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By John Siskos
Hit him up at SuperJohn96@gmail.com
My least two articles dealt with the many aspects involved in setting up a brand new fantasy football league. But now that we most of those questions answered, we finally get to the fun stuff.
Let's face facts, for the fantasy football addict; there are few words that sound as sweet as, "With the First Overall selection in the draft..."
For the record, I am not (yet) discussing draft strategy; I am only concerned with how to properly run a draft for the league. So, before the draft begins, you need to figure out a couple of things. Is the draft going to be live, with all owners present to draft from start to finish? How serious do you want or expect this to play out. If this is just a bunch of friends goofing off, then just feel free to make fun of those who draft players already known to injured and out for the season, or who have already been drafted and let them redraft that selection.
If everyone thinks they are a shark or is tossing in a bit of coin and plans on taking things a little more seriously, then you need to make sure the draft doesn't turn into a marathon session with owners staring blankly at their cheat sheets like they are stumped contestants on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Instead, set timelines for each selection, just like the NFL draft.
1) LIVE (NON-SERIOUS) DRAFT:
Host provides beer and plenty of food comfortable seating, and plenty of mocks for those less fortunate in the grey matter regions.
2) LIVE (SERIOUS) DRAFT:
Just think about the numbers here. 10 teams X 16 roster spots per team = 160 draft picks. At just ONE minute each, you are looking at 2 hours and 40 minutes, give or take, not including an intermission. And that's a well-oiled machine. You can adjust the numbers, but either way you slice it (1.5 minutes for 1st 8 rounds, 30 seconds for last 8 rounds) it will still take quite some time. But don't be discouraged, this is going to be a lot fun. Hell, now that I am older, draft day is better than Christmas. In fact, as soon as one season ends, I start drawing up my draft board for the following season, sometimes 6 to 8 months in advance!
Also keep in mind that this only covers the startup of a league, or those that are in redraft leagues. In keeper leagues, there are fewer players to choose, so the drafts definitely run faster. Dynasty drafts, where everyone can keep entire rosters, means you are only drafting NFL rookies, but that's a whole other level most aren't ready for yet.
So, you need to determine how long you want each selection's draft clock to be, and you are going to need contingencies on what to do when something goes wrong. For instance, most of the following will come up every draft:
a) Draft clock expires: Simply bump that pick to the next pick or even to the very end of the round;
b) Double picking: If someone isn't paying attention and they miss a player and pick someone already chosen, then they can have their pick skipped by one pick or to the end of the round.
c) Injured/Suspended/Retired Draft pick: This is the worst of the bunch. It's one thing to double pick. It's another thing to not have a clue about drafting an injured, suspended, or retired player. There's no excuse for this in a serious league, and sadly I have seen them all happen. There's no excuse for this in a serious league. This fool needs to be made an example of, so make him keep that player in that draft spot. It's the only way they will ever learn. And I guarantee you will have everybody else buzzing each other's ears for info when they make their picks. But that's a good thing.
Make sure that you properly record each selection, and have somebody manage a stopwatch. Maybe even rotate who watches the clock five or six spots back from the drafting team, passing the stopwatch along with each pick, so that one person isn't stuck with the duties of time management, thus neglecting their team's draft needs.
Make sure you also decide on an intermission, or you are going to have a bunch of cranky owners deep into your draft.
A few other things you should consider include a quiet location so that everyone can think and hear clearly, some food and drink to sate the appetite, and make sure you bring some extra pens. Think of yourself as the teacher at the final exam. The class clown always forgets to bring a working writing tool...
AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FUN! Just because there is money involved, or even just hardcore bragging rights, doesn't preclude everyone from having fun. Make sure to bust chops when the first questionable pick goes off the board, and make sure you take your lumps like a man when you make your first bonehead move.
Next article...we’ll move on to what it takes to PROPERLY run the league during the season!
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