The most "fair" way to draft?

[StreetCarp]

I've noticed that with the pre-determined draft classes from '10 onward, depending on how you go about drafting, it's either way too easy or way too hard.

The easiest method obviously is to cheat and look up the A/B potential players in the draft. As we all know, this makes franchise mode absurdly easy for two reasons: 1) It makes your team much stronger, and 2) It takes the good rookies away from all of the other teams.

Another method I think is too easy is the scouting mode, which is sorted by potential. It's slightly more challenging than simply cheating, but it still essentially makes it impossible to draft a bust.

The problem is that if you don't use either of those two methods, you will get a draft full of C/D/F players every time by just going for the highest-ranked player in the position you want to draft.

The best way to strike a balance I can think of is to use the in-game scouting mode but not allow myself to trade picks away. I can still trade players for picks, but trading something like a 1st rounder for a 2nd+other picks wouldn't be allowed. This way, I can't abuse my knowledge of what picks will be good and just trade away picks in rounds that don't contain good players. My last "rule" would be to only draft a player in his projected round. All of these rules should give you a draft with mostly good players, but a number of busts, just like in real life.

Did anybody else try to come up with a system like mine? I'd like to hear.

[Dog]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

I've noticed that with the pre-determined draft classes from '10 onward, depending on how you go about drafting, it's either way too easy or way too hard.

The easiest method obviously is to cheat and look up the A/B potential players in the draft. As we all know, this makes franchise mode absurdly easy for two reasons: 1) It makes your team much stronger, and 2) It takes the good rookies away from all of the other teams.

Another method I think is too easy is the scouting mode, which is sorted by potential. It's slightly more challenging than simply cheating, but it still essentially makes it impossible to draft a bust.

The problem is that if you don't use either of those two methods, you will get a draft full of C/D/F players every time by just going for the highest-ranked player in the position you want to draft.

The best way to strike a balance I can think of is to use the in-game scouting mode but not allow myself to trade picks away. I can still trade players for picks, but trading something like a 1st rounder for a 2nd+other picks wouldn't be allowed. This way, I can't abuse my knowledge of what picks will be good and just trade away picks in rounds that don't contain good players. My last "rule" would be to only draft a player in his projected round. All of these rules should give you a draft with mostly good players, but a number of busts, just like in real life.

Did anybody else try to come up with a system like mine? I'd like to hear.

thats my last eagles franchise in a nutshell. i drafted so bad that none of the players were even good enough to make the final roster

[StreetCarp]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

thats my last eagles franchise in a nutshell. i drafted so bad that none of the players were even good enough to make the final roster

I'm guilty of always using one of the "too easy" methods, and sometimes I have a pick that I can't trade and have nobody to use it on, so I go for a player that looks good but I hadn't researched at all. ALWAYS a C/D/F with a rating between 40 and 65.

[madchand]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

i have same problem and my picks are usually gone after the second year if not the first year, my problem is i forget to scout

[JayInSaratoga]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

A better way to make it more fair than not scouting, scout more players. Once you enter the offseason you lose the ability to rank the players by potential, so if you look at the list of scouted players, some lesser potential players will end up in there if you cast a wide enough net.

[ryan36]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

Not intentionally but I usually always scout the top 4 or 5 guys at my position of need to avoid a bust...I never have enough scouting reports for the later rounds, so after round 3 and sometimes 2, I end up guessing blind..and drafting horribly

[myownsun]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

I'll keep these tips in mind gent because this will be the first madden franchise mode i spend time with since 05.

[chargersfan21]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

One thing I do is rank the players by potential, then allow myself to only scout one of every three (by position). That way, I have to rely on the reports to guess which players belong to which cluster... I also try to avoid looking at the names as much as possible until the offseason, haha. It's a shame during the season we can't just rank them by projected round.

[PGaither84]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

I don't understand why we can even see the potential of a player. I know why, but I don't understand the logic behind it. I also don't agree with it. If you draft a Bust, why wouldn't you try to unload him as quickly as possible. the only answer is if you were trying to stay sim, which is a good answer to me, but still...

Moving forward, I still think the best way to be fair with yourself is to scout the TYPE of players you are looking for. For me, strangth is the most important rating for offensive linemen. If the player doesn't report a minimum 30 bench press, I won't scout him. I think 30 bench is about = to 90 strength. I am really looking for around 33 or 34 bench which is, if I recall, above 95 strength. That's just an example. I look for fast/agile Linebackers that can flow sideline to sideline, big strong defensive ends and NTs [as opposed to pass rushers,] I go for hight over speed for DBs and I look for hard hitting Safeties. Lastly, I look for accurate pocket QB's over strong mobile ones, power backs over scat backs, balanced/receiving TEs over blocking ones, and tall balanced WRs over speed demons. I'll take a physical beast if one is available, but those are who I prefer to scout based on the kind of offense I run. I am more likely to draft these players than I am likely to to try and min/max the draft for gems.

[ryan36]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

Well, Gaither I think they could replace potential with a hype rating or something. I mean the difference is since these guys aren't real college players, we will have no background.

In real life ,there's some word of mouth, and that's what I think this simulates

[chargersfan21]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

Moving forward, I still think the best way to be fair with yourself is to scout the TYPE of players you are looking for. For me, strangth is the most important rating for offensive linemen. If the player doesn't report a minimum 30 bench press, I won't scout him. I think 30 bench is about = to 90 strength. I am really looking for around 33 or 34 bench which is, if I recall, above 95 strength. That's just an example. I look for fast/agile Linebackers that can flow sideline to sideline, big strong defensive ends and NTs [as opposed to pass rushers,] I go for hight over speed for DBs and I look for hard hitting Safeties. Lastly, I look for accurate pocket QB's over strong mobile ones, power backs over scat backs, balanced/receiving TEs over blocking ones, and tall balanced WRs over speed demons. I'll take a physical beast if one is available, but those are who I prefer to scout based on the kind of offense I run. I am more likely to draft these players than I am likely to to try and min/max the draft for gems.

We literally look for the exact same kind of players. Every one. Well played.

[PGaither84]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

We literally look for the exact same kind of players. Every one. Well played.

you're a chargers fan... they use the 3-4... and Norv Turner is your head coach and our former offensive coordinator. Can't imagine why we look for the same things

[MrHale]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

i always did drafts without scouting, its easy to tell whos good and whos not, would always get the A pot beasts

[Faizon]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

I think the most "sim" way to do it is to just not look up the draft classes... and no trading for rookies after the draft.

[tseliottt]

Re: The most "fair" way to draft?

my house rules:
scout only linemen
allowed only 1 trade a season
limited to 7 draft picks
i draft using strictly the ratings and measurables given during the draft and the scouting reports for the lineman
1st rounders are given 6 year deals
all others are given 4 year deals
cannot renegotiate contract until rookie contract is up

i still draft really good players, but ive had my share of bust.