Basic NFL DFS Strategy: Managing the FLEX Position

For one reason or another, the FLEX position is often overlooked when assembling a daily fantasy sports lineup.

Perhaps because it’s buried down at the very bottom of the roster, or perhaps it’s because owners look at it like a bonus slot, and consider any production from that spot on their roster a gift. This method of thinking could not be more wrong.

There are several ways owners can consider handling their FLEX position, especially on sites with the late-swap feature. The FLEX provides an extra opportunity to create variance in a lineup, and it can be the difference between a first-place and a middle-of-the-pack finish.

Positional eligibility, injury statuses and the weekly NFL schedule all need to be considered. Here’s a look at how to handle those factors:

Keep a FLEX(ible) schedule. A lot can happen between first kickoff Sunday afternoon and when contests close Monday night. Injury statuses can change or even be announced after the first slate of games commences. In a best-case scenario, owners could find themselves facing a small deficit in the point separation atop the standings with just the Monday night game to go.

In this scenario, owners need to have flexibility in their roster. The odds of moving up or down the contest standings need to be considered, and it’s critical to attempt to determine which player(s) their opponents will have playing Monday night.

By loosely adding up the combined salaries of their opponents finished players, it can be possible to determine whether competing owners plan on using the same player.

In that event, a late swap at the FLEX position could provide the trailing owner the necessary extra variance, and the right swap could mean the difference between a second- and a first-place finish (or a tie, yuck).

FLEX (injured) muscles. While it seems straightforward, it’s far from the first thing that comes to mind when assembling a roster. Players with probable or even questionable statuses early in the week can often be downgraded to doubtful or even to out by game time Sunday. The same can happen between the Sunday afternoon kickoffs and the Sunday/Monday night games.

By putting a high upside player with injury uncertainty at the FLEX position, owners give themselves the ability to keep this potential boon in their lineup, while also having the ability to change course if a player is ruled out.

Which position should be used at FLEX? The strategy here differs for cash games and GPP tournaments.

For cash games, it’s wise to roster an extra running back at the FLEX position. Running backs conventionally have a higher floor and a higher probability of scoring a touchdown than wide receivers.

In GPP tournaments, wide receivers - or better yet, tight ends - make for better fillers at the FLEX position. Receivers have the highest upside of any daily fantasy position, and the larger player pool carries more variance. Tight ends typically have a much lower upside, but using two tight ends in a lineup is the ultimate contrarian move, and a big day could bring the ultimate reward.

Don’t worry about cost. A common issue for inexperienced daily fantasy players is that they tend to leave the FLEX position for the last spot they fill, and thus they dedicate the smallest portion of their budget to that spot. Sticking that “sleeper” player at the FLEX spot can create variance, but all the factors mentioned above need to be considered first.