If you read Superflex: In Theory, then you’re likely wondering what a Superflex draft would look like. Thanks to Optimus Fantasy’s Monday Night Mock Drafts with Evan and its wonderful host, Evan Sather, we have exactly that. If you’d like to follow along with the mock draft I’ll be discussing, you can do so here. Alright, all ready to put our theory into practice? Let’s do it.

Early Rounds: 1 – 4

As you can see, QBs go off the board at a fast and furious pace in Superflex drafts. In 2025, it’s not uncommon to see six QBs go in the first round of a 12-team draft, with Patrick Mahomes being that iffy one.
Beyond just the first round, you can see several teams decided to use half of their first four picks on QBs. If you think back to the Theory article, you’ll remember I’m loath to spend that kind of early capital on a QB, let alone multiple. Two teams – the two spot and the nine spot – seem to agree as they didn’t take any QBs in the first four rounds. This mock draft is a great way to see exactly the sort of positional advantages you can build if you don’t want to laser-focus on QBs early.

The other four teams that took 1 QB each are all in decent shape as they head into the next section of the draft. If you ask me which of these teams I’d prefer to have as we turn the corner, the one spot has my favorite mix. This feels strange to say, because I’m usually much more likely to be WR-heavy early in drafts. However, I love the perceived floor and upside of all four picks.

Middle Rounds: 5 – 8

It’s important to look at the whole, but I find it’s helpful to view drafts through the lens of how early decisions impact how you need to approach the rest of the draft. As a reminder:

Teams 2 and 9 – Zero QBs in the first four rounds

Teams 4, 5, 8, and 11 – Two QBs in the first four rounds

Everyone else took one QB in the first four rounds

Once again, Team 1 stands out to me. Still only a single QB on their roster, but three top-20 RBs along with two top-15 WRs give them plenty of good options as they go throughout the season. While Teams 2 and 9 didn’t take players I particularly love, you can see how resilient these kinds of builds are. Team 2 comes out of the first eight rounds with four RBs, three WRs, and a single high-upside QB. Team 9 comes out with three RBs, three WRs, a top-5 TE, and a QB. As we move into the depth rounds, you can see how all they need to do is sprinkle in a QB or TE here or there, and they’re off to the races.

“Early” Late Rounds: 9 – 12

This is the first area where I start to look at my team in terms of “holes.” We also see the return of the QB with 12 going in this range after only five went in the previous phase of the draft. I may not be a huge fan of Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, Geno Smith, or Bryce Young overall – which is a lie, I’m absolutely a fan of Young this year – but I can’t beat these prices. We also see The Great TE Exodus, as the drafters collectively decided it was time to take the “Yeah, this guy could be a low-mid TE1 for the season, I suppose.” Seven TEs in this four-round block equals the total of the previous eight rounds. 

Rather than focus on specific team builds at this point, I’d prefer to focus on values. Compare the WR and RB groups in this block specifically. While teams drafted only 13 RBs in this block compared to the 16 WRs, I believe more of the RBs of this block will be startable throughout the year than the WRs in this block. This is partly because the top of the WR position is generally so good and is deep enough to extend throughout the top 36-40 WRs. Meanwhile, the RB position, while very good at the top, gets very ‘flat’ right around RB20 and stays that way until roughly RB40-45. 

I don’t have particularly strong feelings about any of the TEs taken in this range; they’re all ‘fine.’ Make sure you check out the YouTube show for what Evan’s guest, the brilliant Christian Williams, had to say about Tucker Kraft, though. I may not be high on him thanks to the offense he plays in, but Christian is much more bullish. 

Late Rounds: 13 – 15

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this section simply because everything from this point on is a lottery ticket. While there are no real ‘wrong’ answers when it comes to them, there are still best practices to use in your pursuit of the jackpot. 

The first is recognizing upside. Some players get the chance to play a starting role and can’t do anything with it. I’m looking at you, Sincere McCormick. 

The next thing to look at is barriers to entry. Another way to think of it is “What needs to go right for this player to reach his upside?” The fewer boxes to check, the more likely it is to happen. It’s a simple and logical enough concept, but we fantasy players love to think we can outsmart the room. That 4th string RB’s odds to actually see the field are incredibly low.  

Finally, the last aspect to consider is the player’s role on your team if they do hit their upside. Yes, it’d be great if Marvin Mims goes on a tear for me. And if I’m rolling out CeeDee Lamb, Nico Collins, and Garrett Wilson every week, do I care? Pay attention to roster construction and aim your darts accordingly.

What Would Lou Do?

With the power of hindsight and the assumption of the 7th pick in the draft, here’s how I would have made my team.

Rd 1

Malik Nabers (WR – NYG) – My WR2. 180 targets would not be a shock.

Rd 2

De’Von Achane (RB – MIA) – My RB2. Jonnu Smith‘s 111 targets walking out the door leave it open for Achane.

Rd 3

Trey McBride (TE – ARI) – Why yes, I would love 150 targets for my round 3 TE.

Rd 4

Davante Adams (WR – LAR) –  He’ll have fewer points/game than Puka Nacua, but he’ll be healthy where Puka won’t. This will result in a higher season total for Adams.

Rd 5

George Pickens (WR – DAL) I told you, I tend to go WR-heavy early. I love the upside of Pickens, given the floor of everyone else.

Rd 6

D’Andre Swift (RB – CHI) –  Improved OL, improved coaching, no competition. Sign me up.

Rd 7

Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE) –  The legal troubles are concerning, but assuming the NFL continues its disappointing stances, the volume will be there.

Rd 8

Geno Smith (QB – LV) – Geno is criminally underrated and provides a nice safe floor, much later than I should be able to get him.

So through the first eight rounds, I have three RBs, three WRs, one TE, and one QB. Usually, I’d have at least one more WR by this point, but the stud TE took that spot.

Rd 9

Bryce Young (QB – CAR) My higher-ranked QB between Young and Geno. 

Rd 10

Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF) – His injury will keep him sidelined to start the year, but the rest of my team is good enough to carry us until he’s ready to rock.

Rd 11

J.K. Dobbins (RB – DEN) – The real starter in Denver. Gimmie.

Rd 12

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE) – The other guy is the new hotness. Regardless, a punishing veteran in a Mike Vrabel offense sounds great this late.

Rd 13:

Christian Kirk (WR – HOU) –  Remember how good Tank Dell looked in that Houston offense? That’s the role Kirk will be playing.

Rd 14

Jerome Ford (RB – CLE) – If Judkins does lose time thanks to the legal and/or holdout issues, Ford is the most likely to be the primary beneficiary.

Rd 15

Dalton Kincaid (TE – BUF) – Apparently, a forgotten man in this draft. We shouldn’t overlook 90 targets in an offense like Buffalo’s, though.

Let’s Put A Bow On It

Hopefully, this helps give you some real-world applications for what putting my Superflex: In Theory into practice would look like. To reiterate – Don’t chase the QB position just because you can start two. Just because you can start two doesn’t mean you have to start two. Hammer value through the early and mid rounds while you look to shore up holes later. Be intentional with your lottery tickets. And above all – be water, my friend.

Lou Brunson is a Senior Analyst and THE social media brains for Optimus Fantasy. Find his dynasty stylings on right here and at draftbuddy.com.