receiving threats, Maye’s numbers were highly encouraging.
This season is the perfect setup for Maye to break out and exceed his average draft position (ADP). The Patriots brought in a new coaching staff and spent the offseason revamping their entire offense from the receiving corps to the offensive line, plus an overhaul on defense.
Maye’s rushing upside is the true factor that gives him weekly QB1 upside. He had 54 attempts last season for 421 yards and two rushing touchdowns in just 10 full games. Those numbers might come down a bit with a stronger offensive line. However, for the bit of rushing upside that Maye might lose, he could see an increase in passing volume. Maye is in a prime position to make a significant leap in production.
J.J. McCarthy is set to be a big beneficiary of the Sean McVay coaching tree. The first-year starter is blessed with one of the best overall groups of receiving weapons at every position — Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson and Aaron Jones.
In 2024, Sam Darnold went from never being better than a fantasy QB3 to a top-10 overall fantasy season. While Darnold has the benefit of veteran experience, McCarthy has a leg up on him in fantasy potential — technically, two legs. McCarthy’s rushing prowess gives him legitimate top-five upside this season.
Minnesota left us wanting more in their Week 1 preseason game, giving McCarthy just one series. However, he did showcase his legs with an eight-yard run and looked solid overall. Pure volume gives McCarthy a solid floor and makes him a very low-risk investment at his low-end QB2 ADP.
It took an early-season benching to get there, but the results were fantastic. Bryce Young was truly a changed man under Dave Canales and behind a solid offensive line. After his return to a full-time starter in Week 8, Young averaged 18.6 fantasy points per game. The production was a bit inconsistent but featured three top-10 performances, including an overall QB1 week of over 35 fantasy points. Some of that inconsistency wasn’t Young’s fault. His receiving corps was unreliable and lacked a true No. 1 WR.
Carolina solved that problem with Tetairoa McMillan. The rookie wide receiver offers a true, dominant red-zone target that can directly elevate Young’s passing touchdowns. Young has looked fantastic in training camp and had a strong opening preseason performance, going 4-of-6 for 58 yards and a touchdown. A developmental leap in a second year in Canales’ system, plus the addition of McMillan, gives Young QB1 upside.
We got a tiny taste of Michael Penix’s potential in 2024, but targeting him as a QB2 for Superflex is less about any 2024 statistics and more about an Atlanta offense that pushed significant pass volume last year. They had the fifth-most passing yards with 4,068, but struggled with efficiency, throwing just 21 passing touchdowns with 19 interceptions.
It wasn’t that they were leaning heavily on the ground game; Kirk Cousins simply failed to convert on opportunities. Whereas a team like Baltimore had roughly the same passing yards and 518 total points, the Falcons managed just 389 total points.
While quarterbacks like Bryce Young and Drake Maye offer security in rushing upside, Penix can achieve QB1 status by simply taking advantage of the volume Atlanta has to offer. A top-five ceiling is likely out of his reach, but a top-12 finish is very reasonable, especially if Atlanta’s defense is slow to improve this season.
Additional QB2 targets:
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