Total Flex Option (1 Viewer)

[Chop_Block]

Hey guys, opinion question.

In a long-standing redraft league, we vote the week before the draft on any rules changes - we always have a few (PPR vs no PPR, that sort of thing). This year, one of my fellow owners putting forth a vote on what he is calling 'ultimate flex'.

The idea is that you start a QB, Team D and Kicker, then some combination of 6 flex spots - any combination of WR, RB or TE.

His theory is, if you don't havea great RB draft, but have three stud WRs and a great TE, you won't be hurt as much as you would be if you have to start 2 RBs.

Myself, I think it sounds odd - in my decade of FF, I have never seen anything like it. It sounds more liek a 'what if I do badly at the draft' plan than anythign else.

But the idea of having a 'pro-style' offence intrigues me - going 4 WR for a game, that sort of thing - so I don't want to dismiss it out of hand.

I figure SOMEBODY here has done this before -- what were your experiances? Did it work? Is it nuts or genius?

 

[Chaka]

I am a big fan of allowing different offensive formations but I can never get my leaguemates to go for it.

 

[NoFBinLA]

Someone brought this up in a redraft I am a part of - it didn't make it to a vote this year (for a myriad of reasons) but a few people outright said they would vote against it.

i am split. I like opening up the flex (I am in another league that has very different and unique flex rules) but I don't want it to be a crutch for poor drafts.

It would certainly be an interesting challenge, draft-wise.

 

[Sweet Love]

I am in a heavy flex league start 2-4 RBs and 3-5 WRs and I kind of like it. You don't get hamstrung for due to one injury and rewards overall draft savvy.

 

[r00db0y]

I commish two re-draft leagues (7yrs & 9yrs running) that have run something sort of similar - 1QB, 1RB, 2WR, 2Fles, 1K, 1Def/ST. We dont allow the total flex that you are describing - but try to limit it to real football formations. But they are in the same ballpark.

I can say the over the years - going with 3RBs has been a solid way to go - if you can lock up a 3rd one that is worthy of starting. Come playoff time - you just put up points more consistently. I have only seen a few owners over the years have an actual draft strategy of going run-and-shoot (1RB/4WR) - and it really hasn't worked out in their favor.

I think the best thing that I can say about it is that it allows guys who may have been bit by the injury bug at RB to still be competitive. It seems like there is always a serviceable WR on waivers - if you really are stuck and don't have a second RB to put in your lineup.

I personally woundnt do it any other way - it just gives owners more options to be creative when drafting and filling out their weekly roster.

I am not sure I would like having the ability to start 6RBs - I think that the draft could get a little crazy with the RB run. But if you have VBD aware owners - they could figure it all out.

 

[maccabees]

We use what your friend calls the "ultimate flex",Thats a good name for it by the way,so far everyone loves it.If you get hit hard at RB yet you went deep at WR. you still can compete.Get hit hard at WR and RB yet you have two good TEs you can still compete.As your friend put it,it is the ultimate flex.

We start 2 or 3 RBs, 3 or 4 WRs, 1 or 2 TEs.

We also start 1Qb, 1PK, DEF, 3IDPs

32 roster,PPR.Dynasty.

 

[Lowen1]

Our league is similar but not as flexible. We start 1qb, 1rb, 2wr, 0te, 1k, 1d and 3flex - flex is RB/WR/TE. Over the past few years, I've fielded some pretty strange line ups. One year, I played a stretch of games starting 3te. With 0 te required, they don't always get drafted, so I was starting Gates, Shockey and Gonzo. Last year, I started 5wr on a regular basis, and no te. I really like having multiple flex players, because I can make up my team any way I want - the past few years, I've only drafted 2 running backs, because I only need to start one, and there was more value (also due to our scoring system) in te & wr . If your ultimate flex takes off, I'd like to see some rosters to see how people drafted. Should be very interesting.

 

[Birdie048]

I used to be in a league that had 5 Flex starters (no RB or WR specific requirements).

It worked out well for those who had 3 solid RB's as they were more consistent than WR's. You could start 5 WR if you wanted. I know 1 time, a team started Foster, DeA Williams, Caddy, T Jones and C Benson for the 5 Flex starters.

IMO, this is a forgiveness margin for those who show up at draft unprepared. It allows for them to get away with a strong team buy a WR who rises from nowhere as opposed to having a solid RB core.

 

[Christo]

In my local league we went another route with 3 formations.

Normal: 2RB/2WR/1TE

Run&Shoot: 1RB/3WR/1TE or 1RB/4WR

Jumbo: 3RB/2TE

 

[Darcimer]

IMO, in the interest of making Fantasy Football mimic the real game, one, two, possibly even three flex spots is done in the NFL, why not fantasy. But if you are going to really have more than one flex spot, the team should designate what offensive scheme they will be running before the draft, or at least immediately following. Then they should be forced to stick to it. Run&Shoot(1 RB), Full House(3 RB), Pro-Set (2 RB).. This counters your "bad draft back-up plan" suspicion. Oh, and you should always be forced to play at least one at each spot.

Todd

 

[BoltBacker]

It worked out well for those who had 3 solid RB's as they were more consistent than WR's.

Exactly.My first thought was; "Great, so now RB's will be 90% of the first four rounds of the draft instead of the first two rounds".

 

[Lowen1]

It worked out well for those who had 3 solid RB's as they were more consistent than WR's.

Exactly.My first thought was; "Great, so now RB's will be 90% of the first four rounds of the draft instead of the first two rounds".

See my post above for our flex arrangement. But, we've had a bunch teams draft rb in the first 4 rounds, and one guy drafted rb in the first 5 rounds. So rb depth dissapears quickly, but none of these guys has ever won the league. The teams that win the league usually start 2rb and some combo of 4 other wr/te. Last year I won starting 1rb, 1te and 4wr. I know every league is different, and we've tweaked our scoring a little (.5ppr for rb/wr, and 1ppr for te), so it may not compare to most leagues.

 

[Yenrub]

In my local league we went another route with 3 formations.Normal: 2RB/2WR/1TERun&Shoot: 1RB/3WR/1TE or 1RB/4WRJumbo: 3RB/2TE

My local league does something similar, we have 4 sets.1QB - 2RB's - 2WR's - 1TE - 1DEF/SPTM - 1K (Traditional Set)1QB - 1RB - 3WR's - 1TE - 1DEF/SPTM - 1K (3 Wide Set)1QB - 1RB - 2WR's - 2TE - 1DEF/SPTM - 1K (Big Set)1QB - 2RB's - 1WR - 2TE - 1DEF/SPTM - 1K (Heavy Jumbo Set)While we do have all of these options, most guys use the 1st one.

 

[brewer]

It would certainly be an interesting challenge, draft-wise.

Really? My argument against the Ultimate Flex would be that it would take much of the strategy out of the draft. I.E., I really don't care what position the next guy on my draft board plays any longer. Position scarcity, no such thing.