Some General Pointers

So, you’re in an IDP (Individual Defensive Player) League. It doesn’t matter if you’ve played in this type of system for years or if you’re a rookie participating for the first time. You want to win and you need some general pointers to ensure your success. This will be the first of two articles I will write dedicated to dominating your IDP league. The first installment will deal with your pre-draft and draft approach while the second deals with how to manage your team after the draft and during the season.

1. Know Your Fellow Team Owners and Commissioner

I’m sure many of you are out there wondering why this was chosen as the first topic in the article. What would knowing your fellow owners have to do with you dominating your league? Everything!

Most IDP leagues are actually Dynasty leagues, meaning once you draft a player he is yours to keep until you trade him, cut him or he retires. With the majority of non-IDP fantasy football leagues being of the re-draft variety, it makes knowing your fellow team owners more important in an IDP format.

According to the executive-search firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, around 14 million people play fantasy football every year. Of the 14 million, roughly 60% or 8.4 million participate in multiple leagues. For many playing in multiple leagues it brings guaranteed success. If a person is playing in 4 leagues, the chances of winning one of them or having great success in one league is very good. We’ve all been a part of scenarios where by midseason an owner(s) have given up on a team. With an IDP format this rarely happens because with many being a Dynasty format an owner can rebuild or make moves for next year without having to scrap his entire team. A permanent feeling is attached to the team and this makes knowing your commissioner, and most importantly trusting him, paramount to your immediate and future success.

2. Know Your Scoring System Inside and Out

This seems like a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how many people don’t know the scoring format of their league before they begin the drafting process. You have to know the ins and outs of your leagues scoring in order to properly rank prospective players and to consider drafting strategies. Knowing the position players in the starting lineup is just as important.

In IDP formats linebacker is traditionally the position that will yield the most points. Knowing if your league allows you to start 2 or 3 linebackers is very important and can change when you go after a particular player or position. Knowing your scoring system is also important when you look at your draft and what positions seem to be strongest when it comes to available players. You may have a free agent class that is strong at a particular spot or picking players from the ranks of the college draft and loading up on the perceived strength of that draft.

You have to know your leagues scoring system and all the nuances or untraditional point values they employ.

3. Understanding the Rules or Rule Changes

This is another point that seems to be something you would associate with common sense but this is overlooked. Read your rules carefully. Knowing how to proceed when discrepancies arise and how to escalate problems is important.

Most problems arise around the same topic, free agents. How to pick up free agents, and when they are available seem to be the common problems I see in many leagues. Whether you are in a league with a first-come-first-serve approach, a waiver wire, bidding or salary cap, knowing when players are available is key for long-term success. Any issues that require a ruling from your commissioner goes back to point #1 which involves having complete trust in your league commissioner.

4. Tracking Player Movement and Injuries

Now we start getting into the meat and potatoes. You must keep a watchful eye on the NFL transaction wire 365/24/7. Not only is it wise to keep an eye on this throughout the entire season, but also keeping a record and you own log of transactions is a wise choice. If you are an owner who only pays attention to player movement during the busy free agent period you are going to find yourself behind because there are always a number of moves that are considered insignificant during the offseason that prove to be anything but that once the season begins.

Finding which players are on the move during the offseason is only half the battle, the real test comes with the analysis you must perform. How will the player fit in with his new team? Does he have a strong supporting cast around him? Is he a definite starter with his new team? Will he be playing in a similar offensive or defensive scheme with his new club or does he need to learn a new system? You can keep track of this on draft day with a cheat sheet but performing analysis during the offseason allows you more time to prepare and think about the impact the player will have in his new surroundings. You need to think about the risks involved with taking players with new teams. I’m sure in nearly every league this year a move like Edgerrin James going to Arizona will be thought about in careful detail. On the IDP side of the house a move like John Abraham being traded to the Falcons is a move that will cause quite a stir. Software programs like pcDrafter will help you track player movement throughout the year and assess how successful a player will be with his new team and in your draft.

Tracking injuries is just as important as player movement. Nothing is worse than the pain you feel for another owner that didn’t do his homework and wound up drafting a player that blew out his ACL or suffered a season-ending injury during training camp. Even if the player is healthy and is coming off injury he may not be 100% and his time could be limited as a result.

Keeping up with NFL team news and offseason surgeries is another way to get a leg up on your league competition. Injuries also help pave the way for players on the bench that other owners may not be aware of. Getting an early read on injuries will help you prepare for your draft and plan accordingly.

For defensive players you have to pay even more attention to injuries and not just with your own players. Your defensive player could be on a team that has suffered multiple injuries to other defensive starters. In this case, your player’s role could change as his responsibilities with his team are switched to compensate for the loss of player(s) around him.

No matter which method you prefer it should all lead to the desired result. You don’t want to be caught off guard because of player movements and injuries.

5. Coaching Changes

Tracking player movement is just the beginning when it comes to evaluating changes within an organization. I’m not just talking about new coaches either, you have to look at the entire staff and in an IDP league emphasis is put upon the defensive coordinator and the individual position coaches on the defensive side of the football.

This season there are a total of 10 new head coaches in the NFL. With nearly 1/3 of the NFL teams going into the season with a new head coach there are sure to be a number of changes that will effect players around the league and more than likely a player on your roster. You could have a Pro Bowler starting at a particular position that will see his role change because of a new system that is installed or a new philosophy being taught to the team. You could even have a player that is suddenly not a fit for his team’s system and he becomes a high priced backup on your bench.

The most common example I can think of where this happens is the switch we have seen by many teams in recent years where they change their defensive front from the traditional 4-3 alignment to the 3-4. This change effects everyone on the team as tackling assignments and pass rushing lanes are subject to constant change. Different coverage schemes such as the popular Cover 2 cause a drastic change in the responsibility of the secondary. Many coverage schemes involve moving players into different positions on the football field and it has a direct correlation with the number of tackles and interceptions they provide for you.

One-third of the NFL teams may have a head coaching change in any given year. But actually, when you look closely, almost all teams have some type of coaching change. This in turn could easily impact multiple positions on your IDP squad.

6. Age and Injury History

As mentioned, many IDP leagues allow you to carry over some potion of your roster. In these instances, age and injury history take on even more significance when evaluating players.

If you have a pair of players who are thought to be virtually equal in talent at the linebacker position the 25-year old linebacker will be way ahead of the 33-year old one in a Dynasty format. Over several years, you will simply get more “bang for your buck” with the younger player.

Interesting to note, the NFL released information last season stating the average career of an NFL football player is 3.2 years. This number stands at 3.6 years for offensive players and 2.8 years for those playing defense. As you can see offensive players have an average shelf life of nearly a full year longer than players on defense. This makes the age of a player even more important when considering who to draft in IDP keeper leagues.

Injury history is another important aspect to consider.

In a re-draft format IDPs who have recent injuries typically see their stock plummet.

In a dynasty format you can take more chances because you might be able to keep the player beyond one season. You can take a gamble on a player that you know will be out for a large chunk if not all of the year hoping he can bounce back and be productive the following season. Naturally, roster size plays a role here. The larger the roster, the more chances you can take.

7. Rankings

If you use IDP rankings find out if they are for re-draft or keeper leagues.

If you want to do your own rankings, it never hurts to consult 3 or 4 trusted sources and then do your own rankings from that information.

Having your own rankings is much like your last will and testament…it is a living document that is subject to constant change.

8. Drafting Strategy

You need to have a drafting strategy and like your individual rankings before it, your strategy needs to be flexible and able to change multiple times if needed.

The most prepared individual in the world is sure to have something unexpected cause him to rethink his strategy or go in an area he may have previously thought was off limits. Be prepared for all of the following:

a) A prized player slides way down the board
b) A huge run occurs at an unexpected position
c) Managers are avoiding a certain IDP position
d) Too many players from a given team are still available
e) Multiple players on the board have the same bye week

If you are unable to make clear and rationale decisions while your draft is ongoing then you can throw away points #1-#7 above. All of the previous points should culminate with your drafting strategy and how you choose to execute the information you have gathered. It’s here where draft software like pcDrafter and the GOLD algorithm can come up huge. I’ve seen an advanced copy of pcDrafter. Overall, I haven't seen a better tool.

If you follow the steps I have outlined there is no reason why you won’t be leaving the draft table having a team that other owners are clearly afraid of. Domination is a goal that looks to be attainable but your preparation doesn’t end here. Be sure to read part two of my article where I outline what you need to do at the conclusion of your draft, how to properly prepare leading up to the season and how to keep your team on top once the campaign begins.