Flex Position - strategy questions (1 Viewer)

[Banger]

After probably 16 or so years our league is going to add an extra flex position (WR/RB) to the starting lineups each week which is obviously a big change. I know guys on the site play in all different kinds of leagues was wondering what some of the strategy differences are between the standard league (QB/RB/RB/WR/WR/TE/K/D) and the addition of the flex.

Generally I try to avoid the boom bust players like Lee Evans of years back but since you have that extra starting spot is it more advantageous to stick that potential homerun hitter (Felix Jones) in the lineup if balanced off against a solid starting core? Or is the strategy for selecting the starters the same as a standard league but with just one more starter?

How about the draft? To me, the addition of a flex position would seem to make WR's more valuable. Or does it make good starting RB's that much more valuable due to their consistent carries and production?

Anything else I'm missing?

I'm curious to hear from those of you that have switched over the years and if you like the switch and any draft/lineup strategy changes that have occurred since the switch. Thanks.

 

[Thorpe]

I think it makes RBs more valuable. Without flex, guys who picked 3 or more RBs early could only start 2. Now they can start 3. So if you liked to pick 3 RBs early without flex, then you should like doing so even more with flex.

 

[Tigerbot Hesh]

I think it makes RBs more valuable. Without flex, guys who picked 3 or more RBs early could only start 2. Now they can start 3. So if you liked to pick 3 RBs early without flex, then you should like doing so even more with flex.

I always aim to fill that spot with a RB. As the season unfolds, it may make more sense to use a WR in that slot, but intially I like to plan on using a third RB there. Good RBs are so scarce anyway, getting another starting caliber RB to use as a flex just makes sense to me.

 

[3nOut]

We added flex this year as well, but also to include TEs. Historically, do people tend to use RBs or WRs as their flex players? I suppose the out-of-the-box answer would be 'depends on who your RB3 and WR3 are', but if all the talent was evenly distributed among all the teams in your league, which position, RB or WR, ends up having more value in the flex position? Who usually scores more, a RB3 or WR3?

 

[ATC1]

In a draft right now in the 4th round with a flex 2RB/3WR. I have Turner and Boldin. In the 3rd it was between Colston and R. Brown. I took R. Brown because of the flex.

I like the value of RB in the 4th better than the value of WR. (LJ, T. Jones, Lynch vs. Edwards, Roy Williams, Desean Jackson) So, normally I would have went Colston, then RB in the 4th. But since there is a flex, I have no problem taking Brown in the 3rd and then Lynch/T. Jones in the 4th instead of a WR.

 

[KCC]

The answer to your question will vary from league to league. Whether RBs or WRs make better flex position starters will be determined by A) the scoring system your league uses and B) the drop off in points scored in both of those positions. For an easy example, let's say you have a 10 owner league that, in the past required starting two RBs and two WRs, but is now adding a flex starter that could fit either position. Since your league requires two starters at each position, you should look at past fantasy totals for the 21st top scoring RB in the league vs. the 21st top scoring WR in the league. If it's clear that the 21 RB and beyond (22, 23, etc.) tend to score higher total fantasy points than the 21 WR (and the 22, 23, etc.), then you would be wiser to draft RBs for your flex starter.

 

[Tigerbot Hesh]

The answer to your question will vary from league to league. Whether RBs or WRs make better flex position starters will be determined by A) the scoring system your league uses and B) the drop off in points scored in both of those positions. For an easy example, let's say you have a 10 owner league that, in the past required starting two RBs and two WRs, but is now adding a flex starter that could fit either position. Since your league requires two starters at each position, you should look at past fantasy totals for the 21st top scoring RB in the league vs. the 21st top scoring WR in the league. If it's clear that the 21 RB and beyond (22, 23, etc.) tend to score higher total fantasy points than the 21 WR (and the 22, 23, etc.), then you would be wiser to draft RBs for your flex starter.

What he said. I would also add it's probably easier to find WR3s than it is to find RB3s, so I'd guess that makes the RBs more valuable. It's pretty easy to pluck a guy off the waiver wire that'll catch 3-4 passes for 40 yards and small chance at a TD.

 

[seatownfavorite]

We play 1RB/2WR/2Flex. I go RB heavy and try to fill 3 RBs but we have a lot of teams that find running 4 WR's is easier than drafting that many RB's.

 

[Banger]

The answer to your question will vary from league to league. Whether RBs or WRs make better flex position starters will be determined by A) the scoring system your league uses and B) the drop off in points scored in both of those positions. For an easy example, let's say you have a 10 owner league that, in the past required starting two RBs and two WRs, but is now adding a flex starter that could fit either position. Since your league requires two starters at each position, you should look at past fantasy totals for the 21st top scoring RB in the league vs. the 21st top scoring WR in the league. If it's clear that the 21 RB and beyond (22, 23, etc.) tend to score higher total fantasy points than the 21 WR (and the 22, 23, etc.), then you would be wiser to draft RBs for your flex starter.

Great point...I'll definitely take a look at that.As far as filling that flex spot say you are going to try and fill it with a RB and you have a pretty solid lineup of MJD, Jacobs, R. White and Colston as your starting 4, then you have your flex spot. Does it make sense to gamble more in that spot with a Felix Jones type player (who may have a worse ADP) for that homerun ability since you'll likely have a stable base of points from your other starters OR does it make more sense to go with a Thomas Jones, Jamal, Benson...i.e. guys that week in week out will have more consistent carry/point totals in place of a homerun hitter?

 

[kylechoffman]

As mentioned previously, scoring system should drive that flex spot. If you get any PPR (.5, 1, 1.5) for all players, then that should help your decision. One of my leagues allows Flex RB or WR. I started 3 wrs last year every week bc of the ppr (Fitz, Calvin and S Smith and sprinkled in TO from week to week).

 

[ATC1]

The answer to your question will vary from league to league. Whether RBs or WRs make better flex position starters will be determined by A) the scoring system your league uses and B) the drop off in points scored in both of those positions. For an easy example, let's say you have a 10 owner league that, in the past required starting two RBs and two WRs, but is now adding a flex starter that could fit either position. Since your league requires two starters at each position, you should look at past fantasy totals for the 21st top scoring RB in the league vs. the 21st top scoring WR in the league. If it's clear that the 21 RB and beyond (22, 23, etc.) tend to score higher total fantasy points than the 21 WR (and the 22, 23, etc.), then you would be wiser to draft RBs for your flex starter.

Great point...I'll definitely take a look at that.As far as filling that flex spot say you are going to try and fill it with a RB and you have a pretty solid lineup of MJD, Jacobs, R. White and Colston as your starting 4, then you have your flex spot. Does it make sense to gamble more in that spot with a Felix Jones type player (who may have a worse ADP) for that homerun ability since you'll likely have a stable base of points from your other starters OR does it make more sense to go with a Thomas Jones, Jamal, Benson...i.e. guys that week in week out will have more consistent carry/point totals in place of a homerun hitter?

i don't think you got a quick response because this is where people will vary. I'm under the camp that I will take the more steady RB and hopefully trade to improve my team during the season to teams weak at RB. I'm not opposed to taking the homerun chance, but I would spend a little higher on the more consistant guys.

 

[Banger]

The answer to your question will vary from league to league. Whether RBs or WRs make better flex position starters will be determined by A) the scoring system your league uses and B) the drop off in points scored in both of those positions. For an easy example, let's say you have a 10 owner league that, in the past required starting two RBs and two WRs, but is now adding a flex starter that could fit either position. Since your league requires two starters at each position, you should look at past fantasy totals for the 21st top scoring RB in the league vs. the 21st top scoring WR in the league. If it's clear that the 21 RB and beyond (22, 23, etc.) tend to score higher total fantasy points than the 21 WR (and the 22, 23, etc.), then you would be wiser to draft RBs for your flex starter.

When looking at the players side by side based on their scoring from last year it was quite startling. I sorted all the RBs/WRs into one sheet and broke them down into 20 player bands. I was very surprised looking at the side by side results. The way it broke down was that RB15 (Lynch)=WR5 (R. White), RB20 (McClain) = WR10 (Marshall), RB24 (Stewart) = WR15 (Bowe). It really showed to me how what I would think is a marginal RB like McClain (RB20-154), White (RB18-161) was nearly as valuable as a WR6 (Boldin-165), WR7 (Bryant-161), WR8 (Moss-161), WR9 (Owens-159) and WR10 (Marshall-156). Very surprising and I have my strategy now....

 

[Banger]

The answer to your question will vary from league to league. Whether RBs or WRs make better flex position starters will be determined by A) the scoring system your league uses and B) the drop off in points scored in both of those positions. For an easy example, let's say you have a 10 owner league that, in the past required starting two RBs and two WRs, but is now adding a flex starter that could fit either position. Since your league requires two starters at each position, you should look at past fantasy totals for the 21st top scoring RB in the league vs. the 21st top scoring WR in the league. If it's clear that the 21 RB and beyond (22, 23, etc.) tend to score higher total fantasy points than the 21 WR (and the 22, 23, etc.), then you would be wiser to draft RBs for your flex starter.

Great point...I'll definitely take a look at that.As far as filling that flex spot say you are going to try and fill it with a RB and you have a pretty solid lineup of MJD, Jacobs, R. White and Colston as your starting 4, then you have your flex spot. Does it make sense to gamble more in that spot with a Felix Jones type player (who may have a worse ADP) for that homerun ability since you'll likely have a stable base of points from your other starters OR does it make more sense to go with a Thomas Jones, Jamal, Benson...i.e. guys that week in week out will have more consistent carry/point totals in place of a homerun hitter?

i don't think you got a quick response because this is where people will vary. I'm under the camp that I will take the more steady RB and hopefully trade to improve my team during the season to teams weak at RB. I'm not opposed to taking the homerun chance, but I would spend a little higher on the more consistant guys.

I'm in the same camp and strive for consistent target wr's/consistent touch rb's over the Tatum Bell/Lee Evans feast or famine players.