newbie FFB owner seeking advice

[uncle red]

Hey guys, I just joined a fantasy league with some friends for the first time this year - I've been meaning to do it for a couple years but never got around to it until now. It's a 10 team Yahoo league, and I was wondering if I could get a bit of advice from you veterans out there.

First, in this league you start 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, and 1 TE each week. The scoring for these positions is: 1 point for every 50 passing yards, 6 for passing TDs, and -2 for INTs; 1 point for every 20 rushing/receiving yards, 6 for TDs, and -2 for fumbles. 2 point conversions are (naturally) worth 2 points, and return TDs are 6 points. I know conventional FFB wisdom says that RBs are more valuable than WRs - with the lineups and the way this league is scored, do you guys think that'll hold true here? and is this a pretty common scoring setup?

Also, we'll be drafting defenses and keeping defensive stats: 2 points each for INTs, fumble recoveries, blocked kicks, and safeties; 1 point for sacks; and 10 points for shutouts, 7 for 1-6 points allowed, 4 for 7-13, and 1 for 14-20. Given this scenario, what round would you think about drafting a D in?

Finally, kickers get 3 points per FG, and FGs of 50+ yards are worth 4 points. What round would you be inclined to take a kicker in?

I'd appreciate any and all help from you fantasy masterminds out there :notworthy

[Hitman56]

RBs are always the most valueable. That being said, you can win without a great RB. I always try and draft the best available player on the board. (i.e. who I think will get me the most points in that position).
As for defenses, they are overrated. Unless you plan on getting Tampa or Miami, I would wait. There is usually some defense that comes out of nowhere to be good.

[bccdc]

I am a true believer that RB's are the key to your success in FFB. If RB's recieve points per reception and yards after the catch, the RB decision is a no brainer. If not, then you still need to consider the value you get at RB vs. WR. Think about it - there are probably 10 legit # 1 RB's, and another 10 that will be solid point scorers. Each team will generally only have one RB worth taking - if there is RBBC, then you want to shy away from those RB's anyway. But at reciever, you can get value with a #2, and even a number # 3 in certain instances (Jerry Porter for one, Randel El etc).
There is great value and not much difference at WR from #5 -20. The difference between # 5 RB (Faulk, priest, Duece) and # 20 (Duce Staley, Warrick Dunn) is huge.
As for D, in a ten team league you should wait till the end to get a D.

[uncle red]

Good stuff, thanks for the input guys.

[BlitzFiftySix]

In a 10 team league you should be able to have plenty of talent left over after the draft and be plenty deep in your reserves.

I advise you to be play the matchups whenever possible. Dont start your best RB against Tampa Bay's defense if you have another decent RB whose team is going up against the Vikings.

In reference to the draft, I basically employ 2 strategies. If your 1st pick in high enough to grab a quality RB, use your first 2 selections to get the best RB's available. You can generally obtain a pretty good QB in the 3rd round. Or..... for a multiple scoring threat - take a chance if you can get a killer TD combination like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. Last year (in a 14 team league which RB's go fast) I selected with the final pick in the 1st rd. and 1st pick in the 2nd round Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss and eventually went on to win the league based on the double TD pts each time they connected.

The yardage and TD points are double when they hookup. It can also work against you though in many cases.

To have the most fun, and make your league more challenging. I advise you to add at least 2 more teams.

[Henry]

I generally don't even bother drafting a kicker or a defense. There's usually a few good ones left to pick up after the draft. I also wouldn't keep more than one of each on your roster at any given time. Kickers rarely get injured and defenses never do.

[CBMGreatOne]

Yeah, I just had an autopick draft and I ended up getting LaDainian Tomlinson in round 1 and Deuce McAllister in round two of a 12 team league, and I still ended up with Manning, Holt, Keyshawn and Gardner, to go along with Chad Lewis at TE. Definitely go RB first, and probably RB second.

[theposse]

The main thing about the Yahoo scoring is it puts a big emphasis on TDs. Most leagues give you a point for every 10 yards rushing/receiving and for every 25 yards passing. Yahoo- it takes twice as many yards to get a point. The main thing to think about there is downgrade players who get a lot of yards but not as many TDs. Examples I might have given last year would be Tiki Barber and Fred Taylor, but supposedly they are both going to get more goalline carries this year. I would say Warrick Dunn probably still fits this category- they'll probably use Duckett around the goalline.

But anyway, as others are saying- RB is the most important. Definitely wait on D and especially kicker until late. Don't draft backup Kickers or D's or TE's (unless one of the top few are still around very late and you already have one). You're better off with extra RBs and WRs.

[W. Unseld]

Yeah, you might want to vote on those yahoo settings before the season starts. My friends and I played that way last year and got annoyed that a guy rushing for 110 yards was worth less than some guy catching a 5 yard td pass (6-5). You can adust the yardage values so it isn't such a pure scorers league.
Having only ten teams in your league makes the waver wire and free agent pool important, check it more than once a week, as someone already mentioned matchups are key, you might pull a guy off your bench to replace your star if that star has a tough match up that week and your reserve is facing the Cardinals.
Finally, I kind of disagree about the kicker/defense thing. In each case there are 2-3 guys/defenses who are $$$ for big points, so you might steal those guys in the mid to late rounds and rely on the waiver wires for your back up wr's, a position that has plenty of depth.

[AJWatson3]

take the posse's advice, draft K and D late. you can add great depth to your team while everyone else is scrambling after Tampa Bay goes...

you'll see a couple of runs in your draft...
always first round RB's....
round 2-4 on WR's (Owens, Harrison and Moss all clumped together) and QB's (McNabb, Culpepper, Manning, Gannon)...
after Shockey you'll see Gonzalez and Heap go within the next round...
and after Tampa Bay goes you'll see a bunch of people jump to get PIT, PHI, CAR, ATL...

*** don't get caught up in the runs. unless you are the one starting them. and stick to you draft "master list" no matter who the others are drafting. but pay attention to their rosters.***

[uncle red]

All the advice is much appreciated, and we did end up changing the scoring to a more traditional 10 yds/1 pt for rushing and receiving and 25 yds/1 pt for passing. Here's my team, you guys tell me how I did:

QB Aaron Brooks
QB Trent Green
RB Priest Holmes
RB Shaun Alexander
RB Edgerrin James
WR Plaxico Burress
WR Koren Robinson
WR Rod Gardner
WR Marty Booker
TE Randy McMichael
TE Doug Jolley
K Mike Vanderjagt
D Pittsburgh
D New England

[Duke]

Originally posted by uncle red
All the advice is much appreciated, and we did end up changing the scoring to a more traditional 10 yds/1 pt for rushing and receiving and 25 yds/1 pt for passing. Here's my team, you guys tell me how I did:

QB Aaron Brooks
QB Trent Green
RB Priest Holmes
RB Shaun Alexander
RB Edgerrin James
WR Plaxico Burress
WR Koren Robinson
WR Rod Gardner
WR Marty Booker
TE Randy McMichael
TE Doug Jolley
K Mike Vanderjagt
D Pittsburgh
D New England

How come you got those 3 RBs together and were still able to land Brooks, Burress and Robinson??? :rolleyes:

Is it 5-team league? :D

[AJWatson3]

you didn't tell us you were drafting against a bunch of monkeys.

[uncle red]

Ha! Well, it ended up as an 8-team league instead of 10, and like I said, this was the first time most of us had played. I think that only me and a couple other guys actually did much research - there was a lot of magazine drafting going on among the other owners. :D

One guy actually showed up with a whole 3-ring binder with laminated prospect sheets and all kinds of stuff, and I was prepared for him to destroy everybody else. Then he winds up drafting Shockey with his first pick and Steve McNair with his second - go figure. :laugh:

[theposse]

Originally posted by uncle red
All the advice is much appreciated, and we did end up changing the scoring to a more traditional 10 yds/1 pt for rushing and receiving and 25 yds/1 pt for passing. Here's my team, you guys tell me how I did:

QB Aaron Brooks
QB Trent Green
RB Priest Holmes
RB Shaun Alexander
RB Edgerrin James
WR Plaxico Burress
WR Koren Robinson
WR Rod Gardner
WR Marty Booker
TE Randy McMichael
TE Doug Jolley
K Mike Vanderjagt
D Pittsburgh
D New England

Man- that's insane. I know it's only 8 teams, but still- those 3 RBs are ridiculous. And it's not like you didn't do well at WR or QB. Nice job.