Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Mailbag: Superflex And Early-Round Approaches

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Weekly Mailbag for Fantasy Football Draft Strategy

Alan - New Mexico - I'm in a 10-team league and we start two QBs, I have the 5th pick. Should I go QB first or wait until the second round?

Usually I say take a quarterback in the first round with the 5th overall pick, but because it's a smaller league I think you can wait! In Superflex leagues people get so caught up on getting the elite quarterbacks, but seem to forget there are great values if you wait, which also means you are getting high-end players at other positions while everyone else is focusing on those quarterbacks.

I don't know if Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs will be there for you, but you could get a chance at one of them or an elite wide receiver.

Some quarterbacks I like waiting for: Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Kyler Murray. Dak always feels like an afterthought in some drafts, but he puts up solid numbers like last season. Prescott doesn't carry the rushing upside like before. He's a pocket passer that's always looking downfield and that led him to throwing for more than 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. He's finished as QB4 and QB9 in his last two healthy years (2023 and 2025).

Purdy might seem like a risk right now because of all the injuries to the 49ers pass catchers, but he's a solid option since he hasn't finished lower than QB10 in PPG over the last three years.

Overall, if you want to jump on the quarterbacks with your first pick, I won't blame you! But just know you can win superflex leagues without getting the more elite options.

Matthew Berry's Ride or Die

Eric - MN - Kendall, what is your draft strategy for rounds 1-5? How do you build your roster?

Going off most of my drafts, I do try to leave the first two rounds with two running backs this year, BUT that really only works if you have picks in the 9-12 range. If you have earlier picks you could still get Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson, but the second round is catered to getting a wide receiver instead of spending up on someone like Jeremiyah Love.

It's an annoying answer, but it all depends on where you draft. What I will say, though, is that if you can't get two elite running backs just try to anchor your team to one. If you take CeeDee Lamb in the first and come back around with Derrick Henry or Omarion Hampton, I love that. Running backs over the last couple seasons have been able to stay healthy(ish) and it feels like there are great wide receiver options later in drafts this season as well. There are some running backs that truly have question marks, but if they hit they will give you huge advantages—Jonathon Brooks and Bhayshul Tuten fit this mold.

As for quarterbacks, I rarely pay up for an elite Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. Joe Burrow will be one of my most drafted quarterbacks going into the season, but I also have a heavy amount of Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence and Dak Prescott.

At tight end, it's a first or last mentality for me. If I don't get one of the top guys (Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren and Tucker Kraft) then I wait and take two after Round 9 or so. George Kittle has been my favorite target since his price doesn't seem in line with his injury return, but then I pair him with someone like Chig Okonkwo or Terrance Ferguson just in case he isn't ready to start the season.

Bert - Philly - Love the show! Need some help choosing 2 players in a 12-team, .5 pt PPR, 1-QB league: Josh Allen 4th, DJ Moore 5th, Odunze 6th, Loveland 10th, Judkins 11th. Thank you!

Hell yeah, I love this!! I'd keep Colston Loveland in the 10th and honestly probably Josh Allen just because of the value from where he usually goes. DJ Moore and Rome Odunze would basically be kept where they go regularly in drafts.

Quinshon Judkins is interesting, but the reality that he's going to be playing in an even decent offense is slowly slipping away. If you like Allen more, go with him.

Matthew Berry's Fantasy Football Rankings

Jeff - VA - 10-team auction. PPR. Superflex. 1 keeper for 1 Year. Do you like Dart for $1 or Wan'Dale Robinson for $1.

Give me Jaxson Dart here for $1! What can John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy get out of Jaxson Dart? That's going to be the big question this season. We've already seen the flashes, hence why he's a top-12 QB in our fantasy football rankings. In 2025, Dart finished playing 14 games and locked down 2,272 passing yards and 15 touchdowns along with 487 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground. He completed a league-low 34% of his passes under pressure this past season, but Harbaugh is a coach who has experience building a team with a dual-threat quarterback.

Johnny Utah - NC - Keeper question. 1-QB league, 6-point passing TD. Do I keep Maye in the 13th or Etienne in the 15th?

DRAKE MAYE. DRAKE MAYE!

Matt - CA - who is one of your most drafted wide receivers people might not talk about enough?

I feel like there is a big divide and no middle ground for how people look at the DJ Moore trade to Buffalo, but I'll make myself super clear… I am drafting a lot of Moore shares. The less optimistic side would be looking at Moore's final year in Chicago, where he had only a 16% target share (his lowest since his rookie year in 2018). I think a fresh start is exactly what he needed to give us WR2 upside in 2025.

We have seen a decline throughout the past three seasons, with Moore averaging 16.9, 14, and 10 fantasy points per game over that span.

Josh Allen is a quarterback upgrade, and while I don't believe that Moore will have the same role or production as Stefon Diggs did with the Bills, I do think there should be more optimism around the No. 1 target in a high-scoring offense like the Bills.

Dwain McFarland projects the Bills project as the No. 19 passing unit (227 YPG), but ranks them first in offensive touchdowns (3.1 per game). Fantasy Life also has Moore projected for 105 targets, 70 receptions, 885 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. Sign me up!

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