8 team league strategy? (1 Viewer)

[sezu]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

 

[Jayrod]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

Wait, wait, wait on QB & TE.First 6 picks should be RB & WR.

 

[PosterNutBag]

You will never get a 8-team article since the demand doesn't warrant it. I agree with Jayrod's suggestion with the lone exception being possibly in the 5th/6th round if there is still a top 6 QB there.

 

[JohnnyU]

No need for handcuffs and wait on TEs. One thing for sure about 8 team leagues is that it will drive you crazy who to play each week when you have nothing but studs on your bench. I hate leagues like that.

 

[DoubleG]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

Yes.The other thing that smaller leagues sometimes do to help "spread out" the talent pool is have larger starting lineup requirements. For example, if you go with 2 QB, 3 RB, 4 WR, 2 TE, 1 K, you're basically starting 16 QB, 24 RBs, 32 WR, 16 TEs - very similar to 12 team leagues that start 1/2/3/1.

If you're league doesn't have large lineups, then matchups and bye weeks become a much bigger part of the strategy. It's not the smaller leagues don't require skill, it's just a focus on a different set of skills (lineup building vs. drafting).

 

[sezu]

No need for handcuffs and wait on TEs. One thing for sure about 8 team leagues is that it will drive you crazy who to play each week when you have nothing but studs on your bench. I hate leagues like that.

Yeah, I can see that already. On one team I've got to drop someone for a kicker since I didn't draft one, and there's really no one I want to swap out.

 

[sezu]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

Yes.The other thing that smaller leagues sometimes do to help "spread out" the talent pool is have larger starting lineup requirements. For example, if you go with 2 QB, 3 RB, 4 WR, 2 TE, 1 K, you're basically starting 16 QB, 24 RBs, 32 WR, 16 TEs - very similar to 12 team leagues that start 1/2/3/1.

If you're league doesn't have large lineups, then matchups and bye weeks become a much bigger part of the strategy. It's not the smaller leagues don't require skill, it's just a focus on a different set of skills (lineup building vs. drafting).

Good advice for next time, though hopefully we will recruit better next year. For this year the drafts are done, rosters are set.

 

[SSOG]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

Wait, wait, wait on QB & TE.First 6 picks should be RB & WR.

Strongly, strongly disagree. The biggest reason why RBs are so valuable is position scarcity. There are only so many elite RBs, and not everyone can have one. After that, there are only so many clear RB1s, and not everyone can have a pair of them. As a result, everyone scrambles to draft RBs early so that they aren't the guy left starting the back end of an RBBC.In an 8 team league, positional scarcity is an urban legend. You can wait on RBs and still grab a tandem like Benson and Shonn Greene. In an 8 team league, rather than chasing a position to avoid being left out in the cold, it's much more important to be drafting true difference makers, regardless of position. This means grabbing guys like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Antonio Gates early. Generally, the team that wins in a 12 teamer is the team with the best RB corps. The team that wins in an 8 teamer is usually the team with the most difference-maker studs, regardless of position.I've got an 8-team keeper league that's entering it's 7th season. I've recorded the most regular season and postseason wins in the league's 6 year history despite never picking higher than 6th on the strength of my TE corp (my Antonio Gates is the only player who has been kept for all 6 years of the league's existence) and my QB corps (I drafted a QB in the first two rounds of every single one of the past 6 drafts).To use my keeper league from this year as an example... 11 RBs were kept this year. Despite that, there were still players like Jackson, Grant, and Mathews available in the 2nd. Wells went in the 3rd, Addai went in the 4th, and Moreno, Stewart, Pierre Thomas, and Jahvid Best all went in the 5th (granted, that was before preseason kicked off and the Best hype train kicked into high gear). Brown, Spiller, and Barber went in the 7th, Bradshaw went in the 8th, McFadden went in the 12th, Foster went in the 14th (again, before the hype train), and Portis went in the 15th. There's really no reason whatsoever to take 2 RBs with your first 3 picks in a league like that.

 

[Ghost Rider]

So, if an 8-team league is one that starts two QBs, does that change your thinking at all, SSOG?

I ask because I have the 1st pick in an 8-team draft next week and am torn about what to do. Most would say take AP or CJ and then get a WR and QB at 16/17, but I think Rodgers or Brees at 1 and then a RB at 16 might be better than AP or CJ and whatever QB I would get at 16. Then again, it is hard to imagine not taking either of those two RBs.

 

[Sweet Love]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

Wait, wait, wait on QB & TE.First 6 picks should be RB & WR.

Strongly, strongly disagree. The biggest reason why RBs are so valuable is position scarcity. There are only so many elite RBs, and not everyone can have one. After that, there are only so many clear RB1s, and not everyone can have a pair of them. As a result, everyone scrambles to draft RBs early so that they aren't the guy left starting the back end of an RBBC.In an 8 team league, positional scarcity is an urban legend. You can wait on RBs and still grab a tandem like Benson and Shonn Greene. In an 8 team league, rather than chasing a position to avoid being left out in the cold, it's much more important to be drafting true difference makers, regardless of position. This means grabbing guys like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Antonio Gates early. Generally, the team that wins in a 12 teamer is the team with the best RB corps. The team that wins in an 8 teamer is usually the team with the most difference-maker studs, regardless of position.I've got an 8-team keeper league that's entering it's 7th season. I've recorded the most regular season and postseason wins in the league's 6 year history despite never picking higher than 6th on the strength of my TE corp (my Antonio Gates is the only player who has been kept for all 6 years of the league's existence) and my QB corps (I drafted a QB in the first two rounds of every single one of the past 6 drafts).To use my keeper league from this year as an example... 11 RBs were kept this year. Despite that, there were still players like Jackson, Grant, and Mathews available in the 2nd. Wells went in the 3rd, Addai went in the 4th, and Moreno, Stewart, Pierre Thomas, and Jahvid Best all went in the 5th (granted, that was before preseason kicked off and the Best hype train kicked into high gear). Brown, Spiller, and Barber went in the 7th, Bradshaw went in the 8th, McFadden went in the 12th, Foster went in the 14th (again, before the hype train), and Portis went in the 15th. There's really no reason whatsoever to take 2 RBs with your first 3 picks in a league like that.

I was about to post something similar (though not as well thought out). You need to fill your starting positions (not kicker obviously) as quickly as possible. Unless you have multiple flex positions, I would make it a point to grab a top 5 player at every position. It does you no good if you have Gore, S Jackson and Grant and can only start two. Sure you are covering yourself for injury and byes, but you can easily wait a round or two and get a Foster/Forsett-type as your third RB and walk away with a stud RB.

 

[Jayrod]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

Wait, wait, wait on QB & TE.First 6 picks should be RB & WR.

Strongly, strongly disagree. The biggest reason why RBs are so valuable is position scarcity. There are only so many elite RBs, and not everyone can have one. After that, there are only so many clear RB1s, and not everyone can have a pair of them. As a result, everyone scrambles to draft RBs early so that they aren't the guy left starting the back end of an RBBC.In an 8 team league, positional scarcity is an urban legend. You can wait on RBs and still grab a tandem like Benson and Shonn Greene. In an 8 team league, rather than chasing a position to avoid being left out in the cold, it's much more important to be drafting true difference makers, regardless of position. This means grabbing guys like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Antonio Gates early. Generally, the team that wins in a 12 teamer is the team with the best RB corps. The team that wins in an 8 teamer is usually the team with the most difference-maker studs, regardless of position.I've got an 8-team keeper league that's entering it's 7th season. I've recorded the most regular season and postseason wins in the league's 6 year history despite never picking higher than 6th on the strength of my TE corp (my Antonio Gates is the only player who has been kept for all 6 years of the league's existence) and my QB corps (I drafted a QB in the first two rounds of every single one of the past 6 drafts).To use my keeper league from this year as an example... 11 RBs were kept this year. Despite that, there were still players like Jackson, Grant, and Mathews available in the 2nd. Wells went in the 3rd, Addai went in the 4th, and Moreno, Stewart, Pierre Thomas, and Jahvid Best all went in the 5th (granted, that was before preseason kicked off and the Best hype train kicked into high gear). Brown, Spiller, and Barber went in the 7th, Bradshaw went in the 8th, McFadden went in the 12th, Foster went in the 14th (again, before the hype train), and Portis went in the 15th. There's really no reason whatsoever to take 2 RBs with your first 3 picks in a league like that.

Keeper league makes things very different as the player pool has changed greatly before the draft even starts.Sure if you nail the QB/TE combo as a pair of top 3 guys, you are in good shape. But the same could be said in 2010 if you nailed on 5 of your 6 RB/WR picks and then got guys like Favre & Vernon Davis after round 6 (they both would have been there last year and finished top 3 at their position).Its the nature of an 8 team league. Fill in talent is plentiful, but studs are required to win it. You have to have at least 2 to win it all. I think getting 3 of the top 25 RB's and 3 of the top 25 WR's gives you the best chance and you still get to choose a top 10 QB & TE.ETA: And you can also grab your QB2 & TE2 right away and land 2 top 10 guys at both position.

 

[Jayrod]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

Wait, wait, wait on QB & TE.First 6 picks should be RB & WR.

Strongly, strongly disagree. The biggest reason why RBs are so valuable is position scarcity. There are only so many elite RBs, and not everyone can have one. After that, there are only so many clear RB1s, and not everyone can have a pair of them. As a result, everyone scrambles to draft RBs early so that they aren't the guy left starting the back end of an RBBC.In an 8 team league, positional scarcity is an urban legend. You can wait on RBs and still grab a tandem like Benson and Shonn Greene. In an 8 team league, rather than chasing a position to avoid being left out in the cold, it's much more important to be drafting true difference makers, regardless of position. This means grabbing guys like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Antonio Gates early. Generally, the team that wins in a 12 teamer is the team with the best RB corps. The team that wins in an 8 teamer is usually the team with the most difference-maker studs, regardless of position.I've got an 8-team keeper league that's entering it's 7th season. I've recorded the most regular season and postseason wins in the league's 6 year history despite never picking higher than 6th on the strength of my TE corp (my Antonio Gates is the only player who has been kept for all 6 years of the league's existence) and my QB corps (I drafted a QB in the first two rounds of every single one of the past 6 drafts).To use my keeper league from this year as an example... 11 RBs were kept this year. Despite that, there were still players like Jackson, Grant, and Mathews available in the 2nd. Wells went in the 3rd, Addai went in the 4th, and Moreno, Stewart, Pierre Thomas, and Jahvid Best all went in the 5th (granted, that was before preseason kicked off and the Best hype train kicked into high gear). Brown, Spiller, and Barber went in the 7th, Bradshaw went in the 8th, McFadden went in the 12th, Foster went in the 14th (again, before the hype train), and Portis went in the 15th. There's really no reason whatsoever to take 2 RBs with your first 3 picks in a league like that.

I was about to post something similar (though not as well thought out). You need to fill your starting positions (not kicker obviously) as quickly as possible. Unless you have multiple flex positions, I would make it a point to grab a top 5 player at every position. It does you no good if you have Gore, S Jackson and Grant and can only start two. Sure you are covering yourself for injury and byes, but you can easily wait a round or two and get a Foster/Forsett-type as your third RB and walk away with a stud RB.

Most standard leagues start 2 RB's, 2-3 WR's & a flex. I can say the same thing about grabbing a QB like Rivers and pairing him with Roethlisberger as your QB tandem.

 

[SSOG]

So, if an 8-team league is one that starts two QBs, does that change your thinking at all, SSOG?I ask because I have the 1st pick in an 8-team draft next week and am torn about what to do. Most would say take AP or CJ and then get a WR and QB at 16/17, but I think Rodgers or Brees at 1 and then a RB at 16 might be better than AP or CJ and whatever QB I would get at 16. Then again, it is hard to imagine not taking either of those two RBs.

Sure it changes the equation- it makes it even more important to grab a top QB. With that said, I'd still take Johnson #1 overall. Think of it this way: how many QBs will be drafted before it gets back to your 2nd pick? If everyone in your league grabs one, then 7 QBs will be gone, and you can still get a quality QB/QB pairing at the 2/3 turn. If only 6 teams take one, then you've still got a "big 7 QB" waiting for you on the way back. If only 5 teams take one, you've got TWO "big 7 QBs" to pair. On the other hand, if say, 9 QBs come off the board, that's a bummer... but that means only 5 non-QBs were drafted, which means you're guaranteed to have someone like Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, Frank Gore, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, or Ray Rice sitting there waiting for you at the 2/3 turn. Could you imagine going Johnson/Moss/Turner or Johnson/SJax/Calvin with your first three picks? You want to talk about landing difference makers, I don't care what your QB corps would look like, that's a phenomenal start to any draft. In reality, nobody's going to be drafting Jay Cutler while Andre Johnson's still on the board, so you can probably count on no more than 7 QBs going off the board before it gets back to you. Meanwhile, if you draft Rodgers in the first, you've got to pray for a big run on QBs if you want to have any difference makers left by your 2/3 pick. That's not a bet I'd like to make.Don't overthink it. Take Johnson because it gives you more flexibility. There will be plenty of good QBs still waiting for you at 2/3 and 4/5, and if there aren't, then it won't matter because you'll be drafting 1st round quality RBs and WRs there, instead.

 

[RBM]

So both my leagues this year wound up playing only 8 teams. First time I've played anything less than 10, and every team looks stacked. Is there a different strategy for playing smaller leagues? Do exploiting matchups become even more important since everyone has stars at every position?

The other thing that smaller leagues sometimes do to help "spread out" the talent pool is have larger starting lineup requirements. For example, if you go with 2 QB, 3 RB, 4 WR, 2 TE, 1 K, you're basically starting 16 QB, 24 RBs, 32 WR, 16 TEs - very similar to 12 team leagues that start 1/2/3/1.

This is the move for 8 team leagues. Its fun to start that many guys

 

[SSOG]

Keeper league makes things very different as the player pool has changed greatly before the draft even starts.Sure if you nail the QB/TE combo as a pair of top 3 guys, you are in good shape. But the same could be said in 2010 if you nailed on 5 of your 6 RB/WR picks and then got guys like Favre & Vernon Davis after round 6 (they both would have been there last year and finished top 3 at their position).Its the nature of an 8 team league. Fill in talent is plentiful, but studs are required to win it. You have to have at least 2 to win it all. I think getting 3 of the top 25 RB's and 3 of the top 25 WR's gives you the best chance and you still get to choose a top 10 QB & TE.ETA: And you can also grab your QB2 & TE2 right away and land 2 top 10 guys at both position.

You're speaking in 12-team terms. Getting a pair of top-10 QBs is great in a 12 teamer. It's a death sentence in an 8-teamer. The difference between Aaron Rodgers (QB1) and Eli Manning (QB10) last year was 104 points. That's the difference between Steven Jackson (RB10) and Correll Buckhalter (RB41). Guys in the 16-24 range aren't going to win you anything in an 8-teamer. Guys in the top 3 at their position, regardless of position, are the guys who win you trophies.

 

[the rover]

Agree with SSOG here. I've played in one 8-teamer for the last three years, and waiting on QB/TE makes little sense. The drop-off between tiers is heightened, so getting one of the top players at a position is more important. If you're drafting 7th and the top 4 RBs and 2 WRs are off the board, drafting the top QB is likely a much stronger play than drafting the 5th best RB, since the difference between him and the 8th or 9th best RB is not all that big but the drop off between QB1 and QB 8, if you waited, is huge.

Getting 3 of the top 25 RBs means nothing, since you can probably carry great depth and play matchups with your backups if necessary. With 8 teams, if you have 3 of the top 25, everyone else does, too. Top 10 QB? Everyone has one.

 

[Jayrod]

Keeper league makes things very different as the player pool has changed greatly before the draft even starts.Sure if you nail the QB/TE combo as a pair of top 3 guys, you are in good shape. But the same could be said in 2010 if you nailed on 5 of your 6 RB/WR picks and then got guys like Favre & Vernon Davis after round 6 (they both would have been there last year and finished top 3 at their position).Its the nature of an 8 team league. Fill in talent is plentiful, but studs are required to win it. You have to have at least 2 to win it all. I think getting 3 of the top 25 RB's and 3 of the top 25 WR's gives you the best chance and you still get to choose a top 10 QB & TE.ETA: And you can also grab your QB2 & TE2 right away and land 2 top 10 guys at both position.

You're speaking in 12-team terms. Getting a pair of top-10 QBs is great in a 12 teamer. It's a death sentence in an 8-teamer. The difference between Aaron Rodgers (QB1) and Eli Manning (QB10) last year was 104 points. That's the difference between Steven Jackson (RB10) and Correll Buckhalter (RB41). Guys in the 16-24 range aren't going to win you anything in an 8-teamer. Guys in the top 3 at their position, regardless of position, are the guys who win you trophies.

Seriously?Of course I'm talking about pre-season draft rankings...not their final season rankings. Nobody drafts two top 10 QB's hoping to get #8-10 production. You hope one of them outpeforms their pre-season ranking or you play matchups to get a better output.Are you suggesting we draft the final season RB25 & WR25 as every week starters and expect to win? Of course not. You dropped the RB names you dropped earlier because you think they will outperform their draft slots.

 

[Jayrod]

Agree with SSOG here. I've played in one 8-teamer for the last three years, and waiting on QB/TE makes little sense. The drop-off between tiers is heightened, so getting one of the top players at a position is more important. If you're drafting 7th and the top 4 RBs and 2 WRs are off the board, drafting the top QB is likely a much stronger play than drafting the 5th best RB, since the difference between him and the 8th or 9th best RB is not all that big but the drop off between QB1 and QB 8, if you waited, is huge. Getting 3 of the top 25 RBs means nothing, since you can probably carry great depth and play matchups with your backups if necessary. With 8 teams, if you have 3 of the top 25, everyone else does, too. Top 10 QB? Everyone has one.

But you are starting at least 2 RB's vs. 1 QB.There will be between 16-20 QB's on rosters, but between 30-40 RB's & WR's.And isn't everyone having a top 10 QB an argument to wait on them? Does the guy with Manning & Flacco have so much of a weekly advantage over the guy with Rivers & Roethlisberger that can't be made up by having a better starting RB or WR?I just think the margin for error in waiting on RB & WR is greater than waiting on QB because at worst, a starting QB with a good matchup will be available on the WW every single week, but a top 25 RB or WR is nowhere to be found.

 

[theplayer11]

No need for handcuffs and wait on TEs. One thing for sure about 8 team leagues is that it will drive you crazy who to play each week when you have nothing but studs on your bench. I hate leagues like that.

that's why 8 team leagues should start 3 rb, 3 wr and at least 2 flex...3 is better.

 

[the rover]

Agree with SSOG here. I've played in one 8-teamer for the last three years, and waiting on QB/TE makes little sense. The drop-off between tiers is heightened, so getting one of the top players at a position is more important. If you're drafting 7th and the top 4 RBs and 2 WRs are off the board, drafting the top QB is likely a much stronger play than drafting the 5th best RB, since the difference between him and the 8th or 9th best RB is not all that big but the drop off between QB1 and QB 8, if you waited, is huge.

Getting 3 of the top 25 RBs means nothing, since you can probably carry great depth and play matchups with your backups if necessary. With 8 teams, if you have 3 of the top 25, everyone else does, too. Top 10 QB? Everyone has one.

But you are starting at least 2 RB's vs. 1 QB.There will be between 16-20 QB's on rosters, but between 30-40 RB's & WR's.

And isn't everyone having a top 10 QB an argument to wait on them? Does the guy with Manning & Flacco have so much of a weekly advantage over the guy with Rivers & Roethlisberger that can't be made up by having a better starting RB or WR?

I just think the margin for error in waiting on RB & WR is greater than waiting on QB because at worst, a starting QB with a good matchup will be available on the WW every single week, but a top 25 RB or WR is nowhere to be found.

No. The difference between QB1 and QB8 is too great to justify waiting. Having 3 of the top 25 WRs is also meaningless. Arguably, you could wait until all other teams have 3 WRS before you draft any, and you could end up with WR 22, 23 and 24.8 team leagues are about having the top guys at as many positions as possible, including TE and QB, and playing matchups with the rest, since there is little difference overall between RB 16-25 or WR 16-25.

 

[Ghost Rider]

So, if an 8-team league is one that starts two QBs, does that change your thinking at all, SSOG?I ask because I have the 1st pick in an 8-team draft next week and am torn about what to do. Most would say take AP or CJ and then get a WR and QB at 16/17, but I think Rodgers or Brees at 1 and then a RB at 16 might be better than AP or CJ and whatever QB I would get at 16. Then again, it is hard to imagine not taking either of those two RBs.

Sure it changes the equation- it makes it even more important to grab a top QB. With that said, I'd still take Johnson #1 overall. Think of it this way: how many QBs will be drafted before it gets back to your 2nd pick? If everyone in your league grabs one, then 7 QBs will be gone, and you can still get a quality QB/QB pairing at the 2/3 turn. If only 6 teams take one, then you've still got a "big 7 QB" waiting for you on the way back. If only 5 teams take one, you've got TWO "big 7 QBs" to pair. On the other hand, if say, 9 QBs come off the board, that's a bummer... but that means only 5 non-QBs were drafted, which means you're guaranteed to have someone like Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, Frank Gore, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, or Ray Rice sitting there waiting for you at the 2/3 turn. Could you imagine going Johnson/Moss/Turner or Johnson/SJax/Calvin with your first three picks? You want to talk about landing difference makers, I don't care what your QB corps would look like, that's a phenomenal start to any draft. In reality, nobody's going to be drafting Jay Cutler while Andre Johnson's still on the board, so you can probably count on no more than 7 QBs going off the board before it gets back to you. Meanwhile, if you draft Rodgers in the first, you've got to pray for a big run on QBs if you want to have any difference makers left by your 2/3 pick. That's not a bet I'd like to make.Don't overthink it. Take Johnson because it gives you more flexibility. There will be plenty of good QBs still waiting for you at 2/3 and 4/5, and if there aren't, then it won't matter because you'll be drafting 1st round quality RBs and WRs there, instead.

Okay, cool. And I have to admit that overthinking is something I do in general way too much , so it is always good to get an outside perspective. Also, you are that adamant about CJ over AP at 1, eh?

 

[fightingillini]

Keeper league makes things very different as the player pool has changed greatly before the draft even starts.Sure if you nail the QB/TE combo as a pair of top 3 guys, you are in good shape. But the same could be said in 2010 if you nailed on 5 of your 6 RB/WR picks and then got guys like Favre & Vernon Davis after round 6 (they both would have been there last year and finished top 3 at their position).Its the nature of an 8 team league. Fill in talent is plentiful, but studs are required to win it. You have to have at least 2 to win it all. I think getting 3 of the top 25 RB's and 3 of the top 25 WR's gives you the best chance and you still get to choose a top 10 QB & TE.ETA: And you can also grab your QB2 & TE2 right away and land 2 top 10 guys at both position.

You're speaking in 12-team terms. Getting a pair of top-10 QBs is great in a 12 teamer. It's a death sentence in an 8-teamer. The difference between Aaron Rodgers (QB1) and Eli Manning (QB10) last year was 104 points. That's the difference between Steven Jackson (RB10) and Correll Buckhalter (RB41). Guys in the 16-24 range aren't going to win you anything in an 8-teamer. Guys in the top 3 at their position, regardless of position, are the guys who win you trophies.

SSOG is owning this thread.In an 8 teamer, position scarcity doesn't exist. You get as many stars as possible, regardless of position, and then fill in holes later. IMO, there are 8 stud RBs, 5 stud QBs, 8 stud WRs, and 4 stud TEs. That is 25 players. Your job is to get FOUR of them. If you get more, the better. Best case scenario is that you get a stud RB in round 1 and 3 other studs at other positions.If you can come out the draft with Ray Rice, Roddy White, Tony Romo and Antonio Gates in a PPR league.......wow, you're on your way.

 

[theplayer11]

people suggesting Qb's are more important in a 8 teamer are nuts...Obviously, the point difference between QB1 and QB8 is less than the diff. between QB1 and QB 12. A Rodgers, Brees are a good value in any league, but once the first 2-3 go, it makes no sense to draft a QB until later as the diff, between say a QB4 and a QB8 is minimal. Load up on RB's, WR's and get a good TE. I'm speaking from experience.

 

[Jayrod]

Keeper league makes things very different as the player pool has changed greatly before the draft even starts.

Sure if you nail the QB/TE combo as a pair of top 3 guys, you are in good shape. But the same could be said in 2010 if you nailed on 5 of your 6 RB/WR picks and then got guys like Favre & Vernon Davis after round 6 (they both would have been there last year and finished top 3 at their position).

Its the nature of an 8 team league. Fill in talent is plentiful, but studs are required to win it. You have to have at least 2 to win it all. I think getting 3 of the top 25 RB's and 3 of the top 25 WR's gives you the best chance and you still get to choose a top 10 QB & TE.

ETA: And you can also grab your QB2 & TE2 right away and land 2 top 10 guys at both position.

You're speaking in 12-team terms. Getting a pair of top-10 QBs is great in a 12 teamer. It's a death sentence in an 8-teamer. The difference between Aaron Rodgers (QB1) and Eli Manning (QB10) last year was 104 points. That's the difference between Steven Jackson (RB10) and Correll Buckhalter (RB41). Guys in the 16-24 range aren't going to win you anything in an 8-teamer. Guys in the top 3 at their position, regardless of position, are the guys who win you trophies.

SSOG is owning this thread.

In an 8 teamer, position scarcity doesn't exist. You get as many stars as possible, regardless of position, and then fill in holes later. IMO, there are 8 stud RBs, 5 stud QBs, 8 stud WRs, and 4 stud TEs. That is 25 players. Your job is to get FOUR of them. If you get more, the better. Best case scenario is that you get a stud RB in round 1 and 3 other studs at other positions.

If you can come out the draft with Ray Rice, Roddy White, Tony Romo and Antonio Gates in a PPR league.......wow, you're on your way.

How? By posting anecdotes about his KEEPER league and making statements that no one will disagree with?We aren't talking about Aaron Rodgers vs. Correll Buckhalter here. We are talking a different roster altogether:

So I looked at ADP for an 8 teamer at FFC. Here is the teams I came up with through 9 rounds (figured after that would match up closely except for team 2 still needed a backup QB):

Team 1 - wait on QB & TE till after round 6:

QB - Kolb, Favre (could have gone with Flacco or Cutler here as well)

RB - Rice, Grant, Best

WR - CJ, Jennings, Smith (NYG)

TE - Witten (ADP in round 7)

Team 2 - go for stud QB & TE

QB - Brees

RB - Rice, Grant, Moreno, R. Bush

WR - Jennings, Ochocinco, Harvin

TE - Clark

I don't see anything lost at TE at team 1, but significant difference at QB. I don't see a huge dropoff at RB from 1 to 2, but the WR's on team 2 would make me very nervous in an 8 team.

 

[SSOG]

Okay, cool. And I have to admit that overthinking is something I do in general way too much , so it is always good to get an outside perspective. Also, you are that adamant about CJ over AP at 1, eh?

Yeah. Peterson makes me wary. His performance dropped a lot last year, enough to make me wonder if he was hiding an injury. Also, Minnesota's offensive line is hugely overrated at this point, and I don't think Brett Favre manages to recapture the magic from last season (which means fewer TDs to go around and more defensive attention on Peterson). All in all, they're little things that wouldn't prevent me from drafting Peterson in the top 4... but which would prevent me from drafting him at #1 overall.

 

[theplayer11]

Okay, cool. And I have to admit that overthinking is something I do in general way too much , so it is always good to get an outside perspective. Also, you are that adamant about CJ over AP at 1, eh?

Yeah. Peterson makes me wary. His performance dropped a lot last year, enough to make me wonder if he was hiding an injury. Also, Minnesota's offensive line is hugely overrated at this point, and I don't think Brett Favre manages to recapture the magic from last season (which means fewer TDs to go around and more defensive attention on Peterson). All in all, they're little things that wouldn't prevent me from drafting Peterson in the top 4... but which would prevent me from drafting him at #1 overall.

dropped a lot? yeah, a whopping 66 total yards....8 more TD's last year than the year before and his catches doubled

 

[SSOG]

How? By posting anecdotes about his KEEPER league and making statements that no one will disagree with?We aren't talking about Aaron Rodgers vs. Correll Buckhalter here. We are talking a different roster altogether:So I looked at ADP for an 8 teamer at FFC. Here is the teams I came up with through 9 rounds (figured after that would match up closely except for team 2 still needed a backup QB):Team 1 - wait on QB & TE till after round 6:QB - Kolb, Favre (could have gone with Flacco or Cutler here as well)RB - Rice, Grant, BestWR - CJ, Jennings, Smith (NYG)TE - Witten (ADP in round 7)Team 2 - go for stud QB & TEQB - BreesRB - Rice, Grant, Moreno, R. BushWR - Jennings, Ochocinco, HarvinTE - ClarkI don't see anything lost at TE at team 1, but significant difference at QB. I don't see a huge dropoff at RB from 1 to 2, but the WR's on team 2 would make me very nervous in an 8 team.

Team 2 would destroy team 1, IMO. There's a great chance that Kolb and Favre both wind up outside of the top 10, in which case the Brees owner is absolutely WRECKING them- we're talking about a 5-10 PPG difference. Clark provides another couple PPG advantage over Witten. Rice/Grant is a wash, Jennings is a wash, so then it's a question of whether CJ/Smith can make up a 10-12 PPG difference over Ocho/Harvin. I don't think they can. I also think team 2 will have a much easier time finding a capable WR3 on the wire than team 1 will have finding an upgrade at QB.

 

[SSOG]

Okay, cool. And I have to admit that overthinking is something I do in general way too much , so it is always good to get an outside perspective. Also, you are that adamant about CJ over AP at 1, eh?

Yeah. Peterson makes me wary. His performance dropped a lot last year, enough to make me wonder if he was hiding an injury. Also, Minnesota's offensive line is hugely overrated at this point, and I don't think Brett Favre manages to recapture the magic from last season (which means fewer TDs to go around and more defensive attention on Peterson). All in all, they're little things that wouldn't prevent me from drafting Peterson in the top 4... but which would prevent me from drafting him at #1 overall.

dropped a lot? yeah, a whopping 66 total yards....8 more TD's last year than the year before and his catches doubled

5.6 > 4.8 > 4.4. That's Peterson's ypc over the past 3 years. That's a pretty precipitous drop. It's especially telling that Peterson posted his worst ypc average in the one season where he's had an explosive passing game actually occupying defensive attention and getting that safety out of the box.There's more to performance than aggregate numbers... unless, of course, you think that Thomas Jones was the 6th best RB in the league last year.

 

[theplayer11]

Okay, cool. And I have to admit that overthinking is something I do in general way too much , so it is always good to get an outside perspective. Also, you are that adamant about CJ over AP at 1, eh?

Yeah. Peterson makes me wary. His performance dropped a lot last year, enough to make me wonder if he was hiding an injury. Also, Minnesota's offensive line is hugely overrated at this point, and I don't think Brett Favre manages to recapture the magic from last season (which means fewer TDs to go around and more defensive attention on Peterson). All in all, they're little things that wouldn't prevent me from drafting Peterson in the top 4... but which would prevent me from drafting him at #1 overall.

dropped a lot? yeah, a whopping 66 total yards....8 more TD's last year than the year before and his catches doubled

5.6 > 4.8 > 4.4. That's Peterson's ypc over the past 3 years. That's a pretty precipitous drop. It's especially telling that Peterson posted his worst ypc average in the one season where he's had an explosive passing game actually occupying defensive attention and getting that safety out of the box.There's more to performance than aggregate numbers... unless, of course, you think that Thomas Jones was the 6th best RB in the league last year.

we are talking fantasy here right? all that matters is total yards and TD's

 

[jwb]

Keeper league makes things very different as the player pool has changed greatly before the draft even starts.Sure if you nail the QB/TE combo as a pair of top 3 guys, you are in good shape. But the same could be said in 2010 if you nailed on 5 of your 6 RB/WR picks and then got guys like Favre & Vernon Davis after round 6 (they both would have been there last year and finished top 3 at their position).Its the nature of an 8 team league. Fill in talent is plentiful, but studs are required to win it. You have to have at least 2 to win it all. I think getting 3 of the top 25 RB's and 3 of the top 25 WR's gives you the best chance and you still get to choose a top 10 QB & TE.ETA: And you can also grab your QB2 & TE2 right away and land 2 top 10 guys at both position.

You're speaking in 12-team terms. Getting a pair of top-10 QBs is great in a 12 teamer. It's a death sentence in an 8-teamer. The difference between Aaron Rodgers (QB1) and Eli Manning (QB10) last year was 104 points. That's the difference between Steven Jackson (RB10) and Correll Buckhalter (RB41). Guys in the 16-24 range aren't going to win you anything in an 8-teamer. Guys in the top 3 at their position, regardless of position, are the guys who win you trophies.

SSOG is owning this thread.In an 8 teamer, position scarcity doesn't exist. You get as many stars as possible, regardless of position, and then fill in holes later. IMO, there are 8 stud RBs, 5 stud QBs, 8 stud WRs, and 4 stud TEs. That is 25 players. Your job is to get FOUR of them. If you get more, the better. Best case scenario is that you get a stud RB in round 1 and 3 other studs at other positions.If you can come out the draft with Ray Rice, Roddy White, Tony Romo and Antonio Gates in a PPR league.......wow, you're on your way.

Yup. I just did an 8-teamer. Picked 8th. Went with the "get someone good at all 4 positions" theory, which I think works best in an 8-teamer:1.8 - Rodgers2.1 - Calvin3.8 - Matthews4.1 - FinleyI love this start. I then filled in w/ bpa - Crabby, CJ Spiller, Foster, Welker, J Stew, Bowe, Knox, etc. I didn't worry about RB's as much because the top 6 (and AJ) were gone when I picked, and I knew I'd get the rookies later. Also, in this league, fill-in RB's are easy to get on the ww. Jerome Harrison won me this league last year.I think Rodgers/Finley will be lethal this year, and Calvin finally has his top 3 year.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

I've played in two 8 team leagues since 1990, and I tend to agree with the camp that recommends getting studs at whatever position that presents the best option. Also, I have found that published ADP's tend to be very inaccurate in 8 team leagues since there are so few of them to contribute to the data. When drafting in the late 1st, I strongly favor going WR1 and stud QB or WR2. Good running back have always seemed to come back in rounds 3 and 4. I don't have any great arguments or profound words, but in my leagues at least, going early WR/QB has paid better dividends over the years.

 

[theplayer11]

please explain how in a 8 teamer, a QB1 would be more important than in a 12 teamer where the drop off would be greater...doesn't make sense.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

please explain how in a 8 teamer, a QB1 would be more important than in a 12 teamer where the drop off would be greater...doesn't make sense.

please explain how in a 8 teamer, a QB1 would be more important than in a 12 teamer where the drop off would be greater...doesn't make sense.

In my opinion, it all boils down to the fact that the very top QB's are so consistent, and in an 8 teamer, I have always been able to get good RBs in round 3 and later. In a 12 teamer, I am not as comfortable on waiting for my RB1 because so many more RBs will be off the board quicker.

 

[SSOG]

we are talking fantasy here right? all that matters is total yards and TD's

After the season, all that matters is TDs and yards. Before the season, when trying to PREDICT who will get the TDs and yards, a lot more matters than just "TDs and yards". Things like "Adrian Peterson really struggled on a per-play basis last year" do bear some tiny bit of relevance when trying to predict how Adrian Peterson will do this year. I know that a lot of people will say otherwise. They're the same people who were busy saying otherwise last year when threads were started questioning how good Matt Forte (he of the 3.9 yards per carry average) was.Again, I'm not saying I'd drop him out of the top 4, but the fact that his ypc average has been steadily declining is a red flag. He didn't look like his usual self last season, to the point where I question whether he was hiding an injury. When deciding between Peterson and Mendenhall, that's irrelevant. When deciding between Peterson and Johnson, though, it matters.

please explain how in a 8 teamer, a QB1 would be more important than in a 12 teamer where the drop off would be greater...doesn't make sense.

The drop is greater at ALL positions in a 12 teamer. It them becomes a question of where the drop is greater by the greatest amount, if that makes sense. In a 12 teamer, RBs are so valuable because of position scarcity. In an 8 teamer, there is no positional scarcity, which means RBs are relatively less valuable when compared to their QB/WR peers.It's not that QBs are more valuable in an absolute sense, it's that everything else becomes less valuable by a greater amount than QBs, which makes QBs more valuable in a relative sense.

 

[theplayer11]

please explain how in a 8 teamer, a QB1 would be more important than in a 12 teamer where the drop off would be greater...doesn't make sense.

please explain how in a 8 teamer, a QB1 would be more important than in a 12 teamer where the drop off would be greater...doesn't make sense.

In my opinion, it all boils down to the fact that the very top QB's are so consistent, and in an 8 teamer, I have always been able to get good RBs in round 3 and later. In a 12 teamer, I am not as comfortable on waiting for my RB1 because so many more RBs will be off the board quicker.

Ok..I see where you are coming from...I think the difference is that in the 8 teamers I have played in, the rosters are much deeper, starting 3 RB, 3 WRs and at least 2 flex. Starting any less does not make sense to me..who wants to play in a league where every team is absolutely stacked?..yuck I like leagues where guys like Bradshaw, Felix Jones, Forsett, ect actually have value.

 

[humpback]

Yup. I just did an 8-teamer. Picked 8th. Went with the "get someone good at all 4 positions" theory, which I think works best in an 8-teamer:1.8 - Rodgers2.1 - Calvin3.8 - Matthews4.1 - FinleyI love this start. I then filled in w/ bpa - Crabby, CJ Spiller, Foster, Welker, J Stew, Bowe, Knox, etc. I didn't worry about RB's as much because the top 6 (and AJ) were gone when I picked, and I knew I'd get the rookies later. Also, in this league, fill-in RB's are easy to get on the ww. Jerome Harrison won me this league last year.I think Rodgers/Finley will be lethal this year, and Calvin finally has his top 3 year.

No offense, and maybe I'm off a bit because I don't play in shallow leagues like this, but your team looks kind of awful to me for an 8-teamer.

 

[Jayrod]

I must admit that after arguing here, I've changed my mind and been convinced that grabbing a QB early is a good idea. Props to SSOG on that.

However, getting a TE early (rounds 3-5) doesn't make as much sense to me. I think you grab one of the top 5 TE's (Gates, Finley, Witten, Clark & Davis) in the 7th round after getting 1QB, 2-3 RB's & 2-3 WR's. If they go early, you could take one in the 6th instead.

Of course how the draft actually goes could make all of this go out the window. (One screwy drafter can effect a lot more in an 8 teamer than a 10 or 12)

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

please explain how in a 8 teamer, a QB1 would be more important than in a 12 teamer where the drop off would be greater...doesn't make sense.

please explain how in a 8 teamer, a QB1 would be more important than in a 12 teamer where the drop off would be greater...doesn't make sense.

In my opinion, it all boils down to the fact that the very top QB's are so consistent, and in an 8 teamer, I have always been able to get good RBs in round 3 and later. In a 12 teamer, I am not as comfortable on waiting for my RB1 because so many more RBs will be off the board quicker.

Ok..I see where you are coming from...I think the difference is that in the 8 teamers I have played in, the rosters are much deeper, starting 3 RB, 3 WRs and at least 2 flex. Starting any less does not make sense to me..who wants to play in a league where every team is absolutely stacked?..yuck I like leagues where guys like Bradshaw, Felix Jones, Forsett, ect actually have value.

Yep..a deeper starting line-up would definitely change my strategy...and would probably change the strategy of the rest of the league as well...meaning less chance to get RB value later. I agree.As for wanting to play in a stacked team league, well...I like playing FF, and since I could not get my old time leagues to change from 3 division of 8 to 2 divisions of 12...or enact a deeper starting lineup, I just joined other leagues that did have such things. No reason for me to quit on my old buddies though.

 

[SSOG]

Ok..I see where you are coming from...I think the difference is that in the 8 teamers I have played in, the rosters are much deeper, starting 3 RB, 3 WRs and at least 2 flex. Starting any less does not make sense to me..who wants to play in a league where every team is absolutely stacked?..yuck I like leagues where guys like Bradshaw, Felix Jones, Forsett, ect actually have value.

Deeper rosters changes the equation. It reintroduces positional scarcity, which bumps the value of RBs back up again.Edit: positional value is always a result of positional scarcity. The most scarce position is the most valuable position. In a 12-team 1/2/3/1 league, that position is RB. In a 10 team 2/2/3/1 league, that position is QB. In an 8-team 1/2/3/1 league, there is no positional scarcity. In a 14 team 1/1/3/1 league with an RB/WR flex, that position is WR. Adding another starting QB requirement increases the value of QBs. Adding another starting WR requirement increases the value of WRs. If you ever want to know which positions are most valuable in your own league, you should always begin by figuring out positional scarcity.

Yup. I just did an 8-teamer. Picked 8th. Went with the "get someone good at all 4 positions" theory, which I think works best in an 8-teamer:1.8 - Rodgers2.1 - Calvin3.8 - Matthews4.1 - FinleyI love this start. I then filled in w/ bpa - Crabby, CJ Spiller, Foster, Welker, J Stew, Bowe, Knox, etc. I didn't worry about RB's as much because the top 6 (and AJ) were gone when I picked, and I knew I'd get the rookies later. Also, in this league, fill-in RB's are easy to get on the ww. Jerome Harrison won me this league last year.I think Rodgers/Finley will be lethal this year, and Calvin finally has his top 3 year.

No offense, and maybe I'm off a bit because I don't play in shallow leagues like this, but your team looks kind of awful to me for an 8-teamer.

I actually like that team a lot.

 

[sezu]

Ok..I see where you are coming from...I think the difference is that in the 8 teamers I have played in, the rosters are much deeper, starting 3 RB, 3 WRs and at least 2 flex. Starting any less does not make sense to me..who wants to play in a league where every team is absolutely stacked?..yuck I like leagues where guys like Bradshaw, Felix Jones, Forsett, ect actually have value.

Unfortunately this is exactly the situation one one of my leagues. 3wr, 2rb, 1flex. Everyone's loaded. Nothing to be done about it now. So what do you do in-season to manage this? Where do you find an advantage?

 

[SSOG]

I must admit that after arguing here, I've changed my mind and been convinced that grabbing a QB early is a good idea. Props to SSOG on that.

However, getting a TE early (rounds 3-5) doesn't make as much sense to me. I think you grab one of the top 5 TE's (Gates, Finley, Witten, Clark & Davis) in the 7th round after getting 1QB, 2-3 RB's & 2-3 WR's. If they go early, you could take one in the 6th instead.

Of course how the draft actually goes could make all of this go out the window. (One screwy drafter can effect a lot more in an 8 teamer than a 10 or 12)

For what it's worth, I agree with you that this year it doesn't make as much sense to be the first guy to grab a TE. I still think that Gates is going to be a difference maker, and Finley might join him, but by and large that top tier is bigger than it has been in the past. In my keeper league, this was the first year that I didn't keep Antonio Gates (would have cost a 7th), and I also passed on keeping Celek for a 20th. I just don't think the top TEs this year are as valuable as they've been in years past. That could easily change next year if Finley and Vernon Davis live up to expectations.

 

[SSOG]

Unfortunately this is exactly the situation one one of my leagues. 3wr, 2rb, 1flex. Everyone's loaded. Nothing to be done about it now. So what do you do in-season to manage this? Where do you find an advantage?

2-for-1 trades are the key to dominating. Any time you can trade depth for starters, you win. If you trade the #10 RB and the #12 RB for the #6 RB, you win. Trades that would look absolutely INSANE in 12-teamers become total steals in 8-teamers, because again, it all comes down to who is holding the most difference makers. I would trade a boatload of depth or quality contributors for a single difference maker.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

Ok..I see where you are coming from...I think the difference is that in the 8 teamers I have played in, the rosters are much deeper, starting 3 RB, 3 WRs and at least 2 flex. Starting any less does not make sense to me..who wants to play in a league where every team is absolutely stacked?..yuck I like leagues where guys like Bradshaw, Felix Jones, Forsett, ect actually have value.

Unfortunately this is exactly the situation one one of my leagues. 3wr, 2rb, 1flex. Everyone's loaded. Nothing to be done about it now. So what do you do in-season to manage this? Where do you find an advantage?

Trades, waiver wire pick-ups and good weekly line-up choices. Oh, and luck helps a lot as well.

 

[the rover]

Unfortunately this is exactly the situation one one of my leagues. 3wr, 2rb, 1flex. Everyone's loaded. Nothing to be done about it now. So what do you do in-season to manage this? Where do you find an advantage?

everyone seems loaded, but some players will disappoint, and some undrafted players will end up in the top 10 of their positions. depending on how long your benches are, instead of solely loading up on depth, grab a few very high risk/high reward guys.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

Unfortunately this is exactly the situation one one of my leagues. 3wr, 2rb, 1flex. Everyone's loaded. Nothing to be done about it now. So what do you do in-season to manage this? Where do you find an advantage?

2-for-1 trades are the key to dominating. Any time you can trade depth for starters, you win. If you trade the #10 RB and the #12 RB for the #6 RB, you win. Trades that would look absolutely INSANE in 12-teamers become total steals in 8-teamers, because again, it all comes down to who is holding the most difference makers. I would trade a boatload of depth or quality contributors for a single difference maker.

True, but not all leagues allow 2 for 1 trades. In that case, just accept any other player the other guy wishes to get rid of. You can then keep him, trade him or drop him for a waiver pick up.On a similar note, this brings up another advantage that is possible in certain leagues. In one of my eight team leagues, when a 2 for 1 trade is made, the roster spot goes along with the trade. For example, both teams have 20 roster spots before the trade. After the 2 for 1 trade, one team now has 19 roster spots and the other has 21. This can make for some interesting strategies. If you are really good, you can get a sizable roster of quality players to better play the weekly match-ups.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

Unfortunately this is exactly the situation one one of my leagues. 3wr, 2rb, 1flex. Everyone's loaded. Nothing to be done about it now. So what do you do in-season to manage this? Where do you find an advantage?

everyone seems loaded, but some players will disappoint, and some undrafted players will end up in the top 10 of their positions. depending on how long your benches are, instead of solely loading up on depth, grab a few very high risk/high reward guys.

 

[humpback]

Yup. I just did an 8-teamer. Picked 8th. Went with the "get someone good at all 4 positions" theory, which I think works best in an 8-teamer:1.8 - Rodgers2.1 - Calvin3.8 - Matthews4.1 - FinleyI love this start. I then filled in w/ bpa - Crabby, CJ Spiller, Foster, Welker, J Stew, Bowe, Knox, etc. I didn't worry about RB's as much because the top 6 (and AJ) were gone when I picked, and I knew I'd get the rookies later. Also, in this league, fill-in RB's are easy to get on the ww. Jerome Harrison won me this league last year.I think Rodgers/Finley will be lethal this year, and Calvin finally has his top 3 year.

No offense, and maybe I'm off a bit because I don't play in shallow leagues like this, but your team looks kind of awful to me for an 8-teamer.

I actually like that team a lot.

For an 8-team redraft league? I like Rodgers a ton, but it's entirely possible that 3 or 4 other QBs come fairly close to his scoring (that's about 1/2 the league's starters). Calvin could be the top WR but I'd bet that he's "only" a middle of the pack #1 WR in this league (and could be much worse). I love Finley, but same thing- more than half the league could have TEs that put up comparable numbers this year. Rodgers is his only "difference maker", and even that may not happen.I don't know how many they start or scoring system, and we haven't seen any other rosters, but Mathews, Spiller, Foster and Stewart aren't scaring anyone in an 8-teamer. My guess is there will be more than one team that have multiple RBs better than his best option. Calvin, Crabs, Welker, Bowe and Knox is probably in the middle to lower half of the league as well. Just not seeing it.

 

[jwb]

Yup. I just did an 8-teamer. Picked 8th. Went with the "get someone good at all 4 positions" theory, which I think works best in an 8-teamer:1.8 - Rodgers2.1 - Calvin3.8 - Matthews4.1 - FinleyI love this start. I then filled in w/ bpa - Crabby, CJ Spiller, Foster, Welker, J Stew, Bowe, Knox, etc. I didn't worry about RB's as much because the top 6 (and AJ) were gone when I picked, and I knew I'd get the rookies later. Also, in this league, fill-in RB's are easy to get on the ww. Jerome Harrison won me this league last year.I think Rodgers/Finley will be lethal this year, and Calvin finally has his top 3 year.

No offense, and maybe I'm off a bit because I don't play in shallow leagues like this, but your team looks kind of awful to me for an 8-teamer.

I actually like that team a lot.

For an 8-team redraft league? I like Rodgers a ton, but it's entirely possible that 3 or 4 other QBs come fairly close to his scoring (that's about 1/2 the league's starters). Calvin could be the top WR but I'd bet that he's "only" a middle of the pack #1 WR in this league (and could be much worse). I love Finley, but same thing- more than half the league could have TEs that put up comparable numbers this year. Rodgers is his only "difference maker", and even that may not happen.I don't know how many they start or scoring system, and we haven't seen any other rosters, but Mathews, Spiller, Foster and Stewart aren't scaring anyone in an 8-teamer. My guess is there will be more than one team that have multiple RBs better than his best option. Calvin, Crabs, Welker, Bowe and Knox is probably in the middle to lower half of the league as well. Just not seeing it.

I like it a lot (no offense taken by the way). I personally think 3 of my first 4 picks will finish top 3 in their respective categories, and Matthews has a nice year as well. In fact, I think the Rodgers/Finley combo becomes lethal.

 

[Vicktimized]

Yup. I just did an 8-teamer. Picked 8th. Went with the "get someone good at all 4 positions" theory, which I think works best in an 8-teamer:1.8 - Rodgers2.1 - Calvin3.8 - Matthews4.1 - FinleyI love this start. I then filled in w/ bpa - Crabby, CJ Spiller, Foster, Welker, J Stew, Bowe, Knox, etc. I didn't worry about RB's as much because the top 6 (and AJ) were gone when I picked, and I knew I'd get the rookies later. Also, in this league, fill-in RB's are easy to get on the ww. Jerome Harrison won me this league last year.I think Rodgers/Finley will be lethal this year, and Calvin finally has his top 3 year.

No offense, and maybe I'm off a bit because I don't play in shallow leagues like this, but your team looks kind of awful to me for an 8-teamer.

I actually like that team a lot.

For an 8-team redraft league? I like Rodgers a ton, but it's entirely possible that 3 or 4 other QBs come fairly close to his scoring (that's about 1/2 the league's starters). Calvin could be the top WR but I'd bet that he's "only" a middle of the pack #1 WR in this league (and could be much worse). I love Finley, but same thing- more than half the league could have TEs that put up comparable numbers this year. Rodgers is his only "difference maker", and even that may not happen.I don't know how many they start or scoring system, and we haven't seen any other rosters, but Mathews, Spiller, Foster and Stewart aren't scaring anyone in an 8-teamer. My guess is there will be more than one team that have multiple RBs better than his best option. Calvin, Crabs, Welker, Bowe and Knox is probably in the middle to lower half of the league as well. Just not seeing it.

Eye of the beholder. Personally, I wouldn't fault anyone for ranking Calvin 1 or 2 overall at WR ... after dominating like he did with nothing around him two years ago, he's got the best situation of his career in 2010. Rodgers to Finley could lift him to a number of wins -- in some ways, I like getting my qb and TE early in an eight teamer b/c it almost guarantees you an advantage on a lot of teams. Meanwhile, everyone's going to have good wrs and rbs ... a Reggie Wayne/Fitzgerald combo might best Calvin Johnson/Crabtree, but if Crabtree pans out is it really that big of an advantage from week to week? Do you have me slam dunk beaten if I have a Calvin Johnson that can go for 110-2 on any given week?

 

[Vicktimized]

Keeper league makes things very different as the player pool has changed greatly before the draft even starts.Sure if you nail the QB/TE combo as a pair of top 3 guys, you are in good shape. But the same could be said in 2010 if you nailed on 5 of your 6 RB/WR picks and then got guys like Favre & Vernon Davis after round 6 (they both would have been there last year and finished top 3 at their position).Its the nature of an 8 team league. Fill in talent is plentiful, but studs are required to win it. You have to have at least 2 to win it all. I think getting 3 of the top 25 RB's and 3 of the top 25 WR's gives you the best chance and you still get to choose a top 10 QB & TE.ETA: And you can also grab your QB2 & TE2 right away and land 2 top 10 guys at both position.

You're speaking in 12-team terms. Getting a pair of top-10 QBs is great in a 12 teamer. It's a death sentence in an 8-teamer. The difference between Aaron Rodgers (QB1) and Eli Manning (QB10) last year was 104 points. That's the difference between Steven Jackson (RB10) and Correll Buckhalter (RB41). Guys in the 16-24 range aren't going to win you anything in an 8-teamer. Guys in the top 3 at their position, regardless of position, are the guys who win you trophies.

SSOG is owning this thread.In an 8 teamer, position scarcity doesn't exist. You get as many stars as possible, regardless of position, and then fill in holes later. IMO, there are 8 stud RBs, 5 stud QBs, 8 stud WRs, and 4 stud TEs. That is 25 players. Your job is to get FOUR of them. If you get more, the better. Best case scenario is that you get a stud RB in round 1 and 3 other studs at other positions.If you can come out the draft with Ray Rice, Roddy White, Tony Romo and Antonio Gates in a PPR league.......wow, you're on your way.

Where are your cutoffs among the studs? I've got 6 stud qbs and 7 stud rbs, curious to who you've cut out.