Looking for advice using Draft Analyzer

[RLWJR]

I currently just play Solo if that matters. When drafting, I use Draft Analyzer and sort from high to low on the Rating column. Then, with my interviews, I interview like the top 5-10 rated draftees at the position I am looking to draft. After interviewing, I make another Extractor run on the draftees, load up the new data in Draft Analyzer and re-sort on the Rating column. When I'm on the clock, I just draft the highest available draftee according to his Rating number. Only exception to this is that I will take a look at the bars and make sure the player has high bars in the areas that fit whatever system I'm putting him in. I.E. if I'm running a West Coast offense, I make sure my WR bars are high in Avoid Drops and Get Downfield.

Now, my question is this...... Am I missing anything here, or am I using Draft Analyzer the best I could to draft the best I can? Also, when looking at bars, do I want to look at the scouts orange or blue "areas" or go by the new white lines in Draft Analyzer that, as I understand it, use the combine scores to figure bars?

Thanks in advance!

[Jughead Spock]

Most will say, and I now agree, that the rating column is not all that useful. Don't put so much emphasis on it, just use it for general sorting.

[RLWJR]

Okay..... well..... that leads me to the question then......

How do I read the Draft Analyzer data to be able to use it? How do you guys use the info it provides to draft?

[gstelmack]

First off, you need to edit the weights before getting anything useful out of it. The default weights suck. Maybe I'll update them someday, but with everybody valuing different ratings depending on the system they run, it hasn't been worth it.

Second, I believe most folks will tell you that the Combine rating is the most important one. Get your combine weights set correctly, and that will tell you most of what you need to know.

The Rating one can be useful if you set your weights properly. Do you value bars? Height/weight issues? Chemistry issues? You can set any of those to zero if, say, you don't care what the bars say, and have it do some additional sorting for you on say guys too short for the position, or potential chemistry conflicts, or similar issues.

It's all up to you, you have control over all of those numbers on the weights screen.

[RLWJR]

Thanks Greg. I didn't even know about the weights setting. When I get home tonight I'll have to toy with those.

What am I looking for in the data that is going to give me a clue about the draftee being a diamond in the rough? If there are clues to this, it would be real valuable in the later rounds I imagine.

[gstelmack]

Well, you need to check the reference thread, especially the threads on "what the heck do these combines mean?" to help interpret the data. Draft Analyzer is a tool that helps people organize the draftees the way they want, it doesn't do it for you, in part because there are no "right" answers.