Fantasy

4/2/23

9 min read

2023 Fantasy Football: Superflex Best Ball Strategy for Underdog Fantasy

By Josh Larky

superflex best ball

There is a brand new Superflex Best Ball Tournament on Underdog Fantasy. This article will get you up to speed on the differences between this tournament and the one-quarterback versions of the past, along with how to take advantage of this new format.

The final section — Best Ball Points Added — provides a framework to value and rank players in these Superflex best ball drafts.

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Starting Roster Differences

Underdog best ball drafts are always half-PPR scoring, but the Superflex tournament removes a starting wide receiver spot, replacing it with a Superflex. While you can have a running back, wide receiver or tight end enter your flex position, any position — quarterback included — can enter the Superflex.

In this format, you can start 1-2 quarterbacks, 2-4 running backs, 2-4 wide receivers and 1-3 tight ends each week. The table below shows the starting roster requirements for one quarterback vs. Superflex best ball drafts.

1 QB Superflex
QB 1 1
RB 2 2
WR 3 2
TE 1 1
Flex 1 1
Superflex 0 1

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Positional Scoring

I gathered three seasons of weekly data from 2020-22 and averaged the half-PPR points scored from each weekly rank at each position. As an example, the fantasy QB6 on a weekly basis averages 23.2 fantasy points. This was calculated by looking at the QB6 from Week 1, 2020, along with the QB6 from Week 2, 2020, and finishing with the QB6 from Week 18, 2022. I averaged all those weekly performances together. With 17 weeks in the 2020 season and 18 weeks in the 2021-22 seasons, there are 53 data points being averaged together.

The section below — Best Ball Points Added — provides further context for how to value all four positions simultaneously when you're in a best ball draft.

Quarterback

QB6 QB12 QB18 QB24 QB30
23.2 18.2 14.3 10.1 4.6
  • We can see the importance of having elite quarterback play in this format.
  • You want a quarterback in your Superflex spot each week.
  • You're losing roughly four fantasy points for every six quarterback slots.
  • The position is scarce, as only 24 QBs in a typical week will score double-digit fantasy points.

Running Back

RB6 RB12 RB18 RB24 RB30 RB36
20.5 15.9 12.7 10.2 8.2 6.7
  • Running backs have a similar bar to clear as quarterbacks to be a top-24 option.
  • The weekly running back ceiling is lower than the weekly quarterback ceiling.
  • The RB36 is out-scoring the QB30 by about 50 percent in a typical week.

Wide Receiver

WR6 WR12 WR18 WR24 WR30 WR36 WR42 WR48
20.9 16.9 14.4 12.5 10.9 9.5 8.2 7.2
  • Wide receivers have a similar weekly ceiling to running backs.
  • Because there's often more than one wide receiver on the field at any time — yet usually just one running back — we notice wide receivers scoring tails off more gradually than running backs scoring. The WR42 in a given week is scoring similarly to the RB30, and the WR48 is outscoring the RB36.

Tight End

TE6 TE12 TE18 TE24
11.9 8.6 6.3 4.5
  • Tight ends are unlikely to hop into the Flex or Superflex, given that the TE12 each week is below more than 20 quarterbacks, and barely above the weekly RB30 or WR42.

>> If you’re new to Underdog Fantasy, sign up with promo code “33rd” for a 100% deposit match up to $100.

Best Ball Points Added (BBPA)

This is where we put all the above information together. If we assume we're starting two quarterbacks (one in the quarterback slot and one in the Superflex slot), two running backs, two wide receivers and one tight end each week, we can then focus attention on QB24, RB24, WR24, and TE12 weekly scoring for a 12-team Underdog Fantasy best ball league.

Note I'm ignoring the Flex position, as it's more difficult to handle, mathematically — which position hops into your Flex depends in large part on your individual roster construction.

At the bottom of this section, you can view the top-100 players from 2022 using BBPA.

This section looks only at the 2022 fantasy season (Weeks 1-17), using the more robust positional scoring averages from the above section (three years of data).

Quarterback BBPA

For each week of 2022, I analyzed every quarterback's fantasy score, filtering for results at or above the typical QB24 (10.1 fantasy points). I added those fantasy scores, then subtracted 10.1 points for each week. Games denote how many times a quarterback scored at least 10.1 fantasy points.

To better understand the math involved, if a QB scored 24.5, 8.3 and 18.5 fantasy points, their Best Ball Points Added would be: (24.5 + 18.5) - (10.1 * 2) = 22.8 BBPA, and their games column would be two.

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The top-25 quarterbacks from 2022 (ranked by BBPA) are shown below.

Rank QB Games BBPA
1 Patrick Mahomes 16 240.82
2 Jalen Hurts 14 228.18
3 Josh Allen 15 222.26
4 Joe Burrow 15 187.6
5 Justin Fields 12 151.18
6 Trevor Lawrence 13 137.18
7 Geno Smith 15 132.68
8 Jared Goff 13 129.68
9 Daniel Jones 14 128.66
10 Kirk Cousins 13 128.34
11 Lamar Jackson 11 123.64
12 Justin Herbert 13 108.5
13 Tua Tagovailoa 12 107.32
14 Tom Brady 15 103.4
15 Kyler Murray 10 98.86
16 Derek Carr 12 87
17 Dak Prescott 10 84.42
18 Marcus Mariota 11 74.04
19 Aaron Rodgers 14 73.4
20 Russell Wilson 9 67.12
21 Jimmy Garoppolo 9 63.2
22 Jacoby Brissett 10 58.48
23 Ryan Tannehill 10 55.48
24 Matt Ryan 7 48.98
25 Andy Dalton 9 47.78

Running Back BBPA

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For each week of 2022, I analyzed every running back's fantasy score, filtering for results at or above the typical RB24 (10.2 fantasy points). I added those fantasy scores, then subtracted 10.2 points for each week. Games denote how many times a running back scored at least 10.2 fantasy points.

The top-25 running backs from 2022 (ranked by BBPA) are shown below.

Rank RB Games BBPA
1 Austin Ekeler 13 151.3
2 Josh Jacobs 12 145.1
3 Christian McCaffrey 14 141.56
4 Derrick Henry 11 131.56
5 Saquon Barkley 13 106.3
6 Tony Pollard 11 97.4
7 Nick Chubb 11 94.5
8 Miles Sanders 8 75.6
9 Aaron Jones 9 75.4
10 Joe Mixon 8 72.5
11 Rhamondre Stevenson 11 72
12 Dalvin Cook 9 71.6
13 Jamaal Williams 8 71.2
14 Kenneth Walker III 9 60.6
15 James Conner 8 57.4
16 Alvin Kamara 7 57
17 Travis Etienne 8 56.7
18 Leonard Fournette 8 53.4
19 Jerick McKinnon 5 52.5
20 D'Onta Foreman 5 49.1
21 Ezekiel Elliott 9 47.1
22 D'Andre Swift 6 46.8
23 Jonathan Taylor 7 44
24 David Montgomery 7 41.3
25 Dameon Pierce 9 41.2

Wide Receiver BBPA

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For each week of 2022, I analyzed every wide receiver's fantasy score, filtering for results at or above the typical WR24 (12.5 fantasy points). I added those fantasy scores, then subtracted 10.2 points for each week. Games denote how many times a wide receiver scored at least 12.5 fantasy points.

The top-25 wide receivers from 2022 (ranked by BBPA) are shown below.

Rank WR Games BBPA
1 Justin Jefferson 12 131.36
2 Davante Adams 9 115.8
3 Tyreek Hill 11 98.1
4 Stefon Diggs 9 82.3
5 A.J. Brown 10 74.7
6 CeeDee Lamb 9 67
7 Jaylen Waddle 8 62.6
8 Cooper Kupp 8 62.5
9 Ja'Marr Chase 6 58.8
10 Amon-Ra St. Brown 5 58.4
11 Amari Cooper 7 53.6
12 Mike Evans 5 52.5
13 DeVonta Smith 8 45.5
14 Christian Watson 4 41.7
15 Zay Jones 4 41.1
16 Tee Higgins 6 39.8
17 D.J. Moore 6 38
18 Christian Kirk 7 37.8
19 Garrett Wilson 5 36
20 Tyler Lockett 7 32.7
21 Mike Williams 6 31.8
22 Gabe Davis 4 30.6
23 Jerry Jeudy 6 28.9
24 Brandon Aiyuk 5 28.8
25 DK Metcalf 7 28.4

Tight End BBPA

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For each week of 2022, I analyzed every tight end's fantasy score, filtering for results at or above the typical TE12 (8.6 fantasy points). I added those fantasy scores, then subtracted 8.6 points for each week. Games denote how many times a tight end scored at least 8.6 fantasy points.

The top-15 tight ends from 2022 (ranked by BBPA) are shown below.

Rank TE Games BBPA
1 Travis Kelce 13 121.7
2 George Kittle 7 65.3
3 Mark Andrews 7 57.7
4 T.J. Hockenson 8 57.7
5 Evan Engram 7 42.1
6 Dalton Schultz 6 32.8
7 Tyler Higbee 5 27.8
8 Cole Kmet 4 26.4
9 David Njoku 5 25.4
10 Dallas Goedert 6 21.8
11 Tyler Conklin 4 21.5
12 Dawson Knox 5 20.9
13 Mike Gesicki 4 19.7
14 Zach Ertz 6 18.4
15 Pat Freiermuth 8 16.8

Top-100 BBPA From 2022

  • There are currently six wide receivers in the top-15 by 2023 ADP, yet Justin Jefferson is the only one in the top-15 from last season.
    • Put another way, receivers appear to be overvalued in 2023 Superflex best ball drafts, based on ADP.
  • Four running backs were in the top-15 for BBPA in 2022, yet zero running backs get drafted in the top-15 for 2023 Superflex best ball drafts, based on ADP.
    • Running backs appear to be slightly undervalued this year.
  • Thirteen quarterbacks are going in the top 30 picks in 2023 drafts, yet 17 finished within the top 30 last season.
    • People are underestimating the importance of the quarterback position in this format.

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Rank Player Pos Games BBPA
1 Patrick Mahomes QB 16 240.8
2 Jalen Hurts QB 14 228.2
3 Josh Allen QB 15 222.3
4 Joe Burrow QB 15 187.6
5 Austin Ekeler RB 13 151.3
6 Justin Fields QB 12 151.2
7 Josh Jacobs RB 12 145.1
8 Christian McCaffrey RB 14 141.6
9 Trevor Lawrence QB 13 137.2
10 Geno Smith QB 15 132.7
11 Derrick Henry RB 11 131.6
12 Justin Jefferson WR 12 131.4
13 Jared Goff QB 13 129.7
14 Daniel Jones QB 14 128.7
15 Kirk Cousins QB 13 128.3
16 Lamar Jackson QB 11 123.6
17 Travis Kelce TE 13 121.7
18 Davante Adams WR 9 115.8
19 Justin Herbert QB 13 108.5
20 Tua Tagovailoa QB 12 107.3
21 Saquon Barkley RB 13 106.3
22 Tom Brady QB 15 103.4
23 Kyler Murray QB 10 98.9
24 Tyreek Hill WR 11 98.1
25 Tony Pollard RB 11 97.4
26 Nick Chubb RB 11 94.5
27 Derek Carr QB 12 87.0
28 Dak Prescott QB 10 84.4
29 Stefon Diggs WR 9 82.3
30 Miles Sanders RB 8 75.6
31 Aaron Jones RB 9 75.4
32 A.J. Brown WR 10 74.7
33 Marcus Mariota QB 11 74.0
34 Aaron Rodgers QB 14 73.4
35 Joe Mixon RB 8 72.5
36 Rhamondre Stevenson RB 11 72.0
37 Dalvin Cook RB 9 71.6
38 Jamaal Williams RB 8 71.2
39 Russell Wilson QB 9 67.1
40 CeeDee Lamb WR 9 67.0
41 George Kittle TE 7 65.3
42 Jimmy Garoppolo QB 9 63.2
43 Jaylen Waddle WR 8 62.6
44 Cooper Kupp WR 8 62.5
45 Kenneth Walker III RB 9 60.6
46 Ja'Marr Chase WR 6 58.8
47 Jacoby Brissett QB 10 58.5
48 Amon-Ra St. Brown WR 5 58.4
49 Mark Andrews TE 7 57.7
50 T.J. Hockenson TE 8 57.7
51 James Conner RB 8 57.4
52 Alvin Kamara RB 7 57.0
53 Travis Etienne RB 8 56.7
54 Ryan Tannehill QB 10 55.5
55 Amari Cooper WR 7 53.6
56 Leonard Fournette RB 8 53.4
57 Jerick McKinnon RB 5 52.5
58 Mike Evans WR 5 52.5
59 D'Onta Foreman RB 5 49.1
60 Matt Ryan QB 7 49.0
61 Andy Dalton QB 9 47.8
62 Ezekiel Elliott RB 9 47.1
63 Carson Wentz QB 3 47.1
64 D'Andre Swift RB 6 46.8
65 DeVonta Smith WR 8 45.5
66 Jonathan Taylor RB 7 44.0
67 Evan Engram TE 7 42.1
68 Christian Watson WR 4 41.7
69 David Montgomery RB 7 41.3
70 Dameon Pierce RB 9 41.2
71 Zay Jones WR 4 41.1
72 Tee Higgins WR 6 39.8
73 Mac Jones QB 8 39.2
74 Raheem Mostert RB 5 38.5
75 D.J. Moore WR 6 38.0
76 Christian Kirk WR 7 37.8
77 Taysom Hill QB 7 37.5
78 Najee Harris RB 9 37.5
79 Breece Hall RB 6 37.3
80 Cam Akers RB 4 36.7
81 Samaje Perine RB 4 36.3
82 Garrett Wilson WR 5 36.0
83 Brock Purdy QB 5 35.0
84 Sam Darnold QB 5 34.9
85 AJ Dillon RB 5 34.7
86 Devin Singletary RB 6 33.6
87 Dalton Schultz TE 6 32.8
88 Tyler Lockett WR 7 32.7
89 Davis Mills QB 6 32.5
90 Taylor Heinicke QB 7 32.0
91 Mike Williams WR 6 31.8
92 Khalil Herbert RB 5 31.4
93 Jeff Wilson RB 7 31.2
94 Tyler Allgeier RB 7 31.1
95 Gabe Davis WR 4 30.6
96 Zach Wilson QB 5 29.2
97 Jerry Jeudy WR 6 28.9
98 Brandon Aiyuk WR 5 28.8
99 DK Metcalf WR 7 28.4
100 Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB 4 28.2

>> If you’re new to Underdog Fantasy, sign up with promo code “33rd” for a 100% deposit match up to $100.

We hope you enjoyed reading through this superflex best ball strategy article.

Tags: 2023 Fantasy Football, Best Ball, Strategy Guide See More

Josh Larky

Josh Larky is the Director of Fantasy and Gambling at The 33rd Team.  He joins us with a unique blend of educational and professional experience.

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