Important Dates to Remember
Pay attention to the right side column where the dates for the league's pre-season are listed. I'll go into the expansion draft later on, but make sure you are mindful of the dates. I will be doing your work for you if you don't get it done in time. Please don't let me pick your expansion players/keepers for you. I'm not very smart, and I'm liable to not keep your best RB because I have a good feeling about your 2nd string tight end.
Expansion draft
This year we have the chance to expand to 12 teams this season with the addition of Kevin Le Duc and Don Mothershed (I think, no one has told me yet if that's really him). With this, we need to have an expansion draft to populate their rosters and integrate them into the league. Here are the important items to know to be ready for the expansion draft.
--Each team can freeze 4 players and protect them from being taken by an expansion team. Those four player names are due to me by August 9th.
--The two expansion teams will have their expansion place decided by coin flip. The person not getting the first pick in the expansion draft will be given the 11th pick in the general draft and the player getting the first pick in the expansion draft will get the 12th pick.
--The expansion draft will be held on August 16th. Each team can only lose 1 player from their squad. Once a player has been taken from a team, that team can lose no more players. A total of 10 players will be drafted.
--After the draft, the incumbent teams of the league will have 7 days to decide on their 5 keepers after losing a player from their team. Those final keepers are due on August 23rd.
Final Keepers Due
In case you missed it above, the final keepers are due August 23rd. At that time, any agreed deals for players (only kept players can be dealt) and picks and can be finalized and changes made on the Yahoo! draft board.
Draft Day
The draft is on August 30th at 8:00 PM. It will be held on Yahoo! since we're now able to edit individual rounds draft order and placement. If you cannot be there for the draft, you MUST have your auto draft set up by the time of the draft. No one in the league will be responsible for the players that the computer drafts for you. Trades not announced by draft time will have to be organized by the trading parties in draft and then reported to me to adjust after the draft's conclusion.
We have a chance to make some adjustments that are either my idea or the discussion of several people on the issue. If you wish to vote on the issue, please post a comment voting on each issue. If you're not sure, you can say "not sure". A majority of those who vote will pass the rule change or not. So if three of you vote, two people could potentially change the rule. I figure if you don't vote, you will not mind the rule change.
--Yahoo! has given the opportunity to not force a snake-like draft format and go to a standard draft format of 1-2-3-1-2-3 instead of 1-2-3-3-2-1 that drafts have usually been.
--As more and more teams are going with a split back format, there is now a dearth of quality scoring options at RB and A and B level WR are now dominant in the league, the top 25 WR averaging more than 25 points per player more than the average score of a top 25 RB. I am proposing a reduction to .5 per reception, starting this season.
--So far, as I have mentioned, I have made this season's draft a live draft on Yahoo! But I know that several of you enjoyed the MSN draft we did last season, even if it was a little slower. So if you would rather do an IM draft, let us know. The live draft is much faster, but not nearly as conducive to smack talk and accidental mistakes may be very costly.
Thanks!
In case you missed it above, the final keepers are due August 23rd. At that time, any agreed deals for players (only kept players can be dealt) and picks and can be finalized and changes made on the Yahoo! draft board.
Draft Day
The draft is on August 30th at 8:00 PM. It will be held on Yahoo! since we're now able to edit individual rounds draft order and placement. If you cannot be there for the draft, you MUST have your auto draft set up by the time of the draft. No one in the league will be responsible for the players that the computer drafts for you. Trades not announced by draft time will have to be organized by the trading parties in draft and then reported to me to adjust after the draft's conclusion.
Voting Issues
We have a chance to make some adjustments that are either my idea or the discussion of several people on the issue. If you wish to vote on the issue, please post a comment voting on each issue. If you're not sure, you can say "not sure". A majority of those who vote will pass the rule change or not. So if three of you vote, two people could potentially change the rule. I figure if you don't vote, you will not mind the rule change.
Issue #1- Draft format
--Yahoo! has given the opportunity to not force a snake-like draft format and go to a standard draft format of 1-2-3-1-2-3 instead of 1-2-3-3-2-1 that drafts have usually been.
Pros: More logical for a keeper league draft, increases parody, allows weaker teams a better chance to rebuild, easier to conceive pick value in trades.
Cons: Not traditionally used, more difficult for good teams to stay good from year to year, possible tanking could be an issue.
Issue #2-PPR value
--As more and more teams are going with a split back format, there is now a dearth of quality scoring options at RB and A and B level WR are now dominant in the league, the top 25 WR averaging more than 25 points per player more than the average score of a top 25 RB. I am proposing a reduction to .5 per reception, starting this season.
Pros: Top WR and top RB scores from last season more evened out when adjusting PPR to .5, reduces the handicap placed on RB who do not catch the football, reduces the value of a WR having many catches with little yards.
Cons: Not traditionally part of this league, downgrades the value of the WR, reduces overall point total of weekly games.
Issue #3- Yahoo! Draft?
--So far, as I have mentioned, I have made this season's draft a live draft on Yahoo! But I know that several of you enjoyed the MSN draft we did last season, even if it was a little slower. So if you would rather do an IM draft, let us know. The live draft is much faster, but not nearly as conducive to smack talk and accidental mistakes may be very costly.
PLEASE VOTE ON THESE ISSUES BY AUGUST 9TH! Remember, you vote by posting a comment to this post.
Thanks!
Posts
53 comments:
I like the idea of the non-snake draft. With all the keepers, it makes things much more interesting for those at either end and makes it so everyone has about 10-11 picks between and no one has back to back and/or 20 picks between. In a non-keeper league, I'd say no, but I like it for a keeper league.
I'm against the PPR reduction (but I'm not going to complain if the votes go the other way).
I need a Yahoo! draft since I'll be working that night and can do a Yahoo! draft but don't have MSN Messenger at the station. Yahoo! does have the chat feature so we won't miss the smack and it will go faster ... I did a full 15 round draft in less than an hour on Saturday night.
i think snake this year for sure. expansion teams are gonna suck bad enough as it is. and i vote to keep ppr at 1. and for yahoo draft
1) I like the non-snake.
2) I don't care either way. I'll go with the PPR reduction.
3) I like yahoo better. Less chance of mistakes.
4) I should be drafting ahead of you and Ben, because though we had the same record, he scored more points and had the better seeding in the playoffs.
Dan makes a good point
Dan makes great points all the time.
I threw up the order without being too careful about rules yet.
I did adjust based on last year's rules and the draft order has been adjusted.
1. No on 123-321, yes on 123-123.
2. Don't really care either way.
3. Doesn't matter (I won't be available for either).
4. Britton, for the last couple years, you have given us (the league) the chance to vote on a draft date. Why not this year?
Since you guys will be hearing enough from me once the season begins (via T-MOF blogs) I'll keep this short and sweet.
1)Non-snake
2) .5 PPR
3) Yahoo
4) Dan and Doug are both tools.
What???
I'm the hammer that will crush you.
I'm the nail that will stab you.
I'm the screwdriver that will screw your mom ... let's leave the mothers out of this. Dorothy Mantooth is a saint!
@ Ryan
I did that because we are doing a Yahoo! draft this year because it's so customizable and flexible to what we want to do as a league.
No matter what, not everyone can make the date, but I scheduled it 70 days in advance so people had at least a fighting chance to schedule it in. By the time everyone joined and came up with a time they wanted, that time would probably be gone on Yahoo! and it would be pointless anyways. If too many people can't make it, we'll adjust and open it up to discussion, but at this point... the Saturday before the season starts is what we're going with.
this is unbelievable. if we go non snake it helps the lower teams so much. i propose we initiate it next year. once all 12 teams have had a year.
I too, am outraged
To quote a bumper sticker I saw yesterday, "if you're not appalled, you're not paying attention."
The ONLY time Snake Drafts make any sense is in a non-keeper fantasy league. In this season, the new team basically have the entire 5th round to snag players. In a public league I just draft in on Saturday, the following was the 5th round ound 5
Marvin Harrison
Thomas Jones
Drew Brees
Michael Turner
Antonio Gates
Carson Palmer
Roy Williams
Santonio Holmes
Greg Jennings
Edgerrin James
Would you be happy with 5 of those guys as your keepers? At WORST, you'd have, what, Holmes, James, Jones, Palmer and Williams? And the other guy would keep Brees, Gates, Jennings, Harrison and Turner? I'd take those 5 as keepers so the "We're adding two guys so we should wait until next season to go non-snake" doesn't make sense. And the weaker teams (i.e - the bottom 5) in this league need to get picks 1 and 13, 2 and 14, 3 and 14 etc ... in order to be competitive this year and beyond, which is the goal. If you have the worst team and you get the first pick and then have to wait 23 more picks to select again, it is really tough to get "better".
sorry doug your thought process would work if we had the first pick in the 5th round from ANY players but we dont. But because only 6-7 teams are going to be "unprotecting" decent players. And even our first round picks arent first round picks becasue those players are obviously being protected. So for instance in round 4 for me I will have to select Deangelo Williams(probably not a starter and nowhere near the list you mentioned). And in round 5 the two teams me and Don will be choosing from will be giving us an option of Donte Stallworth or Todd Heap, while another one is giving us Cutler or Dallas Clark depending on who Dan keeps. So instead of saying we should be able to snag in the 5th round that list of players you mentioned, it can be changed to say we are gettting the lesser of two evils between Donte Stallworth and Dallas Clark. point proven.
A non-snake would theoretically help both the teams at the very top, and the teams at the very bottom the most, by providing more consistency in terms of the caliber of player available.
In our case that would be the worst teams from last year (top) and the expansion teams (bottom).
The middle of the draft teams wouldn't benefit or suffer from one style of draft over the other.
Sure the low and high teams get two picks in a row at the top or bottom of a round, but they then have to wait 23 picks before their next choice, thus making it THAT much more imperative to get every draft choice right without having any busts.
Since I'm a middle of the roader, I frankly don't care much either way, though I have to agree with Doug; in a keeper league, regardless of the year or new teams, a non-snake makes more since in terms of competitive balance.
ben im not trying to complain but how does that help the teams at the top? i can see how it doesnt hurt the teams in the middle but that 2nd round pick of 13 compared to 24 is a big big deal. i already realize me and don are going to finish in dead last this year but it helps a little. and if doug would like to take my 4th and 5th round keeper picks for his first round pick i will be fine with the non snake
A non-snake helps the teams at the top (I'm assuming you mean the better teams from last year, rather than draft position) the same as the bottom; by getting picks more consistently close together in terms of talent. Sure with the snake in the first round you get those nice sandwich picks, but then you wait 23 picks. That's a lot of talent off the board.
A non-snake keeps the talent more consistent. Again, all teams wait 11 picks and then go; every round. Talent naturally blends closer together for a more competitive league.
As for whining about the talent level of the keepers your expansion team will get, it is cute and all, but as I've told you before, if you want to take a look at a 7-2-off-hand I encourage you to talk to Dan and find out what his keepers were last year.
I'm fairly sure he ended up cutting three of the five, and the first two that come to mind were Mike Vick and Terry Glenn.
YIKES!!!
Now THAT'S a bad hand!
id say dan had the same starting hand as us. he just got the first pick in the draft. we have the 12th!
Dan had a cruel act of God befall him when his two best players left the NFL in the middle of their primes.
And I completely regret that we did that for him. Because we had to listen to him talk trash and the worst part was he was winning some games.
My rationale was actually more on that you gave me credit for Kevin, come on now! ;) My consideration was that the first 4 round of the draft I took part in was comprised of the guys who, for the most part, are being kept in this league (for the most part ...). That would have made those players whom I list (from the 5th round) of the draft I was in available to the new guys giving them PLENTY of chance. I'm well aware that it is dramatically different in the 1st round with everyone available and the 5th round with less people. That's why we're allowing the returners to keep 4 and then lose a player ... that gives the newbies basically 5 5th round draft picks each when you
've only had 4 picks (at that point) and have only had your own roster to choose from when they will basically have the whole league. Hope that clears it up a little bit.
As far as the non-snake goes, one thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the idea that "runs" on certain positions will KILL players in a snake draft. It's safe to say that most of the kept players this year are RB, then QB and WR ... so, say in our "third round" of actually draft with the 6th pick someone snags SD D/ST ... the goes MIN D/ST and so on ... that gives whoever is at the "end" a major advantage or disadvantage. On one "end" you might be able to grab two very good D/ST to be able to spot match-ups each week and to have some possible bargaining power against the guy at the other end, who after the run is stuck with a much worse defense (AZ, SF, MIA). Sure, defenses aren't THAAAAT valuable but still, at least having a chance at evening out positional runs makes me like non-snake.
I agree with everyone.
that "run" is something we have just all become accustomed too. strategy of taking a player before the run happens. i vote non-snake draft! just starting next year. that seems fair. what do we think
I believe everyone who has voted has already voiced what they think!
/why hasn't anyone else voted yet?
/why are some people slackers?
/though I agree with him, Doug still may be a tool.
(just kidding Doug, but Dan is!)
where's ritzau? what a slacker. and where's don to help support the expansion teams!!!
I inherited a team where my five keepers were:
1) Torry Holt
2) Joey Galloway
3) Terry Glenn
4) Julius Jones
5) DeShaun Foster
I inherited a team whose stars were Tiki Barber and Mike Vick, neither of which I kept.
I GUARANTEE that the expansion teams this year will have a better starting 5 than I did. I dropped 2 of those guys, and the other two I traded for a guy who was already out for the season, who probably lost his starting job (Cadillac).
Having the #1 pick helped, but even with AP, my top 6 sucked. It was my third round pick (Braylon Edwards) and the fact that I got the league's best defense later in the draft (Minnesota) that is what made my team competitive.
Expansion teams aren't always competitive, but you have the freedom to draft young players that teams that are hoping to win this year can't gamble on. While other teams are fighting over veterans with limited upside, you can take a chance on rookie backs, wide receivers, or guys like Calvin Johnson. Some work out (Edwards), some don't (Jay Cutler for me in the second round).
Wow Dan, I had forgotten just how bad your keepers were.
Crap.
Other than Holt, and MAYBE Galloway, those other three were pretty much unplayable options last year.
I respect you that much more, you should have been in complete rebuilding mode, and yet you turned yourself into a playoff contender.
After the number one choice you went back to picking in your team's rightful slot too.
I guess keepers of draft position doesn't have to determine the outcome of a season after all.
Dan Miller = greatest fantasy player ever.
I just want to say, since I chimed in last, I still don't see anything I disagree with here. Well done, guys.
Hey Britton, can we get an update on the voting thus far? Looks like a non-snake draft has a lot of backers and PPR seems pretty split. When does the voting end and how are we counting the "I don't care" votes ... as a non-vote?
ya you had some bad keeper breaks dan. but id trade my 5 keepers for holt and ap if ya want. my last argument for why the teams at the end do not benefit from a non snake(as ben argues). either way your getting the 12th and 36th pick. thats set in stone. so all that it comes down to is would you rather have the 13th pick or the 24th pick??? clearly it is never going to benefit you more to have the pick 11 slots later. i dont really care what we chose anymore. id just like to see ben retract the statement it benefits the teams in pick 10-12 more so that logically im not so frustrated.
Nick votes yes to the 1-2-3 draft and yes to the .5 points per reception because otherwise it makes Brian Westbrook the greatest player to ever step on the field and god knows that doesnt need to happen. In the past I have played with the .5 or even a .25 and it seems to reasonably distribute just about everything for us.
I dont really care how we draft whether it be msn or yahoo. I will pull out of that voting. Side note, I am a bit confused as to how I am not mentioned on the expansion team list. What the hell am I to you Real Salt Lake?
Nick, babies...
What does saying yes to the 1-2-3 draft mean? Both drafts start going 1-2-3. Come on now, Real Salt Lake... you're better than that.
Also, I completely have been slow in telling you that you're taking an existing team now. If you go to the league last year on Yahoo and look at Self High Five's roster, that's your team to pick your four protected players.
Kevin, you're a darling, really.
Alas, no I can't retract my viewpoint or my vote.
1-2-3 is the king of fair keeper drafts.
VOTING RESULTS SO FAR:
SNAKE DRAFT: 1
NON-SNAKE DRAFT: 5
.5 PPR: 3
1 PPR: 2
YAHOO: 4
MSN: 0
Britton-
Youre a sandbagging bastard lets be real with that. And lets also make it very clear that there are few things lower than being Real Salt Lake. One of which, taking Dennis sloppy seconds.
I mean to say, no snake. I like that. Lets do this. POOOOOOOOWAY
That being said, the question is this... are you going to protect Palmer AND Big Ben just to eff with the expansion teams?
i hope he does!
I'm not a big fan of changing the rules weeks before, both scoring and drafting.
Let's say I purposely traded a RB at the end of last year to pick up a WR because I knew the scoring system that was in place (I did not, but lets go with the hypothetical), and then had it changed on me, that hardly seems fair.
If we were not doing keepers I would have no problem with the scoring change because everyone would be starting the from scratch with established rules, but people I have drafted and kept were done purposefully because of the established scoring system that was in place.
If you want to change for 2010 i think it makes it more fair. Same with drafting order.
Sup Everybody
Is this an MSNBC sting or am I safe to speak my mind???
I vote in favor of the full 1 point for receptions.
I vote in favor of the snake draft order for one more year.
And I guess it doesn't matter what
I think of yahoo/msn if you smell what I'm cooking.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL
P.S. B and B I like the webpage.
i love the last 2 bloggers
Quick reminder to all teams...
Based on the way that we are going to be doing drafting... looks to be non-snake and total points and regular season ranking after the champion...
It would behoove everyone that clinches a playoff spot to bench everyone, score zero points, lose the last couple games but still make the playoffs, that way you can have a top-5 draft pick of every round the next year.
Seems to me to be a logical strategy based on our new found rules....
or maybe thats just me?
haha britton that sounds eerily similar to a simlar convo we have already had
cory to answer your question, you wouldnt want to tank because and I'll quote Ben, "A non-snake would theoretically help both the teams at the very top, and the teams at the very bottom the most." so you in fact would be helped more now with this non snake. ???
Cory and Kevin,
I've taken your complaints and noted them and I am going to consider the timing of changes in the future.
But let's get a couple of things cleared up.
Kevin, I cannot buy any of your critique about 1 PPR because of how much you hounded me and complained publicly about the baseball league not being "Yahoo!" standard. The 1 PPR rule has always been an offshoot from the norm in that regard. But even beyond that, the 1 PPR rule was always in place to give the WR a needed boost against the strength of RBs, just like in a league Doug and I are in, we had points for QB completions. But in this era of nearly every team being a split back, the neccesity of the 1 PPR is waning.
Cory, the funny thing is... if you'd just vote AND complain, the 1 PPR rule probably would be winning right now.
Cory and Kevin, your contentions about tanking are absolutely pathetic. If strategy to you is playing well then tanking in the risky chance of staying in the playoffs but getting a high pick, none of us want you here. Besides, I don't think either of your teams will be good enough to pull it off anyways. But punishing lower record teams just because you choked in the playoffs last year doesn't make much sense and NO major sports league does their draft by playoff result.
A non-snake draft is great for teams who are all starting from scratch, not a continuing league.
I don't care how any of these issues get voted on, but they were good ideas and I've given the league the chance to vote.
If anyone can't handle the democracy, and how the league (not me) has spoken, then let me know so I can move people up from the waiting list.
Look on the main board, for the announcement that I'm moving voting up to tomorrow to make it easier for those teams who are struggling with who to keep based on potential rule changes. I envy your amount of keepers to choose from.
i only said i would consider tanking in baseball not football. just to clarify.
1 ppr, snake style... although i think i might vote like nick for a 1-2-3 draft, whatever that is...
1 2 3 1 2 3
0.5
Draft anyway. I got This!
Ryan,
You might want to finally weigh in on the PPR issue, because right now you're the tying vote.
(I am only going to vote if there is a tie at the end of voting, since I'm not only the commissioner, I'm also a player. Vote Dennis '08.)
Tanking is retarded. There's also a big difference between making trades with an eye on the future, and tanking.
Last year I traded Foster and Galloway for Cadillac, who was at that time out for the year. I expected to keep Cadillac, and there's still a chance I will. However, I still tried to win after making that move. I won four out of my last five games to make the playoffs, I believe.
Seriously though, tanking to get higher draft picks in fantasy sports is simply retarded. Nobody wants tankers in a league.
britt shouldnt there be 4 people that havent voted? who are the other 3. cause ben already voted right and you guys are a team. these people need to rock the vote. mtv style
Root called in his vote, although he's currently camping and couldn't post it. He voted for .5 PPR. He'll confirm it once he gets back, but for now the call-in vote should suffice.
Consider me the President of the Senate as it were.
I have no intention of voting unless it's to break a tie.
So you better get as many people as possible to vote.
having B. westbrook, I considered voting 1pt for PPR...Actually receptions should be worth NOTHING.....only yrds and scoring
BUT I'll go w/ .5
I didn't want to screen all the posts to find out what the snake/non-snake thing is all about but I do know one thing:
The on-line draft should NOT be done like last year's....I don't care how brilliant your spreadsheat was Britt
If DM can keep his attention on mangaging his team and not on the cougars that are after him...then he's got a shot
JH is going to drop his first 6.....win the next 6 and go on to spank a few of your friends in the playoffs Britt
Votes so far. Only Matt and Reid have not voted. If you can, get them on to do it before 11:59 tonight.
Doug's vote:
1) Non-snake
2) 1 PPR
Kevin's vote:
1) Snake
2) 1 PPR
Dan's vote:
1) Non-snake
2) .5 PPR
Ryan's vote:
1) Non-snake
2) .5 PPR
Ben's vote:
1) Non-snake
2) .5 PPR
Nick's vote:
1) Non-snake
2) .5 PPR
Jerad's vote:
1) Snake
2) 1 PPR
Cory's vote:
1) Snake
2) 1 PPR
Don's vote:
1) Non-snake
2) .5 PPR
David's vote:
1) No vote
2) .5 PPR
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