8 team draft strategy (1 Viewer)

[The man on the moon]

I did search and didn't find anything on an 8 team draft strategy, so I figured i would start here. I recently got asked to be in an 8 team league where i drew the 8th pick. I've never been in an 8 team league so I was wondering if there is anyone out there that has and the strategy that you used. I've done a number of mocks trying a number of different strategies and haven't really been happy with any of the results. I realize that doing mocks isn't necessarily the same thing, but it should have given me an idea of how the draft should go. It hasn't this far. Scoring is WCOFF scoring with IDP. Is there anyone out there that could help with some strategy?

 

[brainee]

I've played in a number of 8-team leagues. For me, the key is securing elite guys at as many positions as possible. Yeah, I know that sounds pretty generic. In practice, it usually means going after a top QB and TE earlier than deeper leagues (giving yourself a truly elite QB like Rodgers/Vick/Brady/Rivers and TE like Gates/Clark/Finley/Witten). The other positions you take when the value's there - and ideally I'd have at least one top tier guy for both. As the draft progresses, and you start to address your RB2, WR2, and deeper, its about getting guys with stud potential. While average and dependable players are important in deeper leagues, they don't mean too much in 8-teamers. Because the WW will be filled with average guys. If you want to dominate an 8-teamer, it's about guys with high ceilings as opposed to high floors (but lower ceiling). And with fewer teams, it's easier to get a hold of the top free agents.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Best 8-team strategy I can think of? Add at least 4 more teams.

 

[The man on the moon]

Best 8-team strategy I can think of? Add at least 4 more teams.

I can agree with that...completely actually. It's the first league my buddy is trying to coordinate and he is coming off of his first championship in FF last year, so he's pretty excited about starting a league of his own. Hopefully, moving forward, he'll at least consider adding teams.

 

[The man on the moon]

I've played in a number of 8-team leagues. For me, the key is securing elite guys at as many positions as possible. Yeah, I know that sounds pretty generic. In practice, it usually means going after a top QB and TE earlier than deeper leagues (giving yourself a truly elite QB like Rodgers/Vick/Brady/Rivers and TE like Gates/Clark/Finley/Witten). The other positions you take when the value's there - and ideally I'd have at least one top tier guy for both. As the draft progresses, and you start to address your RB2, WR2, and deeper, its about getting guys with stud potential. While average and dependable players are important in deeper leagues, they don't mean too much in 8-teamers. Because the WW will be filled with average guys. If you want to dominate an 8-teamer, it's about guys with high ceilings as opposed to high floors (but lower ceiling). And with fewer teams, it's easier to get a hold of the top free agents.

In a few of the mocks that I've done, I've gone this route. In these drafts, I've gone, in no particular order, RB, WR, QB, TE. And in most cases, i've gotten one of the top tiered players at each position. I've typically liked my teams better when I've done this. I'm just so accustomed to 12 team leagues that drafting like this is crazy to me. In the mocks where i've gone wr or rb heavy with my first 4 picks, i find myself playing more catch up than anything. I'm good at one position, but terrible at 2 others. This is why i've turned to the experts on this forum...

 

[Toads]

I play in an 8 man Yahoo each year....a friends/family deal.

The one thing I've paid attention to that seems to yield dividends is the average scoring/player position information.

In the scoring system for this league, RB's are weighted over WR's and TE's....that makes the early choices for me.....two RB's over WR #1.

When WR's are available, it's an 8 man league and there are great WR's that fall after the RB, RB, QB combos. I get the best QB I can afford....early....as there's a significant difference in QB's....after the first 6 are off the board, there's a pretty good drop off.

 

[fightingillini]

I've played in a number of 8-team leagues. For me, the key is securing elite guys at as many positions as possible. Yeah, I know that sounds pretty generic.

This is the ONLY viable 8 team draft strategy IMO. It's BPA for the first 7 or so rounds, then you can worry about filling in spots for need.IMO, there are 7 elite QBs, 15-16 good options at RB, 7 stud WRs, and 5 stud TEs. That is 34-35 players. You need to get 5 of these guys, preferably QB-2RB-WR-TE, but you will take any combination. Don't pass up on a AJ-Calvin combo at WR to take a Hillis at RB, even though Hillis is one of my 15 good options at RB. With 7 elite QBs, you can likely wait until round 4 to get your QB, so get 2 solid backs and a top WR or a top back like Rice and a WR combo like Fitzgerld and Jennings.

 

[Shane Falco]

I've played in a number of 8-team leagues. For me, the key is securing elite guys at as many positions as possible. Yeah, I know that sounds pretty generic.

This is the ONLY viable 8 team draft strategy IMO. It's BPA for the first 7 or so rounds, then you can worry about filling in spots for need.IMO, there are 7 elite QBs, 15-16 good options at RB, 7 stud WRs, and 5 stud TEs. That is 34-35 players. You need to get 5 of these guys, preferably QB-2RB-WR-TE, but you will take any combination. Don't pass up on a AJ-Calvin combo at WR to take a Hillis at RB, even though Hillis is one of my 15 good options at RB. With 7 elite QBs, you can likely wait until round 4 to get your QB, so get 2 solid backs and a top WR or a top back like Rice and a WR combo like Fitzgerld and Jennings.

same here when I used to play in 8 teamers.Just keep picking the BPA especially at RB and WR. You'll have crazy depth which keeps them from scoring for the other team.Wait on TE and Qb (assuming you don't start 2)

 

[The man on the moon]

I've played in a number of 8-team leagues. For me, the key is securing elite guys at as many positions as possible. Yeah, I know that sounds pretty generic.

This is the ONLY viable 8 team draft strategy IMO. It's BPA for the first 7 or so rounds, then you can worry about filling in spots for need.IMO, there are 7 elite QBs, 15-16 good options at RB, 7 stud WRs, and 5 stud TEs. That is 34-35 players. You need to get 5 of these guys, preferably QB-2RB-WR-TE, but you will take any combination. Don't pass up on a AJ-Calvin combo at WR to take a Hillis at RB, even though Hillis is one of my 15 good options at RB. With 7 elite QBs, you can likely wait until round 4 to get your QB, so get 2 solid backs and a top WR or a top back like Rice and a WR combo like Fitzgerld and Jennings.

This is along the lines of my thinking. Having the 8th pick proposes a few problems in being able to secure a Rice, Fitz & Jennings combo. I would love to have it, however, it's not likely. With the mocks that i have done, i have typically ended up with Mendenhall, R. White, Whitten/Gates & Brady. It's been a bit surprising to me that Brady has fallen to the 3/4 turn in a lot of the mocks. I'm alright with it, yet it's still surprising. I'm a bit old school when it comes to drafting, usually, but not sticking completely to the plan, going RB, RB, WR, WR in the first four rounds. If not exactly that plan, a combination of 2 RB's and 2 WR's. So not coming out of the first 4 rounds with that combo is a bit scarey to me. Thanks for the insight everyone!

 

[ATC1]

Small leagues you make sure to fill out your complete roster 1st sanz PK and DEF. If a player gets hurt or you take a guy thinking you will be trading him later, you have wasted a pick because there are usually quality enough guys on the WW where most teams won't trade good players when they can take a shot at a guy on the WW.

 

[Mark in Tennessee]

My Boss has an 8 team league that I play in. Half the other owners just play for work/political reasons. As far as I know none of the other owners are FBG subscribers, the boss hands out a CBS or similar draft sheet from a random magizine for the drafters and most folks go by that it. Most do minimal homework prior to the draft.

I concur that with 8 teams, most owners are don't want to trade weather, I think in my case they are afraid of being burned for some reason. I plan to wait on QB and target Romo, as most other services have him listed lower than FBG's. I prefer to be in the middle of the 8 team draft, to cut the chances of being on the bottom of a position run.

The WW is always deep; so while you want the elite guys on your team, there will always be servicealbe guys available.

 

[fightingillini]

I've played in a number of 8-team leagues. For me, the key is securing elite guys at as many positions as possible. Yeah, I know that sounds pretty generic.

This is the ONLY viable 8 team draft strategy IMO. It's BPA for the first 7 or so rounds, then you can worry about filling in spots for need.IMO, there are 7 elite QBs, 15-16 good options at RB, 7 stud WRs, and 5 stud TEs. That is 34-35 players. You need to get 5 of these guys, preferably QB-2RB-WR-TE, but you will take any combination. Don't pass up on a AJ-Calvin combo at WR to take a Hillis at RB, even though Hillis is one of my 15 good options at RB. With 7 elite QBs, you can likely wait until round 4 to get your QB, so get 2 solid backs and a top WR or a top back like Rice and a WR combo like Fitzgerld and Jennings.

This is along the lines of my thinking. Having the 8th pick proposes a few problems in being able to secure a Rice, Fitz & Jennings combo. I would love to have it, however, it's not likely. With the mocks that i have done, i have typically ended up with Mendenhall, R. White, Whitten/Gates & Brady. It's been a bit surprising to me that Brady has fallen to the 3/4 turn in a lot of the mocks. I'm alright with it, yet it's still surprising. I'm a bit old school when it comes to drafting, usually, but not sticking completely to the plan, going RB, RB, WR, WR in the first four rounds. If not exactly that plan, a combination of 2 RB's and 2 WR's. So not coming out of the first 4 rounds with that combo is a bit scarey to me. Thanks for the insight everyone!

Picking in the swing....sure, forget the Rice/Fitz/Jennings trio. In a PPR league, I would go WR-WR in Rounds 1-2.....you'll get 2 of AJ/Calvin/R White/Fitzgerald. Nice start. Then you can go RB-RB in the next swing or RB-Brady or RB-Witten. My preference here would be RB-Brady or RB-Witten. In an 8-team league, you can always scrounge up a bunch of guys to fill an RBBC for RB2, so don't reach if you don't need to.In a nonPPR legaue, I would go RB-WR and take Mendenhall if available and one of AJ/Calvin and go from there.