Football Draft Kit: Tips for Non-Standard Formats

Fantasy football has evolved beyond simple standard leagues, or even PPR leagues, with more variations of the game than ever. These tweaks bring added dimensions to the fantasy concept and increased strategy. More important, each league requires its own unique approach and strategy. Here's a look at how to navigate some specific non-standard league types.

Two-Quarterback & Super-Flex Leagues

These leagues are grouped together because they both present the opportunity to start two quarterbacks every week. The difference is Two-QB leagues require two starting quarterbacks while Super-Flex leagues simply offer the option. (But you'd almost always take advantage of the option because quarterbacks score more fantasy points than other positions.)

Two-QB leagues usually are not deep (no more than 12 teams, usually 10 or fewer), which makes rostering three quality quarterbacks possible. It's good to have insurance at the position because you can't afford to take a zero in the second quarterback spot if injuries hit, and quality quarterbacks won't be plentiful on the waiver wire.

In Super-Flex leagues, it's OK to roster two quarterbacks because you can make do with a position player in the second flex spot during your quarterbacks' bye weeks, which, of course, will only happen twice.

The biggest difference with these leagues and standard leagues is draft strategy. Whereas in standard leagues most owners are content to wait on drafting quarterbacks, it's not uncommon in these leagues for owners to use both of their first two picks on the position or use somewhere north of 40 percent of an auction budget on two quarterbacks. Other strategies include drafting two elite quarterbacks and then a lower-tier QB (or two) as a backup, or drafting one top QB and two lower-tier quarterbacks, then playing matchups each week with the latter two.

Be careful in auction leagues, where spending big on one or two RB/WR, in addition to two QBs, leaves minimal money for the rest of the roster, forcing one to settle for scrubs at the remaining positions.
Also, bid aggressively on waiver-wire quarterbacks who become starters, thanks to either injury or performance, during the season.

The main point of these leagues: get your quarterbacks.

IDP Leagues

Individual Defensive Player leagues are gaining in popularity because they require more strategy, and are more fun, than simply plugging in a random Team Defense every week. IDP defense offers savvy owners a competitive advantage that the fluky Team Defense position can't match.

Tackles, usually worth one fantasy point, are the foundation of an IDP defense, which most often consists of a defensive lineman, linebacker and defensive back. Target an elite inside linebacker, as the top 3-5 each year will push 150 total tackles (solo plus assists), far outpacing the rest of the position. Last season, NaVorro Bowman totaled a league-leading 154 tackles. The 10th-ranked LB, Daryl Smith, had 121. That's a difference of 33 tackles – more than two points per week.

Unless your league awards five or more points for sacks – the standard is generally two or three – use sacks only as a tiebreaker for LBs. Although 4-3 outside linebackers are usually profitable, don't be suckered by 3-4 outside linebackers, even those with pass-rush upside – their tackle potential is too low because they play a role resembling that of a 4-3 defensive end, meaning they're often not free to pursue ballcarriers. Also be wary of ball-hawking defensive backs, who are boom or bust. Treat INTs as icing on the cake and look for DBs who rack up tackles. For linemen, target both sack and tackle potential.

The one caveat to that strategy is if you can't afford to play it safe late in the year. Perhaps a playoff spot is on the line or you're facing the league's highest-scoring team or you're in a points league and are desperate to make up ground. If you need the highest ceiling possible, then sacrifice a solid floor of tackles from a defensive back for the upside of interceptions. In the second half of last season, Marcus Peters averaged fewer than three tackles per game, but he had five interceptions. He was a dud if he didn't have a pick, but his INT-upside made him worth the gamble.

In auction leagues, the only IDPs generally worth spending more than $2 on are J.J. Watt, whose consistent top-tier production at his position is unmatched, and, this season, Luke Kuechly, NaVorro Bowman, Lavonte David, Reshad Jones and Khalil Mack. Well-timed nominations, not big spending, should be your means of securing IDPs otherwise.

Perhaps most important, monitor the waiver wire every week – quality IDPs often come out of nowhere and this is where smart owners gain an advantage.

Best-Ball Leagues

This type of league is perfect for owners who want to skip in-season maintenance. The only work required is to draft, which consists of picking a roster to fill the weekly requirements and then selecting anywhere from 10 to 30-plus bench spots. There are no waiver-wire pickups, and there's no need to set a weekly lineup. Each team's lineup is formed retroactively after the week's games with the highest-scoring players becoming starters.

The number of bench spots often determines draft strategy, as depth is extremely important at every position. The worst scenario is a dead spot (e.g., RB2, WR3) that gets zero points every week because all your players at that position are injured.

Once "safe" players with high ceilings are drafted in the early rounds, focus on players with big upside. These include "boom or bust" players – like DeSean Jackson, who can go for 6-150-1 one week but 4-40 the next – as well as backups who have a direct path to playing time if the starter is sidelined. Rostering players with low floors but high ceilings is better than investing in steady players who have moderate to low ceilings - it's all about upside.

Like most formats, QBs usually score the most points, and it's better to get at least three starters rather than two elite QBs in 12-team formats. Every week there are surprise scorers at QB. By drafting at least three starters, you're giving yourself better odds for a big week than simply relying on two QBs, even if they are more talented. For example, Kirk Cousins, Blake Bortles, Tyrod Taylor or Derek Carr outscored Tom Brady and Drew Brees in 11 weeks last season.

Collecting backup running backs is a good idea once the starting backs and wide receivers are off the board. Every year there are plenty of running back injuries. Drafting Thomas Rawls, David Johnson, Charcandrick West and DeAngelo Williams in the later rounds of this format would have paid big dividends last year. The key in Best-Ball leagues is depth and upside at each position.

Shallow/8-Team Leagues

A shallow league typically results in All-Star lineups for most teams. Therefore, "handcuffing," or drafting the backup to your starting running backs or quarterback, is not necessary because the waiver wire will have plenty of quality options should your starter(s) get injured. Likewise, "sleepers" in the traditional sense don't really exist in a shallow league. Draft for the most upside possible. If a player busts, simply replace him with waiver-wire fodder, which will be a steady-type player anyway.

When it comes to trades in shallow leagues, a 2-for-1 deal almost always will benefit the player getting the single player (the best player), as replacing the players lost is not difficult.

To make a league with fewer teams (eight or less) than standard leagues more challenging, use multiple flex spots, two quarterbacks/tight ends and 3/4 starters at RB/WR, respectively. In this format, owners should focus on drafting depth, rather than shooting for the moon on upside.

Deep Leagues/24-Team Leagues

Deep leagues require more research, as knowing an expanded player pool is a must. Leagues are won and lost on the backs of second or third running backs and receivers. A good knowledge of every team's depth chart is essential – knowing who is third or fourth on the depth chart is almost as important as knowing the backup.

Study the player pool before the draft to identify players who might be undervalued, and also look for backups with high upside. Taking a risk on the unknown – rookies and players coming off significant injuries – is worth the gamble given those players' discounted prices.

Quarterbacks take on extra importance - not every team can roster two starters. Aim to draft two starting quarterbacks, but at minimum, draft your quarterback's backup in the late rounds.

To combat bye-week shortages, some deep leagues use team QB/K/D. That ensures every team can field a starter at those positions every week. Every team gets one "team position." During bye weeks, after free agents are awarded as normal, teams can use their "team position" to fill an empty QB/K/D spot. Those team positions are returned to the waiver wire after the bye week.

FAAB or Free-Agent Claim Leagues

Most fantasy sites offer a Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) method to award weekly waiver-wire pickups. Other sites offer a claim system that allows owners to put in for players based upon preferences.

FAAB is a monetary system used to bid on free agents. Each owner begins the season with a fictional budget, usually $100, that he can use to acquire free agents throughout the season. It's similar to an auction draft in that every waiver-wire player is available to every owner. The owner who bids the most is awarded the given player.

Most leagues allow $0 bids and/or have a first-come-first-serve waiver period following the FAAB deadline to ensure teams with limited or no FAAB money can still pick up players. In leagues that require at least $1 bids, it is important to save $5-$10 in the budget for potential late-season pickups. Otherwise, an owner could be forced to play a scrub or an injured player late in the season with the playoffs on the line.

Strategies differ on how best to allocate FAAB dollars, and much depends on league rules. Generally, it's not wise to blow your FAAB budget (i.e. 80 percent or more) on one player early in the season unless it a huge team need, e.g., bidding on the backup to your injured starting running back.

Aside from that scenario, it's usually wise to make bids in the 20-30-percent range, which allows you to go after prime free agents while still saving money for later in the season. It's difficult to predict a fantasy team's future needs, and while the free agent aggressively landed in Week 2 could be a 14-week fantasy commodity it's safer to hold onto 70-80 percent of your budget in most formats. Saving that money could translate into getting three or four players later in the season to address team needs.

In deep leagues, it's worth the risk to bid higher early in the season on a player if the right situation arises (e.g., a starting running back is available) as there are limited free agents to make a big impact in a smaller free-agent pool.

Touchdown-Only Leagues

These leagues are exactly as they sound: only touchdowns count toward a fantasy team's weekly point total. It doesn't matter if a running back goes for more than 100 yards rushing or a receiver goes for more than 100 yards receiving, the only stat that matters is touchdowns.

In TD-only leagues, it is important to know each team's strategy/personnel near the goal line. Is a team more likely to pass or run? Does the starting running back get the goal-line carries or is a bigger back brought in to vulture touchdowns? How is the tight end used? Understanding each team's tendencies can give owners an edge.

Quarterbacks typically receive four points for a passing touchdown and, like all others, six points for a rushing touchdown. Draft an elite quarterback in the early rounds, as the position is the most consistent and highest scoring. Mobile quarterbacks like Cam Newton usually make for the best picks, as they get the higher-valued rushing scores that non-mobile quarterbacks like Drew Brees won't. Other mobile quarterbacks like Jameis Winston (who outscored Brees last season) or Tyrod Taylor make sneaky mid-round picks.

For the skill positions, analyze red-zone targets/carries, targets/carries inside the 10-yard line and conversion rates. Most important, evaluate players' roles within their team context.

Unlike in standard formats, the "Thunder" in a "Thunder and Lightning" RB committee is more valuable because he gets the goal-line work.

Tight ends also get a big boost, as only a few each year score double-digit touchdowns – just 13 total in the last five years, less than three per year. And only two of those tight ends were shorter than 6-foot-4 – look for big tight ends who make for good red-zone targets.

Roles are perhaps even a greater factor for wideouts. Even when he was in his prime, Andre Johnson lost a lot of value in TD-only leagues because he never eclipsed double-digit scores despite three seasons of more than 1,500 receiving yards. Likewise, the Lions often favored Calvin Johnson at the goal line at the expense of a running game, netting him four seasons of at least 12 touchdowns. As such, TD-only WR rankings differ greatly from standard leagues. Antonio Brown was the high-scoring receiver in standard leagues last year but seventh in TD-only. Julio Jones was second and 15th, respectively.

Finally, another key point to remember is to not get suckered into a one-week wonder. Every week players will come out of nowhere to score touchdowns, but they aren't worth adding if there hasn't been a change to their role or the team's play calling.

This article appears in the 2016 RotoWire Fantasy Football magazine. Order the magazine.