Photo: USA Today Sports

On August 8th, six members of the Footballguys Staff, along with six highly regarded writers in the fantasy football community, got together to complete a 12-team, 20-round, Superflex with PPR, Best Ball scoring format. Before the draft, each of the participants answered questions regarding strategies, players they coveted and how they plan to attack the draft. Additional questions were asked at the conclusion of the draft based on the decisions they made. To top it off, Footballguys' Devin Knotts will provide an evaluation of each team's roster strengths and weaknesses, chronicling the strategies and decisions that were made by each participant.

The goal of this article is to give you a look into the minds of fantasy experts throughout the entire draft process. This includes preparation, decision making, and execution. What was their plan? Did they follow it? Why did they make the decisions they made? Some drafters had similar strategies and players of interest, but how they executed their plan and built their roster, varied from person to person.

We hope you will uncover or discover a strategy that might work for you in your draft(s) this year. Learn what players the experts are targeting and why. At Footballguys, when you win, we win! If we can help give you the tools and know-how to build a winning team, we've done our job.

LEAGUE PARAMETERS

Best Ball format - Each week, your top scoring players on your roster automatically start and will count toward your season total. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins. Top scores from the starting positions will count for your weekly score.

• 12 teams
• 20 roster spots
• Starting Lineup
  • 1 quarterback
  • 2 running backs
  • 2 wide receivers
  • 1 tight end
  • 2 flex (one flex can be a QB, the other either a running back, wide receiver, or tight end)
  • 1 Defense

LEAGUE SCORING

• Offensive Players Only
• 4 points - Passing Touchdown
• 6 points - Rushing/Receiving Touchdown
• 0.04 points - Passing Yard
• 0.1 points - Rushing/Receiving Yard
• 1.0 point - Reception (QB, RB, WR)
• -2 points - Fumble lost
• -2 points - Interception Thrown
• 2 - Two-Point Conversion (rush, pass or receive)
• 6 - Number of Defensive and Special Teams Touchdowns
• Defense scoring
  • 2 points - fumble recovery
  • 2 points - interception caught
  • 1 point - sacked quarterback
  • 5 points - safety
  • 10 points - 0 points allowed
  • 7 points - 1-6 points allowed
  • 3 points - 7-10 points allowed
  • 0 points - 15-20 points allowed
  • -3 points - 21-99 points allowed
  • 6 points - Defensive or Special Teams Touchdown

DRAFT PARTICIPANTS

1. Jeff Tefertiller
2. Brandon Marianne Lee
3. Jason Wood
4. Dennis Esser
5. Chet Gresham
6. Phil Alexander
7. Heath Cummings
8. Justin Bonnema
9. Justin Lonero
10. Ryan Hester
11. Jeff Haseley
12. Mike Tanier

DRAFT GRId

DRAFT SLOT 1

Jeff Tefertiller, Footballguys - Bio

Follow @JeffTefertiller

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. How many of each position do you plan to take?

4 quarterbacks, 5 running backs, 7 wide receivers, 2 tight ends and 2 defenses

2. What is your strategy regarding the QB position in a Superflex draft?

I plan to hit the position hard (beginning with the 2/3 turn) getting 2 at the position in the first 5-6 rounds

3. Who is the lowest ranked quarterback that you would want as your QB2 flex option?

Rivers/Roethlisberger/Keenum/Cousins

4. After quarterback, what position would be your next greatest interest as a flex option?

Wide receiver - At a minimum, upside players like Fuller, Ross, and Wallace

5. What is your general strategy regarding the tight end position? When are you planning to draft the first at this position?

I plan to target Reed or Walker in the middle rounds. If I miss out on both, I expect to wait and target Watson and Kittle

6. Discuss drafting from the #1 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Having the 1.01, I will start with a running back, then I plan on taking a quarterback and either another running back or quarterback at 3.01. At the 4/5 turn, I expect to take my first wide receiver. If a top-end receiver drops to 2.12, he will be in consideration.

7. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

Buy strongly if posing value (Edelman/Aaron Jones/Winston, etc). These rosters are deep enough to stash a starter for a few weeks since all three will be back before bye weeks are in full swing. For example, nabbing Jones and either Jamaal Williams or Ty Montgomery offers upside at a value. So does Winston/Fitzpatrick.

8. At the mid-point of the draft (10 rounds), how many players at each position do you expect to have?

3 quarterbacks, 3 running backs, 3 wide receivers, and 1 tight end.

9. Name five position players that you will target in round six or later.

Marquise Goodwin, Case Keenum, Aaron Jones, Robby Anderson, and Corey Clement

10. Name a sleeper or player you can stash (round 10 on) at QB, RB, WR or TE that you will be targeting in this draft.

• QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick - Get 3 starts to begin the season
• RB: Matt Breida - I think he is the superior back to McKinnon
• WR: Chris Godwin - Talk of him starting opposite Evans, instead of DeSean Jackson
• TE: Ben Watson - Was a top-end TE two years ago in New Orleans and still finished a fantasy starter last year in Baltimore. Undervalued due to age.

11. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST position in this draft?

Two defenses with soft schedules and different bye weeks. I will not target the elite defenses.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. This draft occurred on Wednesday, August 8th and Derrius Guice's injury occurred on Thursday, Aug 9th. You selected Guice with pick 2.12 in this draft. This was a best ball draft, so there's no ability to replace him, but if this draft had in-season management with waivers, what would you recommend Guice owners do to fill the void?

Guice owners have two choices: chase a Washington back or find value elsewhere. I do not like any of the Washington replacement backs outside of Thompson so I would turn to the waiver wire for an upside player like Jonathan Williams.

2. This draft, like most Superflex drafts, are difficult to predict. Quarterbacks did not fly off the board in the early rounds and there was a trickle-down effect on other positions. You indicated an interest in Jordan Reed or Delanie Walker but you didn't select either in this draft. Why did you change your approach to tight end?

The QBs slid much more than expected. This pushed quality players down my board. Walker went in the 7th round and I thought I got a comparable TE in the 13th, Doyle. When one position slides, there is a cascading effect of creating value at the position.

DEVIN KNOTTS' EVALUATION

Strengths

Jeff had a nice start to the draft with a running back heavy approach, however, he was very unlucky as less than 24 hours after this draft Derrius Guice tore his ACL and is out for the season. He did get tremendous value out of Peyton Barber in the 14th round in this draft. If LeSean McCoy can avoid suspension even with the Derrius Guice injury the running back position will still be a strength of Jeff’s team.

Jeff’s quarterbacks are strong going out and getting two top 12 quarterbacks which will be a tremendous strength for this team.

Weaknesses

Jeff’s wide receivers are a bit of a concern as while they are fine for a Best Ball type format, Jeff may have some consistency issues amongst the group and having to make some tough selections on a week to week basis. Alshon Jeffery is a value but has been dealing with injuries this offseason and if he were to miss time this could hinder the wide receiving group.

How He’ll Win It All

With the unlucky start to the season with the Guice injury, Jeff will need to leverage the waiver wire and perfect in-season management to recover from the tough break. He will need both Carson Wentz and Alshon Jeffery to recover from their preseason injuries. At the wide receiver position, he will need to make the right choices each week and play the matchups as while it is a deep group it is a volatile group.

DRAFT SLOT 2

Brandon Marianne Lee, Sportsline / The Athletic

Brandon Marianne Lee is a fantasy contributor for Sportsline. She's also a radio host on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, an on-camera analyst for Fantasy Alarm, and a fantasy contributor to The Athletic.

Follow @BrandonHerFFB

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. How many of each position do you plan to take?

3 QB, 5 RBs, 7 WRs, 3 TEs, 2 DEFs

2. What is your strategy regarding the QB position in a Superflex draft?

I'm considering an Alex Smith, Blake Bortles, Case Keenum sandwich

3. Who is the lowest ranked quarterback that you would want as your QB2 flex option?

Oh... I would go really low. If this was a regular league, I would roll with Sam Bradford until Rosen steps in/ Bradford gets hurt. I think Bradford is DFS gold until the wheels come off.

4. After quarterback, what position would be your next greatest interest as a flex option?

Wide receiver. I'm pretty decent at picking out boom or bust WRs who are perfect for this kind of format.

5. What is your general strategy regarding the tight end position? When are you planning to draft the first at this position?

Without a TE premium, it's tough. Part of me wants to air for the Greg Olsen and Delanie Walker tier.

6. Discuss drafting from the #2 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

I have to go with my No. 1 pick (and no one else's) David Johnson. I feel great about it. On the way back around I'm likely to go WR then get some rookie RBs in the fourth or fifth.

7. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

Love rookie RBs early if they have a role (hello Ronald Jones). Okay with rookie wide receivers in double-digit rounds. My favorites are Michael Gallup and Anthony Miller. And that's because I am all about the role. Only in the deepest of leagues will I take a flier on a rookie quarterback or tight end. Too inconsistent.

8. At the mid-point of the draft (10 rounds), how many players at each position do you expect to have?

At least one tight end and quarterback. I have to feel out the room for that second QB. Then four running backs and four wide receivers. That's the ideal. I am a sucker for balance.

9. Name five position players that you will target in round six or later.

Other than the ones I mentioned... Paul Richardson Jr, Kenny Stills, Marqise Lee, Matt Breida, Corey Clement, Gerald Everett, Tyler Eifert/Tyler Kroft

10. Name a sleeper or player you can stash (round 10 on) at QB, RB, WR or TE that you will be targeting in this draft.

I actually think Corey Coleman is a good fit in Buffalo if it's Josh Allen under center. The deep ball is all that Allen has in the tank at this point of his career. Accuracy on intermediate and short passes is tragic.

11. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST position in this draft?

Wait, and take two. I would consider three if we had a bigger bench. I really like to take three kickers and defenses when I play in other best ball leagues. Obviously, this draft doesn't have a kicker, so maybe I'll throw an extra defense in there. I like defenses with turnover happy QBs in their division.

Draft selections

post-draft questions

1. You mentioned an interest in waiting at the quarterback and tight end position. You picked Travis Kelce as the second tight end off the board in round three and then took Drew Brees as the 8th quarterback off the board in round five. Explain how you came to the conclusion to make those two key decisions?

I was sitting at the turn, and there I was with Gurley and Green. And I thought if I took Kelce I have an elite guy at all three positions. And ultimately, I think Brees is better than QB8. In a 2QB league, waiting until the fifth round and getting Brees as your QB1 is crazy. Always 4,000+ yards. Derek Carr hasn't even done that once in his career!

2. You mentioned an affinity for targeting boom/bust players in best ball drafts. What specific attributes or factors do you look for when identifying receivers to draft in this format?

There are a couple of strategies. One strategy is to grab a possible starter. That's why I took Michael Gallup in the 14th round. He could be the starter for the Cowboys. If he isn't, whatever, he's a 14th round pick! But if he is, I just killed this draft. Another strategy is the single-game hero that I don't CHOOSE to start. That's why I took DeSean Jackson in the 15th round. Do I want to decide when to start him? When he'll have a big game? Heck now. But guys like Jackson only need one big play to have a big week, and since the computer is making the decision after the fact, I feel great about that.

Devin Knotts' evaluation

Strengths

Brandon Marianne did a tremendous job building a roster that is extremely deep at wide receiver with a nice balance of consistency and upside players in case players such as Albert Wilson or Michael Gallup do not work out. She has done a nice job of doing the exact same thing at the tight end position having a safe option in Travis Kelce and an upside play with Trey Burton.

Weaknesses

The issue for Brandon Marianne is going to be whether outside of Todd Gurley if her running back group is strong enough as she only drafted five running backs and only two in the first five rounds. She will need Todd Gurley and Alex Collins to stay healthy while consistently using a wide receiver at the flex position unless one of Ronald Jones or Jamaal Williams can break through.

How She’ll Win It All

Brandon Marianne is in great shape in this league and has to be one of the favorites. If she can have consistency out of the second running back position in Alex Collins and get enough out of Case Keenum/Ryan Tannehill she will be in contention right up until the end.

DRAFT SLOT 3

Jason Wood, Footballguys - Bio

Follow @fbgwood

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. How many of each position do you plan to take?

Normally in a best-ball draft, particularly MFL10s, I would be fine sticking with two quarterbacks. But in those leagues, you also have to roster defenses and kickers, and since it's best-ball you almost have to take two of each. Which leaves you 16 spots for QB/RB/WR/TE. But in his league, it's both a Superflex AND we don't need kickers. So heading into the draft my goals will be to come away with at least:

• 3 Quarterbacks
• 5 Running Backs
• 7 Wide Receivers
• 2 Tight Ends
• 2 Defenses

That leaves one spot, which will likely be allocated to whatever position I feel is the thinnest after filling out my minimums.

2. What is your strategy regarding the QB position in a Superflex draft?

18 quarterbacks would've ranked in the Top 50 using this scoring system last year, and it's going to be very hard for a quarterback not to be the highest scoring player in best-ball formats in most weeks. As a result, you have to come away with at least three passers, and four is justifiable. It's also a relatively think starting lineup of nine total players, which also enhances the value of the position. Quarterbacks are going to be 22% of your starting lineup. You need those points. I'll want to come away with my first quarterback in the first two rounds, and at least two starters through five or six rounds. I have a list of 17 quarterbacks that I would be happy to roster, and I need to end up with at least two from that list.

3. Who is the lowest ranked quarterback that you would want as your QB2 flex option?

There are 17 quarterbacks I'm comfortable having as "must starts." The last quarterback on my list is Jared Goff (QB17).

4. After quarterback, what position would be your next greatest interest as a flex option?

I'm drafted third (1.03), so running back is the logical choice. I'll come away with either Todd Gurley, Le'Veon Bell, or Ezekiel Elliott in the first round, and will almost certainly take a quarterback in the second round. I'll probably take another running back in the third round. I'm comfortable waiting on wide receiver in this format because best ball allows you to stack big-play, boom or bust types. Those receivers would be maddening in a standard league because you would never know what weeks to start which receivers. But in best-ball, if you have enough of them, you'll always produce a big score.

5. What is your general strategy regarding the tight end position? When are you planning to draft the first at this position?

It's Rob Gronkowski or bust. And by bust, I mean waiting until 12-14 tight ends are off the board. I believe some combination of Austin Hooper, Jake Butt, Blake Jarwin, Mike Gesicki, Ben Watson, Cameron Brate, and Ricky Seals-Jones will produce weekly stats equivalent to everyone other than Gronkowski, Zach Ertz, and Travis Kelce.

6. Discuss drafting from the #3 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

In a Superflex, it's tempting to pull the trigger on quarterback quickly. At 1.03, that's illogical because I'm guaranteed one of the four can't-miss running backs. Since I'll have to wait until late in the second-round, it's almost a guarantee I'll draft the best available quarterback in the second. As long as there wasn't a QB run before my pick (meaning five or six quarterbacks off the board already), I'll draft a running back or wide receiver at 3.03 with an eye toward my second quarterback in the fourth or fifth round. Any time you're picking toward the beginning or end of the first round, you run the risk of being caught up in positional runs. That requires you to actively manage your roster and ensure a balanced approach.

7. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

It's dependent on the player, and the cost. Josh Gordon in the third round is a hard pass. Josh Gordon in the seventh round is a must pick. Carson Wentz in the second round of a Superflex isn't going to happen, but if he's there in the fourth or fifth round, I'll roll the dice.

8. At the mid-point of the draft (10 rounds), how many players at each position do you expect to have?

I have to have at least two quarterbacks, but I'll probably have three. I doubt I'll have a tight end, which means I'll have seven or eight receivers and running backs, collectively.

9. Name five position players that you will target in round six or later.

I'm not ducking the question but that's not how I draft. I build projections and tier players and am fiercely loyal to that process. I'm doing something wrong if I end up with the same group of players draft after draft.

10. Name a sleeper or player you can stash (round 10 on) at QB, RB, WR or TE that you will be targeting in this draft.

I don't think there will be a quarterback that qualifies given the premium the position holds in a Superflex. At tight end, Jake Butt is the guy. He is a Jason Witten clone and redshirted last year but has the talent to become the Broncos starter and one of their top three targets (along with Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas). At receiver, I've been saving a late-round pick for John Brown or John Ross. At running back, it's Jordan Wilkins.

11. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST position in this draft?

There are seven elite defenses, and I want one of them. Generally, as soon as the first defense (Jacksonville) comes off the board, I'll consider taking my first defense the following pick. I'll wait on the second defense until the last round or two and grab the best available (that doesn't share a bye week with my first defense).

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. You are particularly strong at running back, quarterback and defense, but if your team has a weak spot, it's at tight end. You indicated a "Gronk or Bust" approach and Gronkowski was selected in the early second round. As a result, you waited until round 15 to select a tight end (Charles Clay), followed by Jake Butt 19 picks later and Antonio Gates in the last round. Can this trio compete? What made you decide on Butt over other tight ends like Ben Watson, Hayden Hurst or Mike Gesicki?

As you noted, I followed my plan perfectly. One of the biggest mistakes people make each year is reaching for that second group of tight ends. Historically, very little separates TE12 from TE24 and ultimately most of us would be playing the waiver wire game and hoping for advantageous matchups. Since this is a best-ball league, and I knew I would be taking deep sleepers, it was imperative to roster three tight ends. There's obvious risk with my trio, but it was a calculated risk because my other positions are dominant. Charles Clay is the safest of my trio and he should be the second most targeted player in Buffalo, beyond Kelvin Benjamin. Jake Butt is a guy I've been high on all preseason. He would have been a first- or second-round pick coming out of Michigan were it not for a late season torn ACL. He redshirted last year and fantasy owners have short-term memories. That's a mistake. Butt's upside comparable is Jason Witten, and he'll be an every-down starter in Denver by my estimation. I could have gone with Watson or Gesicki instead, but Butt is a deep value pick I'm putting my stamp on and figured this was a good chance to put my money where my mouth is.

2. You selected the Jacksonville defense at pick 11.03. Explain the importance of having a top-flight defense in a draft of this format?

In best-ball leagues my plan is always to roster one of seven defenses in the elite tier, according to my projections. Sometimes I'll wait for the Jaguars and Rams to go off the board and then grab one of the remaining teams at my next pick. The way this draft was unfolding, I felt comfortable I could take the top option, without hurting my overall roster construction. In other words, so many great best-ball players it afforded me the luxury of drafting the Jaguars early. You need a better defense than normal in this format because it's best-ball. There are no waiver wires. No playing the matchup. And historically defensive values vary so much from year to year that the only way you can be sure you're getting value is by taking one of the units without any question marks.

DEVIN KNOTTS' EVALUATION

Strengths

Jason did a great job loading up at the running back and quarterback positions early selecting two of the top 9 quarterbacks and two of the top 12 running backs. At the positions with the most scarcity, Jason took advantage which should set him up well in the trade market if some of his lower end upside running backs have a breakout year.

Weaknesses

At the wide receiver position, Jason is going to need to survive the first four weeks with Julian Edelman being suspended as he is going to have to rely on Corey Davis to be his number two wide receiver. While Davis has a lot of upside as shown in the New England playoff game, he is going to have to continue those types of performances instead of the regular season where he did not score a touchdown. The other issue Jason will have this season is relying on Charles Clay or Jake Butt to be a consistent tight end performer each week.

How He’ll Win It All

If Jason can find a tight end on the waiver wire and get through the first four weeks with a decent record, this is a team to watch as his weakness at wide receiver turns to a strength after that point.

DRAFT SLOT 4

Dennis Esser, The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Dennis has been featured on FNTSY Sports Network for season long as well as DFS Fantasy Football and other Fantasy Sports. The Fantasy Coach has also been a top ranker in multiple sports for Fantasy Pros over the last 5 plus years.

Follow @coachesser

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. How many of each position do you plan to take?

I usually let the draft play out a bit and don't set strict limits on positions. Best ball is a bit of a different animal as certain roster configurations have proven to be optimal. Going into the draft my plan is to take 3 QBS, 5 RBs, 7 WRs, 3 TEs and 2 Def.

2. What is your strategy regarding the QB position in a Superflex draft?

Playing in a decent amount of Superflex expert leagues I realize that our draft board may not reflect the home leagues most are used to. I have been making a living for years taking Phillip Rivers late in drafts and I don't see that changing much this year. The Hunter Henry injury hurts, but I think there is enough firepower to keep him as a sneaky top 12 QB. I think guys like Carson Wentz and Cam Newton are overpriced at this point. They are getting drafted at their ceilings instead of being careful of their mid-range projections. I don't mind Matt Ryan late and really like getting Case Keenum as my 3rd QB.

3. Who is the lowest ranked quarterback that you would want as your QB2 flex option?

Depending on who my 1st QB is and if the league is extremely punitive for turnovers I don't mind waiting a bit later on a guy like Eli Manning. The addition of a real pass catching weapon at the RB position is exciting.

4. After quarterback, what position would be your next greatest interest as a flex option?

Running back is the next man up for me at the Superflex spot. TE is a bit of matchup position unless you get lucky and get a top guy at a value. There's only a few that would be a consideration and I don't see many young guys making a gigantic leap because most aren't any better than the 3rd option in the passing game. Running back is pretty deep and the addition of PPR creates more opportunities for RBs to score.

5. What is your general strategy regarding the tight end position? When are you planning to draft the first at this position?

Tight End is a spot where I let the board dictate how I draft it. If I can get Kelce at a discount after the 3rd Tier of WRs is gone I'm in. If not I will wait a bit and see if I can snag Jimmy Graham in the 7th or Jordan Reed in the 8th. If I go with the injury-prone reed I will be forced to back up the position a bit sooner than usual. I like grabbing Hooper and Kittle late and think they could outplay their Draft Positions.

6. Discuss drafting from the #4 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

I'm drafting 4th and I am taking whichever RB of the top 4 falls to me. Sure I can buck the trend a bit and take Antonio Brown or try and grab rookie phenom Saquan Barkley so I can get written up the next day, but I feel very comfortable taking David Johnson, Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliot or Le'Veon Bell. I just can't pass up on them.

7. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

I think rookies at the RB position are the best bet if you are going to invest. As long as they can protect the QB they should see the field early. WRs and TEs have so much to learn in a short offseason that it's tough to invest, especially with this year's crop not being dynamic. Yes I like Anthony Miller, but I would much rather grab a veteran. I stay away from player injured in training camp as much as possible. Players like Tyler Eifert and Jordan Reed need to be very cheap for me to take them. It's going to be interesting to see where I value Doug Baldwin drafting tonight with his knee injury a question mark. Suspended players are not what I invest in.

8. At the mid-point of the draft (10 rounds), how many players at each position do you expect to have?

I expect to have at least 1 QB, possibly 2 by round 10. All depends on how the room is treating the position. With a top RB locked up I will probably have 3 RBs by round 10 being over. I like to load up on mid-round WRs and will most likely have 5 WRs by round 10 being over. That leaves 1 spot for a TE and that's usually how my team is built.

9. Name five position players that you will target in round six or later.

I seem to be grabbing a lot of Isaiah Crowell and Royce Freeman at the running back position as of late. I think freeman's draft stock will just keep going up as beat writers talk him up. I like grabbing Kenny Golladay, Robby Anderson, Mike Wiliams and Pierre Garcon at the WR position and Kittle at TE.

10. Name a sleeper or player you can stash (round 10 on) at QB, RB, WR or TE that you will be targeting in this draft.

I am targeting Case Keenum at QB, D'onta Foreman at RB, Keelan Cole at WR and Benjamin Watson at TE as my deep sleeper late picks.

11. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST position in this draft?

I'm taking them late and don't mind getting some young up and coming Defenses. The Bears and Browns interest me as my 2nd Defense. I think the Giants will have a bounce-back year on defense as well.

DRAFT SELECTIONS