I’ve decided to do my 2021 2QB/Superflex redraft rankings a little differently. Instead of a straight list of players in order, I want to provide more fluidity that will work for different drafting styles. I hope you like the format.
As I stated in my draft strategy article, you shouldn’t overreact to the 2QB or Superflex format if this is your first time drafting in such a league. I’m posting my rankings in tiers across the four important skill positions. Let’s get right into it.
UPDATE 8/24: Updated to address Wentz and Nelson returning to practice way ahead of schedule, and Jameis Winston grabbing the starting job last night in convincing fashion.
Superflex Redraft Rankings: Tier 1
| QB | RB | WR | TE |
| Kyler Murray | Christian McCaffrey | Davante Adams | Darren Waller |
| Dak Prescott | Dalvin Cook | Tyreek Hill | Travis Kelce |
| Josh Allen | Alvin Kamara | Calvin Ridley | |
| Patrick Mahomes | Stefon Diggs | ||
| Aaron Rodgers | Justin Jefferson | ||
| DeAndre Hopkins |
The reason I like this format is the scarcity of RB jumps off the page, as well as TE. There are 16 players overall in tier 1, meaning you should absolutely come out of round 1 with at least 1, and if you are drafting in the back half of a snake, two of these players in the first two rounds.
I have Murray as my QB1 because if not for a shoulder injury last year, he likely would have finished as QB1 in most leagues. He has rushing upside that is almost as good as Lamar Jackson, but is a much more accomplished passer.
As I stated in the earthquakes article I think Rodger’s last dance in Green Bay is going to be one for the record books. I will be looking to nab one of these five QBs in all start-two QB leagues this year.
I almost left Hopkins out of tier 1 due to age and vaccination concerns, but I am hoping someone talks some sense into him. Plus I have Murray as my QB1, so I am counting on an uptick in TDs for Hopkins after he caught only 6 last year.
I think Kamara will benefit from Thomas’s absence and there is now little doubt that Jameis Winston is going to start week 1, and if he plays like he did preseason week 2, will have no trouble holding on to the job. McCaffrey is the RB1 until someone shows me different. Like Lamar Jackson, it’s like getting two players in one slot. Cook is an every down back, catches passes, breaks big runs, and the offense runs through him. Henry is left off of tier 1 simply because he isn’t a part of the passing game.
Superflex Redraft Rankings: Tier 2
| QB | RB | WR | TE |
| Lamar Jackson | Derrick Henry | A.J. Brown | George Kittle |
| Justin Herbert | Austin Ekeler | D.K. Metcalf | |
| Russell Wilson | Nick Chubb | Terry McLaurin | |
| Ryan Tannehill | Ezekial Elliott | ||
| Jonathan Taylor | |||
| Aaron Jones | |||
| Antonio Gibson |
UPDATE 8/24: Given good injury news for the Colts and Cowboys, Zeke and Taylor move up a few spots. Wentz and Quinton Nelson are back at practice and look almost fully recovered from their injuries. Dak is now taking deep throws at practice indicating his shoulder strain is almost over with. Rashod Bateman had core-muscle surgery after an injury in practice, but since recent reports show him progressing well, I’m not changing my ranking of Jackson yet.
First, let me address the elephant in the room. Lamar Jackson was terrible as a passer last year. Yes he’s the king of Konami Code QBs, and probably the most exciting player to watch at QB other than Mahomes. How bad was he as a passer? He eclipsed 250 yards just once all year, in the first game of the season, and never went over 300. For leagues that reward yardage bonuses that’s a killer.
Apologists have pointed to his skill position players, pointing out that he was throwing passes to the likes of “Hollywood” Brown, Willie Snead, and Dez Bryant. This is a valid argument. The problem is, how much has his situation improved in this regard? Rashod Bateman is unproven, and Sammy Watkins struggled to achieve fantasy relevance playing for THE CHIEFS. I don’t think anyone would suggest that Jackson offers more upside to receivers than Mahomes.
So why Tannehill over Brady? Tannehill’s situation improved demonstrably, even if Julio’s best days are behind him. Plus, without looking, how many rushing TDs did Tannehill have last year? 7! That’s 5th behind only Netwon, Murray, Allen, and Taysom Hill. Brady’s situation has not improved and father time has to start knocking on his door at some point. I’m probably wrong but I’m sticking with it.
The second tier of running backs is fat. Any one of these guys could finish top five at the position, and I’d be fine with rolling with any of them as my RB1. With ADPs in the early to mid-2nd, Gibson, Ekeler, and Jones are the best values and the ones I am most likely to snag if I’m gunning for the first tier of QBs.
I’m not sure if D.K. Metcalf’s freakish ability can overcome Pete Carrol’s innate conservatism on offense. It was the best of times and the worst of times last season, as those who owned Metcalf in the second half of last year can attest.
The only reason Kittle is in the second tier is that he excels so much as a blocker, and the uncertainty around his QB situation.
Superflex Redraft Rankings: Tier 3
| QB | RB | WR | TE |
| Tom Brady | Saquon Barkley | CeeDee Lamb | Kyle Pitts |
| Joe Burrow | J.K. Dobbins | Robert Woods | |
| Jalen Hurts | David Montgomery | Allen Robinson | |
| Jameis Winston | Najee Harris | Cooper Kupp | |
| Chris Carson | Tee Higgins | ||
| Josh Jacobs | Amari Cooper | ||
UDATE 8/24: Moved Saquon to the top based on positive practice reports, added Jameis Winston to the bottom of tier 3 QBs and honestly he might still be too low. Bumping Lamb to the top based on positive news on Dak’s Health.
After Brady, Burrow, and Hurts, the QB position plateaus. I would be higher on Burrow if the Bengals had gone OL in round 1 instead of Chase, but I do think Chase vastly improves his targets if he can stay vertical long enough to take advantage.
Brady is gonna Brady, and I don’t see any reason to really increase or decrease his production from last year. Maybe a full season of Antonio Brown helps, but really Brady had no problem finding reliable targets before he got there.
As an Alabama fan, I can tell you than when Hurts played QB for the Tide, I thought his best shot at the NFL was at RB. When I saw him play at Oklahoma in 2019, I saw a changed man. His improvement as a passer was astounding, especially after losing his starting job and having the strength of character to overcome, transfer, and finish as a Heisman finalist. I believe he can make a similar leap in the NFL.
Obviously I have Jameis starting week 1 in New Orleans. I think his yards and interceptions decrease with a year of tutelage leading to better decisions. Plus no Mike Thomas for jump balls for a while. But Marquez Callaway looks like he could make Saints fans forget about Micheal Thomas.
I’m actually thrilled with this tier of running backs, and I realize I am more down on Saquon than most and here’s why: I think the Giants know they have no shot at making a run this year. And I think they have already shut the book on Daniel Jones though they would never admit it. Reloading at QB and starting 2022 with a fully healthy Saquon is probably their best near-term path to a Superbowl run. Given his first-round ADP, I doubt I will have Saquon on any of my team this year and I am fine with that as I only have him projected for around 225 carries.
I’m higher on Dobbins than most, and I love his value in the third. Edwards missing the first ten days of camp creates more opportunity and the coaches are saying the right things. He’s already taking advantage.
Obviously I’m buying that Stafford improves the Rams offense. I don’t think they will pass more, but I think their depth of targets will increase. Goff’s inability to deal with pressure resulted in yards/reception under 11 yards for both Woods and Kupp. I expect both to creep up more towards 14 and 13 respectively as the Rams stop relying on bubble screens.
Pitts is the last TE worth taking in the single digit rounds in my opinion. I have him at over 1,100 yards and 7 TDs. I do think he is a generational talent and think the rookie TE trend does not apply. Apparently I am not alone as he has a mid-to-late 4th ADP.
Superflex Redraft Rankings: Tier 4
| QB | RB | WR | TE |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | Clyde Edwards Helaire | Tyler Lockett | Logan Thomas |
| Kirk Cousins | Miles Sanders | Mike Evans | T.J. Hockenson |
| Matt Stafford | Joe Mixon | Julio Jones | Mark Andrews |
| Matt Ryan | D’Andre Swift | Chris Godwin | Robert Tonyan |
| Derek Carr | Mike Davis | Ja’Marr Chase | Tyler Higbee |
| Brandon Aiyuk | Noah Fant | ||
| Keenan Allen | Hunter Henry | ||
| Will Fuller | Mike Gesicki | ||
| Blake Jarwin |
Update 8/24: Removing Etienne from this tier based on news of his LisFranc injury which may or may not require surgery. Put Matt Ryan in tier 4 just based on history and upgrade at HC.
I don’t think Stafford is really bound to improve much. I think he’s going to improve the Rams offense immeasurably, but I think he only gets a slight bump from McVay, plus the Rams defense is so good compared to the abysmal Detroit defense he’s had his whole career, the late game heroics will not be needed.
For the first time in a long time, Fitz has no one waiting in the wings. He’s probably my favorite player in the NFL and I am really glad he is getting the starting job all to himself for once. I’m fine with him as my QB2.
Any of these receivers would make a fine WR2 and a plus WR3. Given ADP I will likely end up with Chase or Lockett the most out of this group. I don’t know what to do about Julio. He could end up as WR5 or WR55. He’s currently going in the 4th, if he slides into the fifth or sixth he could be a league winner.
As I said, TE plateaus into a morass of mediocrity and ‘could-be’s. If I am looking at any of these guys I am waiting until after I’ve secured solid backups at WR and RB before taking any of them. I have a grand total of 24 PPR points separating the top and bottom of this tier. That’s 1.4 points per game, vs 77 draft slots. I’ll wait and clean up the scraps if I miss out on Pitts.
Superflex Redraft Rankings: Tier 5
| QB | RB | WR | TE |
| Trevor Lawrence | Darrell Henderson | Antonio Brown | Cole Kmet |
| Justin Fields | Chase Edmonds | JuJu Smith Schuster | Adam Trautman |
| Ben Roethlisberger | James Robinson | D.J. Moore | Jonnu Smith |
| Tua Tagovailoa | Ronald Jones II | Michael Gallup | Gronk |
| Zach Wilson | Javonte Williams | Dionte Johnson | |
| Baker Mayfield | Kareem Hunt | Chase Claypool | |
| Carson Wentz | Devonta Smith | ||
| Jerry Jeudy | |||
| Marquez Callaway |
UPDATE 8/24: Put Wentz back in and bumped Ben due to strong showing in preaseason. Maybe his arm is better. I’m not moving Robinson up yet as I think that is an overreaction to Etienne’s injury until we get more news. I removed Curtis Samuel because I just don’t see enough volume in what I expect to be an inconsistent offense that doesn’t need to score a lot of points to win games. A lot of his value came from rushing last year and I don’t see that continuing, and I think McKissic ends up eating a lot of his short targets. Callaway breaks into this tier after absolutely balling out. I think he and Jameis Winston will be on a lot of winning teams this year.
If you are waiting on QB2 I think you have to roll with Lawrence from this group. Or if you feel like you can weather the storm until Fields starts, he’s a fine option. Tua has had one good game and one bad game during the preseason, but I see him trending up.
Wilson and Roethlisberger could surprise some people. I think Fields has the highest per game upside, but Lawrence probably wins on total points.
Henderson gets the top spot by default due to volume, and I don’t think Williams unseats Melvin Gordon in camp.
I like Brown as the receiver with the best chance to jump out of this tier in a big way. I just don’t trust him not to become a locker room cancer, beat up a delivery guy, or do something else monstrously stupid to ruin his chances.
Similar to the QBs in this tier, I’d rather bet on upside from Kmet or Trautman than take Gronk or Smith.
Superflex Redraft Rankings: Tier 6
| QB | RB | WR | TE |
| Mac Jones | Myles Gaskin | Laviska Shenault Jr. | Dallas Goedert |
| Trey Lance | Raheem Mostert | Robby Anderson | Jared Cook |
| Jared Goff | Damien Harris | Odell Beckham Jr. | Austin Hooper |
| Daniel Jones | Kenyan Drake | Russell Gage | Evan Engram |
| Jamaal Williams | Kenny Golladay | ||
| Nyheim Hines | Darnell Mooney | ||
| David Johnson | Elijah Moore | ||
| Courtland Sutton | |||
| Tyler Boyd | |||
| Corey Davis | |||
| Curtis Samuel | |||
| Jarvis Landry |
UPDATE 8/24: Bateman is out until we hear a more concrete timetable. Put Samuel in his spot.
The top of this QB tier is guys that I think will deliver QB2 value for part of the season. The bottom half is guys who suck.
None of these running backs excite me. Harris should be good once Jones starts, but who says they won’t put Cam in at the goal line even then? It worked last year, why go away from it?
Out of this WR tier I like Mooney the best at ADP. Beckham’s name recognition will make him too pricey for me, and he’s not a guy I see outperforming ADP which is what you want at this point in the draft. I like Moore as a late-round swing for the fences. Ole Miss wide receivers have done ok in the NFL recently.
Boyd was a nice player but the writing is on the wall. Expect a decline from last year’s numbers. While I love the offseason news about Shenault, I think that Etienne will take the gadget snaps that should have been his, and I don’t see enough of a jump at WR to really cement his status above this tier.
Superflex Redraft Rankings: Tier 7
| QB | RB | WR | TE |
| Drew Lock | Latavius Murray | Keelan Cole | Jimmy Graham |
| Sam Darnold | J.D. McKissic | Nelson Agholor | Irv Smith Jr. |
| Cam Newton | Leonard Fournette | Jaylen Waddle | Dan Arnold |
| Teddy Bridgewater | Gus Edwards | Mike Williams | Dalton Schutlz |
| Taysom Hill | Zack Moss | DJ Chark | Eric Ebron |
| Devin Singletary | Emmanuel Sanders | Hayden Hurst | |
| Tony Pollard | Brandin Cooks | ||
| Melvin Gordon | Marvin Jones | ||
| James White | Marquise Brown | ||
Not much to see here. Darnold is the only QB worth drafting. Yes, someone has to run the ball in Buffalo, and his name is Josh Allen. Edwards provides the most upside if a plateau emerges in Baltimore. I’d have Waddle much higher if I believed in Tua and the Dolphins didn’t sign Fuller who has the exact same skillset and more experience. These tight ends are hardly worth a roster spot.
Closing Thoughts
For 2QB and Superflex leagues, round 1 comes down to knowing who you are drafting against, and a lot of times that is a luxury. If you feel confident that one of the top 5 QBs will come back to you (or if you believe in Jackson as a Tier 1 QB) in round 2, I think taking one of the running backs (McAffrey, Cook, Kamara) or Adams might be the move. Personally I would not consider taking anyone else.
There is a ton of depth this year at running back. Tier 2 is deep and loaded with tier 1 talent if things break the right way. Tier 3 has guys that can be solid RB1s and great RB2s, and I’m watching Ravens camp closely on Dobbins. As I stated in my camp article, his 6 ypc as a rookie is legendary.
I’m fairly confident between tier 1, 2, and 3 at receiver, I can come away with a strong WR1 in round 3.
The position that bothers me the most this year is TE. I am a strong believer in reaching for difference makers, and there is no question in my mind the top 4 are going to offer great VBD value. I won’t be getting Kelce, his price is too high and too disruptive to my strategy. If Waller, Kittle, or Pitts are available in round 4 I’d have to think about nabbing one there and trying to hit homeruns on late round RBs, WRs, and QB2.
Read my perfect draft article and see how it holds up after two weeks of preseason football.