Drafting against other Footballguys Subscribers (1 Viewer)

[Evilhomer3k]

I have been a fbg subscriber for quite some time and use the DD quite heavily for drafting. I will tweak the numbers on the dd but I don't do full blown projections. I know the staff at fbg are more knowledgable than I am so I figure their projections are, for the most part, better than what I could come up with.

I have a draft coming up that has at least 3 other footballguys subscribers drafting in it. They will all be drafting from the draft dominator just like I will. They will be getting the daily updates. They'll be reading the articles (probably not as much). Basically, they'll have the same information as I will (although I'll probably read the forums more). I think drafting with that many others who have, for the most part, the same information as I do and the same tools will change how I draft.

When you have other fbg subscribers drafting do you change your strategy? Normally, I look at the average draft rankings for a player and look at what he's ranked at by the draft dominator and see if I can let someone slide a round or two before picking him up. My experience is that the others using fbg at my draft don't look at ADP. So, I have to adjust my strategy to pick up come people sooner than I would when drafting against non-fbg subscribers. If I don't, those guys who are emerging that FBG has let me know about get drafted. In short, I have to put less emphasis on ADP.

I think it also helps to know who the other owners are, how they draft, and who they like. One of them tends to fill their roster before going for backups, another tends to stick to the DD pretty closely. The third one is new so I don't know what to expect. It goes both ways, though. One of the drafters has been drafting with me for years and knows me pretty well (we have a team together in one league) so he has some insight into who I'll draft, too.

Are there some strategies others use when drafting against other fbg subscribers?

 

[chris1969]

Stockpile RB's

 

[Ike Turner]

Are there some strategies others use when drafting against other fbg subscribers?

I've been running into this more and more, and my strategy has been to look for players that are seperated by 10 points or less and use my instincts on which player to choose instead of blindly following the draft dominator. I'll get a couple of crooked eyebrows my way when I do that, but I do a lot of research in the offseason and it should count for something on draft day.

 

[David Dodds]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

 

[cincipd]

Can I load the other's projections into the vbd spreadsheet instead of 100% dodds?? (Nothinh against your projections)

 

[schooner44]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

Are you saying you are not confident with your predictions??? What kinda "mastermind" are you??? :( That is an excellent idea David. I didn't realize that DD was based off of only one person's rankings. To answer the question, I draft in a couple of leagues with other FBG subscribers and I know that they are the ones I need to worry about when it comes to getting great value picks.

 

[Chaka]

This is one of the reasons that I modify my DD file using data from previous season in my league. Other guys are using data based on projections that don't reflect the actual season end scoring in our league. It's a pain in the butt tweaking the VBD sheet for input into the DD but it's worth it.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Personally I like drafting against FBGs. It'll be much more challenging, but it is also more predictable. You won't have anyone reaching for players (well, most) and you'll know who should go about when.

Drafting against wildcard players is harder as you may not get what you want or get caught in positional runs more.

I also love doing mocks beforehand just to know about when players should go. Scoring systems are important.

Read over mocks that FBGs does to find out where other FBGs are likely to take players, or just use the DD several times to see how the first 10-12 rounds should go.

If you have players you really want, you should grab them earlier then where the DD would say they would normally go. This would reflect either (A) your opinion or (B) increased projections, but both of those would move those players up anyway in the DD if you tweaked the projections.

Target value more than any particular players or names, unless you just can't stand that player.

After having been in numerous drafts and mocks and leagues with fellow FBGs (including staff) I'd say there's no better prep work for any other league you are in - and all of those drafts will feel much easier (and you'll also think you are getting better values). Sounds like you'll be fine.

Good luck.

 

[Winning IS Everything]

Can I load the other's projections into the vbd spreadsheet instead of 100% dodds?? (Nothinh against your projections)

The best and easiest way to do this is using the projections dominator to adjust the percentages and importing that into the draft dominator.

 

[cincipd]

Can I load the other's projections into the vbd spreadsheet instead of 100% dodds?? (Nothinh against your projections)

The best and easiest way to do this is using the projections dominator to adjust the percentages and importing that into the draft dominator.

 

[cincipd]

We have a rule that says no laptops at the draft (since some in my league can't afford them so I can't usee draft dominator. Anyway to modify the vbd projections except just doing it one by one by myself??

 

[Beaumont]

Drop the Draft Dominator and use teh force ...

 

[Winning IS Everything]

We have a rule that says no laptops at the draft (since some in my league can't afford them so I can't usee draft dominator. Anyway to modify the vbd projections except just doing it one by one by myself??

What you can do is follow my advice from above to import the projections dominator into draft dominator. You can then use the file print option in the draft dominator to print a cheetsheet that will have the VBD values on it. You can also print Top 200/300 lists. You can then take that info to your draft.

 

[Winning IS Everything]

We have a rule that says no laptops at the draft (since some in my league can't afford them so I can't usee draft dominator. Anyway to modify the vbd projections except just doing it one by one by myself??

What you can do is follow my advice from above to import the projections dominator into draft dominator. You can then use the file print option in the draft dominator to print a cheetsheet that will have the VBD values on it. You can also print Top 200/300 lists. You can then take that info to your draft.

Actually, the projections dominator has the options to print those same lists so you can bypass the draft dominator altogether. Just adjust the weights in the projections dominator and print your lists.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

LOL, geez I would have thought you'd give yourself at least 30%.

 

[AcerFC]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

How would you do something like this?

 

[GroveDiesel]

Make sure they've read the SOS 2 Man QB article. Talk about how well it worked last year. Then don't follow it.

 

[Winning IS Everything]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

How would you do something like this?

1. Open Projections Dominator.2. Click on any player, Peyton Manning for example.3. You should see different projections for him. On the menu options at the top click "Set Weights".4. On this screen you can set the percentages for each expert. After you have your desired settings save the file, remember the name and location.5. Open draft dominator. Click File - Import Projections Dominator File and import the file.You now have the percentages you desire in the draft dominator.Good luck!

 

[ImTheScientist]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

Are you saying you are not confident with your predictions??? What kinda "mastermind" are you??? That is an excellent idea David. I didn't realize that DD was based off of only one person's rankings. To answer the question, I draft in a couple of leagues with other FBG subscribers and I know that they are the ones I need to worry about when it comes to getting great value picks.

It is much better to have projections from multiple people than just relying on your own. This makes up for when you overvalue and undervalue players.

 

[AcerFC]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

How would you do something like this?

1. Open Projections Dominator.2. Click on any player, Peyton Manning for example.3. You should see different projections for him. On the menu options at the top click "Set Weights".4. On this screen you can set the percentages for each expert. After you have your desired settings save the file, remember the name and location.5. Open draft dominator. Click File - Import Projections Dominator File and import the file.You now have the percentages you desire in the draft dominator.Good luck!

I will download projections dominator right now and try it. Thanks

 

[perry147]

It all boils down to getting value and if your projections for a player are different from DD then that is the player you pick.

I just did a draftmaster style draft in which almost all were using draft dominator.

It was kind of a unique league in which each division had its own draft (8 teams per division) and 25 player rosters.

The most value I found was around picks 30-50 (round 4 - round 6). Basically I went RB -RB-RB-QB-RB (We start 4 RB each week).

 

[barndog]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

How would you do something like this?

1. Open Projections Dominator.2. Click on any player, Peyton Manning for example.3. You should see different projections for him. On the menu options at the top click "Set Weights".4. On this screen you can set the percentages for each expert. After you have your desired settings save the file, remember the name and location.5. Open draft dominator. Click File - Import Projections Dominator File and import the file.You now have the percentages you desire in the draft dominator.Good luck!

I will download projections dominator right now and try it. Thanks

One tip: uncheck the "Apply to this player only" box when setting weights so they are applied to all players.

 

[AcerFC]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

How would you do something like this?

1. Open Projections Dominator.2. Click on any player, Peyton Manning for example.3. You should see different projections for him. On the menu options at the top click "Set Weights".4. On this screen you can set the percentages for each expert. After you have your desired settings save the file, remember the name and location.5. Open draft dominator. Click File - Import Projections Dominator File and import the file.You now have the percentages you desire in the draft dominator.Good luck!

I will download projections dominator right now and try it. Thanks

One tip: uncheck the "Apply to this player only" box when setting weights so they are applied to all players.

I was already all over that. Thanks for the tip. Much appreciated.

 

[Fishnic]

is there a report card on how each expert did on their ranking last year, or is there a magic number to weight each of them discussion?

 

[Angry Beavers]

is there a report card on how each expert did on their ranking last year, or is there a magic number to weight each of them discussion?

I THINK that they did this last year, but I have not seen such an article this year

 

[Tubalcane]

Personally I like drafting against FBGs. It'll be much more challenging, but it is also more predictable. You won't have anyone reaching for players (well, most) and you'll know who should go about when.Drafting against wildcard players is harder as you may not get what you want or get caught in positional runs more. I also love doing mocks beforehand just to know about when players should go. Scoring systems are important.Read over mocks that FBGs does to find out where other FBGs are likely to take players, or just use the DD several times to see how the first 10-12 rounds should go.If you have players you really want, you should grab them earlier then where the DD would say they would normally go. This would reflect either (A) your opinion or (B) increased projections, but both of those would move those players up anyway in the DD if you tweaked the projections.Target value more than any particular players or names, unless you just can't stand that player. After having been in numerous drafts and mocks and leagues with fellow FBGs (including staff) I'd say there's no better prep work for any other league you are in - and all of those drafts will feel much easier (and you'll also think you are getting better values). Sounds like you'll be fine.Good luck.

I have to echo these sentiments as well. What I crave is the competition. If a league is not competitive then I loose interest. I wish everybody in my home league would use the dominator for the draft. When I first found the DD I told everybody in my home league about it. I want to win by the skin of my teeth against an opponent that is just as good as me. Anything less is less than desirable. One thing that you should remember is that even if other people use the DD during the draft...they still have to play well during the season. They have to make the trades; they have to start the right players; they have to make the perfect pick up off the waiver wire. For this reason I don't use the Trade Dominator or the Lineup Dominator. I pride myself in making great trades, smart pick ups, and playing the right player every week. The Draft Dominator is just an organizational tool for me. I put in my own stats. Therefore if I screw up than I can only blame me and no one else. If other people use the DD in my draft...I don't worry...I grin and bear down for a highly competitive year. This brings me back to when I used to take Kickboxing...way back in the Stone Age…way back. I would always look for the biggest strongest most skilled opponent to spar with. Yeah I would usually get my brains knocked around the first few times; but I would learn faster and adapt better the better my competition was. This is the way I look at Fantasy Football. If your competition is getting better then you will get better.

 

[Gordo]

Also, keep a close eye on what the other teams have already drafted.

Sometimes you can figure out what they need to draft during the next round or 2, and you can pick up the position ahead of them. This is especially important if you are near the top or bottom of a serpentine draft. If you are 11 of 12, and the guy at #12 hasn't grabbed a QB yet well into the draft, you might want to grab another QB ahead of him if there is one on the board that stands out to you.

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

Also, keep a close eye on what the other teams have already drafted.Sometimes you can figure out what they need to draft during the next round or 2, and you can pick up the position ahead of them. This is especially important if you are near the top or bottom of a serpentine draft. If you are 11 of 12, and the guy at #12 hasn't grabbed a QB yet well into the draft, you might want to grab another QB ahead of him if there is one on the board that stands out to you.

to this. what I do is input all of the team names into DD in the order that they will be drafting. that way you can quickly see all of the teams that will draft between your current pick and next pick. so if you need a TE, but all of the teams between now and your next pick already have a TE, don't pick one up yet. grab a player at another position who represents good value; there's a good chance the TE will still be there on the way back.

 

[Enraged Nerfball]

Personally I like drafting against FBGs. It'll be much more challenging, but it is also more predictable. You won't have anyone reaching for players (well, most) and you'll know who should go about when.Drafting against wildcard players is harder as you may not get what you want or get caught in positional runs more. I also love doing mocks beforehand just to know about when players should go. Scoring systems are important.Read over mocks that FBGs does to find out where other FBGs are likely to take players, or just use the DD several times to see how the first 10-12 rounds should go.If you have players you really want, you should grab them earlier then where the DD would say they would normally go. This would reflect either (A) your opinion or (B) increased projections, but both of those would move those players up anyway in the DD if you tweaked the projections.Target value more than any particular players or names, unless you just can't stand that player. After having been in numerous drafts and mocks and leagues with fellow FBGs (including staff) I'd say there's no better prep work for any other league you are in - and all of those drafts will feel much easier (and you'll also think you are getting better values). Sounds like you'll be fine.Good luck.

If you have players you really want, you should grab them earlier then where the DD would say they would normally go. This would reflect either (A) your opinion or (B) increased projections, but both of those would move those players up anyway in the DD if you tweaked the projections.

I think this is essential. Beyond a certain round value becomes less important to me than targeting certain players I am projecting to have break out years.

 

[pettifogger]

Are there some strategies others use when drafting against other fbg subscribers?

I've been running into this more and more, and my strategy has been to look for players that are seperated by 10 points or less and use my instincts on which player to choose instead of blindly following the draft dominator. I'll get a couple of crooked eyebrows my way when I do that, but I do a lot of research in the offseason and it should count for something on draft day.

I print my cheat sheet rather than bringing a laptop to the draft. Then I mark it up -- draw lines at the top and bottom of a group of players close together in projected points. Within that group, decide which ones I'd rather have and rank them within the bracket. Their rank in FBG projections and ADP tend to tell me when other people are likely to draft them. Last year the guy drafting just ahead of me in alternate rounds (serpentine draft) was going straight off the FBG projections so I pretty much knew who he was taking each round.

 

[revsonny]

Also, keep a close eye on what the other teams have already drafted.Sometimes you can figure out what they need to draft during the next round or 2, and you can pick up the position ahead of them. This is especially important if you are near the top or bottom of a serpentine draft. If you are 11 of 12, and the guy at #12 hasn't grabbed a QB yet well into the draft, you might want to grab another QB ahead of him if there is one on the board that stands out to you.

Lots of good info in this entire thread. On this point, I just wanted to mention that I have been keeping the Team Stats window over the Player Pool window. You can easily see what positions are likely to be drafted in the next round or two and modify your draft accordingly. I did my WCOFF-style draft tonight and I was able to guess accurately when I could hold off on RB (even though I needed a RB) because all the other teams would likely be targeting WRs. I feel like I got some great value picks this way.

 

[Tau837]

In addition to varying projections because many will just use the projections that come in DD, you can also vary the VBD method. Many will just leave the default, which is Joe's secret formula. I played with this some for the first time this year, and using custom baselines can make a big difference. Two caveats:

1. Of course, to do this, you'd have to prefer something different than Joe's formula.

2. This means you need to draft a player more on his value than on his ADP. That is, no matter what VBD method one uses, you may choose to wait on a highly rated player becasue his ADP is later... but if you do this, it will reduce any benefit you gain over other DD users who are using a different VBD method, since they may be doing the same thing.

 

[chris1969]

Also, do a "my mock draft" and check the box for every team. Select every player that DD recommends and then print out the draft results. Within a few rounds you should have a good idea of who blindly follows DD, who takes ADP into account and who uses something different. Concentrate on figuring out what the latter is doing.

Also whenever you swim with sharks stockpile RB's.

 

[David Dodds]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

LOL, geez I would have thought you'd give yourself at least 30%.

It was an example only. Of course I give myself 30%.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Here is what I would suggest. Use some weighted percentage from the projections dominator (ie Henry 30%, Dodds 20%, Tremblay 20%, Smith 15%, Wood 15%) and then load that into the Draft Dominator. Most of the others will use the projections pre-loaded (100% Dodds) so you will have slightly different lists.

LOL, geez I would have thought you'd give yourself at least 30%.

It was an example only. Of course I give myself 30%.