Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with this fantasy football thing for a while now, and there’s this one thing that’s been bugging me: the flex spot. It sounds simple enough, right? You get an extra spot to throw in another player. But the big question is, who do you put there? A running back? A wide receiver? Or even one of those tight ends?
I started out this season just throwing darts at the board. Sometimes I’d put in a running back, sometimes a receiver, and didn’t really give it much thought. No real strategy, just going with my gut. Turns out, my gut isn’t very good at fantasy football. I did some research, some say that most people will use the first four rounds by using RB-RB-WR-WR. I’m not sure that is correct.
So, I started digging around. I asked some friends who play, read a few things online, you know, the usual. And what I found was, well, kind of all over the place. Some people swear by putting a running back in the flex. Their logic is that running backs, if they’re good, usually get a lot of touches, meaning more chances for points.
Then there are the folks who say wide receivers are the way to go. They say there are a lot more good receivers out there, so you can usually find a decent one to fill that flex spot. That’s another reason that I’m not sure the RB-RB-WR-WR is a good choice. And, you know, those big passing plays can rack up points fast.
And then, there are the leagues where you can also put a tight end in the flex. That’s even more to think about! I mean, tight ends are okay, but they don’t get the ball nearly as much as the other guys, except for the top few. So, I decided I needed a better way to figure this out.
I started paying attention to my league’s rules. What are the rules about? Turns out, that’s kind of a big deal. Like, do you get a point for every reception? Or is it just based on yards and touchdowns? Knowing that can help you decide whether a receiver might be better than a running back, or vice versa.
Then I started looking at the matchups each week. Who’s my player going up against? Is it a team that’s really good at stopping the run? Then maybe I’ll put in a receiver. Or is it a team that has a weak secondary? Then maybe a running back is the better choice.
Here’s a big thing I learned: don’t just set your lineup at the beginning of the week and forget about it. I started checking the injury reports, you know, to make sure nobody got hurt during practice. And sometimes, a player might be a “game-time decision,” meaning they might play, or they might not. I don’t want to put a guy in my flex spot who ends up sitting on the bench all day!
Here’s the bottom line: there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the flex spot question. It depends on your league’s rules, the players you have, who they’re playing against, and even who’s healthy that week.
It took some time, but I finally started getting the hang of it. I’m not winning my league or anything, but I’m definitely doing better than when I was just throwing darts. The flex spot can actually be a big advantage if you know how to use it right. Still, I found that usually, WR is a good choice, but if you went rb-rb-rb then yeah you are going to want that guy in the flex, but if you are doing a more balanced build generally your WR is going to get you more points. And I have realized that, in its purest form, the Flex allows us to start a running back, wide receiver, or tight end. Also, there is no doubt that we can assume any RB, WR, or TE is eligible. The flex position in fantasy football is a starting roster spot that allows you to use more than one type of position player, typically an RB.
So, if you’re struggling with the flex spot, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Just do a little research, pay attention to the details, and don’t be afraid to experiment. You’ll figure it out. It is also helpful for us, isn’t it?
- Check your league rules.
- Look at weekly matchups.
- Pay attention to injuries.
- Don’t be afraid to change things up.
