Where is the weakness in your fantasy football game? (1 Viewer)

[FFdork]

I've been at this for a while now, and I think I'm pretty good. I don't have quite the time to compile information I used to (thanks FBGs!). I've had a lot of success in my leagues this year, but I'm always looking to get better.

As I looked back on my drafts I noticed something. I'm still worried about having a well-rounded starting lineup that looks good on paper.

I'm not talking about filling out a starting lineup before I start drafting back-ups--I use VBD and take the best player available while those values still matter. However, if you look at the mid to late rounds of my drafts you can see me get worried about a perceived weakness of my team and try to compensate. It caused me to miss out on some guys I really liked this year (e.g. Romo, Witten) that were available at a great value, BUT I felt I already had good players at those positions and I was busy over-compensating for a #2 RB I wasn't that excited about or something else along those lines.

Anyone else notice a hole in your game?

 

[eom]

I'm a little lazy at researching match ups, but my biggest problem might be holding on to guys too long.

I'm too loyal to guys who don't deserve it, and I'm too stubborn to admit I made a bad call on some guy.

I had vernon davis and deangelo williams on my roster last year, so I picked them back up and hung on to them too long determined to get that production out of them.

there are times I'd be better off cutting players and churning through the wire, but then again I think there's something to be said for having patience w/your guys and riding out the bad weeks.

dropping the axe too quickly would also be a bad habit, but the trick is to have good judgement in deciding which case is which.

 

[fsufan]

my weakness is bad luck

 

[BustedKnuckles]

Over thinking and screwing myself by taking guys out of my line up at the last minute and having them go off while on my bench...had i just left them in ...learning to stay with my original game plan .

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

ratio of quality to depth. i tend to focus too much on depth and not having enough quality in the starting lineup. i had a league this year looking like (12-team HP):

QB: Eli Manning/Phillip Rivers/Jay Cutler

RB: Lamont Jordan/Marion Barber/Lendale White/Deuce McAllister/Maurice Jones-Drew

WR: Plaxico Burress/Santana Moss/Hines Ward/Javon Walker/Darrell Jackson/Wes Welker

TE: Ben Watson/Heath Miller/Owen Daniels

it was last place in the league, by far, in both points scored and H2H record.

depth != good starting lineup.

 

[mashers]

I've been at this for a while now, and I think I'm pretty good. I don't have quite the time to compile information I used to (thanks FBGs!). I've had a lot of success in my leagues this year, but I'm always looking to get better.

As I looked back on my drafts I noticed something. I'm still worried about having a well-rounded starting lineup that looks good on paper.

I'm not talking about filling out a starting lineup before I start drafting back-ups--I use VBD and take the best player available while those values still matter. However, if you look at the mid to late rounds of my drafts you can see me get worried about a perceived weakness of my team and try to compensate. It caused me to miss out on some guys I really liked this year (e.g. Romo, Witten) that were available at a great value, BUT I felt I already had good players at those positions and I was busy over-compensating for a #2 RB I wasn't that excited about or something else along those lines.

Anyone else notice a hole in your game?

Were Romo and Witten the best available players in those later rounds. You said they were available at great value. If so, then you didn't stick to your own VBD system. Convince yourself to stay the course.

 

[The Duff Man]

Waiver wire....without a doubt. Not picking the right guy when there are two hot prospects available at the same time and I can only afford one roster spot (Boldin and Colston immediately come to mind)

 

[SSOG]

I definitely overextended myself this season and took on one or two too many leagues, which turned something that's normally one of my strengths (churning the wire) into something that has been... if not a weakness, then a non-strength. I just haven't been adding quality talent to my roster via the wire. I've also been less active in trades than in seasons past. I managed to pull it off this year because I happened to draft a very strong core (got Roeth very late in every league, and I have Gates, Winslow, or Witten at TE in every league, too), but next year I'm really going to have to scale back and return to my more normal roster-churning ways.

Other than that, I'm perhaps more loyal than I should be to "my guys" (Evans, Westbrook, MJD, Holt, etc), and I'm a bit too attached to my depth when I should instead be looking to package it to upgrade my starters.

 

[treat88]

Consistently overvaluing youth and potential while undervaluing veteran production.

 

[Mr. Know-It-All]

Mine is trading too much. Every year I draft the best team, but then proceed to trade way too often and usually not to my advantage. this year I traded Favre (I have Brady) for some depth at LB and DB. I set a new scoring record for the league, had an awesome defense - and lost in the semi-finals to the guy I traded Favre to.

Every year I say I will limit trading, yet every year I trade more than the last. It is an addiction, I tell you.

 

[Pai Mei]

Probably not drafting stud WRS early. Guys like Owens and Moss have been undervalued in several prior seasons due to their perceived attitudes and poor sportsmanship. I really should have pulled the trigger and gone WR heavy with those guys a lot.

 

[jesseasi]

Dynasty League -

I think the biggest weakness is over valuing your own players. Many times I have held on to guys way too long. This year's example was V. Morency. I passed on picking up Ryan Grant and who knows who else holding on to chumps like Morency.

I think this holds true to many owners.

 

[garycarrotte]

Injuries... Every year I get eaten alive by injuries. Lost Ronnie Brown and Duece McAlister this year, I mean loosing 2 of your top 5 picks early in the year is a major step back, esp at running back. Always seem to make it through the year with my skill... but always come up short (Numerious 2nd, 3rd place finishes, but cant win the "big one")

EDIT: Also dealt with lingering injuries from, Bulger, Heap, Boldin, Coles, Holmes, and AP (MIN)

Still in the hunt tho...

 

[eom]

that must suck to be the guy in your league that gets the injuries...

 

[[scooter]]

I try to be too clever by doing things such as:

- never drafting a kicker and picking one up on waivers in Week 2 (burned me one year when I lost by 1 point in game 1)

- waiting until very late to draft a QB (and every year I draft losers.....yet I ignore decent guys on the WW such as Garrard)

- drafting handcuffs (this has NEVER worked for me)

- drafting players based on strength of schedule (as if you can predict SOS in preseason!)

- ignoring "big name" players that I think are more popular than good (Brady....)

 

[SSOG]

Injuries... Every year I get eaten alive by injuries. Lost Ronnie Brown and Duece McAlister this year, I mean loosing 2 of your top 5 picks early in the year is a major step back, esp at running back. Always seem to make it through the year with my skill... but always come up short (Numerious 2nd, 3rd place finishes, but cant win the "big one")EDIT: Also dealt with lingering injuries from, Bulger, Heap, Boldin, Coles, Holmes, and AP (MIN)Still in the hunt tho...

If you think your fantasy football weakness is "injuries", "luck", or anything of that sort, then your real fantasy weakness is probably hubris.Edit: that, or low-percentage picks giving you plenty of studs but not enough startable depth to cover for injuries to those studs.

 

[gethugefast1]

No Weakness. Decent Draft, Trades, Waiver Wire, Matchups & Weather Decisions. :IBTL:

 

[mad sweeney]

No Weakness. Decent Draft, Trades, Waiver Wire, Matchups & Weather Decisions.

Only real weakness is having to rely on the men on the field. Can't predict perfomance, really. But despite injuries, busts, flat performances and any other manner of bad luck I consistently place tops in points and generally make the playoffs each year in multiple leagues. Had a bit of an off year by virtue of playing in a maddeningly good divison where 8 points separated me from winning the division and being the odd man out (only 4 of 12 go). A majority of my calls that don't go my way I remain satisfied with the rationale behind it. Not trying to claim to be great, there's always room for improvement, but no glaring weaknesses to complain of.

 

[eom]

then why did you post?

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

trading - did better this year but still a weakness

 

[AcousticNut]

Consistently overvaluing youth and potential while undervaluing veteran production.

I was going to say the opposite. I tend to overvalue track-record and undervalue young potential. Due to this I tend to miss out on a lot of waiver wire gems because I want to see them do it, "One more week" before I'm comfortable adding them to my lineup.

 

[[scooter]]

Consistently overvaluing youth and potential while undervaluing veteran production.

I was going to say the opposite. I tend to overvalue track-record and undervalue young potential. Due to this I tend to miss out on a lot of waiver wire gems because I want to see them do it, "One more week" before I'm comfortable adding them to my lineup.

The upside with veterans is that you at least have a track record to base your judgment on. Plus, there are fewer veterans and therefore a lower likelihood of making the wrong choice. Example: a lot of people made the right choice between Galloway and Horn.....but how many people picked Dwayne Bowe as the Breakout Rookie WR?

 

[ckalltheway]

I make too many trades. Overpaying with depth or future picks just to improve performance at a certain position slightly.

Still draft too many RBs with early picks. With a round 4/5 swing in 1 14 team PPR this year I picked Tatum Bell and Deshaun Foster to have an "RB monopoly" as opposed to picking steadier WRs and QBs...and Randy Moss who was taken one pick later.

I cannot pick consistent IDP to save my life. Draft or WW. Barret Ruud, Rocky McIntosh and James Harrison all started off great and had individual high points but would rather just find a guy who'll give me 7-10 points a game every game. Whenever i think I've found one of those guys they go out and get me 2 or 3 or less the week I pick them up.

But whatever. Still in the championship game despite this years blunders which I'll hopefully learn from next year. Will drink less coffee next year. Had a big mug because of an early draft time and ended buzzing by the third round and crashing by the 7th. Conversations with other owners on messenger were certainly "interesting."

 

[TruckBoatTruck]

My name is TruckBoatTruck, and I draft like poop.

Seem to have a good feel for the waiver wire, making good buy low trades, starting the right people at counterintuitive times, but it always feels like I'm scrambling to patch up a broken down junker. Plan to remedy this by haunting this site/forum well before August, instead of realizing I have a draft in two days and cramming.

Oh, and that thing about ignoring consistent veteran players in favor of possible 2nd year breakouts? Probably the cause.

 

[thayman]

IDP. Normally every year I can pick up some mid to late round gems. IDP I can never do it, every year the weakest part of my team.

 

[massraider]

ratio of quality to depth. i tend to focus too much on depth and not having enough quality in the starting lineup. i had a league this year looking like (12-team HP):QB: Eli Manning/Phillip Rivers/Jay CutlerRB: Lamont Jordan/Marion Barber/Lendale White/Deuce McAllister/Maurice Jones-DrewWR: Plaxico Burress/Santana Moss/Hines Ward/Javon Walker/Darrell Jackson/Wes WelkerTE: Ben Watson/Heath Miller/Owen Danielsit was last place in the league, by far, in both points scored and H2H record.depth != good starting lineup.

Yeah, this used to be my big one.If I ever had a top pick, I used to always trade down, and back up later in the draft. I used to love having 17 picks between the 2nd and 8th round, or whatever. A really dumb strategy on my part. I think I always imagined myself as Jimmy Johnson in the Dallas war room, makin' moves. Putz.You win with studs. You might have the best 3rd and 4th WR's in the league, but they do you no good on the bench. Terrell Owens for Berrian and Holmes would look like a great deal to me, but it really isn't. Anyway, my biggest weakness now is probably not even draft day at all, but in-season management. I should trade more in my leagues, because I am definitely one of the more serious players in those leagues, and I should be trying take advantage of it.I am usually late to the waiver wire party. After Colston blew up, I was probably thinking, "Ha! Frisman Jackson......" I maybe should at least done a little research.

 

[eom]

I cannot pick consistent IDP to save my life. Draft or WW. Barret Ruud, Rocky McIntosh and James Harrison all started off great and had individual high points but would rather just find a guy who'll give me 7-10 points a game every game. Whenever i think I've found one of those guys they go out and get me 2 or 3 or less the week I pick them up.

my advice to you would be to be a little more proactive and less reactive in your selections and don't just grab every high point guy for the week, if that's what you're doing.naturally, any freak week scorer will regress to his mean, and you should try to dope out those means, and see if you can peg that week as a fluke, or is it going to be his norm.sometimes you're just going to get burned, though --- I know I would have liked to get rocky, but we didn't know he'd get injured.I stuck w/briggs, thinking he'd be a steady proven performer, and I got burned on that end of it, so it can happen both ways.

 

[bcr8f]

It's the weather.

 

[FFdork]

Were Romo and Witten the best available players in those later rounds. You said they were available at great value. If so, then you didn't stick to your own VBD system. Convince yourself to stay the course.

Sorry, I created this thread and then promptly took a vacation from the forum. I'd have to go back and look, because I had 2 10 teamers, one 12 and one 14, but I don't think Romo or Witten's VBD values were very high. Still, I think you hit on part of the problem. Even though I really "liked" them (had them as sleepers, whatever you want to call it), I don't think I had adjusted their projections that much. I do this in part to remind me to draft them at the appropriate spot as opposed to two rounds too early. The down side is that there were tempting sleeper WRs and RBs with similar value that I chose instead because I was more worried about those positions. However, if I had projected them closer to what I was expecting they would have stood out as a more obvious choice.On a seperate note, I find it interesting that people felt they worried too much about depth coming off of this year. It seemed like it was a war of attrition to me. I had two leagues where around week 9 I felt I clearly had the best starting lineup, but not much depth. Both teams went down due to injuries and weather in the playoffs. The two teams where I was moving my depth (e.g. Stecker, Kolby Smith, Chatman, Young, Berrian, B. Marshall, etc.) in and out of my lineup to compliment the every-week starters that were still standing were the leagues I won. I know every year will be different, but I'd think the knee-jerk reaction coming off of this year would be to have more depth.

 

[Biabreakable]

I cannot pick consistent IDP to save my life. Draft or WW. Barret Ruud, Rocky McIntosh and James Harrison all started off great and had individual high points but would rather just find a guy who'll give me 7-10 points a game every game. Whenever i think I've found one of those guys they go out and get me 2 or 3 or less the week I pick them up.

my advice to you would be to be a little more proactive and less reactive in your selections and don't just grab every high point guy for the week, if that's what you're doing.naturally, any freak week scorer will regress to his mean, and you should try to dope out those means, and see if you can peg that week as a fluke, or is it going to be his norm.sometimes you're just going to get burned, though --- I know I would have liked to get rocky, but we didn't know he'd get injured.I stuck w/briggs, thinking he'd be a steady proven performer, and I got burned on that end of it, so it can happen both ways.

I advise paying attention to defensive scheme and trends within the scheme more. Jene has a pinned thread dedicated to this in the IDP forum. I think this can give you useful background information to help youidentify the players in position to be consistent for you.Look at more than just one season. This will also help to mitigate some of the flukish players.

 

[hitmenssharpshooters]

spending time on threads like this instead of playing with my kids.

 

[Banger]

I'd say my biggest weakness is probably a tendency to avoid guys that have never done it. It's also a strength because I avoid the Norwood, D. Williams, Maroney, Benson, etc., etc. backs but I do tend to miss out on the Petersons (not that that happens often).

 

[Jimmy James]

The league I care about is a deep keeper league that rewards getting good deals on young talent very heavily (I'll own Carson Palmer all his useful career, for instance). My weakness is that I focus too much on gambling on these young players and not enough on drafting still productive veterans that could help me win more regularly. For every Willis McGahee, I draft a Charles Rogers or Michael Clayton. It's still important to get the good values on the youngsters, but I should target one or two more veterans each year for maximum effect. I counted out the likes of Rod Smith 5 years ago, for instance.

 

[Papa Georgio]

My main league for years had pretty weak owners. I got in a habbit of doing some thing you just can't get away with against good owners. I made knee jerk trades, over-paid for players I liked, traded just to trade, I even tried to help out the weaker teams. It didn't really matter because in some way I could make up for any mistakes. Once I started getting in better leagues it took me a while to not be so reckless and to think more about what I was doing first. Even my main league has gotten much better owners.

I've also figured out that I am not a very good drafter but very good on the waiver wire and out work many owners.