Just read parts from possibly the worst fantasy football mag ever (1 Viewer)

[KCC]

I was in a local bookstore and stumbled upon what is possibly the worst fantasy mag ever. It was called Fantasy League Football and the subtitle indicated it was associated with a competing website. (To protect the websites identity, I will only hint EDITED BY COLIN B/C WE DON'T NEED TO MENTION THE COMPETITION NEGATIVELY BY NAME.) Among other things, it had an article documenting 3rd year WRs for the upcoming season (way to perpetuate a myth guys) and an article trashing VBD. The reasons for trashing VBD? Well, according to them, people aren't 100% accurate in their projections (as opposed to the 100% accuracey in other systems, apparently), VBD doesn't allow you to identify sleepers (I guess they don't take the projection of sleeper candidate's stats into account), and the fact that you may have VBD numbers telling you to draft positions you already have starters for while ignoring other starting requirements (no mention of DVBD regarding this last point). I was tempted to buy copies for all my league owners, but thought it would be a waste - who would believe it?

 

[(HULK)]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.

I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

 

[KCC]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

I also use a similar tiering system, but the arguments made against VBD in this article were groundless.

 

[RabidRabbit]

The best way to draft is using a tiered system. Back-to-Back-to-Back Youth AAU Fantasy Champions, baby!!! WHEW!

No seriously. All the righteous dudes use tiers.

 

[Borat]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

I've found it to be not only the most effective way, but also the most fun.

 

[(HULK)]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

I've found it to be not only the most effective way, but also the most fun.

I think tiering is like wearing boxers. It keeps you from soiling your pants AND it also you some freedom to move around.VDB is more like wearing briefs. You know its gonna hold everything in place, but its a little more restrictive.Any other plan is like wearing no underwear at all. It might work out, or you might leave skid marks on your pants.Personally, I'm a boxer man.

 

[RabidRabbit]

Boxers.

Skids bad.

 

[Kevin Ashcraft]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

I've found it to be not only the most effective way, but also the most fun.

I think tiering is like wearing boxers. It keeps you from soiling your pants AND it also you some freedom to move around.VDB is more like wearing briefs. You know its gonna hold everything in place, but its a little more restrictive.Any other plan is like wearing no underwear at all. It might work out, or you might leave skid marks on your pants.Personally, I'm a boxer man.

 

[SaintArnold]

Anybody have a link to a detailed explanation of the tiering approach, or is it just as simple as it sounds?

 

[Colin Dowling]

Anybody have a link to a detailed explanation of the tiering approach, or is it just as simple as it sounds?

It's pretty simple. In essence (this is how I do it), you whittle down the stats by using the tools provided here at FBG. After obsessing over them long enough, you will finally throw your hands up and head to the bar, resolved to realizing you will never truly predict the stats of every offensive player for a coming an NFL season (although it is ABSOLUTELY worth the time to try ). When you return home after "a few" too many Jager shots, you will pour over your projections one last time only to realize that many of the predicted statistics look similar....and then you'll see that, HARK!, many players are within fractions of a point per game from being just like the guy next to them! As such, you'll be able to determine that there are indeed "buckets" or "Tiers" of players and with the amount of sheer luck involved, getting one as opposed to another often has little baring on how your season plays out PROVIDED YOU GET ONE OF THEM. For example, the top 3 players this year by most people's consensus are LJ, LT, and SA. We all have reasons why we like one over the other. (Yes, I am aware a small minority likes someone else entirely, but bare with me.) The reasons we might take one of those 3 instead of another though are more based on upside, hunches, safety, consistency, etc. and LESS based on an expectation that one's outright performance will trump the other two. Alas, the Tier/Bucket is born and the guy picking 3rd rests a lot more easily then the guy picking 1st...Colin

 

[SpaceCowboy]

Anybody have a link to a detailed explanation of the tiering approach, or is it just as simple as it sounds?

It is as simple as it sounds. I'm sure someone will give you a link soon.In a nutshell, you separate your players (by position) into groups where their projected points are close.i.e. tier one running backs - SA, LT2, LJtier two rb's - tiki barber, clinton portistier three rb's - ronnie brown, edge, l jordan, steven jackson, cadillac williams, rudi johnson.TIER one wr's - steve smith, to, holt, 85, fitzgerald, harrisontier two wr's - boldin, wayne, smoss , rmosstier one te - gatestier two te's - shockey, heapand so on and so on.If you have a rb already and you are in tier three, where you have alot of players similarily ranked, you might want to then move on to tier one of the wr's if there's only two of those players left.Got it?

 

[Defending Champs]

I thought you were going to ask for a link on the boxer approach, glad you took the tiering route though.

There was a link the other day, but I think it's as easy as it sounds.

If you take your cheatsheet and divide each position into different sections, each section would represent the tiers. You can make them in five-ten player increments, it's yours, break it up how you think is right.

Never done it myself, but am going to give it a shot this year.

 

[John Mamula]

I was in a local bookstore and stumbled upon what is possibly the worst fantasy mag ever. It was called Fantasy League Football and the subtitle indicated it was associated with a competing website. (To protect the websites identity, I will only hint EDITED BY COLIN B/C WE DON'T NEED TO MENTION THE COMPETITION NEGATIVELY BY NAME.) Among other things, it had an article documenting 3rd year WRs for the upcoming season (way to perpetuate a myth guys) and an article trashing VBD. The reasons for trashing VBD? Well, according to them, people aren't 100% accurate in their projections (as opposed to the 100% accuracey in other systems, apparently), VBD doesn't allow you to identify sleepers (I guess they don't take the projection of sleeper candidate's stats into account), and the fact that you may have VBD numbers telling you to draft positions you already have starters for while ignoring other starting requirements (no mention of DVBD regarding this last point). I was tempted to buy copies for all my league owners, but thought it would be a waste - who would believe it?

Their criticisms of VBD are 100% correct.It's a great theoretical concept but breaks down rapidly when tested in the real world.

BTW, DVBD does not take into account starting requirements, but rather has a different baseline according to projected positional runs and who has been taken to date.

 

[John Mamula]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

I've found it to be not only the most effective way, but also the most fun.

I think tiering is like wearing boxers. It keeps you from soiling your pants AND it also you some freedom to move around.VDB is more like wearing briefs. You know its gonna hold everything in place, but its a little more restrictive.Any other plan is like wearing no underwear at all. It might work out, or you might leave skid marks on your pants.Personally, I'm a boxer man.

So those are the only two drafting strategies that are worth anything?Interesting.

 

[kevthegrad]

There are some REALLY piss poor mags out there but losers like me go out every June/July and buy EVERY mag because we're fantasy/NFL junkies right?

In one of them, which I won't promote by mentioning the name of at all, I found the following:

---A report in one section suggesting Anthony Becht was the starting TE for Tampa. HUH? Then later, Alex Smith was mentioned as the starter in a different "sleeper/bust" section. Nice consistency idiots.

---Speaking of consistency, Frank Gore was mentioned as both a sleeper....and Kevan Barlow's backup. Oh, and did I mention Barlow was also listed as a "keep your eye on" guy? Way to take a stand!

---Josh McCowan was listed as the probable/eventual starter for Detroit.

This thing looks like it was printed on toilet paper....I should have known it was going to be a bag mag when the front had Fred Lane on it.

OK, it didn't have Lane on it.

Anybody else like me out there buying up every single damned mag?

 

[Defending Champs]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

I've found it to be not only the most effective way, but also the most fun.

I think tiering is like wearing boxers. It keeps you from soiling your pants AND it also you some freedom to move around.VDB is more like wearing briefs. You know its gonna hold everything in place, but its a little more restrictive.Any other plan is like wearing no underwear at all. It might work out, or you might leave skid marks on your pants.Personally, I'm a boxer man.

So those are the only two drafting strategies that are worth anything?Interesting.

Not so sure that's what is being said here, but these are the two being discussed here. There are plenty more threads on plenty more theories.

 

[KCC]

I was in a local bookstore and stumbled upon what is possibly the worst fantasy mag ever. It was called Fantasy League Football and the subtitle indicated it was associated with a competing website. (To protect the websites identity, I will only hint EDITED BY COLIN B/C WE DON'T NEED TO MENTION THE COMPETITION NEGATIVELY BY NAME.) Among other things, it had an article documenting 3rd year WRs for the upcoming season (way to perpetuate a myth guys) and an article trashing VBD. The reasons for trashing VBD? Well, according to them, people aren't 100% accurate in their projections (as opposed to the 100% accuracey in other systems, apparently), VBD doesn't allow you to identify sleepers (I guess they don't take the projection of sleeper candidate's stats into account), and the fact that you may have VBD numbers telling you to draft positions you already have starters for while ignoring other starting requirements (no mention of DVBD regarding this last point). I was tempted to buy copies for all my league owners, but thought it would be a waste - who would believe it?

Their criticisms of VBD are 100% correct.It's a great theoretical concept but breaks down rapidly when tested in the real world.

BTW, DVBD does not take into account starting requirements, but rather has a different baseline according to projected positional runs and who has been taken to date.

You can use a form of DVBD to account for the roster spots filled with starters as well as accounting for positional runs. All you do is multiply the point value for those who will be primarily bench players by some factor < 1.00. The factor value can be debated - .50 or some other value based on the number of anticipated "fill ins" (i.e. using higher values for players expected to be used more over the course of a season.) - but it's a relatively simple procedure. The crticism that a VBD system is not 100% accurate is, of course, accurate, but can you name any system that is? Also, the identification of "sleepers" critique is way off base. If my projections have a player posting stats twice as high as anyone else, why isn't he a "sleeper"? I would look to maximize his value by drafting based on ADP figures, but my projections would still identify him as a sleeper candidate.

 

[Ozymandias]

Al Gore invented tiers. Joe invented VBD.

American inventiveness; it leads the world.

VBD is just a way of evaluating people from different positions. Tiers tends to evaluate people from the same position. Both of them are subjective in the sense that we make projections as to what a player will do the coming year. I think most people use a combination.

 

[KCC]

Al Gore invented tiers. Joe invented VBD.American inventiveness; it leads the world.VBD is just a way of evaluating people from different positions. Tiers tends to evaluate people from the same position. Both of them are subjective in the sense that we make projections as to what a player will do the coming year. I think most people use a combination.

Very

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

KCC, I know exactly which magazine you're talking about. I saw it while browsing at a book store a couple weeks ago. After looking through that magazine, I had the idea to get five or six fantasy mags and write an article debunking common errors in FF thinking (using the mags to get ideas from). But then I looked through a few other mags, didn't see anything as bad, and got bored with that idea.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Their criticisms of VBD are 100% correct.

If you'd read the actual article, you wouldn't say that. It says stuff like RBs are worth more than WRs because RBs get the ball more. (They were not talking about filling flex positions.)

 

[Liquid Tension]

Their criticisms of VBD are 100% correct.

If you'd read the actual article, you wouldn't say that. It says stuff like RBs are worth more than WRs because RBs get the ball more. (They were not talking about filling flex positions.)

The part about VBD that is most important to me is to "see" how the different positions offer more value when compared against each other. For example, I know who I like and I have my players ranked, but do I take the 5th best receiver off my board or the 12th RB? This isn't something that is intuitive so if there is a method for supporting how much more RB's are worth in a 14 team league rather than a 10, that is great information. BTW, this is a separate topic that we coudl create a great thread from.

 

[Mister CIA]

I read about 50,000 posts annually in FBG, paying close attention to about 50 or so of the contributors, and then draft from the gut, .

That's my entire strategy, and it works pretty well.

 

[Bristol]

I buy three mags every year:

1) FBG

2) FF Index

3) CBS

I love the content in FBG and Index. I buy CBS to keep up with what my other leaguemates are being told.

 

[Vikes Fan]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

O.K. I feel a need to chime in now. I have used a VDB cheetsheet for the last three years and won my league the last two years and finished second the year before. I like the VDB. Yes, I have varied the order some, but I like using the guideline.I bring 5 things to every draft. The VDB, QBBC article, DBC article, FBG magazine, and another outdated mag to give guys when they ask to see mine. (I always have it showing clearly.)And I wear boxers.

 

[moleculo]

why do you guys feel like pigeonholing yourselves into a set strategy? Let the draft come to you - take the best pick available.

You just have to keep in mind that different positions have different relative weights, which is primarily based on supply/demand - i.e. 32 teams = 32 RB's = almost three per team in a 12 man league. If you have to start two, and you draft four, you are preventing others from filling rosters.

For me, it's all about preventing your competition from filling their roster with what they need while filling your own needs at the same time, especially within your own division. for example - I might notice that the guys in my division are short on WR's after 8 rounds. My next two picks are probably gonna be WR's, mostly to prevent my opponents from getting what they need.

Of course, you have to make sure that your needs are filled at the same time - it's all about competition, and no set strategy (that I have seen anyways) deals well with this.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Let the draft come to you - take the best pick available.

Too restrictive. I don't like to pigeonhole myself like that.

 

[BoltBacker]

Their criticisms of VBD are 100% correct.

If you'd read the actual article, you wouldn't say that. It says stuff like RBs are worth more than WRs because RBs get the ball more. (They were not talking about filling flex positions.)

So? I have RB's ranked right after centers. Centers touch the ball on nearly every offensive play.

 

[Borat]

For me, it's all about preventing your competition from filling their roster with what they need while filling your own needs at the same time, especially within your own division. for example - I might notice that the guys in my division are short on WR's after 8 rounds. My next two picks are probably gonna be WR's, mostly to prevent my opponents from getting what they need.Of course, you have to make sure that your needs are filled at the same time - it's all about competition, and no set strategy (that I have seen anyways) deals well with this.

Year after year after year, I just go absolutely nuts loading up on RBs at the draft. I'll make sure I get a starting QB and at least one very good WR and one serviceable WR, but after that, it's all about the RBs. From there, you are trading from a position of strength, and you can take advantage of everyone else in your league. My competition's weakness at RB > Any weakness I may have at any other position.That's how I roll.By the way, why do you guys even bother buying magazines anymore? There's this thing called "the Internet" that can provide the same information, except more up-to-date, for free.

 

[fornov]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

O.K. I feel a need to chime in now. I have used a VDB cheetsheet for the last three years and won my league the last two years and finished second the year before. I like the VDB. Yes, I have varied the order some, but I like using the guideline.I bring 5 things to every draft. The VDB, QBBC article, DBC article, FBG magazine, and another outdated mag to give guys when they ask to see mine. (I always have it showing clearly.)And I wear boxers.

For this season and the future, you should add the "Drafting with Guppies" essay. But keep it well hidden.

 

[Couch Potato]

There's this thing called "the Internet" that can provide the same information, except more up-to-date, for free.

Where do I find this "the Internet" thing?

 

[Donnybrook]

For me, VBD works less well than using a bucket/tiering system.I still look at Joe's VBD worksheet while developing my tiers (among other considerations), but I end up drafting with just one sheet of paper, with a players tier, bye week, and ADP. This is where I've found the most sucess.

I've found it to be not only the most effective way, but also the most fun.

I think tiering is like wearing boxers. It keeps you from soiling your pants AND it also you some freedom to move around.VDB is more like wearing briefs. You know its gonna hold everything in place, but its a little more restrictive.Any other plan is like wearing no underwear at all. It might work out, or you might leave skid marks on your pants.Personally, I'm a boxer man.

I like going commando.