3RR In The NFFC: Necessary Or Unnecessary Evil?

[Erok]

That was only my opinion for this season. Things change every year though.

I don't feel 3RR is needed in 12 team leagues.

It is needed more in 14 team leagues.

[telestar]

I think it is dangerous to take one year and assume that this can be extrapolated to all future years. I admit that in 2015 there is a wide variety of opinion about the identity of the top picks - but I don't think this will be true forever and it may not be true even next year. I don't think it is simply a matter of saying "RBs are less likely to be taken #1, so there is no advantage in early first round picks." There may even be a WR who is the consensus #1 next season...what if OBJ has another fantastic year in 2015 - in that case owners may largely want him at #1 overall?
Secondly, even though there is an advantage in rounds #2 and #3 with a later first round pick, the question is also - where do you see the drop-off from the top tier of players? For example, let's say you have identified 7 players you perceive as head and shoulders above the rest, and you expect them to go 1-7. In that case, you may most prefer the #7 overall pick because it gives you one of your top tier players while providing the best round #2 and #3 choices of the owners that got a top player. If you agreed with that, you might really want to shy away from #8, because you don't get one of your top players and you also get the worst round #2 and #3 picks of the owners that got a lesser player in round #1.
Finally, I also have heard the opinion that an early round #1 pick is the preferred option for some owners even this year. This is because they believe that there are two big drop-offs - one in the middle of round #1 and the other around #38, 39 or 40 overall. The idea then is that you DO want an early round #1 selection along with a late round #3 pick because you get a superior pick in round #1 where it makes the biggest difference, and your round #3 pick is close to as good as an early round #3 pick. So the owner that gets #1, #24, and #36 would then be ahead of the owner that gets #12, #13, and #25. They each get 3 of the top 40, but the owner with the #1 gets his choice in the most important round.
So I do not list these potential views in order to convince anyone that they should adopt these as their approach. They are just illustrations that there are many more ways to approach it with 3RR than just - "late first round is better." I can see that as one strategy, and many may feel that way this year, but the 3RR/KDS allows everyone - even those with a minority view - to draft at their preferred position and with their preferred strategy better than any other - and does not simply afford an advantage to every owner that randomly gets the #1 position in a traditional snake draft.

[BubbasHouse]

We play NFFC because of 3rr - we would not put this kind on money into a straight serpentine as our KDS would ALWAYS have a preference of 1-4 over 9-12 (12 team) or 11-14 (14team). With 3rr our KDS year after year varies significantly. Hate hate hate getting stuck with a backside pick in straight serpentine

[KOTRAX]

I HAVENT POSTED ON THE BOARDS IN A WHILE BUT ILL CHIME IN ON THIS. MY VIEW MAY BE A LITTLE OFF TOPIC BUT IT WILL TIE A POINT HOME. I THINK AS A WHOLE THE HIGH STAKES FAMILY IS COMPROMISED OF A SMALL RANGE OF PLAYERS WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT.

WHEN I FIRST PLAYED IN THE NFFC I JOINED BECAUSE OF THE CHALLENGE OF THE 14 TEAM FORMAT WHICH WAS THEIR ONLY FORMAT AT THE TIME. NOW THAT THE PRIMETIME IS MORE OF THE MAIN STAY BECAUSE PLAYERS PREFER THAT OVER THE 14 TEAMER I THINK ALL OPERATORS HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT NICHE TO CHALLENGE DIFFERENT PLAYERS.

WHETHER ITS OFFERING A DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF POINTS FOR A CERTAIN POSITION OR ADDING AN EXTRA PLAYER TO A STARTING LINEUP.

IF ALL OPERATORS MADE THEIR GAMES BASICALLY THE SAME THEY WOULD JUST END UP PHASING EACH OTHER OUT BECAUSE IT WOULD ALL BE THE SAME ANIMAL.

SO WHETHER IF ONE LIKES 3RR OR NOT IT IS THE NFFC NICHE WHICH MAKES IT GAME DIFFERENT LIKE OTHER OPERATORS MAKE THEIRS. SO I JUST THINK SOME ELEMENT IS NECESSARY TO ATTRACT PLAYERS INSTEAD OF THE SAME OLE SAME OLE.

[Hunter1]

As in all things, Donnie T speaks for me. No? OK, but I do agree with him on this. In leagues of 12 teams or smaller, I think 3RR is problematic for all the reasons already expressed. I just think (and this recently happened to me, and to someone else in a draft I was in last night), if you load your KDS 12-1 and end up with the first or second pick anyhow... that is less than ideal. In other words, it blows. You end up picking a guy you are somewhat ambivalent about in the first place, then get only one more player over the course of the next, what, 35 or so picks? No soup for you!

Where have you gone LaDainian Tomlinson, Priest Holmes, etc?!?

[Jim Christie]

Here we go, another year, another debate on the 3RR. I love a good debate and like any debate the opinions will vary.
Wasn’t the original intent of the 3RR due to the 14 team leagues? Personally, I don’t like the 14 team league and never will, that said, I have still played it (what can I say, I have a problem). As for 3RR and 12 team leagues, I can take it or leave it. I have played another $350 contest at FBG and will again this year drafting this Thursday; no KDS and no 3RR, I’ll get my draft spot and draft.
I agree, this year is a bit different and the later spots “appear” to have the advantage, but I’ll reserve judgment until the season is over. Just ask the people who have drafted Foster and Benjamin. I competed in a $150 Satellite last night and set my KDS top choice at 8-12 hoping to get Charles at 8, he went 7 and I took Beckham. This year I would be satisfied drafting in the middle.
The bottom line, wherever you draft, whatever you believe are the advantages and/or disadvantages of a draft slot, you need to draft. There are other intangibles besides the KDS and 3RR.
If you believe the draft ends after the 3rd round, maybe you need to grow a bigger set!! How big of an impact does the following have?
• 3RR #1 1-24-36-37 compared to 1-24-25-48
• 3RR #12 – 12-13-25-48 compared to 12-13-36-37
The middle round slots 5-8, no big deal. I will play this game not matter what, ending 3RR won’t make me leave as wont keeping it.
I am sure someone will now posts players being picked in the first three rounds from the top slots to the bottom slots and compare the talent; great, go at it. We haven’t even got to week one. Lets stop debating and get ready for the season!!

[KenGill]

Let the numbers make the decision rather than the short term emotions.

Check the data at the end of the season.
Compare it with the past several years.
Draw a conclusion about whether it makes sense to keep 3RR.

[Henry Muto]

If you want the fairest way to do a draft you random every other round.
Just because a team gets pick 1 why should they get pick 1 every odd round ?
In 3RR just because a team gets pick 12 why should they get pick 25, 49 ect ?
I never understood why every site must use a snake or a 3RR which is a reverse snake after rounds 1/2.

I have been running my local leagues since 1990 and 1994 for redraft and I do this insane thing we draw every odd round and reverse it for even rounds. I know like crazy ? I must been ahead of my time I guess because it was the only fair way to do it.

You might get picks 1/24, 30/43, 59/62, ect or maybe you get 6/19, 26/47, 60/61, ect
It's all random and it's all fair and luck of the draw.

That said I like KDS for the 1st 2 rounds regardless of if it's a true snake or with 3 RR or with random rounds 3 and on.

I think every contest regardless of how they do the draft picks should allow for 3RR I have done 25 drafts this year so far and I have had a top 6 pick 19 times and a top 4 pick 12 times. I really hate having a top 4 pick this year and even in a straight snake with a low 3rd I prefer to have a pick in 7-12 range so I would like if all sites use KDS regardless of format.

[kjduke]

Back-end of the 1st and 3rd just got even worse with Jordy down for the year. R3 cliff moves up one spot.

[RiFF]

3rr was a lot to do about nothing when it was implemented...and still is, imo. Just a variation on draft strategy, that some like and some don't. Although the little merit it may have had mostly went away with the proliferation of rbbc's and the NFL's rule changes favoring the passing game. The LT factor hasn't existed for awhile. Obviously, the important thing was and still is drafting the right players regardless of draft format. And probably the most important thing is being frortunate not to have any of your early picks be lost to season ending injury.
NFFC seems to have been built on being different in its approach and format and that continues with things like 3rr and kds. Although many claim that these variances to the norm is the reason they play here, I suspect it is also may be the reason many others do not. I have no proof of this other than the growth here versus other places...and the the payouts, customer service etc. here are at least as equal to if not, in some cases, superior to that at other places. These variances add a level of complexity that some favor, while others may choose to avoid if it goes outside their comfort zone. Personally. I'd probably vote to discard the 3rr aspect, but it certainly wouldn't cause me not to play here.
And because the NFFC is a pretty tight knit community I'd suspect a discussion like this would be heavily favored in supporting the NFFC and the status quo. Especially if there wasn't a huge cry to change it. And of course the people speaking out have been playing in this format for a number of years and probably in many cases welcome the change from the norm they may play elsewhere. But again, I do suspect that it "may" hinder some from joining.