Is hoarding draft picks cheating?

[mossme89]

What do you think? Usually the formula for what the CPU offers you in a trade for a draft pick is 1 round up the current year plus a late round pick (sometimes.) So trading a 2018 3rd gets you at least a 2019 2nd, and maybe a 5th, 6th, or 7th in either year. There’s some exceptions, like with first round picks, where I found you can get a 1, 2, and 3, reliably and sometimes even 2 2nd rounders. Also if you have the 1st overall pick, you can trade down twice, first to 2nd, and then to 3rd, picking up 2 1st rounders and a 2nd each time.

Following this strategy, you can have 10 or more first round picks by year 3 or year 4. Couple this with an aggressive strategy in free agency the first few years and you can reliably have as many first rounders as you’d like in subsequent years. I find I usually end up trading down anyway as the green talent becomes scarce for that round.

My question is: do you think it’s cheating? Yes it’s pretty cheap, but an NFL team could technically do this.

[CM Hooe]

It's certainly exploitative of CPU trading AI which doesn't value draft picks properly - especially when trading away young-ish mid-tier players - but whether it is cheating depends on the rules of your online league, if you are even in one. Based on my experience running a "free for all" league last year where anything goes, we changed our league rules this year to disable CPU trades entirely as to curtail this sort of behavior.

If you are just playing by yourself, though, I say do whatever you want.

[Other Guy]

Quote: Originally Posted by mossme89

Yes it’s pretty cheap, but an NFL team could technically do this.

I think you've answered you're own question right here. It is kinda cheesy, and you don't expect to see things like that in the NFL.....Then you realize Cleveland has 13 picks in the 2018 draft. So play it either way you like; nothing is out of the realm of possibilities.

[SmashMan]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

If you are just playing by yourself, though, I say do whatever you want.

This is the right answer.

It's cheap, but if you're playing by yourself and it's fun for you to accumulate picks, why not do it? You can always trade those picks away again or start a new franchise if you get bored with it.



Sent from my iPad using Operation Sports

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by SmashMan

This is the right answer. It's cheap, but if you're playing by yourself and it's fun for you to accumulate picks, why not do it? You can always trade those picks away again or start a new franchise if you get bored with it. Sent from my iPad using Operation Sports

While I agree with this post, at the same time if you do this don't post in franchise threads bragging about your draft picks or how well you turned around the team.

[timhere1970]

I agree, play your franchise to your liking. Personally, it doesnt matter how many picks i have i do not allow myself to draft anybody in the first or second round at any position where my position grade is a- or above. I trade them away. I tend to try to stack another team with the largest cap space for a couple of seasons.

[Sheba2011]

If you are playing offline or in a league by yourself, there is no issue with it, other than possibly ruining the fun of it. If you were in my online league you would be kicked out. Our league has very strict rules for trading with the CPU.

[4thQtrStre5S]

Cleveland Browns did it...