Invitation: ***Self Proclaimed Draft Experts*** - Mock draft

[olafson1393]

I'm looking for 11, as the title states, "Self proclaimed draft experts", to assist me in a mock draft using the format that I plan on introducing to my points league as an inaugural draft in the fall. The format is complicated but I am happy to explain it if there are questions. I only plan on mocking the first rounds for each category - see description.

I'll leave this description here - the language may seem slightly broken, my apologies, Harvard wouldn't accept my application. If you have questions let me know. If you're happy to commit, I just ask that you send your bids to me in a private message. I'll generate my own bids and then I'll release the results pending all 11 submissions.

1. Players will be split into two main categories - Veterans[1] and Prospects[2]
2. The Inauguration Draft will be split into three sections. The order of the first three rounds will be determined by blind auction, each limited to a specific category of player. The fourth round will be limited to prospects only, with the order being determined by a “draft score” in the first three categories. The final 24 rounds will proceed in snake format with no positional or categorical limitations.
3. Prior to the draft, each team will submit bids for their rights to a draft position in each of three categories – ‘Veteran Forwards’, ‘Veteran Defensemen’, and ‘Goalies’ (Goalies may be veterans or prospects). Each owner will receive a budget of $100.
4. Each category will consist of 12 selections, with the order being determined by ranking each teams bid within that category.
5. The sum of the selection slots for each team in each of the three categories will give that team a draft score.
6. The order of selection in the 4^th round will be determined by your draft score (the team with the lowest score will select 1^st). The 5^th round will proceed in reverse order of the 4^th. Remaining 24 rounds will snake. (we aren't doing this in the mock)
7. The 4^th round will be limited to prospects only.
8. Tiebreakers will be broken by using each teams remaining balance (if teams chose not to bid the entirety of their $100 in the first 3 rounds). The second tiebreaker will be a coin toss.
9. After the 4^th (prospect) round is completed, the remaining 24 rounds will have no positional or categorical limitations.

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[1] For draft purposes, ‘veterans’ are defined as players who have accrued a total of 83 NHL games played or more.

[2] For draft purposes, ‘prospects’ are defined as players who have accrued a total of 83 NHL games played or less.

[Mr. Guru]

You lost me at 4

[Bass56]

You lost me at 4

Jokes aside, I will revisit this thread tonight after a drink or 2. I'm sure I'm just drained from work ATM and that's why all of this is just not sinking in...

[olafson1393]

You understood 4? Thereafter is a wash?

4 is pretty much saying that each team will have a selection in each category based on their bid in that category. If Team Guru has the highest bid in Goalies, they'd pick first, the 5th highest bid in defencemen they'd pick 5th, and 12th highest bid in forwards they'd pick last.

They'd then receive a draft score of 18 (1 + 5 + 12). If that score was lower than any other team then they would receive the first selection in the prospect round. If it were lower than all but 2 other teams scores then they'd receive the 3rd selection in the prospect round.

[Bass56]

Ok I think I get it overall, but I'm not sure I fully understand point 8 where you say that ''Tiebreakers will be broken by using each teams remaining balance (if teams chose not to bid the entirety of their $100 in the first 3 rounds). The second tiebreaker will be a coin toss.''

This means that teams aren't required to spend their total amount of $100 in the first 3 rounds but if the only purpose to keep some of that budget is the win a tie-breaker, why not try to get the best overall drafting spot spending all that budget rather than saving some in case of a tie-breaker?

Either way, it seems like a deep way to draft and should be fun for your members. For the mock, how does it work if the bids aren't given out live?

[Pengwin7]

I like drafts.
I like numbers.
But this... this is way too complicated and I disagree (in fairness) way too much of the proposed format.
Not.for.me.

[2014olympicgold]

If you wait 4+yrs, I’ll do it. The wait would be me graduating from Harvard to understand these rules after 4.

[olafson1393]

This means that teams aren't required to spend their total amount of $100 in the first 3 rounds but if the only purpose to keep some of that budget is the win a tie-breaker, why not try to get the best overall drafting spot spending all that budget rather than saving some in case of a tie-breaker?

Either way, it seems like a deep way to draft and should be fun for your members. For the mock, how does it work if the bids aren't given out live?

Sounds like you've got it. And you're pretty much exactly right, withholding the possibility that somehow it shakes out that you do tie for the first pick in the prospect draft and that extra dollar throws you over the edge, I haven't worked it out, but I'm sure its possible - each team would probably have a completely different strategy.

Example
if your bids get you F - 3rd, D - 5th and G - 10th using $99 your score would be 18
your buddy gets F - 9th, D - 5th, G - 4th using $100 his score would also be 18, but you'd win the tie breaker having only spent $99

Slim chances absolutely, but possible.

As for the mock, I'd just get you guys to private message them to me and I'd post the results after I get 12 submissions.

[LawMan]

Seems like a really interesting concept.

First you have to decide what's most important: top-F, top-D or top-G and bid accordingly. Part of that bidding will probably be making sure you get yourself into a "top-tier" or at least don't waste money missing the top-tier guys. For example we know Karlsson is the top fantasy D-man if you're in love with him and bid $60 for D-men you're going to be super choked if someone bids $61 and you wasted a bunch of cash to not get your guy. In forwards there are probably 4-5 guys who are right close at #1, thus it's not necessary to get #1 but make sure you don't end up at #7.

The 4th round is interesting in that whomever acquires the best "draft score" also scores Connor McDavid under your current rules. Knowing this I think my #1 goal of the bidding would be to get a low "draft score" I'd probably do this by bidding fairly high for goalies, D-next and forwards low, however still high enough that anyone who bids $1-2 for forwards I beat. It would take knowing your league mates and their preferences to really maximize your draft score IMO. I'd probably bid Something like G-$51, D-$38 F$-11 sidenote: If you go forward with these rules I would be tempted to declare McDavid a veteran forward as he fits better into that group than prospects IMO. If that happened I'd change all my bids and pay more for forwards and only a few $ for Goal.

Is the 5th round also prospects? If so after 5 rounds you have 1F, 1D, 1G and 2 prospects. Then 24 rounds of snake drafting.

It's certainly an interesting format. I would love to see it adopted to a 1-year league with the 3 category bids and then snaking after that.

[olafson1393]

Is the 5th round also prospects? If so after 5 rounds you have 1F, 1D, 1G and 2 prospects. Then 24 rounds of snake drafting.

It's certainly an interesting format. I would love to see it adopted to a 1-year league with the 3 category bids and then snaking after that.

5th round opens the restrictions completely. Categorical as well as positional. I think Connor McDavid was actually the main reason my consultants and I decided on this type of a format - we didn't want luck to play a part in who drafted him for a lifetime type of league.

Originally we had juggled the concept of a 4 bid system, but decided that the prospects category would heavily concentrate the budgets.