My goal here is simple: give you an edge in the Footballguys Bowl over the subscribers who did not read this article.
Last season, I finished runner-up in the inaugural Footballguys Bowl. The top finish undoubtedly included a significant amount of luck. However, I also employed some tried-and-true strategies, which will be highlighted below, to put my team in a position to at least be in the mix for the overall championship.
1. Dominate the Flex
My home league has only 10 teams. We start two RBs, two WRs, one TE, and a flex. That's just 60 flex players in starting lineups across the league each week. You may play in a similar setup. The Footballguys Bowl is not that. This is a real test of the depth of your fantasy knowledge. Building strong depth at running back and wide receiver is an absolute must.
In the Footballguys Bowl, you start 10 players every week. One is a quarterback. One is a defense. That leaves eight lineup spots for running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. While eight doesn't sound like a huge number, it's more than enough to create a real challenge. Across the league, that's 96 flex players starting every week. Add in injuries and bye weeks, and it quickly becomes difficult to field eight strong RB/WR/TEs consistently. If you don't build enough depth in your draft, you'll lose to the teams that did. Depth becomes even more critical in the playoffs, when you're up against the best of the best from hundreds of leagues.
It's hard enough to find two strong RBs and three high-scoring WRs every week. Filling two more flex spots with real difference-makers is what separates great teams from merely good ones. When you think you are set at WR, draft one more. Don't underestimate the importance of absolutely loading up on high-upside running backs and wide receivers throughout the 20 rounds of your draft.
In the next two sections, we will hit on two draft strategies to help you do so.
2. Understand QB Scoring and Don't Be Afraid to Wait
Let's start with an easy one: don't be afraid to wait on your quarterback.
Some drafters see the six-point passing touchdown and think they can get an edge by taking a QB early. As Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend!”
We've all been trained to chase rushing production at QB, and there's nothing wrong with that. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, and Jalen Hurts are strong options in any format. But Footballguys Bowl scoring narrows the gap between rushing and pocket passers.
- In four-point passing TD leagues, a rushing TD is 50% more valuable. Here, passing and rushing scores are equal.
- In leagues with .04 points per passing yard (1 per 25), rushing is 250% more valuable. Footballguys Bowl awards .05 per passing yard (1 per 20). Rushing is still more valuable, but only by 200%.
Can you guess who scored the most fantasy points in last year's Footballguys Bowl playoffs?
Hints:
- He averaged just three rushing yards per game in the fantasy playoffs.
- He didn't score a single rushing TD all season.
- His current ADP is QB13, usually available in the ninth round or later.
- His coach talks about biting kneecaps.
It's Jared Goff. The point isn't that you must draft Goff this year (though he's a strong value in this format), but that you don't need to burn an early pick on an elite dual-threat quarterback to get big fantasy production. A 300-yard, 4-TD game is 28 fantasy points in most leagues. In Footballguys Bowl, it's 39 fantasy points.
Don't underestimate the upside pocket quarterbacks possess in this tournament, and keep in mind how much of an edge waiting on a quarterback in the draft can provide in a league that forces you to start eight RB/WR/TEs each week. The opportunity cost of an early-round quarterback is higher in this format, and the scoring rules decrease the edge provided by the top dual-threat quarterbacks.
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