Should I Draft 2 QBs?

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: You are playing in a Superflex or two-quarterback league. In these formats, starting lineups require at least two passers, which makes the position scarce and valuable. Drafting a second quarterback gives you the minimum positional coverage you need, protects against a bye-week gap, and reduces the chance that an injury forces you to start a low-upside waiver-wire option or leave a roster spot empty. If your league also allows quarterback flexes or awards points for passing heavily, locking in multiple usable starters becomes even more important.
• Good fit: You are competing in a best-ball tournament or a league with very deep benches. Best-ball platforms use large rosters and automatically start your best performers each week, so carrying three or even four quarterbacks is common. A second quarterback functions as bye insurance and allows you to chase weekly upside without making start-or-sit decisions. The same logic applies to deep-bench redraft leagues where you have plenty of roster spots and the waiver wire is thin; stashing a second passer costs less because you are not giving up a needed running back or wide receiver slot.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: You are in a standard 1QB league with shallow rosters and an active waiver wire. In most 10- or 12-team leagues, only one quarterback starts per week, and replacement-level passers are usually available for free each week. Using a mid-round pick or a bench spot on a second quarterback means you are not using that resource on a running back handcuff, a wide receiver with breakout potential, or tight end depth. Because you can only start one quarterback, the extra passer produces zero points while sitting on your bench, which lowers your overall scoring ceiling.
• Warning sign: You already invested a premium pick in an elite, durable quarterback with a favorable early schedule. If your starter has a strong offensive line, reliable weapons, and avoids significant injury history, spending another draft asset on a backup can be redundant. You may be better off streaming a matchup-based replacement for a single bye week rather than carrying a second quarterback all season. This is especially true if your league has small benches and every bench spot matters during bye weeks and injury outbreaks at other positions.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Bye-week and injury insurance. A second quarterback guarantees that you will not take a zero at the position when your starter is on bye or injured. In formats where quarterback scoring is flat, simply having a warm body can protect your weekly floor. In formats where quarterback scoring is high or the position is scarce, that insurance can be the difference between winning and losing a matchup.
• Potential trade leverage and scarcity value. If injuries hit other teams or a promising backup takes over a starting job, a second quarterback becomes a trade asset. In Superflex and 2QB leagues in particular, managers who failed to draft enough passers may overpay in trades or waiver claims later in the season. Having an extra quarterback early gives you flexibility to either use the player or exchange him for a position of greater need.

Cons

• High opportunity cost at other positions. Every pick and roster spot has a cost. A second quarterback who does not start is a dead roster spot in a 1QB league, while a lottery-ticket running back or a target-share wide receiver might turn into a starter. Because running back and wide receiver are more injury-prone and more frequently started in flex spots, depth there usually matters more than a second quarterback.
• Waiver-wire inflexibility and bench clutter. Carrying a second quarterback all season means you have fewer spots to react to surprise breakouts, handcuff opportunities, or mid-season injuries. If your league has short benches, you may find yourself dropping a potentially valuable backup quarterback simply to fill a hole elsewhere, which wastes the draft capital you spent on him.

Decision Checklist

• What is your league format? Start by confirming whether your league uses 1QB, Superflex, 2QB, or best-ball scoring and roster rules. This single factor usually determines whether drafting two quarterbacks is standard practice or a costly mistake.
• How deep are the rosters and how active is the waiver wire? Deep benches and thin waiver wires reward carrying extra quarterbacks. Shallow benches and competitive waiver wires usually favor taking just one quarterback and streaming or trading for a replacement when needed.
• What did you pay for your starting quarterback? Consider where you drafted your QB1, his injury history, his offensive support, and his early-season schedule. A cheap, fragile, or questionable starter makes a second quarterback more appealing; an expensive, durable, high-floor starter makes a second quarterback less necessary.

Alternatives to Consider

Before locking in a second quarterback, consider several alternatives that may deliver the same protection with less opportunity cost. The most common option is quarterback streaming: draft one reliable starter and add a different passer each week based on matchup, projected game total, or opponent weakness. Streaming works best when your league starts only one quarterback and the waiver wire remains active. Another option is to draft a single high-upside passer with rushing equity, since dual-threat quarterbacks tend to produce more consistent fantasy points and reduce the need for a safety net. In dynasty or keeper leagues, you might trade for a developmental quarterback rather than using a redraft pick on one. In best-ball, you can instead draft multiple late-round quarterbacks and rely on weekly optimization rather than picking one obvious starter and one backup. Finally, you can use a late-round pick on a quarterback handcuff—someone who would become a starter if the current one is injured—rather than drafting two competing starters.

Final Recommendation

In standard 1QB redraft leagues with small to medium benches, most managers should not draft two quarterbacks intentionally. You are usually better off using that roster spot on running back or wide receiver depth and streaming a quarterback during bye weeks. In Superflex, 2QB, and best-ball formats, however, rostering two or more quarterbacks is often a necessary and profitable strategy. For high-stakes leagues or leagues with unusual scoring, review your specific rules and consider consulting experienced fantasy analysts before finalizing your draft plan. Use this guide as a framework, but make your final call based on your league settings and roster construction strategy rather than any one-size-fits-all rule.