Results from the FSTA draft posted online

[Todd Zola]

These guys should pony up a grand each and then do the draft...winner take all. Then would would get an accurate assessment from these "experts".

Given that I don't agree with the premise driving this comment, I don't agree with the comment either.

In a winner-take-all scenario, there are more high reward selections made than in a standard format. As is, the draft basically is winner take all -- I venture to say the difference would be minimal.

[fuhrdog]

Given that I don't agree with the premise driving this comment, I don't agree with the comment either.

In a winner-take-all scenario, there are more high reward selections made than in a standard format. As is, the draft basically is winner take all -- I venture to say the difference would be minimal.

Todd...Mith

Mith...Todd

[Todd Zola]

Todd...Mith

Mith...Todd

It's all good. I was a huge Rush fan growing up. Besides, whoever won it would be due to luck

[Mithrandir]

Given that I don't agree with the premise driving this comment, I don't agree with the comment either.

In a winner-take-all scenario, there are more high reward selections made than in a standard format. As is, the draft basically is winner take all -- I venture to say the difference would be minimal.

I see your point. Do you feel this draft is a good representation of the true values of the players taken? Is it something that newbie fantasy players can use with confidence?

[Mithrandir]

It's all good. I was a huge Rush fan growing up. Besides, whoever won it would be due to luck

Now this is a man with some good musical taste!!

Perhaps the most misquoted line in RJ history. I never ever ever ever said winning a fantasy league was all luck. I have always said that luck plays a bigger role than we like to admit, that's all

[Todd Zola]

I see your point. Do you feel this draft is a good representation of the true values of the players taken? Is it something that newbie fantasy players can use with confidence?

Here's the thing. Value is PAST TENSE. We won't know how valuable a player was until October. We're not drafting value, we're drafting potential.

I'm not naive - I know I'm picking semantic nits but if you think of things in terms of potential, it does give you a better perspective.

With that said, no draft/auction ever goes chalk (making the leap of faith there is actually a correct measure of value/potential). Drafters have different philosophies with respect to strategies

Safe versus upside
Hitting versus pitching
Scarcity versus best available
etc.

Some prefer prospects while some prefer a track record
Some avoid injury risks while some embrace the injury risk, hoping for more playing time and backfill if necessary
Some avoid older players for fear of injury while others prefer the steady, boring but low upside production

etc

What I'm saying is we're picking from the same player pool as everyone else. Every draft/auction has its own personality. One move leads to the next and so on. Alter one pick somewhere and every ensuing pick may have been different.

Take the same 13 owners and mix up the drafting order and some players will be picked in completely different rounds - maybe 2 or 3 earlier/later.

[Todd Zola]

Perhaps the most misquoted line in RJ history. I never ever ever ever said winning a fantasy league was all luck. I have always said that luck plays a bigger role than we like to admit, that's all

MSN-Emoticon-fishing-175.jpg
.....

[chancellor]

It's all good. I was a huge Rush fan growing up. Besides, whoever won it would be due to luck

Rush sucks, Todd.

In all seriousness, what's your preferred format? I suspect it's good to get your name out there and do a lot of drafts and auctions, but if you did just one league, what would you like it to be?

[Todd Zola]

Rush sucks, Todd.

In all seriousness, what's your preferred format? I suspect it's good to get your name out there and do a lot of drafts and auctions, but if you did just one league, what would you like it to be?

One league?

It would be a combo league where you play an AL auction, an NL auction, a mixed draft, a mixed auction, an AL draft, an NL draft, a Strat league and a Scoresheet league where you combine all the scores.

Truth be told of I'm only playing one league I could give a shit about getting my name out there and it would have to be an only league auction.

[Trader Mac]

One league?

It would be a combo league where you play an AL auction, an NL auction, a mixed draft, a mixed auction, an AL draft, an NL draft, a Strat league and a Scoresheet league where you combine all the scores.

Truth be told of I'm only playing one league I could give a shit about getting my name out there and it would have to be an only league auction.

Todd--Do you play in a Strat league? I seem to be the only one around here that does.

[Hornsby]

Here's the thing. Value is PAST TENSE. We won't know how valuable a player was until October. We're not drafting value, we're drafting potential.

I'm not naive - I know I'm picking semantic nits but if you think of things in terms of potential, it does give you a better perspective.

With that said, no draft/auction ever goes chalk (making the leap of faith there is actually a correct measure of value/potential). Drafters have different philosophies with respect to strategies

Safe versus upside
Hitting versus pitching
Scarcity versus best available
etc.

Some prefer prospects while some prefer a track record
Some avoid injury risks while some embrace the injury risk, hoping for more playing time and backfill if necessary
Some avoid older players for fear of injury while others prefer the steady, boring but low upside production

etc

What I'm saying is we're picking from the same player pool as everyone else. Every draft/auction has its own personality. One move leads to the next and so on. Alter one pick somewhere and every ensuing pick may have been different.

Take the same 13 owners and mix up the drafting order and some players will be picked in completely different rounds - maybe 2 or 3 earlier/later.

I did listen to the draft live that night on my cold, snowy, miserable drive home, and almost every guy that they interviewed said that they were essentially shooting for the moon. Different than a "normal" draft in that nobody cared about finishing in the money spots, since there were none. One contestant said that finishing 2nd was essentially the same as finishing 13th...true?

[Todd Zola]

I did listen to the draft live that night on my cold, snowy, miserable drive home, and almost every guy that they interviewed said that they were essentially shooting for the moon. Different than a "normal" draft in that nobody cared about finishing in the money spots, since there were none. One contestant said that finishing 2nd was essentially the same as finishing 13th...true?

As Kyle Elfrink and Jeff Erickson said on the air, they never once announced who finished in second (or third, or fourth....) last year. But they repeatedly announced "defending champions" or "last year's winners" etc.

Speaking as the defending champion (#humblebrag) other than ceding a few picks here and there to my partner Lawr Michaels (though most were mutually agreed upon) I drafted the same as i always do. Safe early, players I seem to favor over others in the middle with some dart throws late.

[Todd Zola]

Todd--Do you play in a Strat league? I seem to be the only one around here that does.

Yeah, I am by no means a Strat-head and I have a partner that does the dirty work actually playing the games but I play in an on-line league.

[Trader Mac]

Yeah, I am by no means a Strat-head and I have a partner that does the dirty work actually playing the games but I play in an on-line league.

Cool. I enjoy Strat very much though playing the games online can be a pain esp with me living overseas. I played Pursue the Pennant in college and just started playing Strat. Here is the league I am in: www.westsideleague.com My team is San Francisco and I just took it over so I am in rebuild mode. Would love to get your opinion on my team esp. my young players/prospects.

[Weapon1]

The 2015 version of this takes place 7 pm tonight, broadcast on Sirius: http://www.rtsports.com/siriusxm