Flex Rankings

What does Flex mean in Fantasy Football?

Flex in fantasy football means multiple positions. In most leagues, fantasy managers are required to start a certain number of running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. There are also generally 1–2 spots for a flex player, which allows you to start another running back, receiver, or tight end. However, in Superflex leagues, this can also mean starting a second quarterback. It's important for you to understand what concept your fantasy league falls under. A league with a Superflex position will change the 2022 fantasy football flex rankings. These flex rankings for 2022 will be updated every week.

Drafting a Flex Player

When drafting a flex player, it's important to consider what kind of fantasy football league you are playing in. If your league has a Superflex choice, this will increase the value of quarterbacks. If it doesn't have Superflex, it's still important to know what kind of scoring format you're playing in because this will also impact our Fantasy Football Rankings. Standard scoring or half-PPR scoring will impact the general consensus rankings. Throughout the offseason, our rankings are updated to give you the best chance of winning.

Flex rankings for fantasy football can also be impacted by dynasty leagues. In dynasty leagues, rookies and prospects with a lot of potential may find themselves climbing the rankings because, in this category of fantasy football, their age is a valuable commodity that veterans may not have.

Choosing Flex Types Based on Scoring Format

When deciding who to use in your flex spot, it is best to consider the league format to maximize scoring output.

Standard League

In standard scoring leagues, it's often best to use RBs. Last season, RB25 scored 142 points in standard leagues while WR25 scored 135. Without reception bonuses, touchdowns are incredibly valuable. RBs generally score more touchdowns than WRs and TEs, which makes them a more solid choice for your flex position.

Any PPR-type format

In this type of scoring structure, fantasy managers will want to prioritize pass-catchers. Throughout the fantasy football season, pass-catchers begin to outscore their RB counterparts once reaching the flex spot. We're seeing WRs score more and more each year. This latest change should mean you focus on WRs for your flex spot. Receivers also carry less injury risk.

Top Flex Plays for 2022

Quarterback

• Kirk Cousins
• Derek Carr
• Justin Fields

Running Backs

• Standard RB – Rashaad Penny and Devin Singletary
• Half-PPR RB – Chase Edmonds and Miles Sanders
• PPR RB – Tony Pollard and Kareem Hunt

Wide Receiver

• Standard WR – Drake London and Tyler Lockett
• Half-PPR WR – Amon-Ra St. Brown and Elijah Moore
• PPR WR – JuJu Smith-Schuster and Christian Kirk

Tight Ends

There are very few tight ends you should consider for your flex position. This should only include players such as Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and Kyle Pitts. This is because there is a big drop-off in scoring between TEs vs RBs and WRs. The one thing that could alter this advice is if the league you're in is a TE premium league. In this type of league, TEs receive more points per reception than RBs and WRs, which increases their value. With this type of scoring breakdown, TEs become more viable in your flex position.

Flex Rankings FAQ

Can you Play a QB at Flex?

In certain leagues, you can play a QB in the flex position, but this is an option that is league-dependent. You'll need to check back with your commissioner or your league settings to determine if you have the ability to play a QB in your flex spot.

What is the Flex in Fantasy Football?

Typically, a flex in fantasy football consists of either an RB, WR, or TE. In this instance, you are more likely to play an RB or a WR at your flex spot because TEs do not receive the same number of touches and generally score as many fantasy points.

When Should you Draft your Flex Spot?

This is very much league-dependent and it's also based on where the value falls in each round of your fantasy football draft. To make this decision, you can look at where each player ranks on our expert rankings for the NFL season.

While oftentimes, fantasy managers will want to fill out their starting lineups before addressing their flex spot, you shouldn't ignore a value pick in your fantasy football draft even if it means filling your position before your positional starting requirements. The goal of any draft is to draft the most talented lineup possible and that can sometimes mean drafting a flex player before a specific position. This decision leads to a lot of different draft routes for each team.