See Other Positions: Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends
The great thing about salary cap leagues is that you can take your team in any direction you want. Your strategy options are completely wide open.
Our Footballguys staff recently sat down to discuss their favored options at quarterback when playing in a salary cap league.
Assume these league settings:
- $200 cap
- 12 teams
- Full PPR
- Starting Lineup
- 1 QB
- 2 RBs
- 3 WRs
- 1 TE
- 1 flex (RB, WR, TE)
How do you approach the quarterback position in a salary cap draft?
Do you prefer to go after an elite quarterback or look through the bargain bin? Are you more or less likely to price enforce at the position? How much of your budget do you allocate to quarterbacks?
Maurile Tremblay: I cap quarterback spend at $10-$15 (about 5%-7.5%) in 1-QB PPR, skip the elite tier, and shop the QB7-QB12 pocket for about $8-$12, then add a $1-$3 backup so I can stream by matchup and bye. I'll nominate pricey QBs early to drain wallets only if I'd be happy to win them at a clear discount. Price enforcement is dangerous here, so I rarely push beyond $10, and only on players I'd actually roster. The weekly edge from elite QBs is small compared to the swings at RB/WR, so I funnel savings into those scarce spots and let QB value come to me.
Jason Wood: I'm with Maurile on skipping the elite tier. I prefer to live in the QB8–QB14 tier and grab two of them for around $7–$8 each. That way, I can mix and match based on matchups and still have more budget left for running backs and wide receivers. I usually won't nominate other quarterbacks, preferring instead to target high-priced receivers and running backs I don't want, as that drains more resources from the opponent's budgets. I also don't price enforce much at the position, but I'll stay open to spending $12–$13 for one of the elite if someone tries to sneak him through early. That's rare, and more about staying flexible than making it a core strategy.