Looking For Quick Feedback On NFFC Cutline Rule

[BLACKHAND]

I would prefer it to remain the same. I think it would take the strategy of setting a lineup completely out. Also I think it would be much harder to gain ground in the final few weeks of the cut line if it were a DC. The strategy of setting your lineup to maximize the full potential of your team is part of the makeup in the cut line.

[RedRyder]

My lean is to stay the same, but I would play either way.

What about starting a new contest? Make it more like a lottery ticket? $50 entry fee, optimized scoring, 3 FAABs, league winner gets a free entry next year (no cash payout), the grand prize keeps going up like the real lottery based on the number of participants (start out with a small guarantee), etc.

[Greg Ambrosius]

My lean is to stay the same, but I would play either way.

What about starting a new contest? Make it more like a lottery ticket? $50 entry fee, optimized scoring, 3 FAABs, league winner gets a free entry next year (no cash payout), the grand prize keeps going up like the real lottery based on the number of participants (start out with a small guarantee), etc.

Not a bad idea, but UIEGA states that you can't run progressive fantasy games. You have to set a grand prize and stick to it. I wish you could do something like that. It would be so much easier for game operators.

The lower fee has potential.

Right now it appears that keeping the Cutline as is for 2016 and getting drafts started soon makes the most sense. I think we can continue to grow the Cutline, but if not then we'll have to analyze our overall prize pool for 2017 or the rules and make adjustments. This year's prizes are based on around 2,600+ teams and last year we had just under 2,200. Time to grow this contest together. Thanks all.

$125 to win $75,000. Love the concept. Love the lottery mentality. Hope the in-season management is worth the time and effort. Good luck all.

[kjduke]

I would prefer the switch to optimal lineups. I think it makes the contest more "unique" ... are there any optimal scoring leagues where you also can pick-up players via FAAB? Likewise, DCs are very deep leagues whereas these are shallow, so the cutline and DCs are near polar-opposites currently. We have many different options for managed leagues, but there's only one format for optimal scoring leagues ... seems overdue that we have another choice.

Likewise, I agree with Greg that optimal scoring un-caps how big the contest can get. In addition to allowing for more entries from vet players hampered by in-season time, it can bring in a lot of newer, more casual players who don't have the time for in-season management and may not have the deep player pool knowledge for DC leagues. We saw this in baseball as that contest surpassed what looked like an aggressive estimate of year-one entries by bringing in a lot of non-NFBC guys. And for vet players, it also frees up in-season time to allow them to take on more managed leagues in other formats.

Looks like a positive change for me as a player, and I like it from the business side.

[BillyWaz]

My biggest issue with the cutlines is making wrong lineup decisions, and last year I made a TON!!!!

That being said, I agree with what others have said, and that making it mainly a DC changes the whole contest, as you would draft a lot more kickers, defenses, etc. when you could draft that WR or RB in the 25th or 26th round.

If there was going to be a change, I would rather see the DC portion IN THE PLAYOFFS, so someone could live with themselves when they start the QB who scores 8, instead of the one on their bench who scored 50, and it costs them 75 large!

I'll do a few either way, but this contest is like playing powerball, and I would rather devote more time to leagues that pay a nice regular season prize with more $$$ to earn in the playoffs.

[Sabretooth]

If we go with DC style scoring for the cutline do we still play head to head weeks 1-9? My guess is yes. This is a tough for me because I agree with what others have said about it causing you to draft more K,D...etc. But i like the idea of a DC scoring head to head league, which is certainly different.

[calsuer]

Why can't you have both?. Have 8 hour DC, DC Express. Let the consumer decide which league works for them.

[ForLoveOfTheGame]

If the cutline goes to best ball I would probably quit the DC's all together. The cutline costs less and I can win over 3 times on the grand prize what I can in the DC's? And I only have to beat 9 teams instead of 11? Yeah, that's all day for me. I wouldnt even consider DC honestly even though it has "real" first and second place payouts (losing money coming in third isn't real for me). I'm not playing either contest for the league payouts like I am for Classic and Prime.

I would vote to keep cutline like it is but I'm not banging the table for it. I would play either way. If you want me to do a lot more cutlines then add KDS. Last year I got the opposite end of the draft I wanted 6 of the first 7 and was so fed up I just didn't even want to do it anymore. But hey, I'm 10000000% certain you can gain some advantage in KDS regardless of what anyone else thinks What's the difference of adding KDS and the guys who don't care about it get a random spot anyway and those of us who care get where we want?

PS- Edelman really nailed it. I don't think much more needs to be said than that.

[Cocktails and Dreams]

Best ball is not a good idea for this contest. I have not taken the time to figure out if it would help growth or not. Perhaps it would. There are several reasons it is not a good idea IMO. 1. It becomes a draft experts draft. You have to draft way too many defenses and kickers. In a 10 man league it would be really silly. 2. Injuries would destroy people. It is bad enough to lose star players. But now, you are in worse trouble without faab every week in a 10 man league. You have to carry more kickers and defenses and it completely eliminates those with injury trouble. The current system allow for injured teams to stay alive and makes it more enjoyable. The league competition would drop off so much it would be really bad. 3. I could get on board with this if you had to set a kicker and defense. Then people wouldn't have to carry so many of them and leave so much talent behind in a 10 man league. 4. So tough to gain ground if you have a dinged up team. Currently, you can use your team depth to set a different lineup than the leader if need be to try to gain ground. That strategy element taken away with best ball. This is a major fantasy football contest. Just because the entry fee is not major, does not mean it is not a major. Please don't make it a minor league contest by having the winner decided by not setting a fantasy football lineup. That is a major part of any major fantasy football contest, especially in a ten teamer. Edelman nailed it.

[marisschris]

While I would play either, I have been contemplating cutting the number of entries I had from last year as it required a lot of time to set these lineups and I would rather focus on the Main Events. I enjoy the format, but optimal lineup for $125 entry makes more sense to me. I do agree with Chad's point on kickers and defenses. If we can limit that and switch to optimal, that makes the most sense IMO.