***Official*** 2011 FBG Subscriber Contest Thread (1 Viewer)

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

I assume this is running again this year? IIRC the entry forms normally go live the first week of August; not sure if the lockout nonsense will cause this to be pushed back, but if we stay on schedule this should be opening up in about two weeks! Any word from FBG staff? Also, any rule changes in the works?

I for one hope they eliminate roster size requirements altogether, so I can finally crush the competition with my all-stud 10-man roster.

Update 9/8/11 - PRELIMINARY OWNERSHIP STATS FROM DOUG DRINEN: http://subscribers.footballguys.com/contest/2011/percentown.htm

Update 9/10/11 - OC's LIVE SCORING is back and better than ever!!!: http://ffltools.com/fbg35k

Update 9/11/11- CONTEST QUERIER FORM: http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/contest_querier_form.php

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

My expectations are that we'll have the contest exactly as we had last year.

 

[Saint]

Looking forward to this thread again! Good start Iggy!

 

[eaglezzz]

I assume this is running again this year? IIRC the entry forms normally go live the first week of August; not sure if the lockout nonsense will cause this to be pushed back, but if we stay on schedule this should be opening up in about two weeks! Any word from FBG staff? Also, any rule changes in the works?I for one hope they eliminate roster size requirements altogether, so I can finally crush the competition with my all-stud 10-man roster.

Once again this is my main reason for buying my Footballguys subscription. Well maybe I have lots of reasons but this is definitely what I have the most fun with. Last year was my best year in the contest and this year I expect to go to the final 250.I am sure this won't get going until the middle of next month.

 

[Bigboy10182000]

I assume this is running again this year? IIRC the entry forms normally go live the first week of August; not sure if the lockout nonsense will cause this to be pushed back, but if we stay on schedule this should be opening up in about two weeks! Any word from FBG staff? Also, any rule changes in the works?I for one hope they eliminate roster size requirements altogether, so I can finally crush the competition with my all-stud 10-man roster.

Once again this is my main reason for buying my Footballguys subscription. Well maybe I have lots of reasons but this is definitely what I have the most fun with. Last year was my best year in the contest and this year I expect to go to the final 250.I am sure this won't get going until the middle of next month.

Where can a newbie like myself find out more information on the contest?

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Where can a newbie like myself find out more information on the contest?

Here are the rules from last year: http://subscribers.footballguys.com/2010/10contestrules.php This year's contest info hasn't been posted yet. Usually it starts the first week of August but I don't know if that's a realistic expectation for this season.The format of the contest is basically the same every year, although they have made some tweaks. The biggest changes they've made in recent years have been expanding your roster size options. Three years ago, everyone had to have exactly 22 players; two years ago they allowed rosters between 20-24 players; last year they expanded this further to allow rosters between 18-30 players. The impact of these changes, and the proper strategy, has been a hotly debated topic these past few years. The discussion surrounding the contest is just as fun as the contest itself, imo.

 

[Mark Wimer]

Where can a newbie like myself find out more information on the contest?

Here are the rules from last year: http://subscribers.footballguys.com/2010/10contestrules.php This year's contest info hasn't been posted yet. Usually it starts the first week of August but I don't know if that's a realistic expectation for this season.The format of the contest is basically the same every year, although they have made some tweaks. The biggest changes they've made in recent years have been expanding your roster size options. Three years ago, everyone had to have exactly 22 players; two years ago they allowed rosters between 20-24 players; last year they expanded this further to allow rosters between 18-30 players. The impact of these changes, and the proper strategy, has been a hotly debated topic these past few years. The discussion surrounding the contest is just as fun as the contest itself, imo.

With free agency signings not allowed until 6 PM ET on Friday night, and a huge amount of player movement expected once this kicks off, we'll probably need an extra week or two to get the contest populated with players, beta-tested by the staff, and then formatted for subscriber entries. Doug Drinen does a great job with this every year, so I'm sure it will be just as fun as usual, but 8/1/11 is probably a bit early to expect the entry forms to appear.Here goes Free Agent Frenzy, NFL style folks! Hang on, we're in for a wild ride this/next week!

 

[BroadwayG]

 

[Tickle Monster]

 

[FF Ninja]

Did anybody learn anything from last year? Last year was my first year to spend more than 3 minutes on my roster. I wasted money on Trent Edwards and Anderson as my QB3 and QB4 after seeing the 6 pts/passing TD and only -1 per int. Seems like the winning method is to get two solid QBs rather than load up with perceived value guys (last year I went Palmer-16, Ben-14, Edwards-9, DA-6). I had thought that with 4 starters, someone was bound to have a 3 TD week. Even the best QBs only average about 2 TD/wk. Due to this, I don't like the strategy of one stud QB and one mediocre QB. I still might go 3QB this year depending on which price point categories the guys I like fall in.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Did anybody learn anything from last year? Last year was my first year to spend more than 3 minutes on my roster. I wasted money on Trent Edwards and Anderson as my QB3 and QB4 after seeing the 6 pts/passing TD and only -1 per int. Seems like the winning method is to get two solid QBs rather than load up with perceived value guys (last year I went Palmer-16, Ben-14, Edwards-9, DA-6). I had thought that with 4 starters, someone was bound to have a 3 TD week. Even the best QBs only average about 2 TD/wk. Due to this, I don't like the strategy of one stud QB and one mediocre QB. I still might go 3QB this year depending on which price point categories the guys I like fall in.

I seem to recall that 2 QB vs 3 QB was also a debated topic last year or the year before. I'm sure we ran a bunch of numbers but never came up with a definitive answer.For those who recall all the fun I had in last year's thread, would you believe I have no idea what I did with the database? I was going to pull it back up to revisit some of these questions but I think I may have deleted it. No matter, I'll probably end up building a new one for the 2011 contest (unless Doug wants to save us both the trouble and just make it available to us )

 

[Nick Vermeil]

 

[glong989]

 

[FF Ninja]

Since this is the ***official*** thread, any chance that there will be some official rules? It'd be nice to limit discussion to strategy/predictions and eliminate the incessant/pointless bragging or nail biting.

I'm not sure why people think that anyone cares that they scored 207 points this week, or that they are currently at 132 + Jordy Nelson on MNF while the sim has a predicted cut at 141.

I'm not trying to be mean, but seriously, do they think anyone cares? I'm looking through last year's 99 page thread. Lots of good discussion about uniqueness and 2, 3, or 4 kickers/defenses (still looking for the 2 vs. 3 QB discussion). But geez, all the worthwhile discussions are riddled with attention needy posters. The breakdowns of rosters are interesting, but the score updates just dilute the content IMO. Maybe separate official threads for each distinct category: strategy/discussion, bragging, and sweating the turk.

 

[apalmer]

Did anybody learn anything from last year? Last year was my first year to spend more than 3 minutes on my roster. I wasted money on Trent Edwards and Anderson as my QB3 and QB4 after seeing the 6 pts/passing TD and only -1 per int. Seems like the winning method is to get two solid QBs rather than load up with perceived value guys (last year I went Palmer-16, Ben-14, Edwards-9, DA-6). I had thought that with 4 starters, someone was bound to have a 3 TD week. Even the best QBs only average about 2 TD/wk. Due to this, I don't like the strategy of one stud QB and one mediocre QB. I still might go 3QB this year depending on which price point categories the guys I like fall in.

I seem to recall that 2 QB vs 3 QB was also a debated topic last year or the year before. I'm sure we ran a bunch of numbers but never came up with a definitive answer.For those who recall all the fun I had in last year's thread, would you believe I have no idea what I did with the database? I was going to pull it back up to revisit some of these questions but I think I may have deleted it. No matter, I'll probably end up building a new one for the 2011 contest (unless Doug wants to save us both the trouble and just make it available to us )

Like nearly all decisions in the contest, there is no right or wrong. In past contests, I'd always made sure I had 3 QBs, but last year I couldn't find a cheap 3rd one I thought was worth the $$$, so I went with Rogers and Ben. I finished in the money (17th place), but kicked myself for not having Vick (who was about $3) when Rogers got his concussion just in time for the finals. Of course, if I had spent the money on Vick, I probably wouldn't have had Branch and might not have made the finals, so who knows?

 

[fightingillini]

Did anybody learn anything from last year? Last year was my first year to spend more than 3 minutes on my roster. I wasted money on Trent Edwards and Anderson as my QB3 and QB4 after seeing the 6 pts/passing TD and only -1 per int. Seems like the winning method is to get two solid QBs rather than load up with perceived value guys (last year I went Palmer-16, Ben-14, Edwards-9, DA-6). I had thought that with 4 starters, someone was bound to have a 3 TD week. Even the best QBs only average about 2 TD/wk. Due to this, I don't like the strategy of one stud QB and one mediocre QB. I still might go 3QB this year depending on which price point categories the guys I like fall in.

I disagree with you to a certain extent.The goal of this contest at QB is to spend the LEAST amount of money at QB and get your 20-25 pts weekly. Last year I hit the jackpot with Rivers and Orton and only spent $31 of my $250 cap. Pretty sure I had the best QB production per dollar spent.QBs are priced too high to try and shoot for an extra TD a week. You would be better served to spend that $14-17 on another RB/WR/TE....preferably 2-4 extra players with that money, to go to positions where you have more scores counted. You can't have enough TE depth with the 1.5 per reception rule.I like the cheapest stud QB option, and a medium priced QB with a lot of upside.

 

[FF Ninja]

Noticed this while looking at the week 16 results:

Essentially, a 17-man roster finished #8 overall.

I also made the Leon Washington mistake last year.

I personally plan to go big this year (27-man last year) but was amazed to see an 18-man roster with a total dud make it that far. I kind of figured you'd have to hit on all 18 to get it done.

 

[QuizGuy66]

I like the nail-biting.

-QG

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Since this is the ***official*** thread, any chance that there will be some official rules? It'd be nice to limit discussion to strategy/predictions and eliminate the incessant/pointless bragging or nail biting. I'm not sure why people think that anyone cares that they scored 207 points this week, or that they are currently at 132 + Jordy Nelson on MNF while the sim has a predicted cut at 141.I'm not trying to be mean, but seriously, do they think anyone cares? I'm looking through last year's 99 page thread. Lots of good discussion about uniqueness and 2, 3, or 4 kickers/defenses (still looking for the 2 vs. 3 QB discussion). But geez, all the worthwhile discussions are riddled with attention needy posters. The breakdowns of rosters are interesting, but the score updates just dilute the content IMO. Maybe separate official threads for each distinct category: strategy/discussion, bragging, and sweating the turk.

I agree, this thread would probably be much better without all that pollution, but this will never happen. These are probably the same people that update their Facebook status to let everyone know they're eating a sandwich, or tweet about their latest bowel movement. The internet has made everyone think they're much more interesting than they really are. But, this contest is fun for everyone and I don't really want to tell anyone they can't brag about their team a little - if they're really obnoxious about it, it makes it even more fun when you can bump their post two weeks later after they're eliminated.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

The most important question going into this season: Will we finally see 32-kicker guy?

 

[southeastjerome]

 

[FF Ninja]

I disagree with you to a certain extent.The goal of this contest at QB is to spend the LEAST amount of money at QB and get your 20-25 pts weekly. Last year I hit the jackpot with Rivers and Orton and only spent $31 of my $250 cap. Pretty sure I had the best QB production per dollar spent.QBs are priced too high to try and shoot for an extra TD a week. You would be better served to spend that $14-17 on another RB/WR/TE....preferably 2-4 extra players with that money, to go to positions where you have more scores counted. You can't have enough TE depth with the 1.5 per reception rule.I like the cheapest stud QB option, and a medium priced QB with a lot of upside.

There are a ton of factors. If you've already got a 30-man roster then what point increase will you get out of upgrading a couple players? I wasn't looking for 20-25 pts/wk or just an extra TD. I was hoping to have one big game out of four guys, so I was thinking 30-35 per wk. Will an extra $15 net me that out of another position? The scoring is QB and TE biased, but maybe I perceive it moreso than it is. When looking at the top 10 finishes last year, my spending % was a bit higher than those guys in those two categories (18% on QB, 15.2% on TE).Good call on Rivers and Orton. That was an awesome combo for only 12.4% of your cap. I had Orton as my 3rd, but decided to split him into Edwards and DA. Ugh.Ultimately, 3QB may just be hedging your bets and creating a disadvantage in other categories. As the guy who wins will probably have a QB who gets hot in weeks 14-16. If you don't have that QB, 3QBs might help keep up, but you'd better have some sleepers at the other positions. If I can get 3QB for right around $40, I still might do it...

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Proactive Subscriber Contest FAQ:

Q: "Where can I view my team?"

A: There will probably be a link to it from the MyFBG page on the main footballguys site.

Q: "How do I find my team in the sim/standings/powerrank/etc.?"

A: CTRL-F

Q: "Where are you guys seeing your scores?"

A: We're calculating them by hand. Alternately, we may have entered our roster into a free MFL league or something to that effect. An enterprising FBG might develop a live scoring app at some point, but don't count on it. Doug will post the final scores on Tuesday morning.

Q: "Are they going to add [insert player name, e.g. Brett Favre] to the entry form?"

A: No. Once the contest goes live, there will be no changes to the available players or their prices.

Q: [insert miscellaneous question about the rules]

A: [Post a link to the rules] (They're not difficult to understand, we really don't need to be making the competition tougher by explaining the rules to people who can't read them.)

Q: "Here's my team, what do you think my chances are?"

A: About 1 in 13,000.

 

[QuizGuy66]

The most important question going into this season: Will we finally see 32-kicker guy?

Or dare I say 33-kicker guy (gotta cover those bases) -QG

 

[Doug Drinen]

For now, it's looking like* identical rules to last year and a probable release date of Aug 8. More info as it becomes available.

But hold on, that's not all. I'm about to release a beta version of an entirely different (additional) contest! No, make that 19 more contests throughout the season! Keep an eye on the Shark Pool for more info.

* - not a guarantee

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

For now, it's looking like* identical rules to last year and a probable release date of Aug 8. More info as it becomes available. But hold on, that's not all. I'm about to release a beta version of an entirely different (additional) contest! No, make that 19 more contests throughout the season! Keep an eye on the Shark Pool for more info.* - not a guarantee

 

[FF Ninja]

I agree, this thread would probably be much better without all that pollution, but this will never happen. These are probably the same people that update their Facebook status to let everyone know they're eating a sandwich, or tweet about their latest bowel movement. The internet has made everyone think they're much more interesting than they really are. But, this contest is fun for everyone and I don't really want to tell anyone they can't brag about their team a little - if they're really obnoxious about it, it makes it even more fun when you can bump their post two weeks later after they're eliminated.

Perhaps just a friendly suggestion in that sub-text found under the thread title maybe? "Discussion only. No bragging/whining" That might curtail the pollution a bit. That's probably wishful thinking. Those facebook status updaters cannot be stopped.

 

[QuizGuy66]

For now, it's looking like* identical rules to last year and a probable release date of Aug 8. More info as it becomes available. But hold on, that's not all. I'm about to release a beta version of an entirely different (additional) contest! No, make that 19 more contests throughout the season! Keep an eye on the Shark Pool for more info.* - not a guarantee

GB the Turk! -QG

 

[QuizGuy66]

I agree, this thread would probably be much better without all that pollution, but this will never happen. These are probably the same people that update their Facebook status to let everyone know they're eating a sandwich, or tweet about their latest bowel movement. The internet has made everyone think they're much more interesting than they really are. But, this contest is fun for everyone and I don't really want to tell anyone they can't brag about their team a little - if they're really obnoxious about it, it makes it even more fun when you can bump their post two weeks later after they're eliminated.

Perhaps just a friendly suggestion in that sub-text found under the thread title maybe? "Discussion only. No bragging/whining" That might curtail the pollution a bit. That's probably wishful thinking. Those facebook status updaters cannot be stopped.

Honestly, I like the updates that get posted as it gives something to follow in this contest other than my own. Plus the score reporting gives some sense of how you are doing relative to other people. I file it under camaraderie.-QG

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

I agree, this thread would probably be much better without all that pollution, but this will never happen. These are probably the same people that update their Facebook status to let everyone know they're eating a sandwich, or tweet about their latest bowel movement. The internet has made everyone think they're much more interesting than they really are. But, this contest is fun for everyone and I don't really want to tell anyone they can't brag about their team a little - if they're really obnoxious about it, it makes it even more fun when you can bump their post two weeks later after they're eliminated.

Perhaps just a friendly suggestion in that sub-text found under the thread title maybe? "Discussion only. No bragging/whining" That might curtail the pollution a bit. That's probably wishful thinking. Those facebook status updaters cannot be stopped.

Honestly, I like the updates that get posted as it gives something to follow in this contest other than my own. Plus the score reporting gives some sense of how you are doing relative to other people. I file it under camaraderie.-QG

All good points. Subtitle edited accordingly.

 

[FF Ninja]

Honestly, I like the updates that get posted as it gives something to follow in this contest other than my own. Plus the score reporting gives some sense of how you are doing relative to other people. I file it under camaraderie.

-QG

I was thinking we should all just post a link in our sig to our team once rosters have been set.Something like this (not a gaudy, long roster list; just short and sweet):

103799

 

[HellToupee]

just read the email about the sub discount and there is no mention of the contest. Has it been confirmed that its a go this year?

 

[Anthony Borbely]

just read the email about the sub discount and there is no mention of the contest. Has it been confirmed that its a go this year?

See post 25.

 

[adrenaline]

Wasn't sure if I was going to subscribe this year but this contest is just too much fun.

 

[HellToupee]

just read the email about the sub discount and there is no mention of the contest. Has it been confirmed that its a go this year?

See post 25.

thanks. I can't believe I missed Double Ds post

 

[QuizGuy66]

LOL - I think that's the first shout out I've ever gotten in a subheader.

-QG

 

[Balco]

Can't wait.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Can't wait.

Looking forward to seeing your roster, Balco.-QG

 

[massraider]

I agree, this thread would probably be much better without all that pollution, but this will never happen. These are probably the same people that update their Facebook status to let everyone know they're eating a sandwich, or tweet about their latest bowel movement. The internet has made everyone think they're much more interesting than they really are. But, this contest is fun for everyone and I don't really want to tell anyone they can't brag about their team a little - if they're really obnoxious about it, it makes it even more fun when you can bump their post two weeks later after they're eliminated.

Perhaps just a friendly suggestion in that sub-text found under the thread title maybe? "Discussion only. No bragging/whining" That might curtail the pollution a bit. That's probably wishful thinking. Those facebook status updaters cannot be stopped.

Nah, this is the closest you can get to everyone being in the same league together, so it will that way. Really, if you enter a thread like this, that's what you should expect. Not every post is interesting, but it's great to read about everyone's strategy.

 

[PatsChowder]

Love the contest, and possibly even more this thread. Most of the time I end up lurking, but I love the analysis that goes down here during the season. I now have August 8th circled and highlighted with a giant arrow pointing to it! Looking forward to another great season!

 

[HellToupee]

I agree, this thread would probably be much better without all that pollution, but this will never happen. These are probably the same people that update their Facebook status to let everyone know they're eating a sandwich, or tweet about their latest bowel movement. The internet has made everyone think they're much more interesting than they really are. But, this contest is fun for everyone and I don't really want to tell anyone they can't brag about their team a little - if they're really obnoxious about it, it makes it even more fun when you can bump their post two weeks later after they're eliminated.

Perhaps just a friendly suggestion in that sub-text found under the thread title maybe? "Discussion only. No bragging/whining" That might curtail the pollution a bit. That's probably wishful thinking. Those facebook status updaters cannot be stopped.

Nah, this is the closest you can get to everyone being in the same league together, so it will that way. Really, if you enter a thread like this, that's what you should expect. Not every post is interesting, but it's great to read about everyone's strategy.

I like the free flow style of the thread. From the blowhards saying look at me to people talking roster strategy . Fun stuff

 

[Balco]

Can't wait.

Looking forward to seeing your roster, Balco.-QG

I feel like I have learned more each year I have done this. Looking forward to great discussions like last year.

 

[Balco]

I agree, this thread would probably be much better without all that pollution, but this will never happen. These are probably the same people that update their Facebook status to let everyone know they're eating a sandwich, or tweet about their latest bowel movement. The internet has made everyone think they're much more interesting than they really are.

But, this contest is fun for everyone and I don't really want to tell anyone they can't brag about their team a little - if they're really obnoxious about it, it makes it even more fun when you can bump their post two weeks later after they're eliminated.

Perhaps just a friendly suggestion in that sub-text found under the thread title maybe? "Discussion only. No bragging/whining" That might curtail the pollution a bit. That's probably wishful thinking. Those facebook status updaters cannot be stopped.

Nah, this is the closest you can get to everyone being in the same league together, so it will that way. Really, if you enter a thread like this, that's what you should expect. Not every post is interesting, but it's great to read about everyone's strategy.

So many differing views, makes it very interesting.

 

[apalmer]

On thet down side, starting Aug. 8 instead of Aug 1 means I only have time to try 75,322 different rosters instead of the usual 92,417

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

On thet down side, starting Aug. 8 instead of Aug 1 means I only have time to try 75,322 different rosters instead of the usual 92,417

The highly sophisticated models I've built to construct the optimal rooster take a long time to run (we're talking O(2n) here folks). I'm going to have to add some more computing power or else I won't have the results before the deadline for entries.

 

[BassNBrew]

For now, it's looking like* identical rules to last year and a probable release date of Aug 8. More info as it becomes available. But hold on, that's not all. I'm about to release a beta version of an entirely different (additional) contest! No, make that 19 more contests throughout the season! Keep an eye on the Shark Pool for more info.* - not a guarantee

PLEASE take an extra week if needed to set the pricing. It will definately help diversify the rosters if we don't have too many bargains available due to late player movement.

 

[Typical White Guy]

This will be the year I make the money.

 

[Driver]

Regarding roster size, was there any consensus last year about the optimal size for team roster? I seem to remember that large rosters (25-30 players) had a decided edge, but can't remember the details.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Regarding roster size, was there any consensus last year about the optimal size for team roster? I seem to remember that large rosters (25-30 players) had a decided edge, but can't remember the details.

There never was a consensus, and I assume there never will be. Too much variety, too many different opinions - which is exactly what makes this contest fun. The winner last year had 25 (although I wouldn't conclude anything from that because who wins is basically a crapshoot). FWIW more than 100 of the final 250 teams last year had 18-20 players. Two of the top 8 teams in the final standings were 18-man "stud-led" teams.

 

[butcher boy]

It's about picking the right guys, not how how many of them you pick.