NFFC 2013: HEAD to HEAD should be DEAD

[Greg Ambrosius]

Head-to-head is as much a part of fantasy football as starting 2 catchers is in fantasy baseball. Sometimes it's an evil part of the game, but it's an essential part of the game. Doing just total points is BORING and would not help the NFFC grow.

I think this year EVERYONE should be watching their h2h matchups each week. We have a lot of money at stake for those owners who can win both h2h and total points in their leagues during the regular season, so it's more important than ever before. In the NFFC Classic, if you win both the h2h title and the total points title in your league you can win $7,000 after Week 13. If you split both titles, then you need to win your league playoff in Weeks 14-16 for the remaining $4,000. That's a lot at stake this year and part of the reason h2h is so important in the NFFC.

Last year, just under 57% of all NFFC leagues had champions after Week 13 who won both the h2h title and the total points title. It's not easy to do both. Those who dominate both aspects of this game are duly rewarded. Those who can't master both, need to go into overtime to win the remaining loot. It seems like a concept that keeps owners battling in both formats.

Could All-Play be a better format? Maybe. Could wins against every single opponent every week be a better format? Maybe. Could leagues with just Total Points be a better format? Maybe. But if all of those are better, then why does every new HSFF contest mimic the old, with h2h and Total Points formats?

And better yet, why is the NFFC always asked to change its format for a better mouse trap? I don't ever see these kinds of posts on competing web sites? Why are we always asked to change from a standard game format to something more radical. Hell, haven't we already been accused of being too niche with KDS and 3RR?

[King of Queens]

Main Events have to remain mainstream. Just like kickers that outscore QBs when both excel, H2H is here to stay.

For now anyways.

[kjduke]

H2H isn't going away in high stakes FF - the alternative is a dull game which was tried and failed.

It's part of the game like referees who blow calls, trash-time scoring and other FF injustices. You just have to deal with it and hope it evens out over a career.

Why is it dull? You have more opportunity to get the win....I think that is more exciting....

Greg and Tom cannot control refs who blow calls, they cannot control trash time scoring, they cannot control injuries....

but they sure in hell can control that the top half scoring teams in a particular league should EARN the "W"....

I dont even look who my opponent is playing ever when submitting my lineup,,,,, I dont care if they are putting in Donald Brown, Donald Avery, Donald Duck or Donald Trump......I submit my roster by who will put up the MOST points on that particular week. I have 10 starting roster slots to fill.....I dont care if I have Eric Decker and my opponent has Peyton, If i have someone who i think will score more than Decker, I will start them. Doesnt matter even if i think that person is Ramses Barden (no i didnt have the ballz to start him over S. Smith carolina).....lol

Fantasy Jungle was an all-play format, which I played for a few years. With no matchup on the line I didn't even look at those teams until the end of the day on Sunday or Monday. It was dull, it floundered, and now it is dead. Two contests are thriving, both have H2H formats. Format isn't the only reason for this, but it's one of the reasons. H2H has been debated every season of the NFFC, since 2004; what you are arguing has merit but it's the same as has been discussed and dismissed for the past 7 years. The bottom line is that more people are drawn to a game where a H2H matchup is on the line.

[Quahogs]

H2H is a $1500 fallback option. I want to win every week 110-105. You can say it's a crutch because I drafted poorly. Maybe. But maybe I drafted FJAX and AHernandez and I'm just unlucky. So for $1500 I'd like a CHANCE to have a rooting interest come All Hallows Eve

[Coltsfan]

H2H is fun. I check my scores all of the time on Sunday to see if I"m winning. Yes there is a lot of luck but it gives teams a second way of making the playoffs. But the bottom line is, if you score enough points you're in so H2H is not even relative if you truly have one of the best teams.

I gotta agree with KJ! (And fantasy jungle was very boring.)


Wayne

[TradeStar28]

I guess with all of the responses here....

I am gonna hit up Cafe Press and have this saying printed on t-shirts, mugs, mouse pads, aprons, calendars, blankets, etc.

"Give me H2H till I'm dead"

[ForLoveOfTheGame]

Fantasy Jungle didn't "flounder and then die" LOL! They grew every year they were around and then just took the money and ran, AT LEAST have your facts right if you are going to talk about that. People need to know they were thieves, not that it "died"

Greg as for your post about:
"Could All-Play be a better format? Maybe. Could wins against every single opponent every week be a better format? Maybe. Could leagues with just Total Points be a better format? Maybe. But if all of those are better, then why does every new HSFF contest mimic the old, with h2h and Total Points formats?"

Come on, just because everyone does it doesn't mean its "better"... 10 years ago no one did PPR, people thought that was CRAZY when it was introduced and its obviously 10000000% better... same for the NFFC's own KDS and 3RR, some people still think that's totally crazy (the other sites don't do it, I'd argue its a million times "better" - but hey, that's why I spend all my money at the NFFC, to each their own)

Tradestar:
Like I tried to warn you in my first post, people don't want to go away from head to head and as this thread will prove to you, the biggest reason is they want that LUCK factor involved so more people can be "in it" as long as possible. Did you see the threads last year asking for 4 or 6 teams per league to play for the 1st place money in the end? Without saying 100% how ignorant I think that is I'll leave it at - bad idea... to say the least. I wish all those people had to pay taxes on a game of luck instead of a game of skill, that would sure change some tunes! I like and support the idea Tradestar but its never going to happen, at least at the NFFC. I don't play at the FFPC but I'm sure you could look it up, think they have something like you get a W or L based on who you play but also like a point or two depending on if you finish in the top 4, middle 4 or bottom 4... just do what I do, don't worry about H2H, just score the most points you can, then in the end, lose tens of thousands of dollars to the teams that lucked in record wise!!!

[kjduke]

Fantasy Jungle didn't "flounder and then die" LOL! They grew every year they were around and then just took the money and ran, AT LEAST have your facts right if you are going to talk about that. People need to know they were thieves, not that it "died"

My sense was that they were losing momentum as the years went on. If you have stats to the contrary in terms of their entry numbers, please post them. If not, I suspect your facts are just a perception, as was my comment a perception. As to the thieves comment, perhaps, or maybe it was just a business that didn't manage its rev/expenses very well. Lots of businesses fail and don't pay back their creditors; most of which I would not classify as thieves. In this case, I don't know which it was since I didn't play that final year after becoming bored by their contest in previous years.

[Chi_Town_FEW]

Since this topic comes up every year I wonder if there would be interest in a $250 satellite all play with $75 weekly high score and maybe a $1250/$500 1st and 2nd place with the week 14-16 playoffs. Just throwing numbers out for the payoffs, but you get the idea.

[BLACKHAND]

we all have a passion for the game we play. no matter if you are doing great or poor there needs to be a ' fun factor " involved. to me the first two weeks of a 12 team league playing all play is not as fun. its a survive and advance thing. now to lose by .2 of a pt to a buddy of mine last year whose name i wont mention ( married to the queen and near brooklyn ) was real freaking fun.......maybe head to head should go.