I have made one executive decision - and recommend another.
For position eligibility, I have set the criteria for 15 games played to be eligible at a position. This uses whatever data feed Fantrax uses - it is about as objective as we can get.
But, I recommend a small committee of 3 to over-ride these settings if the situation warrants. The only time I see this becoming an issue is the definition and use of wingbacks. For example, Fantrax classifies players like Marcos Alonso, Victor Moses and Kolasinak as MFs - while the official game, and I think most observers, classify them as defenders.
At a minimum, I think we should get some consensus on that position in particular before a draft - even if that consensus is to leave the eligibility determination to fantrax.
I want to re-visit this - because I looked at the players this morning, and there were a number of really odd results.
Turns out there are two positional oddities - wingbacks and AMs.
Wingbacks should be fairly easy to identify and address - I am inclined to treat them as FBs, most are already listed as Defenders, and I think that is what most people consider wingbacks. (And the official PL game treats them as Ds) Though, oddly enough, Fantrax lists Moses as only a M under any criteria
But, the more difficult position are the AMs - particularly with teams that might play with a 433 - which turns nominal midfielders into forwards.
Alexis Sanchez - AM who plays forward - this is an easy one, and I can see why he is classified as a forward - but the official game lists him as a MF; Hazard is another player who straddles the line between AM and forward.
Ôzil - this is one that really stuck out to me - Fantrax lists him as F 16 games and M 10 games in 17/18 - so he was listed as only a F when I set the criteria to 15 games played. On its face, nobody thinks of Ôzil as a F, but in truth, when he plays in the 433, he is usually playing a forward spot, albeit in a playmaker role.
I am trying to find the right balance between positional flexibility and creating unrealistic rosters.
If I set the criteria to 15 games from the current season to qualify for a new position, it still creates a number of multi-position players:
M/F - Eriksen, Hazard, Sanchez, Salah, Sterling, Mahrez, Firmino, Sane, Dele, Lingard, Ozil, etc...
The impact really comes down to position scarcity - the fewer forwards there are, the more valuable a good F becomes.
Thoughts? Do we want more positional flexibility, or less flexibility?
The current league settings - if you look at the player lists on the site - are set to 15 games current season, and 10 games previous season. That has reduced a lot of the M/F combos. There are sill some oddities - like Ozil - but not nearly as many. (and if I don't put a threshold on games played the previous season, it made a player eligible at any position played last season - so there were a handful of players eligible at D/M/F)
ETA - I just changed the settings to 15 games this season, 15 games last season, and it make Ozil a F only - I have a hard time with that - and I am not even putting Ozil on my draft sheet.