Yahoo Champion of Champions

[Pengwin7]

I will be entering squads for [myself] and [my wife] a little later today.
US resident. Woohoo.

If any of you want to play along for fun, I'll post some options and we can see who does best.
TUESDAY GAME. Three NHL games of players to choose. DET@TB, CHI@STL, NYR@PIT.

"BOLD" or "CAPS" YOUR PICKS, $200 BUDGET.
[Unlike many other "Top teams take all" competitions, I think the key is to be top HALF in the first two competitions, just to move on.]

Goalies (Pick two):
$42 Bishop (TB), $37 Elliott (STL), $36 Fleury (PIT-inj), $34 Murray (PIT), $34 Crawford (CHI), $32 Lundqvist (NYR), $31 Darling (CHI), $30 Allen (STL), $29 Howard (DET), $29 Mrazek (DET)... even 3rd string goalies are $20... so you basically HAVE to grab two goalies of big amounts.

Centers (Pick two):
$32 Crosby (PIT), $28 Stepan (NYR), $28 Malkin (PIT-inj), $26 Stamkos (TB-inj), $26 Brassard (NYR), $25 Toews (CHI), $24 Bonino (PIT), $23 Stastny (STL), $20 Backes (STL-inj), $18 Cullen (PIT), $17 Larkin (DET), $16 Zetterberg (DET), $16 Staal (NYR), $15 Johnson (TB-inj), $14 Helm (DET), $14 Miller (NYR), $14 Anisimov (CHI-inj), $14 Fabbri (STL), $13 Richards (DET), $12... anybody else - Glendening, B.Boyle, Filpp, Namest, March, Paquette, Moore, Lindberg, Sundqvist etc...

Wingers (Pick three):
$30 Kane (CHI), #29 Panarin (CHI), $29 Tarasenko (STL), $28 Kessel (PIT), $25 Palat (TB), $24 Kreider (NYR), $24 Brouwer (STL), $22 Kucherov (TB), $22 Hornqvist (PIT), $21 Hagelin (PIT), $19 Zucc (NYR), $18 Tatar (DET), $18 Nash (NYR), $17 Abdelkader (DET), $17 Kuhnackl (PIT), $17 Hossa (CHI-inj), $17 Steen (STL), $16 Callahan (NYR), $16 Killorn (TB), $15 Kunitz (PIT), $15 Ladd (CHI), $13 Fehr (PIT), $13 Schwartz (STL), $12 everybody else (incl. Nyquist, Jurco, Mantha, Hayes, Fast, Drouin, Sheary, Jaskin, etc.)

Defense (Pick two):
$33 Letang (PIT), $29 Daley (PIT), $25 Shattenkirk (STL), $23 Pietrangelo (STL), $22 Green (DET), $21 Yandle (NYR), #20 Hedman (TB), $20 Klein (NYR), $17 Seabrook (CHI), $17 Parayko (STL), $16 Cole (PIT), $16 Schultz (PIT), $15 Stralman (TB-inj), $15 McDonagh (NYR-inj), $13 Carle (TB), $13 Girardi (NYR), $13 Maatta (PIT-inj), $12 Kronwall & everybody else... (incl. M.Staal & Pouliot & Dan Boyle).


The math is this:
$200 for 9 players.
You can basically lock in that you have to take one bargain-bin player @ $12.
That leaves $188 for 8 players = $23.5 per player... or $47 for 2.

[Pengwin7]

For me... there are two key choices.
1. You are either IN on Kane/Panarin and the CHI PP... or you are not.
2. You are either IN on Crosby and the PIT PP... or you are not.
3. You will HAVE to spend about $60 to $70 on goalies, plus the token $12 guy... so you have at most $118 to $128 for 6 skaters. $20 to $21 each.

Going with those players lumps you in with the massses... which means you HAVE to nail your other picks.
Going against those players means you could be among a small elite if they score 0pts and your optional guys do...
But if those players are superstars... it's over.

Team #1: Kane/Panarin (Team CHI/TB).
$30 Pat Kane (W1)
$30 Artemi Panarin (W2)
$12 Dennis Rasmussen (C2) (their center... just to burn $12)
$29 Corey Crawford (G1). That's $101 for 4 guys. $99 left for five guys.
$17 Brent Seabrook (D1). That's $118 for 5 guys. $82 left for four guys.

...Now I could pick a different team of players... let's go TB - who'll need secondary scoring.
$43 Bishop (G2).
$13 Matt Carle (D1) That's $174 for 7 guys. $26 left for C/W... gotta be cheap.
$12 Valtteri Filppula (C2).. just $12 is a steal here for a PP guy with Stamkos out.
$12 Jonathan Drouin (W3)... just $12. Can he pull a Seguin-like playoff spike?

Team #2: Crosby (PIT + STL cheapies)
$30 Crosby (C1)
$15 Kunitz (W1)
$33 Letang (D1)
$34 Murray (G1). $112 for 4 players.
...
Switching to STL
$37 Elliott (G2). $149 for 5 players... 51 for 4 players... that's barely $13 each. Ouch.
$13 Schwartz (W2). $162 for 6 players.
...
Back to TB/DET game
$12 Filppula (C2). $12 too good a price. $174/7. $26 for 2 left.
$12 Kronwall (D2)
$12 Nyquist (W3)


$198 for both teams.
My key players: Filppula ($12. My likely C2 on all teams), Schwartz ($13 - great price for a W of this quality), Kronwall ($12), Garrison ($12), D.Boyle ($12), Carle ($13 - yes, he's been getting lots of PP time lately). Teravainen possible wild card if CHI has PP time for him. Know the low priced players because big money is required for two goalies AND 1-2 superstars (P.Kane, Panarin, Crosby)

[4T2]

For me... there are two key choices.
1. You are either IN on Kane/Panarin... or you are not.
2. You are either IN on Crosby... or you are not.

Going with those players lumps you in with the massses... which means you HAVE to nail your other picks.
Going against those players means you could be among a small elite if they score 0pts and your optional guys do...
But if those players are superstars... it's over.


Team #1: Roll with the masses - pick the superstars. C1-Crosby ($30), W1-P.Kane ($30), W2-Panarin ($30). And once somebody invests in a player, might as well finish that grouping of the PIT/CHI PP units. D1-Letang ($33). Goalies are critical. I'm picking CHI to score, so I might as well pick CHI to win. G1 Crawford ($34). $157. Need G2,C2,W3,D2. $43, well...

From what I can see the minimum cost for a player is $12 so unless Zatkoff starts, you need to go with Crawford and the starting Detroit goalie. This does not allow you to pick Crosby/Letang. My team would consist of Crawford/Mrazek (or Howard), Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Kane/Panarin/Drouin (bargain at $12)/Hjarlmarsson/Seabrook. So if anyone wants to roll with that, just give me a shout out when it wins.

P.S. Quincey is another good bargain d-man at $12

[Pengwin7]

As an update on the current "entrant" quantities.

If I click a 1st place team... it currently shows 7,655 entrants (/52,440). Prizes for top half (1st-26220th).
Up to 7705...

I'm not sure if I have the ability to enter a "lower" level contest...
That might actually make the entrant range more rare (better odds) if that's the case.

Can any of you that aren't tied to a 1st place team check the quantity count?
I'm curious what the SILVER or BRONZE entry pool counts at.

[marsid6687]

Entering in the Silver pool this morning and that count is 10,293/106,985.

[Pengwin7]

Thanks.
Those are pretty interesting numbers:
52,440 max spots for the Champions (GOLD)
106,985 max spots for the Silver

Suggests about 60,000 Yahoo fantasy hockey leagues. (?)
That's a LOT more than I thought for participation.
Makes me wonder where the heck all the fantasy hockey fans are!!! LOL.

The silver spots could be 3x more... but really are probably only 2x more based on same entrants.
Myself, I finished 2nd/3rd/4th range in four of my pools (RHRS, DobberPRO, IronLeague, TheClassic)... and I'd get one entry as one person, even though 4 spots.

[Irriducibile11]

Dear President Obama

Can you please invade Switzerland tonight and make it your 51st state? I'd like to participate.

Thank you.

[Irriducibile11]

Well, I was able to enter. I'd just probably never see my money if I win LOL

[Pengwin7]

Well, I was able to enter. I'd just probably never see my money if I win LOL

Oh... I'm sure Yahoo! will love that you entered. (seriously)
Then you can win... and then be voided... and then they just don't have to pay somebody for that spot!
LOL.

[STONE.]

Thanks Pengwin for the Schwartz idea -- I like that value.
I've been tinkering.

I am taking the approach that balance is better -- all I need is to be top half to move on, so there's less a reason to stack players.

Here's my current squad:
Howard $29
Crawford $34
Zetterberg $16
Crosby $32
Schwartz $13
Panarin $29
Ladd $15
Kronwall $12
Hedman $20

I went with the two goalies I feel best about winning. Both at home, both cheaper than their counterparts (Bishop, Elliot, and Pitt goalies are pricey). I don't like Lundqvist against Pittsburgh.

Zetterberg seems like he's WAY underpriced to me. Always a big game guy.
D was tough. After Letang, there's little to be excited about.
I went cheap with Kronwall.
I really wanted to get Kane, but that would've left me with a D like Seabrook, Klein, Parayko instead of Hedman. I saved a buck by getting Panarin and that let me afford Hedman.

This might all change tomorrow, but....

[Instant Karma]

I received an email with an invitation yesterday, but I won my league. Don't know if that had something to do with it or not.

[STONE.]

Yeah. League winners (top three actually) get invites.

So... I noticed that there are around 9000 of a possible 52000 people that have signed up.
But it says that 26000 people move on to round II.

If fewer than 26000 sign up, do all move on? Or do they drop the possible round II entrants to 50%?

[4T2]

Well, I was able to enter. I'd just probably never see my money if I win LOL

Oh... I'm sure Yahoo! will love that you entered. (seriously)
Then you can win... and then be voided... and then they just don't have to pay somebody for that spot!
LOL.

I was able to enter earlier too but my team disappeared later so I assume we can't actually enter from outside of the country

[Pengwin7]

Yeah. League winners (top three actually) get invites.

So... I noticed that there are around 9000 of a possible 52000 people that have signed up.
But it says that 26000 people move on to round II.

If fewer than 26000 sign up, do all move on? Or do they drop the possible round II entrants to 50%?

The rules say 50% of round 1 move on,
then 10% best of round 2 move on,
I'd guess it'll be strictly by percent signed up.

[Pengwin7]

I am taking the approach that balance is better -- all I need is to be top half to move on.

Here's my current squad:
Howard $29
Crawford $34
Zetterberg $16
Crosby $32
Schwartz $13
Panarin $29
Ladd $15
Kronwall $12
Hedman $20

Well.. I don't really understand the scoring myself.
I think it could be interpreted two ways:

#1. Top 50% of PlayoffDay1 scores move on. Scores are wiped clean. Top 10% of PlayoffDay4 scores move on. Scores are wiped clean. Top score of PlayoffDay8 is the champion.
#2. Top 50% of PlayoffDay1 scores move on, scores carry on. Top 10% of Playoff Day4 scores move on. Scores carry on. Remaining teams get PlayoffDay8 score... added to PD4 & PD1. Highest toal for PD8 + PD4 + PD1 is champion.
If you find it one way or another in the rules... clearly... let me know... but I'm hedging towards "Scores carry on".

Let's say there are 10,000 entrants to start the Champions grouping.
5,000 (50%) after PD1
500 (10%) after PD2, into PD3.

I'd say that in a singular one-day contest... you could have 10-20 people that put together the EXACT same roster for ONE DAY (PD8).
That would suck to have to split the pot between 10-20 peole with same roster line-up.

For that reason, I'm thinking it's the TOTAL of three different days... and that you just get to compete in Day2/Day3 if your score is high enough.
[i.e. Like a Golf Tournament. You gotta make the cut... but your scores from previous are still carried thru.]

Either way - with this many entrants... I think you have to STACK a line-up with some combination that might be... uncommon.
For that reason, I'm thinking a "stack" is critical, all three rounds.

Value-stacking a D-pairing on PP might be the way to go.
I'm thinking Carle($13)-Garrison($12)... that's a bargain-bin PP tandem that might go.
TB has been using Hedman primarily even-strength and I think the masses won't have that pairing lined-up.

That should create enough cap space to go all-in on a couple good forward pairings... like Kane-Panarin for $60 and Crosby-Kunitz for $45.
Though I may stray from the masses completely and not pick either.
Possibly going with a STL-duo or a NYR-duo.