Adjusting Fantasy Football Strategy for Different League Settings

Fantasy football is an ever-evolving being that is continuing to rise in popularity. The wide availability of the game has led to different variations of the same concept, with alterations in rules, scoring and much more. In this article, I’m going to look at some of the more common ways to play fantasy football and how to change your strategy accordingly.

First, though, let’s establish our baseline. Let’s take a look at the game we love before the variants come into play.

Traditional Fantasy Football  

The most basic way to play fantasy football is a redraft league, where managers partake in a snake draft, manually setting their lineup week to week. Rosters usually consist of 16-20 players or units, depending on the rules and settings of your league. Most platforms default to nine starters each week, one quarterback, two running backs, two receivers, a tight end, a flex (running back/wide receiver/tight end), one kicker and one defense/special teams unit. 

Players are typically rewarded with one point (full-PPR) or half a point (half-PPR) per reception unless the league is “non-PPR” and there are no points for catches. This changes the value of skill positional players depending on their involvement as a pass-catcher. Wide receivers and tight ends receive a boost in full-PPR and half-PPR formats and should be greatly prioritized in drafts. However, in non-PPR, running backs are supreme, accounting for the majority of the top scores. Other ways to accumulate points are as follows:  

• 1 point for 25 passing yards  
• 1 point for 10 rushing yards  
• 1 point for 10 receiving yards  
• 4-6 points for a passing touchdown  
• 6 points for a rushing touchdown  
• 6 points for a receiving touchdown  
• 2 points for a 2-point conversion  
• 1 point for an extra point  
• 3 points for a field goal  

Wide receivers and running backs should be the priority in the early rounds because you have to start at least two on a weekly basis. They are also usually the best flex options, making it imperative to have depth at those positions. Quarterbacks and tight ends tend to get devalued because you only must start one, and very few separate from the pack. Kickers and defenses/special teams are at the bottom of the pecking order due to the unpredictability and marginal differences in scoring. 

Two-Quarterback & Superflex 

Two-quarterback and superflex leagues were introduced to elevate the value of signal-callers. As the name suggests, “two-quarterback” leagues must start two players at the position, while superflex makes it an option to start more than one quarterback, but not a requirement. It is still optimal to start two quarterbacks in most weeks, given the discrepancy of their scoring relative to the other positions. Because there are only 32 starting quarterbacks, the position dries up quickly making it important to secure at least one stable option early in the draft. When you decide to draft your QB2 is interesting, with the best approach being to read the room and draft within tiers for every position. 

Depending on the size of your bench, a third or fourth quarterback should also be stashed to either play matchups or cover bye weeks. Although you should never draft a player hoping to trade them away, quarterbacks are easy to flip midseason due to the scarcity and high demand at the position. Jeff Ratcliffe goes further in-depth on his preferred method for Two-Quarterback and Superflex leagues, and how to best set yourself up for success on draft day.  

Tight End Premium  

There are very few separators at the tight-end position, diminishing the overall value at the position. However, in tight-end premium formats, the position gets a significant boost, scoring at a much higher rate. Depending on the setup of your league, tight ends will receive between 0.5 to 1 point more per reception than the rest of the field. For example, tight ends in a full-PPR league will receive 1.5 to 2 points per reception, while the rest of the positions only score one point for making a catch. This helps level the playing field in the current NFL landscape, where tight ends are becoming less utilized as a part of their team’s aerial attack. 

Although a slight uptick in scoring for tight ends may not seem drastic, it creates a distinct advantage for the elite options or players who rack up a lot of catch volume. As a result, tight ends also become more flex viable, lessening the gap between wide receivers and running backs. It’s best to target tight ends who are either the first or second options on their team and command a healthy number of targets. Touchdown-or-bust options don’t help and can be hard to trust on a weekly basis.  

Point Per First Down   

One of the most important plays in football is converting a first down and prolonging the drive. In most fantasy formats, first downs are meaningless and scored the same as any other play. However, in points per first down leagues, players are rewarded for keeping the chains moving, receiving an additional point when the downs reset. 

This benefits players who serve as the primary option for their respective teams. Wide receivers historically convert plays into first downs at the highest rate and receive the biggest bump in value. There are exceptions at other positions, such as Travis Kelce and Derrick Henry, who are focal points of their respective offenses. 

Third-Round Reversal  

Picking at the top of the draft often has a distinct advantage, with the ability to select the best players in Round 1 and Round 3. Unlike standard snake drafts, third-round reversal helps create a better balance, switching the order in Round 3. 

For example, rather than the 1.01 getting back-to-back picks at the 2-3 turn, they’ll have to wait until the end of the third round after making their second-round pick. As a result, managers drafting in the back of Round 1 will get first dibs on the premium players still available in Rounds 2 and 3. Once the third round is completed, the draft order transitions back into the snake style the rest of the way. The strategy in this format doesn’t necessarily change, but it can help create unique pairings with players who don’t often get drafted together.