Is this just a different way of saying upside-down drafting? (1 Viewer)

[Clifford]

As I've played FF through the years I am moving away from any sort of drafting strategy that includes position as part of the strategy. I realize that this is not revolutionary, but consider that I won my 2QB league last year drafting Matt Stafford and Chad Henne as my first 2 QBs taken in the rounds 5 & 7, while conventional wisdom is you have to take 2 QBs in the first 2 rounds.

I'm thinking of expanding this a bit this year, and my thinking is that in any draft, from any spot, you should be able to get a top 3 player at their position in rounds 1 & 2 in a 12-team league. Then for rounds 3-5, only accept players you feel have a realistic shot at top five. So this doesn't get longwinded I'll limit the thought experiment to that.

Since we're obviously not talking kickers, that means QBs, WRs, RBs, and TEs, which x3 each only comes to 12 total players out of 24 picks. This is possible because 1) there is always difference of opinion about who will finish the year top 3, and 2) people will always take lesser than top 3 at what they perceive are scarce positions.

Quick map of players I think will be in top five of their respective positions:

QB:

Brees

Rodgers

Vick

Rivers

Brady

WR:

White

Nicks

AJ

CJ

Fitz

RB:

Charles

ADP

CJ

McFadden

Rice

TE:

Gates

Clark

Witten

Finley

Davis

The basic premise is you weigh all positions equally, looking for max separation from that position at each pick through the first 8 rounds, and don't consider positional scarcity at all until then. Anyone already do this as a matter of course?

 

[Carolina Hustler]

I wouldn't take a TE in the first 3 rounds. But I usually look for a top 3 WR or RB in the first round, and a top 5 at one of those in the second if I can. If it's a 1 QB league..

Then I take best available for the next several rounds. I then start filling in voids in my roster around rd7-8 if I have any. Then I go for upside players in latter rounds unless crafty vet has fallen too far.

In a 2 QB league, gotta get a QB in the first 2 rounds. And QB2 inside of top 5-6rds. And you gotta grab some developmental QB's as the draft progress'..

BPA basically all the time, but my personal value for the players determines who the best player available for me obviously..

 

[Clifford]

On first attempt top 3 is too limiting for first two rounds. Going to adjust to top 5 through first 4 rounds, top 15 four rounds 5-8.

 

[hook014]

I've used this basic strategy for 3 seasons now and I call it the stud strategy. I've seen similar strats proposed but nothing that really nails it.

For me it evolved from a couple of problems I used to encounter every yr and my desire to have a dominant player at each position. One of the problems was getting an elite WR thru trade. In the leagues I played in this just never happened. Not just to me but no one was able to pry a top 8 WR away from another owner no matter the offer. I mean unless you completely gutted your team and then what was the point. So my days of RB/RB were over.

So I decided to come away after the 2nd round with my guy. I just had to have a top 5 WR. Sometimes, depending on draft position it's wr/rb,if I'm in the top 5 it's rb/wr. There are always a couple of players in that range that I really like. There are also guys I dont like and am glad to see taken off the board.

And on to the 3rd where the qb/ te decision comes. That's the way it usually falls but I'm flexible here from yr to yr. When I clear the 4th rd it's usually BPA with a look at availability for the next 2 rds. So I always have an eye on ADP. Bearing in mind I usually have no more than 4 or 5 guys I want in those next 2 rds. As an aside, I always get hold of our draft board after the draft and take a look at it the following summer when I'm doing my yearly research. Not only can I spot tendencies in my opponents, but more importantly I remind myself how many truly awful picks were made by guys who are a slave to ADP and conventional drafting. I have actually had guys tell me they didnt want to take a player in the middle of the 3rd cause his ADP was early 4th. Really? But his check cleared so fine. But perusing last yrs board tends to put the upcoming draft in focus. I highly recommend it.

Most hardcore players are always trying to improve their team and that becomes so much easier with a balanced roster. Which is what you are starting with using this strat. Which leads me to another of the problems I encountered before going this way. When by study or luck I accumulated a very strong core of rbs, so many that some were riding the bench, I could not get proper value for them in trade. So it just didnt help much. So now I look at my roster in a different way. I get my top 4 studs and then start sliding guys in behind them like a column.

As I draft the money rds (5-10) I am trying to put the BPA in a column. That may sound a little simplified and most people look at their teams in columns, but the difference is ALL my columns now have a bonafide stud at the top and room at the bottom for the surprise player that's avail in rds 7, 8 and 9. Can i say that if I went rb/rb or wr/wr in the first 2 rds? Probably not if the competition is good.

They say you win your league in the money rds and I agree. The key is usually what rbs and wrs you pick in these crucial rounds. Most of us play in tough leagues and waiting for value to drop into these rds can be tough. But it almost always happens. If you've done your homework there are usually several guys that could be gotten here that will put you over the top. Last yr for me it was Bradshaw in the 6th but any collection of high upside guys are bound to have a few hits. The hidden advantage here is that you are not concerned at all with qb or te, those columns are taken care of for now so it's all about rb/wr value. Those guys that are waiting for when to snap up Big Ben? You already have them beaten at that position. Got a value on Owen Daniels? Beating them there too. If you can nail a couple guys here you are set.

I'm sure there will be alot of people here who disagree and ask "What's wrong with getting a qb at the end of a tier?" Nothing wrong with it. Done it myself many times.

But if you play in a league where you can never seem to get a decent trade done this Strategy is great. And I expect that there are many owners out there that are banging their head against the wall cause they can never get their opponents to trade. With this basic strategy you can win cause they wont trade with each other either.

 

[Captain Hook]

I've used this basic strategy for 3 seasons now and I call it the stud strategy. I've seen similar strats proposed but nothing that really nails it.For me it evolved from a couple of problems I used to encounter every yr and my desire to have a dominant player at each position. One of the problems was getting an elite WR thru trade. In the leagues I played in this just never happened. Not just to me but no one was able to pry a top 8 WR away from another owner no matter the offer. I mean unless you completely gutted your team and then what was the point. So my days of RB/RB were over.So I decided to come away after the 2nd round with my guy. I just had to have a top 5 WR. Sometimes, depending on draft position it's wr/rb,if I'm in the top 5 it's rb/wr. There are always a couple of players in that range that I really like. There are also guys I dont like and am glad to see taken off the board.And on to the 3rd where the qb/ te decision comes. That's the way it usually falls but I'm flexible here from yr to yr. When I clear the 4th rd it's usually BPA with a look at availability for the next 2 rds. So I always have an eye on ADP. Bearing in mind I usually have no more than 4 or 5 guys I want in those next 2 rds. As an aside, I always get hold of our draft board after the draft and take a look at it the following summer when I'm doing my yearly research. Not only can I spot tendencies in my opponents, but more importantly I remind myself how many truly awful picks were made by guys who are a slave to ADP and conventional drafting. I have actually had guys tell me they didnt want to take a player in the middle of the 3rd cause his ADP was early 4th. Really? But his check cleared so fine. But perusing last yrs board tends to put the upcoming draft in focus. I highly recommend it.Most hardcore players are always trying to improve their team and that becomes so much easier with a balanced roster. Which is what you are starting with using this strat. Which leads me to another of the problems I encountered before going this way. When by study or luck I accumulated a very strong core of rbs, so many that some were riding the bench, I could not get proper value for them in trade. So it just didnt help much. So now I look at my roster in a different way. I get my top 4 studs and then start sliding guys in behind them like a column.As I draft the money rds (5-10) I am trying to put the BPA in a column. That may sound a little simplified and most people look at their teams in columns, but the difference is ALL my columns now have a bonafide stud at the top and room at the bottom for the surprise player that's avail in rds 7, 8 and 9. Can i say that if I went rb/rb or wr/wr in the first 2 rds? Probably not if the competition is good.They say you win your league in the money rds and I agree. The key is usually what rbs and wrs you pick in these crucial rounds. Most of us play in tough leagues and waiting for value to drop into these rds can be tough. But it almost always happens. If you've done your homework there are usually several guys that could be gotten here that will put you over the top. Last yr for me it was Bradshaw in the 6th but any collection of high upside guys are bound to have a few hits. The hidden advantage here is that you are not concerned at all with qb or te, those columns are taken care of for now so it's all about rb/wr value. Those guys that are waiting for when to snap up Big Ben? You already have them beaten at that position. Got a value on Owen Daniels? Beating them there too. If you can nail a couple guys here you are set.I'm sure there will be alot of people here who disagree and ask "What's wrong with getting a qb at the end of a tier?" Nothing wrong with it. Done it myself many times. But if you play in a league where you can never seem to get a decent trade done this Strategy is great. And I expect that there are many owners out there that are banging their head against the wall cause they can never get their opponents to trade. With this basic strategy you can win cause they wont trade with each other either.

and in the $$ competitions - include the FBG Players Championship here (especially if $350 is $$ money on your budget) - there is NO trading so you are really better off waiting on a quarterback - again most of these are 12 teamers so easier to do.Agree also on the money rounds but this is coupled with finding some real sleepers in the later rounds - the types of WR especially that would take a huge FAAB bid to land in week one or week two but you can draft for free at the end of your day.

 

[bengalbuck]

On first attempt top 3 is too limiting for first two rounds. Going to adjust to top 5 through first 4 rounds, top 15 four rounds 5-8.

Not to sound too simplistic, but it seems like you actually are locking yourself into going TE/QB in rounds 3 and 4.I mean if you think about it, you aren't getting a top 5 RB or WR in the 3rd or 4th round (your 10 RBs/WRs are all going top 15 or so overall on average).It's a fine strategy I suppose, but just realize that is what you are basically saying.

 

[dawrecker]

On first attempt top 3 is too limiting for first two rounds. Going to adjust to top 5 through first 4 rounds, top 15 four rounds 5-8.

Not to sound too simplistic, but it seems like you actually are locking yourself into going TE/QB in rounds 3 and 4.I mean if you think about it, you aren't getting a top 5 RB or WR in the 3rd or 4th round (your 10 RBs/WRs are all going top 15 or so overall on average).It's a fine strategy I suppose, but just realize that is what you are basically saying.

I actually use a strategy pretty similar to this in most leagues and for the same reasons that the two posters above have said - it is hard to get a top end player in trades during season. Its also a lot easier to fill say a rb 2 position from a 6th round quality draft spot than it is a top 5 wr. But this post is a good point. It doesn't work as great in snake drafts - although i have used it from time to time. That said it does work perfectly in auction drafts which is where i have pretty much always utilized it.