Fantasy News
The Fanex draft is underway – both of them.
The league is using a new approach this season. Previously, it’s had two separate-but-equal 12-team conferences. One would do an e-mail draft (which typically takes something like two weeks). The other would be done in a rapid-style format later in the month (taking about three hours). Those two conferences were then merged into one 24-team league – 14-week regular season, followed by three weeks for playoffs.
But that’s all been thrown out. Week 17 isn’t acceptable for a championship game, the membership decided. So now, rather than two separate conferences, the groups have been separated into two different leagues. Still 14 weeks for the regular season and still eight teams for the playoffs. But there will be no week 17 Super Bowl game. Instead there will simply be two separate champions.
But there’s a twist. Each year, the bottom four teams in one league will be relegated into the other, replaced by the top 4 finishers -- it’s like European soccer. So the week 16 winner of the American League is the Fanex champion; no week 17 game required.
The teams were separated using a complex formula of all-time wins, winning percentage and points scored last year. Maybe something else as well. The top 12 teams, using that admittedly arbitrary system, make up the American League. The other 12 start off in the National. Four teams switch each year, and division assignments will remain in place.
Should make for an exciting season.
This is different, by the way, from the Fanex Analysis Draft that was discussed in June. In that one, it’s a best-ball format. No lineup decisions or trades or waiver moves – most points at the end of the year wins.
This one is a head-to-head format, with lineups, trades and bidding on free agents each week. Both leagues, by the way, are of the PPR format – 1 point for catches, 6 for TDs, 4 for TD passes, 1 for every 20 passing yards and 1 for every 10 run/rec yards. Teams start QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, one flex (RB-WR-TE), PK and DEF.
As the defending champion, I’ve been placed in the American League. We’re halfway through the second round, and so far I’ve traded down three times.
I was randomly assigned the No. 2 draft spot. Rather than keep that pick, however, I moved it in exchange for pick 1.10 and pick 4.03 (the 39th overall). Then I traded pick 1.10 for pick 2.03 and 6.03; I also gave away choice 8.11 in that deal. Finally, I moved down from 2.03 to 2.05 to move up three rounds from the 18th (18.11) to the 15th (15.08).
Finally just selected my first player – Steve Smith at 2.05. I may seem trade happy. I may seem to be off to a slow start. But when I make my choice at 7.02, I will have nine players. All but one other owner at that point will have six players. That should allow me to do some nice things.
Pick Pos Player
1.01 RB Maurice Jones-Drew (Rito)
1.02 RB Adrian Peterson (Butler)
1.03 RB Matt Forte (Hickerson)
1.04 RB Steve Slaton (Davis)
1.05 RB Michael Turner (Tinker)
1.06 WR Larry Fitzgerald (Holm)
1.07 RB Steven Jackson (Nulty)
1.08 WR Randy Moss (Perlow)
1.09 RB LaDainian Tomlinson (Cahill)
1.10 RB Chris Johnson (Butler)
1.11 RB DeAngelo Williams (Kellogg)
1.12 WR Andre Johnson (Panizo)
2.01 RB Brian Westbrook (Panizo)
2.02 WR Calvin Johnson (Kellogg)
2.03 WR Reggie Wayne (Perlow)
2.04 RB Frank Gore (Cahill)
2.05 WR Steve Smith (Allan)
Those wishing to track the National League draft can click here. In that one, Steve Smith actually was chosen two spots later than where I selected him.
—Ian Allan
- Comments [3]
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Posted by James Geist | Aug. 02 at 04:54 PM
This is bold, and very interesting. Can't wait to see how it turns out. Couldn't help but notice that it was Jim Butler that moved up to both 1.02 and 1.10 -- taking Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson with his first two picks. His only picks left before the 8th round are 3.10, 5.10, and 7.10. I can't imagine what his WRs are going to look like in this (likely) 4 WR starting league.
Posted by GREGORY BLAKE | Aug. 03 at 02:31 AM
Ian - On multiple occasions (including the 8/3 update) you've suggested trading down. The Fanex draft(s) certainly confirm you practice what you preach. Any chance you'll make the Ian Allan Fantasy Draft Trade Value Chart available to subscribers? Because during a draft some of us are too lazy, intoxicated, and/or math-challeged to make on-the-fly pick valuations for trades.
Posted by IAN ALLAN | Aug. 03 at 02:53 AM
When I'm mulling whether to make a trade, I don't assign a value to the draft slot. Instead, I just look at the value of the player I would select. With the moves down from 1.02 to 1.10 to 2.03 to 2.05, for example, I saw little dropoff in value for the player I expected to select. I just had to make sure that what I received in return would exceed that value. If you wanted to gauge how much I valued each draft slot in your league, I would suggest you use our auction value calculator, then assume that the players would be selected in that order. That would give you an idea of what each pick was worth (and customized to your league). If you saw a $8.30 drop from pick 1.02 to 1.10, for example, you would know you were getting a good deal if you were getting a fourth-round pick in return, where you maybe expected to land a $17.00 player.