Retro-draft League Concept

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heyfeefellskee
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Retro-draft League Concept

Postby heyfeefellskee » Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:19 pm

I wanted to present a League Concept idea I've been working on for the last couple of weeks for discussion and feedback. Let me know what you guys think with your questions, comments, and concerns.

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This league will use Reality Sports Online (RSO) as it's main platform. Reality Sports Online is a platform that allows owners to act as real GMs: each team is subjected to a salary cap, with player salaries being pre-determined by rookie contract values or set by the GM in a free agent auction. This gives owners a sense of realism when making draft selections, acquiring free agents, and making trades. One drawback of beginning a league is that GMs jump in without a feel of the “market” for player values: some 2017 rookies are valued the same as tried-and-true veterans. In addition, determining the rookie draft order can be a challenge. This league seeks to help jump-start the RSO experience by allowing GMs to build their teams retroactively, and begin their first real year in the league as if 4 years have already taken place.

For the purposes of this discussion, the roster format for this league would be Superflex (allowing a QB to be used in the Flex spot) and also contain Individual Defensive Players (IDP). In addition, the only rules discussed here will be ones that deviate from RSO's "standard" league setup.

1. The “Startup” Draft--Owners are given the chance to hold a draft for each rookie class, starting in 2014. In total, there will be 5 separate rookie drafts--2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Owners may only select players that were rookies for that year--in other words, during the 2014 draft, Odell Beckham, Jr. would be available but DeAndre Hopkins would not be available as he was not a rookie in 2014. Contracts are assigned based on where each player is selected, and the default amount is assigned. All rookie drafts through 2018 will be snake-style.
  • 2014 (1 player per team)--this draft will be 1 round long. The reason for this is that this class will be entering it’s 5th year, and the 5th year option is only available to first round rookie picks. Any player selected in this draft will have 1 year remaining on their contract. The draft order will be done Kentucky Derby Style: owners will be drawn at random, with the first name drawn having the first selection at a draft slot.
  • 2015--Draft order will be determined by potential points for each team from the 2014 season, with the lowest potential points receiving the first selection. This draft will be 5 rounds. Players drafted in 2015 will have an additional year left on their contract, with first round selections having a 5th round option.
  • 2016--draft order will be determined by potential points for each team from the 2015 season,with the lowest potential points receiving the first selection. This draft will be 5 rounds. Players drafted in 2016 will have 2 years left on their contract.
  • 2017--draft order will be determined by potential points for each team from the 2016 season,with the lowest potential points receiving the first selection. This draft will be 5 rounds. Players drafted in 2017 will have 3 years left on their contract.
  • 2018--draft order will be determined by potential points for each team from the 2016 season,with the lowest potential points receiving the first selection. This draft will be 5 rounds. Players drafted will have the standard 4 years on their contract.
  • Trading will be allowed between teams during each draft. However, teams may only trade what they have. Each team will begin with 1 draft pick in 2014, and 5 picks in each year 2015-2018. Keep in mind that these draft slots will change depending on the draft order for each draft.
2. 5th Year Option
Teams are given the option to exercise the 5th Year Option for any players drafted in the first round of rookie drafts. The deadline to exercise this option is 1 week after the rookie draft is complete. The commissioner will post a message with all eligible rookies. GMs may communicate their intentions before the deadline; any GM that does not communicate their intentions will forego their opportunity to exercise the option. For rookies selected from the 2014 class, only those selected in the first round of the fantasy draft would be eligible for the 5th year option, hence the draft only being 1 round long. We will use spotrac’s base salary rankings to determine 5th year contract values for 2014 and 2015 rookies. This will be done for 2014 rookies automatically. For 2014 rookies (with 2018 being their 5th year), we will use spotrac’s 2017 base salary rankings, as this is what would be used normally.

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rubber_duck
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Re: Retro-draft League Concept

Postby rubber_duck » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:25 am

It's so uncommon to see fresh ideas like this. This concept for setting up a league has some real potential and would be fun for veteran dynasty people.

I'd like to recommend a slight tweak to your system. If I read your outline correctly, you are starting the 2014 rookie draft with a random draft order and all subsequent rookie drafts orders will be based off of potential points. By fixing the next season's draft order based solely on potential points it will be possible (and likely) that some owners can determine their next year's draft picks with 100% accuracy.

Maybe you could base the draft order off of potential points, and then allow for a slight random "shake up" of the draft order. For example, rank the teams from 1 to 12 (or 1 to 16 if that is the league size) based on potential points. After ranking the teams you could apply a randomized number to move each team up or down in the draft order, maybe limit the movement to no more than 2 or 3 positions.

For example, the owner that set himself up for the 1.01 in the 2015 draft (based on potential points) could end up with any of the 1.01 through 1.04 picks.

There are many ways to set rules for such a randomizing function, and it could be as easy or difficult as a commissioner wants to make it. The benefit would be to reduce the incentive of an owner to select a lesser player in the current draft year in order to guarantee their position in the next draft. It also might add a little bit of fun. :-)

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kamihamster
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Re: Retro-draft League Concept

Postby kamihamster » Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:46 pm

Was thinking the same thing as rubber duck. You could potentially draft studs that got hurt the previous season in order to load up on better years while still getting studs. Maybe I missed it, but how do you deal with players pre-2014? Are they drafted before or after the rookie drafts--auction or snake? It's a good idea.
NTL (est 2016): (8-0)
12-team, PPR, 1QB,2RB,3WR,1TE,1FLX
QB: A.Rodgers, D.Jones
RB: A.Kamara, K.Johnson, K.Drake, Da.Henderson, C.Anderson, K.Ballage, T.Montgomery, J.Wilson, D.Ogunbowale, Dw.Washington, J.Kelly, P.Perkins, A.Blue
WR: O.Beckham, D.Hopkins, C.Kupp, D.Chark, R.Foster, A.Wilson, J.Reynolds, S.Morgan, B.Pringle, O.Johnson, D.Williams, D.Willis
TE: J.Cook, M.Andrews, A.Shaheen, B.Jarwin
2020 Picks: 3, 4
2021 Picks: 1, 2, 3, 4
2022 Picks: 1, 2, 3, 4

Home League (est 2014): 2018 Champ (6-2)
12-team, NPPR-6ptTD, 1QB,2RB,3WR,1TE,2FLX,1K,1DST,4IDP
QB: P.Mahomes, J.Goff
RB: D.Cook, A.Kamara, J.Mixon, M.Breida, S.Michel, F.Gore, D.Guice, K.Ballage, D.Ogunbowale, R.Bonnafon, J.Scarlett, W.Gallman, J.Kelly, J.Wilson
WR: D.Adams, J.Smith-Schuster, T.Boyd, A.Robinson, L.Fitzgerald, Jo.Brown, M.Valdes-Scantiling, K.Harmon, Z.Pascal
TE: E.Engram, A.Hooper
DST: NOS
K: W.Lutz
2020 Picks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
2021 Picks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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ArrylT
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Re: Retro-draft League Concept

Postby ArrylT » Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:12 am

At one point I mulled over the idea of a retro draft concept but could never figure out how to make it work - seems like you've taken this in a good direction - kudos for that!
Please speak to clarion contrarion before considering the use of vetos..

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Re: Retro-draft League Concept

Postby pierson242 » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:07 am

kamihamster wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:46 pm Was thinking the same thing as rubber duck. You could potentially draft studs that got hurt the previous season in order to load up on better years while still getting studs. Maybe I missed it, but how do you deal with players pre-2014? Are they drafted before or after the rookie drafts--auction or snake? It's a good idea.
Love this concept but I did notice this as well!
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heyfeefellskee
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Re: Retro-draft League Concept

Postby heyfeefellskee » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:32 am

kamihamster wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:46 pm Was thinking the same thing as rubber duck. You could potentially draft studs that got hurt the previous season in order to load up on better years while still getting studs. Maybe I missed it, but how do you deal with players pre-2014? Are they drafted before or after the rookie drafts--auction or snake? It's a good idea.
Players pre-2014 would be available in the free agent auction.

If you take 1 player from 2014, 5 from 2015, 5 from 2016, 5 from 2017, and 5 from 2018, you would have 21 players signed by the time the draft rolls around. Assuming you have a roster of ~50 since it's IDP, that allows you to bid on any player from 2014-2018 that wasn't "Drafted", and anyone from previous classes.

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heyfeefellskee
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Re: Retro-draft League Concept

Postby heyfeefellskee » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:37 am

rubber_duck wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:25 am It's so uncommon to see fresh ideas like this. This concept for setting up a league has some real potential and would be fun for veteran dynasty people.
Thanks man!
I'd like to recommend a slight tweak to your system. If I read your outline correctly, you are starting the 2014 rookie draft with a random draft order and all subsequent rookie drafts orders will be based off of potential points. By fixing the next season's draft order based solely on potential points it will be possible (and likely) that some owners can determine their next year's draft picks with 100% accuracy.

Maybe you could base the draft order off of potential points, and then allow for a slight random "shake up" of the draft order. For example, rank the teams from 1 to 12 (or 1 to 16 if that is the league size) based on potential points. After ranking the teams you could apply a randomized number to move each team up or down in the draft order, maybe limit the movement to no more than 2 or 3 positions.

For example, the owner that set himself up for the 1.01 in the 2015 draft (based on potential points) could end up with any of the 1.01 through 1.04 picks.

There are many ways to set rules for such a randomizing function, and it could be as easy or difficult as a commissioner wants to make it. The benefit would be to reduce the incentive of an owner to select a lesser player in the current draft year in order to guarantee their position in the next draft. It also might add a little bit of fun. :-)
Ok, I've thought about this, too. Let's just say that you have the first slot selection from 2014. You can go OBJ (who I believe would be the highest scoring rookie for that year). Or you could go someone like Freeman, who didn't do much his rookie year (but would score you few points and thus give you a higher pick in 2015). But if a player ends up being a stud, it usually ends up pushing you back in terms of potential points for the following year.

I understand the potential issue. I'm working on trying to project what a team might actually do through the drafts to see if one team could clearly have a major advantage over the others.

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Re: Retro-draft League Concept

Postby kamihamster » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:54 am

Why dont you just have a normal draft and modify everyone's contract based off when they were drafted (2014 - present)? There's some years (2016) I don't want more than two rounds worth of players. It doesn't make sense to me to be forced to draft a guy you're gonna drop right away. Then you only have to worry about draft order for 2018, and perhaps you can use PP to determine that?
NTL (est 2016): (8-0)
12-team, PPR, 1QB,2RB,3WR,1TE,1FLX
QB: A.Rodgers, D.Jones
RB: A.Kamara, K.Johnson, K.Drake, Da.Henderson, C.Anderson, K.Ballage, T.Montgomery, J.Wilson, D.Ogunbowale, Dw.Washington, J.Kelly, P.Perkins, A.Blue
WR: O.Beckham, D.Hopkins, C.Kupp, D.Chark, R.Foster, A.Wilson, J.Reynolds, S.Morgan, B.Pringle, O.Johnson, D.Williams, D.Willis
TE: J.Cook, M.Andrews, A.Shaheen, B.Jarwin
2020 Picks: 3, 4
2021 Picks: 1, 2, 3, 4
2022 Picks: 1, 2, 3, 4

Home League (est 2014): 2018 Champ (6-2)
12-team, NPPR-6ptTD, 1QB,2RB,3WR,1TE,2FLX,1K,1DST,4IDP
QB: P.Mahomes, J.Goff
RB: D.Cook, A.Kamara, J.Mixon, M.Breida, S.Michel, F.Gore, D.Guice, K.Ballage, D.Ogunbowale, R.Bonnafon, J.Scarlett, W.Gallman, J.Kelly, J.Wilson
WR: D.Adams, J.Smith-Schuster, T.Boyd, A.Robinson, L.Fitzgerald, Jo.Brown, M.Valdes-Scantiling, K.Harmon, Z.Pascal
TE: E.Engram, A.Hooper
DST: NOS
K: W.Lutz
2020 Picks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
2021 Picks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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heyfeefellskee
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Re: Retro-draft League Concept

Postby heyfeefellskee » Fri Jan 19, 2018 11:00 am

kamihamster wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:54 am Why dont you just have a normal draft and modify everyone's contract based off when they were drafted (2014 - present)?
Because some players that were drafted later did better than ones that were drafted earlier. By allowing owners to draft from a limited player pool, they have the ability to "re-draft" the rookies--David Johnson and Stefon Diggs end up going much higher than they did in actual drafts. If we allowed owners to assign contracts based on where players were drafted back then, those are hte types of players that would be on super cheap contracts and be really good. "Retro-drafting" allows owners to have different selections, but the contracts still reflect that.
There's some years (2016) I don't want more than two rounds worth of players. It doesn't make sense to me to be forced to draft a guy you're gonna drop right away. Then you only have to worry about draft order for 2018, and perhaps you can use PP to determine that?
Keep in mind, my plan here is to include IDP.

Also keep in mind: In a platform like Reality Sports Online, you're still going to have bad contracts--whether it be on free agents you spent way too much on, or rookies that you missed on. Owners would still have contracts on players taken in each year, and while they might not be players that became studs, they also aren't players that completely whiffed.


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