Anyone use a Straight Draft? (1 Viewer)

[ahill84006]

Do any of you guys use a straight draft instead of a snake draft? We have considered this for our league next year. We are a re-draft league currently, but we are leaning toward a keeper league. A few of the guys in my league have shown a little hesitation on switching how we draft. Any suggestions?????

 

[Eli2Shockey]

Do any of you guys use a straight draft instead of a snake draft? We have considered this for our league next year. We are a re-draft league currently, but we are leaning toward a keeper league. A few of the guys in my league have shown a little hesitation on switching how we draft. Any suggestions?????

I would definitely suggest not doing this. The teams drafting in the first 3 spots would have a huge advantage.

 

[matuski]

If you like less parity, less competition, less fun, and people quitting on the league half-way through - this would be the way to go.

But thats just my opinion...

 

[zadok]

Do any of you guys use a straight draft instead of a snake draft?  We have considered this for our league next year.  We are a re-draft league currently, but we are leaning toward a keeper league.  A few of the guys in my league have shown a little hesitation on switching how we draft.  Any suggestions?????

I would definitely suggest not doing this. The teams drafting in the first 3 spots would have a huge advantage.

For the initial draft, you can snake it, but going forward in a keeper league I would ALWAYS go straight year after year. I was in a startup Dynasty league last year and we filled our rosters via auction - much better than snake format, IMHO.

 

[T Man]

Do any of you guys use a straight draft instead of a snake draft?  We have considered this for our league next year.  We are a re-draft league currently, but we are leaning toward a keeper league.  A few of the guys in my league have shown a little hesitation on switching how we draft.  Any suggestions?????

I would definitely suggest not doing this. The teams drafting in the first 3 spots would have a huge advantage.

A straight draft based upon reverse finishing position (ala the NFL) can work for Dynassty leagues (i.e., rookie drafts); however, the first draft for a league should be based upon some serpentine model (single, double, etc) or auction. Otherwise the first 3 positions each round would be light years ahead for the next few years.

 

[TC]

I would definitely suggest not doing this. The teams drafting in the first 3 spots would have a huge advantage.

True. You say that likes it's a bad thing. In a format that has season-to-season keepers team rosters are seldom 'even' and a draft advantage is needed for the good of the group. After 11 years of doing a stright draft, we'll continue that format at International Fantasy Football League

 

[Zowned]

Depends on how many you are keeping. I am in a league that keeps 8 that doesn't snake and a league that keeps 2 that does snake.

 

[ahill84006]

Depends on how many you are keeping. I am in a league that keeps 8 that doesn't snake and a league that keeps 2 that does snake.

We have discussed keeping 4. No limit on how long we keep them. I believe if the keeper thing goes over, then we will eventually go to a dynasty league.

 

[brettdj]

I am in a 2 player keeper. Straight draft.

 

[s1eepinglionhart]

I am in a 2 player keeper. Straight draft.

The TD-only league I'm in allows protection of up to 2 players, for your 2nd and 1st round picks, resepctively. Draft order is almost exclusively based on reverse finishing order (exception being that the worst team picks last).

 

[Franknbeans]

Yes, I did a study of our league (10 teams, 4 keepers) a few years ago and found that when we used a snake draft the teams who had the 8,9 and 10 draft positions tended to do much better the next season as well. Since they were at the bottom of the draft order they got 2 great to good players while the teams who drafted in the 1,2, 3 slots were left picking up scraps for their 2nd round picks. So, it made it that much harder for teams who did crappy one year (bottom 5 of the league) to improve into the upper half of the league the following season. Likewise, the teams who did well the prior year tended to stay in the top half of the league the following season.

Since the change to a straight draft we've had at least one team go from worst to first in a single season and many others who went from 8th or 9th to 2nd or 1st. It makes our draft much more important for deciding where you will finish and that makes it more interesting and enjoyable for everyone.

I agree that it is dependent on the number of keepers in the league. This may not work as well if you go with 3 or fewer keepers.

and the straight draft has improved parity in our league by leaps and bounds.

 

[Hobbes]

We do a straight draft for our dynasty league...but of course we purposefully want to give an advantage to the worse teams.

 

[BroadwayG]

If it's a money league, expect some if not all of the people to quit.

 

[WisWolvrns]

:X snake drafts :X

I still don't know why people use them... as the poster above mentioned, instead of a bonus for the early picking teams, it turns out to be a bonus for the later picking teams... which usually are the playoff teams... part of the issue is the scoring system and starting lineups too. If RBs are over valued in the scoring and starting (can start 3+/week) that will cause even more unbalance in a snake.

In the league I have run for the past 15 years, we do neither. We actually just shift each round up one and wrap around. After the first round, each owner then picks the same amount of picks between or gets a double pick. (# owners+1 is the same distance between all your picks all draft long, except on your double) So you eliminate the fluctuating lengths between your picks which makes it difficult to counter runs and keeps every owner more involved, but still keep the bonus double picks. Each owner ends up with 2-3 double picks through the draft, adding more strategy. I have to admit it took some convincing 15 years ago when everyone was clamoring to keep the snake draft, but we have never once wanted to go back! I'd suggest doing a mock draft with 11 other guys and see how things turn out. Or check out our site's previous year drafts: WAFFLE 2005 Draft

We use IDP too, so things might work different in an offense only league. (I'd propose use of IDPs too!) We start a full 11 IDPs each week and the offenses score about 60% to 40% defense, so fairly balanced. 30 round draft/rosters.

Example:

Round 1 - Round 2 - Round 3 - Round 4... etc...

1 - 12 - 11 - 10

2 - 1 - 12 - 11

3 - 2 - 1 - 12

4 - 3 - 2 - 1

5 - 4 - 3 - 2

6 - 5 - 4 - 3

7 - 6 - 5 - 4

8 - 7 - 6 - 5

9 - 8 - 7 - 6

10 - 9 - 8 - 7

11 - 10 - 9 - 8

12 - 11 - 10 - 9

The first round draft order is randomly assigned. The 6 non-playoff teams get Round 1 picks 1-5 or 12 (because of the double pick is better than 6th). The playoff teams randomly get assigned 6-11. It works out great, all the teams turn out competitive and the difference is the better drafters, not the luck of ones draft position.

As for full dynasty league (keep all your roster) rookie drafts, a straight draft is the way to go. Based on how teams finished the previous year. It is good for the NFL, so why not a fantasy rookie draft too?

 

[Maelstrom]

We switched to a straight draft last season, and it worked great. We keep 2

in my work league where we do this, and the draft order is the reverse of the previous year's finish excepting the first round where the bottom four teams from the previous year did battle for the first four overall picks in a consolation bowl during weeks 15/16.

I was a little apprehensive, but I think it really helps balance the competitive edge in our work league where FF ability and the time invested varies greatly from one individual to another.

 

[Pipes]

:X snake drafts :X

I still don't know why people use them... as the poster above mentioned, instead of a bonus for the early picking teams, it turns out to be a bonus for the later picking teams... which usually are the playoff teams... part of the issue is the scoring system and starting lineups too. If RBs are over valued in the scoring and starting (can start 3+/week) that will cause even more unbalance in a snake.

In the league I have run for the past 15 years, we do neither. We actually just shift each round up one and wrap around. After the first round, each owner then picks the same amount of picks between or gets a double pick. (# owners+1 is the same distance between all your picks all draft long, except on your double) So you eliminate the fluctuating lengths between your picks which makes it difficult to counter runs and keeps every owner more involved, but still keep the bonus double picks. Each owner ends up with 2-3 double picks through the draft, adding more strategy. I have to admit it took some convincing 15 years ago when everyone was clamoring to keep the snake draft, but we have never once wanted to go back! I'd suggest doing a mock draft with 11 other guys and see how things turn out. Or check out our site's previous year drafts: WAFFLE 2005 Draft

We use IDP too, so things might work different in an offense only league. (I'd propose use of IDPs too!) We start a full 11 IDPs each week and the offenses score about 60% to 40% defense, so fairly balanced. 30 round draft/rosters.

Example:

Round 1 - Round 2 - Round 3 - Round 4... etc...

1 - 12 - 11 - 10

2 - 1 - 12 - 11

3 - 2 - 1 - 12

4 - 3 - 2 - 1

5 - 4 - 3 - 2

6 - 5 - 4 - 3

7 - 6 - 5 - 4

8 - 7 - 6 - 5

9 - 8 - 7 - 6

10 - 9 - 8 - 7

11 - 10 - 9 - 8

12 - 11 - 10 - 9

The first round draft order is randomly assigned. The 6 non-playoff teams get Round 1 picks 1-5 or 12 (because of the double pick is better than 6th). The playoff teams randomly get assigned 6-11. It works out great, all the teams turn out competitive and the difference is the better drafters, not the luck of ones draft position.

As for full dynasty league (keep all your roster) rookie drafts, a straight draft is the way to go. Based on how teams finished the previous year. It is good for the NFL, so why not a fantasy rookie draft too?

Give me the 4th pick please with this format. I wouldn't want to be picking 10-12 in this format. Great I get the 1st pick in the 9th round. I just don't see how this format would work in a redraft league...maybe with an IDP with a larger talent pool but not in a team defense league.

 

[Domination]

I believe you have to start with a snake draft in order to spread the talent around. But after that the drafts should definitely be straight in order to help the worst teams to improve. If you do a straight draft from the beginning you will give a huge advantage to the people picking in the beginning. Which will most likely cause you to lose some owners because it will take them too much time to get in top.

 

[WisWolvrns]

:

Give me the 4th pick please with this format. I wouldn't want to be picking 10-12 in this format. Great I get the 1st pick in the 9th round. I just don't see how this format would work in a redraft league...maybe with an IDP with a larger talent pool but not in a team defense league.

If you have the 4th pick overall, you were not a playoff team the previous season... Which I think you would agree wouldn't be a good situation. Where you pick 1st in later rounds doesn't matter, since you are picking every 13th pick, all draft long, after your 1st round pick. (other than the couple double picks each team gets).

If your draft is only 15 rounds or less, then it might not work, but for a full IDP lineup and 30 round draft, we have found this ordering to be superior to any snake type drafts. Owners don't lose interest having to wait in upwards to 24 picks in between their selections and you can react to player runs and the like more easily since you are picking players at a constant rate.