Alternate Redraft Formats

In this article, we’re going to look at a few alternative redraft formats and how they impact strategy. I won’t bother going into the difference between standard, half PPR, and PPR, as that has been discussed at length by many previous writers. Additionally, I will save auction leagues for a separate article entirely about auction formats. 

This article is about newer formats that are now starting to appear in redraft leagues. While certain league types are common in dynasty circles, many redraft players may not be familiar with the strategy or even the rules. Unless otherwise stated, strategy advice is for a 12 team PPR league with an equal number of running back and wide receiver starters.

Superflex/2 QB

In a typical redraft league, each owner must start exactly one quarterback. Therefore, there are 12 quarterbacks started each week. However, as discussed in my weekly streaming article, there are often at least 15 startable quarterbacks in any given week. This surplus means that quarterbacks are often afterthoughts in fantasy drafts. Good owners will churn through many different quarterbacks in a single season unless they have a top tier stud at the position. 

In a superflex league, each owner is allowed to start a second quarterback in a flex position but may start any position in that spot. In a 2 QB league, each owner must start two quarterbacks. Since quarterbacks score more than any other position, starting a second quarterback in superflex is almost always preferred, but there is at least a safety net. I still prefer superflex over 2 QB leagues, but the main result is the same.

Instead of quarterbacks representing an afterthought in drafts, they often go near the top of the board. In a typical 12 team league, the 13th best quarterback is replacement-level and is almost always a good option. However, now the 25th best quarterback is replacement-level, representing a poor option. 

I would select my top three quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Deshaun Watson in the first round. Additionally, I would likely make sure I got at least two starting quarterbacks by the fifth round. Selecting three or even four starting quarterbacks is entirely reasonable in a superflex or 2 QB league. I would also consider a few premium backups, especially if I owned the starter from that team.

Overall, superflex and 2 QB leagues allow the quarterback position to matter as much in fantasy football as it does in real football. It is quickly becoming the norm for new dynasty startup leagues. While I have never played in a redraft superflex league, I would love to join one in 2020. It’s a lot of fun for dynasty, and I think it would work in redraft as well.

Tight End Premium/2 TE

A tight end premium format gives extra points per reception for tight ends compared to other positions. If the base scoring is PPR, tight ends typically score from 1.5 to 2 points per reception. The format favors target hogs and reduces the emphasis on touchdowns for tight ends. 

What usually happens is that since the top tier tight ends have more receptions, the gap between the top players and everyone else becomes even more significant. Therefore, players like Travis Kelce and George Kittle typically go in the first round of a tight end premium format. The more the premium, the more significant the gap, so it’s easy to factor this into your draft strategy. 

A more rare format is a league with two tight end starters. In that format, every owner must start two tight ends. Unlike streaming quarterbacks, streaming tight ends is already difficult in a regular 12 team, 1 TE league. Therefore, in 2 TE formats, tight ends become essential. Getting any streaming production at tight end is impossible, so you need to draft at least three tight ends in the draft. I don’t see the appeal of 2 TE formats, though. As I said earlier, the tight end position is already a challenge in a regular league. While starting two quarterbacks makes sense, it makes little sense to start two tight ends.

Best-Ball

Many fantasy players are familiar with the best ball format popularized by Draft.com and other best-ball platforms. However, in case you aren’t, here’s a quick summary. The league starts with a snake draft, similar to a regular redraft league. After the draft, owners may not make any further transactions whatsoever. Therefore, the players you draft are the only players that you will have for the entire season.

Each week, there will be a required starting lineup, typically 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, and 1 Flex. The platform will auto-select your best scoring roster for you after each week. Therefore, you will not set a weekly lineup and will reap the rewards of any successful players on your roster.

There are two main differences between best-ball and redraft. First, since there is no streaming, roster construction is very different from a typical redraft league. You must draft at least two quarterbacks and tight ends to cover bye weeks. Otherwise, you will get zero points in those weeks. Depending on the strength of your top quarterback or tight end, either two or three of each is typically appropriate.

Second, boom/bust players are more valuable in best-ball leagues. Since you don’t have to choose when to start them and they get their best performances automatically, these types of players are far more useful. Some examples of my favorite best-ball targets in 2020 are Will Fuller, John Ross, and Mecole Hardman.

Because there is no work required in a best ball league after the draft, you can join as many as you want without worrying about being overwhelmed in-season. Find some fun opponents and go out and play! 

Vampire Leagues

First, I must give credit where credit is due. Unlike most fantasy football formats, vampire leagues have a clear inventor:  Tom Kislingbury. He came up with the league concept in 2018. Kislingbury’s main idea was to create a league with all regular teams, plus one special vampire team. The vampire team would get no picks in the startup draft or redraft. They would then fill their team from the available waiver wire players after the initial draft. Every time the vampire won a game, they would be able to steal a player from the opposing team’s starting lineup. This way, the vampire would improve over time and eventually would become the league’s strongest team.

Vampire leagues were initially conceived as a dynasty format, as the long-term nature of dynasty would provide enough time for the vampire to field a competitive roster eventually. Typically, the vampire would need to build in the first year or two before competing in year three and beyond. However, once the vampire started to win consistently, they would quickly steal players from all of the other teams and have the best overall roster.

In redraft leagues, there are more waiver wire players than in dynasty formats. Therefore, in that respect, the vampire would have an easier time competing. However, the shorter time frame often means that there are some special rules for redraft vampire leagues. The vampire sometimes receives one early draft pick for a single cornerstone player. Also, the vampire could get to steal multiple players from a team they beat. Either way, the vampire format can translate to redraft. It’s a new format, so it will continue to evolve.

Guillotine Leagues

Unlike vampire leagues, guillotine leagues are naturally a redraft format. The idea of a guillotine league is simple. Each week, the lowest-scoring team gets knocked out of the league. Their roster is either dropped to waivers or removed from the player pool entirely. In most guillotine leagues, the roster drops to waivers and is available for all teams to claim. That way, the remaining teams have a chance to get stronger throughout the season. By the end of the year, all remaining teams will likely be superteams.

In this format, fantasy owners should make sure to roster early-season players. Typically, you should avoid rookie wide receivers and tight ends, as those guys don’t tend to make an impact until later on in the year. Selecting players that are injury replacements or those replacing a suspending player is reasonable in a guillotine league. The goal each week is to survive, and if you lose Week 1, it doesn’t matter what you might have done later on. 

Guillotine leagues are a fun twist that adds to the weekly stakes. The only downside is that once you’re out, you don’t have that league to play in. However, I believe finding a good group of owners to repeat the guillotine league can make for a fun yearly activity. I’d love to play in such a format, especially since I haven’t had the chance to yet. 

Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Justin. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.