2026 Sports Illustrated Invitational Experts Superflex Fantasy Draft

Ranks: Top 200 | QB | RB | WR| TE | DEF | K | Mock Draft | Superflex

Sports Illustrated held its annual 12-team, Superflex experts league draft on Aug. 20 live at Circa Resort and Casino in downtown Las Vegas. The league has a full-point PPR, tight end-premium (extra 0.5 points per catch) format that also rewards players for kick and punt return yards (1 point for every 25 yards).

The participants of the league, in order of draft position, are Marcus Mosher from Locked on Fantasy Football, Jen Piacenti from Shark Bets, Bob Harris from FootballGuys, Howard Bender from Fantasy Alarm, myself, Craig Ellenport from Athlon Sports, Jamey Eisenberg from CBS Sports, Andy Beherns from The Deep Shot, Bill Enright from Draft Nation, radio personality Richard Christy, Lindsay Rhodes from Sumer Sports and actor James Roday Rodriguez.

To break down the draft, here’s every pick and my draft strategies. Where did I get “sniped?” Where did I need to audible? Read on to find out …

Round 1

Strategy: Being a Superflex league, I was looking to draft two quarterbacks in the first three rounds. So when Allen fell to me with the fifth overall pick, I was more than thrilled—and a little shocked, to be honest. This is a trend I’ve seen among the experts this year, as the first round isn’t as heavy on quarterbacks (only four were picked). However, I’m happy to land Allen.

Notes: Jeanty going in the top four was a surprise—this draft occurred before his injury—and Burrow going ahead of Jackson and Maye was also notable. Lamb went pretty high as well, as the Cowboys wide receiver went ahead of Smith-Njigba, St. Brown and Jefferson.

Round 2

Strategy: I could have gone with Chase Brown or London here, but I couldn’t pass on Hurts. That’s one hell of a quarterback duo along with Allen, who both have double-digit touchdown potential as runners. Truly, I was surprised Hurts lasted this long in a Superflex draft.

Notes: Just three quarterbacks were picked in this round, so six teams (half the teams in the league) don’t have a single field general after two rounds. Again, I’m seeing this more often in experts leagues. McBride was the first tight end picked, and Bowers went three spots later.

Round 3

Strategy: With two quarterbacks already on the roster, it’s time for me to start grabbing backs and wide receivers. The best player on the board at these positions was Achane, who I was happy to land in the third round. While many believe he could be a bust playing in what projects to be a bad Dolphins offense, I still have a high grade on him among running backs. I’ll gladly take him where I got him.

Notes: Four quarterbacks came off the board in this round, and all four were the first drafted by their respective teams. Among the non-quarterbacks, London might have been the best value. We also saw the third tight end, Loveland, come off the board in this tight end-premium format.

Round 4

Strategy: Based on the draft’s flow, I wanted to start targeting wide receivers. The best wideout on the board was McMillan, who I love as a potential breakout player this year. He finished as the WR16 in his rookie year, so a top-10 performance in his second season isn’t far-fetched.

Notes: Four more quarterbacks were picked in this round, led by Nix. He was the first player at the position selected by Rodriguez. Purdy, Murray and Mahomes also came off the board, so there are now three teams that have two quarterbacks, and every team has at least one.

Round 5

Strategy: I’m going with the best-available-player strategy over the next few rounds, and for me, that was Egbuka. I know there are some concerns about his toe injury, but reports suggest it isn’t a major issue. If you listen to the Locked On Fantasy Football podcast or have read mywide receiver breakouts article, then you know I love Egbuka to thrive this season.

Notes: This round saw the most quarterbacks (five) come off the board to this point. Going into Round 6, all but four teams have drafted a pair of signal-callers. You can also see that there are still plenty of valuable players available at running back, wide receiver and tight end.

Round 6

Strategy: I was going to go with a running back or a wide receiver in this round and went with the latter, taking Burden over Judkins. As you can see, I practice what I preach … McMillan, Egbuka and Burden are my three favorite breakout wide receivers, and I drafted all of them. This trio could be dynamite, so I’m a happy camper.

Notes: Mayfield was the lone quarterback picked in the round, so three teams still need to take a second field general. Once again, there are plenty of good backs and wideouts on the board. Notably, just four tight ends have been taken despite the addition of half a point per reception.

Round 7

Strategy: I was absolutely taking a running back in this round, as I have a pair of signal-callers and three receivers to go along with Achane. The best back on the board at this point was Swift, so he was the selection. I realize there is a chance he’ll lose some work to Kyle Monangai, but I still think Swift will lead the Bears’ backfield in touches. He’s a viable No. 2 runner.

Notes: Two of three teams that needed a second quarterback filled that spot, as Jones and Darnold were selected. Beherns took his third quarterback, Shough, one spot before Enright, who might have taken him as his second field general if he were available. Two more tight ends, Fannin and Pitts, were also drafted. However, seven teams still don’t have a tight end yet.

Round 8

Strategy: I felt great about my quarterbacks and wideouts, and the flow of the draft allowed me to wait another round on a tight end. As a result, I went with a third running back in Brooks. I was really hoping Price would fall to me, but he went two picks before me (sniped!). Brooks’ stock has soared this summer, but I know there’s a great likelihood he shares the workload with Chuba Hubbard in the Panthers’ backfield. Still, I’ll take him as my first reserve fantasy runner.

Notes: Price and Brooks were two of six running backs off the board in the eighth round. Kraft was the seventh tight end picked and the second by Enright, who might use him as a flex due to the tight end-premium scoring system (though he still doesn’t have a second quarterback). Two other teams, Harris and Mosher, selected their third quarterbacks in Young and Stroud, respectively.

Round 9

Strategy: It’s time to take a tight end, and I rolled the dice with LaPorta. I do have concerns about the veteran, as he suffered a hip injury that could keep him out of Week 1. He did look good before suffering the injury, however, as he was returning from November back surgery. Clearly I’ll need to get some tight end insurance in a future round.

Notes: There was a huge tight end run in this round, as Likely, LaPorta, Kittle, Kelce, Kincaid and Ferguson were all selected. Now all but two teams have their starting tight end, and three teams have two tight ends (which might be why those last two teams still lack at the position). This is the round where all teams now have at least two quarterbacks, as Enright took Brissett.

Round 10

Strategy: I was either going with a fourth running back or a second tight end in this round. Based on the draft flow, I ended up going with Andrews. He’ll be my LaPorta insurance, and I could also use him as a flex when needed. With Likely now in New York and the Ravens lacking experienced pass catchers, I think Andrews is a decent draft bargain at this point.

Notes: This round saw two more quarterbacks, Geno Smith and Fernando Mendoza, come off the board. They’re both the third options for Rodriguez and Christy, respectively. It was also notable that Mosher took De’Zhaun Stribling as his fourth wide receiver. The Niners rookie has been generating a ton of buzz, and going this high in a Superflex league is certainly proof of that.

Round 11

Strategy: I have ignored my No. 3 quarterback spot long enough, so I went with Rodgers to fill that role. The old man was a top-20 fantasy signal-caller last season, and now he’ll be back in the offense of coach Mike McCarthy. Rodgers also has far better weapons than he did a year ago, as the Steelers added Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Germie Bernard.

Round 12

Strategy: I was focused on getting a fourth running back in this round, so I took the best player at the position on the board. That was White, who could become a useful flex option when the matchup is favorable or during the bye weeks. He was the sixth back off the board in the first eight picks of this round, including Jonah Coleman (who was the player I wanted the most in the round).

Round 13

Strategy: At this point, I’m looking at the best player available in each of the final six rounds. Golden was that player for me in this stanza. A popular sleeper, he’ll serve as my No. 4 fantasy receiver behind McMillian, Egbuka and Burden. He’s also the first wideout I’ve picked since Round 6, as I needed to fill other positions. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with this wideout room.

Round 14

Strategy: Again, I practice what I preach … thus, the selection of Aubrey. Based on points, he is by far the best player on the board. While kickers get a bad rap, I truly think Aubrey gives you an advantage over almost every other team in your fantasy league at the position.

Round 15

Strategy: I was hoping to get a fifth running back in this round, and I was happy to see Mitchell still on the board. While durability has been an issue in his short NFL career, anyone who knows anything about the smallish runner knows just how dynamic he can be on the field. Also, playing in the offense of new coordinator Mike McDaniel could lead to good statistical numbers in 2026.

Round 16

Strategy: I almost went with a defense here, but I decided to grab a third tight end instead. That tight end is Sadiq, who was the top player picked at his position in the 2026 NFL draft. He has been dealing with a setback in his return from hernia surgery, so I’m not expecting much early on in his rookie campaign. However, I’m fine with rostering Sadiq to see if he brings any value down the road.

Round 17

Strategy: Now was the time to draft a defense, and I went with the Chargers. I don’t know that this unit will be a week-in-and-week-out starter, but I do know they have one of the best Week 1 matchups, with a home game against the Cardinals. Arizona will be starting Brissett, a journeyman quarterback, and there’s a chance Jeremiyah Love could miss the game with a bum ankle.

Round 18

Strategy: My final selection in the draft, Shaheed will serve as this fantasy team’s No. 5 wide receiver. The Seahawks’ wideout depth chart behind Smith-Njigba isn’t what I would call impressive, so Shaheed could become a nice little dart throw in this league.

Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollowPublished 16 minutes ago | Modified 16 minutes agoMICHAEL FABIANO

Michael Fabiano is a fantasy football analyst for Sports Illustrated. His weekly rankings and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em articles are must-reads for fantasy players. Before joining SI in August 2020, he worked for CBS Sports, NFL Network and SiriusXM. He also contributes to Westwood One Radio and the Locked on Dynasty Podcast. Fabiano was the first fantasy analyst to appear on one of the four major TV networks and is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame.

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