Snake Draft Checklist
Part I - Unleashing Hell
Brothers, what we do in life... echoes in eternity.
Maximus - Gladiator
Image created by T-Rock
Before The Draft
Portfolios
Diversification is Key when you Play in Multiple Leagues
Keep track of your players’ exposure rate across all leagues.
Would not recommend rostering a player worth a 2nd+ on more than 40% of your leagues in case of possible injury.
Create a List of your Favorite Players
List the top players in the draft in tiers ranging from your Favorite to Least Favorite.
Track the number of shares you have of each player. Aim to acquire more of your favorite players and avoid your least favorite.
Resources
Create your Rankings for 13-15 Rounds
Rank your players within tiers to aid with possible trade-back scenarios.
Do not go nuts putting players in tiers that differ widely from consensus.
This may become an issue during a trade where the compensation you seek doesn’t align with your trade partner’s value of the player.
Create a roadmap, knowing ahead of time:
Each tier's location on the Draft Board
Where the best rounds are
Where the worst rounds are
Where the gaps are at each position
Have the Consensus ADP Rankings Open
Most people draft based on consensus ADP.
Have it open to anticipate your league mates’ moves.
Consult Roster Construction and WoRP
Create a checklist based on your league’s recommended Roster Construction
Prioritize the positions with the highest WoRP advantage in your league
In The Draft
ADP
Respect the ADP Market
Don’t be too high or too low on players.
Do not select a player more than a few spots ahead or behind ADP in the First Round
This ADP gap will increase as the draft progresses - By the Fourth Round, you may be willing to take someone a whole round earlier or later than ADP recommends.
Pick A Direction
After Round 4, Decide if your Team is Primed to Compete in Year 1 or Later
Choose the path of least resistance
If more than half of your league is constructed to Win-Now, prioritize acquiring younger assets with upside and trading back to amass draft capital (or vice versa).
Draft a Healthy Mixture of Players
Drafting all rookies is a risky venture considering their hit rates.
Drafting all older players for the sake of winning now is also very risky if they underperform or get hurt.
The best strategy is to draft a mix of players with high upside and/or a track record of high production.
Tie-Breakers
Consider Both Player’s Market Sentiment
Who will be easier to trade?
You take on a lot of risk if you are higher on a player no one else is.
You may not be able to trade them away if the player underperforms.
Do Not Buy Into Players Whose Value Has Increased Based Upon Hype
Do not draft players at their peak ADP.
It’s better to wait and see if the player can be acquired for cheaper later on than pay a premium.
Players Who Fall
These players can be a massive value or a falling knife you want to avoid.
It is more difficult to trade away players your leaguemates skip over in the draft.
Diversification
If you are debating between two players in the same tier, draft the player you have lower exposure to.
Do not draft players in a lower tier for the sake of your portfolio.
Do Not Chase After Rookies
Rookie Hype can cloud your judgment to the point you overextend your resources to acquire more shares of them.
About 3/4 of all rookies will lose value after their first year; acquire them in year 2.
Risky Players
Avoid players on a downward trajectory following a disappointing season.
Avoid players close to the end or past their peak years of production.
Keep in mind that your drafted team isn’t your FINAL team. Your roster could look significantly different by the end of the season if you’re active in free agency and trading for players.
But at the end of the day, this is your team and the one you’re taking into battle. So draft the players you’re willing to get in a bunker with and Unleash Hell!
The Dossier
Image created by DK
