Fantasy Football Superflex mock draft: Nine first-round quarterbacks include one bold surprise

In our first Superflex mock draft following the NFL Draft, it was no surprise to see quarterbacks flying off the board in the first round. But maybe one quarterback selected was a little eye-opening.

The draft started with Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow with four of the first five picks. Justin Fields went at No. 8 overall, Lamar Jackson at No. 9 and then Justin Herbert at No. 10. Those quarterbacks being drafted in Round 1 in a Superflex league is expected. But then it happened.

At No. 11 overall, Anthony Richardson was drafted, and I love it. He's definitely risky in his rookie campaign, but Richardson has top-five upside because of his dual-threat ability with his legs. He could be a 2,500-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher, and if that happens -- along with a healthy amount of touchdowns and limited turnovers -- Richardson will be a Fantasy star.

Now, those are lofty expectations for Richardson with the Colts. To put it in perspective, there have only been four seasons where a quarterback has rushed for 1,000 yards (Michael Vick in 2006, Lamar Jackson in 2019 and 2020 and Justin Fields in 2021). Of those four, only Jackson has passed for more than 2,500 yards (twice). 

• Post-NFL Draft PPR mock | 0.5 PPR mock

But if you're selecting Richardson in Round 1, you're hoping he reaches his ceiling, and I like being aggressive at quarterback, even in this format. Drafting Richardson gives you a tremendous chance to win if he's successful. Thomas Shafer selected Richardson, and he also drafted Deshaun Watson (Round 2) and Sam Howell (Round 10) as his other quarterbacks, so hopefully he's fine if Richardson flops.

I closed out Round 1 with Trevor Lawrence at No. 12 overall, and there were 13 quarterbacks selected in the first two rounds. Only three managers drafted two quarterbacks with their first two picks, but five managers had two quarterbacks after Round 3.

Heath Cummings was the lone manager to not draft a quarterback in the first three rounds, but he went with Kyler Murray in Round 4, Jimmy Garoppolo in Round 8, Kenny Pickett in Round 9, Mac Jones in Round 11 and Will Levis in Round 12. While his quarterbacks are less than ideal, he's loaded elsewhere on his roster.

Heath has Josh Jacobs, Miles Sanders, Antonio Gibson and Ezekiel Elliott at running back. At receiver, Heath has Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel, Rashod Bateman and Jalin Hyatt. And Dallas Goedert is his tight end. If Murray is healthy after last year's torn ACL, and one of Garoppolo, Pickett, Jones or Levis prove to be a competent starter, Heath's team should be highly formidable. This is a great blueprint to follow if you want to be patient at quarterback.

I didn't go totally quarterback heavy with my draft, but I did select Lawrence in Round 1, Russell Wilson in Round 4 and Desmond Ridder in Round 10. I wanted to get at least one standout quarterback at No. 12 overall, and Lawrence has top-five upside.

I took a Zero RB approach and didn't select my first running backs until Cam Akers in Round 7 and David Montgomery in Round 8. This was after Lawrence, Travis Kelce, Jaylen Waddle, Wilson, Amari Cooper and D.J. Moore with my first six picks, and I love this start.

I'm excited about my running back corps despite being patient at the position since I drafted Alexander Mattison, Roschon Johnson, Devin Singletary and Jaylen Warren along with Akers and Montgomery. Mattison could be a steal in Round 10 if the Vikings move on from Dalvin Cook, and that seems like a strong possibility. 

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If Mattison is starting for the Vikings this season, he'll likely be drafted as early as Round 5 in this format and Round 4 in one-quarterback leagues. I also love the upside for Johnson, who could emerge as the starter for the Bears ahead of Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman.

I filled out my receiving corps with Nico Collins and Wan'Dale Robinson, and I'm excited about this roster. This should be a playoff team in 2023.

In this league, all touchdowns are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and Superflex (QB/RB/WR/TE) with six reserves for a 15-round draft.

Our draft order is as follows:

1. Frank Stampfl, FBT Podcast Host
2. Daniel Schneier, Fantasy Editor
3. Meron Berkson, CBS Sports HQ Producer
4. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
5. Zach Brook, FFT Social Media Coordinator
6. R.J. White, Managing Editor, SportsLine and CBS Fantasy
7. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
8. George Maselli, Fantasy Editor
9. Chris Towers, Senior Editor, Fantasy Sports
10. Adam Aizer, FFT Podcast Host
11. Thomas Shafer, FFT Podcast Producer
12. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer