Very Small Rocks MLS Draft Thread

[Hal]

So far we have the following managers looking to play an MLS draft fantasy soccer league:

Hal (Hal)
DoctorJones24 (Jay) (Prefers MLS Fantasy Soccer)
kopiteinkc (Mark) (In for any format)
Darr (Jason) (Prefers MLS Fantasy Soccer)
JG_Revs (Justin) (In for any format)

We might try out two or even three of the formats with having a different draft order for each game.

For example, subbuteo's game would be easiest to do. No worries about transfer fees, daily valuations, and only 4 transfers for first half of season. Then 4 more transfers after the mid-point. Plus you can have any combination of a goalie and 10 field players, so there is a lot of flexibility with line-ups based on the draft.

MFLS, would require getting permission for having a second team. Which I think is doable by asking Mark Wheeler. We'd just have our own private division of 6-8 teams. A draft MFLS league would have to be limited to a max of 8 teams since each team has to draft 18 players and the coach. I do like the MFLS game the best.

MLS Fantasy Soccer only has 11 players and then the daily valuation changes. This would work for a larger group 8-12 teams if there was enough interest. A big question would be whether we should have any agreement on whether we can avail ourselves of the option to buy additional transfers. I prefer not, but what does everyone else think? My concern with this league is that after the draft, player valuations go crazy due to those active trading managers and it will limit our options as the season progresses. It actually allows you to field one team for Saturday games, then reshuffle your team for the Sunday games or the mid-week games. I just don't want to get into a situation where we all have to fork out big bucks to stay competitive.

What are the opinions of the other interested managers? One format or multiple formats? With or without buying extra transfers in the MLS Fantasy Soccer game?

My vision is a draft starting on a Fri night through Saturday where, depending on the number of different formats we draft, we have 1-3 simultaneous drafts. Should keep everyone involved and interested. Dead time during one draft may be your time on the clock for another draft?

Both Mark and I have run the internal competitions. My vision is that we have different managers run the competitions for the different game formats that we play.

[subbuteo]

I'm interested.
I prefer either 3F or MFLS. I don't like the idea of having to pay for transfers in the MLS/TSN game, and I agree that the way it's set up with player valuations fluctuating could get a bit complicated.

[DoctorJones24]

Couple thoughts:

1) I haven't actually ever played the TSN/MLSnet game; I just suggested that one because it only requires 11 players, so we could get away with an 8 team league. IMO, if we do MFLS, we should probably stick with a 6 squad league. And even with that, we'll each have a few non-players on our benches. Bottom line: there are only 110 actual starting spots in the MLS. And of those, I'd guess only slightly over half are consistent starters--the rest would be platooned positions that would be of little help to us in fantasy world. That'll leave us all struggling just to grab 66 consistent starters to fill out our rosters each week. With 8 or more managers, it would be annoying and pointless.

2) With that said, maybe it would be better to just stick with the 6 managers we already have and go with a special MFLS league. Otherwise, we could wait for 2 more guys and try TSN, but we at least know that this core group sticks with the game, having played together before.

3) I wasn't sure what Hal meant about simultaneous drafts, but I'll only be doing one drafted league, whichever is picked.

[subbuteo]

Good points about number of quality players and number of managers.

I'd be willing to adjust my game to accomodate a much shorter roster (like a 10-13 player roster or such) so that everybody could nearly trot out a 'meaningful' team each week.

[JG_Revs]

I'll play anything, but I'd prefer MFLS if we could swing the second team (couldn't we just use secondary email addresses?).

[Hal]

I have permission to run a draft division in MFLS as a beta experiment. Mark Wheeler may even consider adding that feature next season. He just asks that we don't broadcast it with lots of posts in BigSoccer.com cause he is not prepared to handle similar requests this year.

What I need is everyone to PM me a current email address which you have also used for your primary MFLS team, and what your team names will be. I'll then pass that on to Mark and he'll allow the registration of the second team.

We have 6 managers now, which I think is a good number when we have to pick a coach and 18 players for each team.

Once I get everyone's email addy and team name, I'll delete this thread.

I'm open to suggestions as to where we hold the draft. If we use BigSoccer, we'll need to disguise it somewhat, hold it in an obscure thread and then delete it afterwards. Using MFLS forums would be too public. Perhaps, if we create a private division, we can have a private forum and can hold our draft there?

In keeping with tradition, shall we call our division, "Very Small Rocks"?

[Hal]

Very Small Rocks Division:

Teams (BigSoccer.com nickname):

Naval Aviators (Hal)
Scouser Tommies FC (kopiteinkc)
Tobbaco Roma (subbuteo)

Got the email addys for the above teams.

Still need you to send me a PM with the email addy used for your other MFLS team and team name you want for this Very Small Rocks Division for the following:

DoctorJones24
Darr
JG_Revs

[kopiteinkc]

Originally posted by Hal
In keeping with tradition, shall we call our division, "Very Small Rocks"?

Excellent idea.

[Darr]

Hal your pm box is full atm so I'll post my info here...

I'll probably go with the same team name I'm using for EPL league...

Nocturnal United

Email addy I'll use is darr@hotmail!com with a period where the ! is...

Do I need to go register there before hand? Or is Wheeler going to set it all up since we're different then the prize leagues...

[Darr]

When we set up the draft, can we set the date like 2 days before we do it?... I know with the EPL some people NAMELY MYSELF were on a Big Soccer rehab vacation for a day or two, and held up everyone else... Just want a FYI so I can plan accordinally...

[jmeissen0]

i'm running a draft league right now... we are in the 6th or 7th round, iirc

it's being done in my personal forum if you want to check out how your draft might break down

the league will be set up for a regular season title (shield) and an open cup tourney

i've also created a basic list of rules... some you might like, some you might not

-jim

[jmeissen0]

oh yeah... 18 players is a bit much... the draft leagues i've done in the past for mls have been capped at 15 people...

[jmeissen0]

i'd also recommend 8 teams... set up a schedule for head to head match-ups

with 8 teams... you can face each team 3 times and then have 4 bonus weeks... these can be used for an open cup (what i mentioned before)


it's probably a good idea to set rules on what kind of formations can be played... but mfls will probably take care of that for you

[kopiteinkc]

If we are gonna do this, we need to get started quickly.

[Hal]

If we are gonna do this, we need to get started quickly.

I had hoped to start this tonight, but Jay's Grandmother passed away this week, and I wasn't sure whether he'd be back from the wake and funeral.

I'll check it out and maybe we can start the draft Saturday.

Can everyone post their availability this weekend? We might also want to do it on the MFLS sites in one of their forums since they don't seem to put out the "BUSY" sign so often.

Basically, I'm available this entire weekend.

[Darr]

I'll be available for most of saturday, sunday I'll be busy until the evening probably...

[subbuteo]

I'm flexible. Busy after 2pm on Sunday.
I can respond to a draft thread during the week, though.

[Hal]

Jay doesn't get home until today. I was hoping we could get this draft going this evening, but now subbuteo seems unavailable. Open to suggestions and to serving as proxy selector for other managers. Send me your preferences in order in a PM and I'll look at them when it's your turn.

Hoped we could get in 5-6 rounds tonight. Also, I fear BigSoccer going down or being busy.

Let's have our draft, when it does go, in the MFLS forum.

[subbuteo]

Why don't we do it via a thread on this forum rather than 'real time'?
http://pub15.bravenet.com/forum/show.php?usernum=1243059850&cpv=2

Just like everyone else I would prefer to do a lot of rounds with everyone present at the same time but I know my evenings are pretty much shot this week due to classes and GRE cramming ahead of Saturday (poor timing, I know). Unfortunately only my days are really the free times.

Anyway, I know the forum linked above is not going to crash. We should be able to crank this out over a couple of days.

Anyway no matter what is decided, did we settle on how many players we'll be drafting and is there a limit on how many for each position?

Thanks!

[Hal]

I conducted a double blind draw for the draft positions. I put numbers 1 - 6 in one cup, and our first names in another cup. Each slip of paper was folded 4 times. Then I had my wife select one from each cup until the draft order was established. The following is the order of the draft for Very Small Rocks Division of MFLS.

Odd Rounds:
1. Aviators - Hal
2. DCU Chickenhawks - Jay (DoctorJones24)
3. Nocturnal United - Jason (Darr)
4. Romans Roubles - Paul (Clanblue)
5. Tobacco Roma - Andrew (subbuteo)
6. Scouser Tommies FC - Mark (kopiteinkc)

Even Rounds:
1. Scouser Tommies FC - Mark (kopiteinkc)
2. Tobacco Roma - Andrew (subbuteo)
3. Romans Roubles - Paul (Clanblue)
4. Nocturnal United - Jason (Darr)
5. DCU Chickenhawks - Jay (DoctorJones24)
6. Aviators - Hal

This is the second draft league in a row where Mark drew the short straw. But, perhaps with only 6 teams drafting the 18 players and the coach, it won't be such a disadvantage, especially since we all have to comply with MFLS rules limiting each team to at most 4 foreigners or at most 4 players/coach from one team, while still staying within the salary cap.

Subbuteo suggested using a forum from his site for the actual draft and not necessarily do it real time with all 6 managers online at the same time. I just don't want to wait a day between picks. So, if your schedule is out of sync with the other managers, please pass on your preferences to another manager via email, or PM at BigSoccer to make picks on your behalf.

I served this role previously and am willing to do so again. It seems we have two different schedules with Darr and subbuteo. Jason can't participate in the draft from work and Andrew seems only available days as is studying for GRE's at night. I think night works better for most of the rest of us, although I can also check in during the day. That said, Andrew, try to put together an ordered wish list, and send me a copy. I only look at proxy lists when it's that manager's turn. You can also send me a phone number, Andrew, as I have unlimited minutes on my cell and could call you when it was your turn in case you wanted to take a study break, login and make your own picks.

Hal