NFL Fantasy Football League August 18, 2014 2:05 PM Subscribe
We're approaching the playoffs of the MLB fantasy league and I saw the post about the soccer football league. Does MeFi do a NFL league?
Tags didn't bring anything up. I think it would be good fun. Anyone interested with the season around the corner?
Tags didn't bring anything up. I think it would be good fun. Anyone interested with the season around the corner?
Rock Steady kindly put one together last year that was fun even if your team went 3-10 and the coach didn't get things figured out until the playoffs.
(or so says last year's KING OF THE CONSOLIDATION LADDER!)
I would be up for doing it again if anyone wants to organize it, which I totally realize can be a chore, and is unfortunately one I'm not sure to which I could commit.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:33 PM on August 18, 2014
(or so says last year's KING OF THE CONSOLIDATION LADDER!)
I would be up for doing it again if anyone wants to organize it, which I totally realize can be a chore, and is unfortunately one I'm not sure to which I could commit.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:33 PM on August 18, 2014
We've done 'em before, both Pick 'Em and more substantial fantasy leagues, usually on Yahoo!
I've taken a few years off from fantasy football, and was never any good at it to begin with. I might be interested.
posted by box at 2:37 PM on August 18, 2014
I've taken a few years off from fantasy football, and was never any good at it to begin with. I might be interested.
posted by box at 2:37 PM on August 18, 2014
box:
We've done 'em before, both Pick 'Em and more substantial fantasy leagues, usually on Yahoo!
I've taken a few years off from fantasy football, and was never any good at it to begin with. I might be interested.
Oh fail. I was in the 2011 one and still drew a blank. It didn't show in my search or my past Leagues either. Will ping schyler523 to see if s/he wants to do it again. Otherwise I wouldn't mind starting the link.
Thanks all
posted by TravellingCari at 2:48 PM on August 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
We've done 'em before, both Pick 'Em and more substantial fantasy leagues, usually on Yahoo!
I've taken a few years off from fantasy football, and was never any good at it to begin with. I might be interested.
Oh fail. I was in the 2011 one and still drew a blank. It didn't show in my search or my past Leagues either. Will ping schyler523 to see if s/he wants to do it again. Otherwise I wouldn't mind starting the link.
Thanks all
posted by TravellingCari at 2:48 PM on August 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
Rock Steady kindly put one together last year that was fun even if your team went 3-10 and the coach didn't get things figured out until the playoffs.
I probably won't do one this year, FYI. Least year I did it kind of as a tribute to my Dad who was a big Fantasy Football fan and had recently passed away, but I find I enjoy my Sundays more when I am only living and dying based on the results of one game, rather than twelve.
posted by Rock Steady at 2:52 PM on August 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
I probably won't do one this year, FYI. Least year I did it kind of as a tribute to my Dad who was a big Fantasy Football fan and had recently passed away, but I find I enjoy my Sundays more when I am only living and dying based on the results of one game, rather than twelve.
posted by Rock Steady at 2:52 PM on August 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
I would like to be in your fantasy! (football league)
posted by chrchr at 3:36 PM on August 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by chrchr at 3:36 PM on August 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm interested in this as well. Can do yahoo or espn, can assist in organizing but would not like to be in charge! :)
posted by Night_owl at 3:41 PM on August 18, 2014
posted by Night_owl at 3:41 PM on August 18, 2014
I'm up for playing and can commissioner if no one else wants to.
posted by Etrigan at 3:49 PM on August 18, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 3:49 PM on August 18, 2014
I likewise am up for playing and/or commissionering. I assume something on the order of 16 teams, but otherwise pretty standard, snake draft etc?
posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:58 PM on August 18, 2014
posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:58 PM on August 18, 2014
Definitely would be up for playing, yahoo or espn or whatever. Last years was pretty good. Year before too.
posted by ish__ at 4:21 PM on August 18, 2014
posted by ish__ at 4:21 PM on August 18, 2014
I'm running a league on Fantrax, and much prefer it to ESPN or Yahoo. The more advanced features like salary caps and contracts cost money, but the features stack up well against ESPN, Yahoo, and others.
I played in last year's league, and would certainly enjoy playing again. If people don't mind playing at Fantrax, I'd be happy to run it.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:33 PM on August 18, 2014
I played in last year's league, and would certainly enjoy playing again. If people don't mind playing at Fantrax, I'd be happy to run it.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:33 PM on August 18, 2014
I'm in. Prepare to bow before my ineptness.
posted by Keith Talent at 5:44 PM on August 18, 2014
posted by Keith Talent at 5:44 PM on August 18, 2014
Does anyone have a preference as to individual defensive players vs. team defenses? I've always enjoyed IDP leagues more (in my other league, we play with one each of DL, LB, DB, and defensive flex slots) but I know some people prefer the simplicity of team defense.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:50 PM on August 18, 2014
posted by tonycpsu at 6:50 PM on August 18, 2014
I prefer the simplicity and elegance of the team defense, but I will do anything.
posted by chrchr at 9:55 PM on August 18, 2014
posted by chrchr at 9:55 PM on August 18, 2014
Out of interest, how does this work/is different from the EPL/MLS Fantasy Association Football games?
posted by marienbad at 4:37 AM on August 19, 2014
posted by marienbad at 4:37 AM on August 19, 2014
Count me as one in favor of IDP, but will happily play team if that's the majority
posted by TravellingCari at 7:35 AM on August 19, 2014
posted by TravellingCari at 7:35 AM on August 19, 2014
I can go either way on IDPs -- it's an additional level of difficulty for people who aren't generally fantasy-experienced.
posted by Etrigan at 7:36 AM on August 19, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 7:36 AM on August 19, 2014
If you play with IDP's you need to use a good site. For years and years Yahoo's default rankings for defensive players were utterly random, which totally screwed over anybody who didn't live draft with their own rankings.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:28 AM on August 19, 2014
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:28 AM on August 19, 2014
I don't know details of the EPL fantasy game, but the NFL plays once a week for 17 weeks; every team is off 1 week.
For the draft, teams go in order to choose players, for 16 rounds or so. Each week you choose which players you want on your active lineup (typically a quarterback, 2 running backs, 2 wide receivers, a tight end, another guy, a kicker and a team's whole defensive unit).
You can typically add available players and release underperforming guys as the season goes along. You can also make player-for-player trades. There's not a real transfer market, with buying and selling.
Each week you are matched up against one other team. Whoever scores the most points wins. Does this mean you can lose 120-119, when every other team scores less than 80? Yes it does. Fantasy Football is unparalleled as a source of First World Problems.
Teams with the best won-loss records advance to single-elimination playoffs for the last few weeks. We'll be all done by (probably) the end of December.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:38 AM on August 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
For the draft, teams go in order to choose players, for 16 rounds or so. Each week you choose which players you want on your active lineup (typically a quarterback, 2 running backs, 2 wide receivers, a tight end, another guy, a kicker and a team's whole defensive unit).
You can typically add available players and release underperforming guys as the season goes along. You can also make player-for-player trades. There's not a real transfer market, with buying and selling.
Each week you are matched up against one other team. Whoever scores the most points wins. Does this mean you can lose 120-119, when every other team scores less than 80? Yes it does. Fantasy Football is unparalleled as a source of First World Problems.
Teams with the best won-loss records advance to single-elimination playoffs for the last few weeks. We'll be all done by (probably) the end of December.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:38 AM on August 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Each week you are matched up against one other team. Whoever scores the most points wins. Does this mean you can lose 120-119, when every other team scores less than 80? Yes it does. Fantasy Football is unparalleled as a source of First World Problems.
QFT. Especially in leagues that take points down to decimals.
posted by TravellingCari at 8:47 AM on August 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Huffy Puffy: For years and years Yahoo's default rankings for defensive players were utterly random, which totally screwed over anybody who didn't live draft with their own rankings.
Yeah, auto-draft is actually kind of hard to get right, but the fact that they didn't even seem to try on defensive players was annoying.
The good news is that Fantrax gives you the option to auto-draft based on either site-wide average draft position (ADP) or fantasy point projections based on the scoring system your league uses. Looking at the fantasy point projections for IDP based on my other league's scoring system, the defensive rankings look totally sensible to me. The top 10 is 9 are linebackers and J.J. Watt, then the next 10 is mostly LBs with a few DBs, etc. I do still think it behooves everyone to try to participate in the draft, though.
With that in mind, what does everyone think about a long-running draft-over-email type setup? We use this in my league because we have to deal with people in so many different time zones and with different work schedules, which makes scheduling a live draft really difficult. You just set the draft clock for something like 8 or even 12 hours, then people get an email when it's their turn to pick. If they don't pick in time, they get the next player in their auto rankings. You can also set "sleep hours" to pause the clock overnight (we've got a player in Japan, so that's not super helpful, but it can be useful if most of the owners are clustered in one area.) Even if you miss one pick, it's not like your whole draft is screwed, and as long as people don't serially run out the clock, it shouldn't take too long.
posted by tonycpsu at 9:03 AM on August 19, 2014
Yeah, auto-draft is actually kind of hard to get right, but the fact that they didn't even seem to try on defensive players was annoying.
The good news is that Fantrax gives you the option to auto-draft based on either site-wide average draft position (ADP) or fantasy point projections based on the scoring system your league uses. Looking at the fantasy point projections for IDP based on my other league's scoring system, the defensive rankings look totally sensible to me. The top 10 is 9 are linebackers and J.J. Watt, then the next 10 is mostly LBs with a few DBs, etc. I do still think it behooves everyone to try to participate in the draft, though.
With that in mind, what does everyone think about a long-running draft-over-email type setup? We use this in my league because we have to deal with people in so many different time zones and with different work schedules, which makes scheduling a live draft really difficult. You just set the draft clock for something like 8 or even 12 hours, then people get an email when it's their turn to pick. If they don't pick in time, they get the next player in their auto rankings. You can also set "sleep hours" to pause the clock overnight (we've got a player in Japan, so that's not super helpful, but it can be useful if most of the owners are clustered in one area.) Even if you miss one pick, it's not like your whole draft is screwed, and as long as people don't serially run out the clock, it shouldn't take too long.
posted by tonycpsu at 9:03 AM on August 19, 2014
For years and years Yahoo's default rankings for defensive players were utterly random, which totally screwed over anybody who didn't live draft with their own rankings.
Meh. There's always plenty of high-perfoming IDPs available as free agents. I typically cut them every week and just grab new ones. I'd much rather have a 4th string RB on my bench than, say, save a roster spot for "stud" IPD on Bye Week.
Which is to say: I might be in if we do this.
posted by 0 at 12:03 PM on August 19, 2014
Meh. There's always plenty of high-perfoming IDPs available as free agents. I typically cut them every week and just grab new ones. I'd much rather have a 4th string RB on my bench than, say, save a roster spot for "stud" IPD on Bye Week.
Which is to say: I might be in if we do this.
posted by 0 at 12:03 PM on August 19, 2014
The MeCha league needs some more players - please join if you like. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 1:24 PM on August 19, 2014
posted by SisterHavana at 1:24 PM on August 19, 2014
I've set up a league at Fantrax. To join, go here and enter the following:
The roster configuration right now is probably ideal for 8-10 teams, so we may need to tweak that depending on how many teams sign up. It's set up for individual defensive players right now, but if there's significant opposition to that, we can change.
To avoid people missing a live draft, the plan is to do a long-running email draft with a 12 hour clock to start. If things aren't moving fast enough, I'll reduce the length of the clock in subsequent rounds.
Anyway, if you think you might be interested, go ahead and join, and if for some reason you don't like it, you can quit the league under the "Other/All Options" menu.
posted by tonycpsu at 1:31 PM on August 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
League ID: m02ppdffhz0k8kyj Pasword: plateofbeansRight now I have it capped at 14 teams, which is about the max you can do and still have everyone play everyone at least once. (I tend to not like leagues with artificial divisions.)
The roster configuration right now is probably ideal for 8-10 teams, so we may need to tweak that depending on how many teams sign up. It's set up for individual defensive players right now, but if there's significant opposition to that, we can change.
To avoid people missing a live draft, the plan is to do a long-running email draft with a 12 hour clock to start. If things aren't moving fast enough, I'll reduce the length of the clock in subsequent rounds.
Anyway, if you think you might be interested, go ahead and join, and if for some reason you don't like it, you can quit the league under the "Other/All Options" menu.
posted by tonycpsu at 1:31 PM on August 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Since we are MetaFilter, shouldn't we do Fantasy Fantasy Football?
posted by miyabo at 2:15 PM on August 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by miyabo at 2:15 PM on August 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Joined.
Can someone explain a pick'em league, please? I've joined in the past, but I don't get it.
posted by TravellingCari at 3:21 PM on August 19, 2014
Can someone explain a pick'em league, please? I've joined in the past, but I don't get it.
posted by TravellingCari at 3:21 PM on August 19, 2014
BTW, hope it was OK to join MetaChat one even though I'm unfamiliar with that subsite.
posted by TravellingCari at 3:21 PM on August 19, 2014
posted by TravellingCari at 3:21 PM on August 19, 2014
Like Lauryn Hill says in 'Ex-Factor,' Pick'Em can all be so simple--you pick who's going to win each game, each week, then the person with the most right answers wins.
But, like Lauryn Hill also says in 'Ex-Factor,' you'd rather make it hard. So a lot of Pick'Em leagues include things like: picking against the Vegas point spread, which is where you know the Browns are going to lose, but you're not sure they're going to lose by twenty-eight points; picking with confidence points, which is where you say, for each week, that you are most confident that the Browns are going to lose, second-most confident that the Broncos are going to win, etc.; and tiebreakers, which is where, in addition to picking winners, you also predict the score for a game or two, and then, if you and some other person both picked the same number of games correctly, the tie is broken by seeing who correctly picked the Browns to lose 28-0. There are also some other popular wrinkles, including throwing out each player's lowest-scoring weeks and continuing the picking right up to the Super Bowl.
(I did Mefi's Pick'Em league last year, and would be happy to do it again. I'll start the league tomorrow. If you have preferences about whether you'd like to use the spread, confidence points, etc., let me know in this thread between now and then.)
posted by box at 4:39 PM on August 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
But, like Lauryn Hill also says in 'Ex-Factor,' you'd rather make it hard. So a lot of Pick'Em leagues include things like: picking against the Vegas point spread, which is where you know the Browns are going to lose, but you're not sure they're going to lose by twenty-eight points; picking with confidence points, which is where you say, for each week, that you are most confident that the Browns are going to lose, second-most confident that the Broncos are going to win, etc.; and tiebreakers, which is where, in addition to picking winners, you also predict the score for a game or two, and then, if you and some other person both picked the same number of games correctly, the tie is broken by seeing who correctly picked the Browns to lose 28-0. There are also some other popular wrinkles, including throwing out each player's lowest-scoring weeks and continuing the picking right up to the Super Bowl.
(I did Mefi's Pick'Em league last year, and would be happy to do it again. I'll start the league tomorrow. If you have preferences about whether you'd like to use the spread, confidence points, etc., let me know in this thread between now and then.)
posted by box at 4:39 PM on August 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
Ooh! Eliminator pool! 1-3 weeks of excitement!
posted by Huffy Puffy at 6:06 PM on August 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Huffy Puffy at 6:06 PM on August 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Hey Box, awesome. Count me in. For me, as you probably remember, I'd prefer just a straight pick league. But I'll go with the flow.
Confidence points would be my second vote.
Thanks for doing the league again. I'll sign up as soon as I'm able.
Glad to help in anyway I can, too. Let me know.
posted by Trochanter at 7:39 PM on August 19, 2014
Confidence points would be my second vote.
Thanks for doing the league again. I'll sign up as soon as I'm able.
Glad to help in anyway I can, too. Let me know.
posted by Trochanter at 7:39 PM on August 19, 2014
I was in the overflow league last year, and would love to do it again.
posted by Ruki at 11:03 PM on August 19, 2014
posted by Ruki at 11:03 PM on August 19, 2014
I started an Eliminator group on ESPN. Look for "Metafilter 2014"; it's a public group.
Eliminator/"survivor pool" game: you pick the winner of any 1 game per week. If you pick right, you move on. Get it wrong, and you're out. And you can't pick the same team twice.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:33 AM on August 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Eliminator/"survivor pool" game: you pick the winner of any 1 game per week. If you pick right, you move on. Get it wrong, and you're out. And you can't pick the same team twice.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:33 AM on August 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Thanks, Box, that's a huge help!
posted by TravellingCari at 7:54 AM on August 20, 2014
posted by TravellingCari at 7:54 AM on August 20, 2014
TravellingCari, you should play. It's really annoying.
posted by Trochanter at 10:49 AM on August 20, 2014
posted by Trochanter at 10:49 AM on August 20, 2014
We've still got some open slots left in the league I linked to upthread if anyone's still looking to play. We have 5 teams now, and I'm fine playing with as few as 6 or as many as 14. Would of course prefer an even number for making head-to-head matchups.
posted by tonycpsu at 12:27 PM on August 20, 2014
posted by tonycpsu at 12:27 PM on August 20, 2014
Please use the spread. Indifferent about confidence points, but it is simpler without.
posted by 724A at 12:29 PM on August 20, 2014
posted by 724A at 12:29 PM on August 20, 2014
I like simple.
Let's go with using the spread, not using confidence points or tiebreakers, dropping the two lowest weeks and continuing to the Super Bowl.
Metafilter Pick'Em is open to any and all users that would like to participate. The name's 'Metafilter,' the group id is #23520, and the password is in my userinfo. Here's a link.
posted by box at 3:20 PM on August 20, 2014
Let's go with using the spread, not using confidence points or tiebreakers, dropping the two lowest weeks and continuing to the Super Bowl.
Metafilter Pick'Em is open to any and all users that would like to participate. The name's 'Metafilter,' the group id is #23520, and the password is in my userinfo. Here's a link.
posted by box at 3:20 PM on August 20, 2014
I joined, Trochanter. Thanks, box.
posted by TravellingCari at 1:53 PM on August 21, 2014
posted by TravellingCari at 1:53 PM on August 21, 2014
I only fantasize about joining fantasy leagues. It softens the inevitable disappointment when I imagine myself finishing last or next-to-last every year.
posted by echocollate at 8:08 AM on August 22, 2014
posted by echocollate at 8:08 AM on August 22, 2014
Oh, the Yahoo!manity.
Glad we hosted our league elsewhere! Anyone in the league SisterHavana linked to above have any problems?
posted by tonycpsu at 6:14 AM on August 27, 2014
Glad we hosted our league elsewhere! Anyone in the league SisterHavana linked to above have any problems?
posted by tonycpsu at 6:14 AM on August 27, 2014
Gratuitous plug and actual link for the Eliminator game.
No password or anything, but it's on ESPN.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:35 AM on August 31, 2014
No password or anything, but it's on ESPN.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:35 AM on August 31, 2014
Well, so much for THAT eliminator pool. Great game guys. See ya next year.
posted by Trochanter at 9:12 PM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Trochanter at 9:12 PM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yep. In the time honored tradition of eliminator pools, we're down to 2 players left after week 2.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 4:04 AM on September 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Huffy Puffy at 4:04 AM on September 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
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really, this whole comment is one big kanye shrug.
posted by nadawi at 2:31 PM on August 18, 2014 [1 favorite]