The RotoWire Press Box - Fantasy Football Takes from HQ

The RotoWire Press Box - Fantasy Football Takes from HQ

A few weeks ago, RotoWire HQ sent out a poll to get some thoughts from our staff on Ideas for an Improved NFL, and the answers that arrived were pretty cool. This time around, we're asking the crew (via their respective home offices) to share some takes and ideas about their preferences for playing fantasy football. 

Enjoy the NFL Draft later this week, and stay well one and all!

Tim Schuler - RotoWire COO

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

Snakes. Unlike most, I love the depth and scarcity featured in 16-team leagues.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

Not an avid player.

3. How about best ball?

Like them, but prefer traditional and the fun of trying to make better moves than the next guy. And even in a masochistic kind of way, beating myself up if I miss the right player choices each week, which is often.

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

Balanced. I tend to be risk averse toward putting most of my capital on one player, when most have probably a 50-50 shot at getting injured or not living up to expectations. Last year, I didn't listen to Future Tim and Saquon got me.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

True.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

B. 

7.

A few weeks ago, RotoWire HQ sent out a poll to get some thoughts from our staff on Ideas for an Improved NFL, and the answers that arrived were pretty cool. This time around, we're asking the crew (via their respective home offices) to share some takes and ideas about their preferences for playing fantasy football. 

Enjoy the NFL Draft later this week, and stay well one and all!

Tim Schuler - RotoWire COO

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

Snakes. Unlike most, I love the depth and scarcity featured in 16-team leagues.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

Not an avid player.

3. How about best ball?

Like them, but prefer traditional and the fun of trying to make better moves than the next guy. And even in a masochistic kind of way, beating myself up if I miss the right player choices each week, which is often.

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

Balanced. I tend to be risk averse toward putting most of my capital on one player, when most have probably a 50-50 shot at getting injured or not living up to expectations. Last year, I didn't listen to Future Tim and Saquon got me.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

True.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

B. 

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

I like kickers more than most. I believe if you think it out properly and look at the offenses and a kicker's long-distance skills, you can gain 7-10 points on the next owner. One of my tricks is always taking a kicker in the second-last round and not the last. This way I always get a top-five kicker, and often still get the same seventh wide receiver or running back I was going to take in the second last round.

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

Better playoff formats. I hate the 10-team leagues where an owner comes in eighth, goes on a small mini run that anyone can have, then thinks they're the greatest thing since the forward pass. My idea as commish is to have the owners talk about an Aussie Rules style of playoff. Top eight get in, but 5-8 each play each other in a do-or-die situation, while 1-4 play get double elimination rights and play each other before moving to the next round regardless, those that win in slightly better shape the rest of the way.

Jerry Donabedian - NFL Assistant Editor

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

Snake drafts for a casual league, but if we're talking about something with larger stakes in terms of pride and/or money, I prefer the equitable option — an auction. I've seen a few different studies illustrating how teams with early picks in snake drafts, especially No. 1 overall, have an advantage. You can counter this, to some extent, with third-round reversal, but even that doesn't make up for the expected value difference between Tier I running backs and other first-round picks.  

I don't really care as much about the number of teams, but I do think 14 is a good number for the traditional QB/RB/RB/WR/WR/WR/TE/FLEX lineup, forcing you to start one or two shaky players. Leagues with 10 or fewer teams are more fun if they add extra lineup slots. 

2. DFS - yay or nay?

Yay, even though it's a lot harder to be profitable than it was a few years ago. Rake is higher, and the average player is smarter. What I once viewed as a fairly reliable source of income I now view as more of a high-intensity hobby, if that makes sense?

3. How about best ball?

Yes. It gives me something to do when the weather is lousy, and something to write about when the football world is otherwise quiet. I've also found it more easily beatable than DFS the past couple years, at least at the lower buy-ins. Of course, it also requires a much higher time:dollar ratio, so it's still something I'm doing for recreation more so than profit motive.

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

For a real-life NFL team… stars and scrubs. For DFS… depends on the slate. For a season-long auction… stars and scrubs. For a dynasty auction.. balanced. 

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

Mostly true a few years back. But now the second-tier QBs (Watson/Wilson/Prescott/Murray?) are on the level of first-tier guys from a few years ago, and the new first-tier guys (Jackson/Mahomes) are doing silly stuff. I'm not married to QB early, but I do find myself drafting one of those six guys at least half the time, probably a bit more.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

Option A. Travis Kelce and George Kittle put up borderline WR1 stats at a position where other people scrounge for 650 yards and five TDs, so, yeah, I like that. 

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

Oh, you want a rant? You're gonna get one, but maybe not the one you're expecting!

In this era of widespread information, D/ST and K help reward managers who are clever and attentive, because any jabroni can get a Rotowire subscription and lean on analysts for all decisions related to QB/RB/WR/TE. Actually, people could also do this with kickers and defenses because we provide rankings, projections, outlooks, etc. But they usually don't.

For whatever reason, most people I face in fantasy leagues don't bother optimizing their K and D/ST spots. My friends will spend 30 minutes debating a WR3 decision where the projected difference is one-tenth of a point; meanwhile, they're starting a kicker from a team that has an implied total of 18.75... SMH!

Anyway, getting rid of those K and D/ST spots equates to increasing the impact of luck and decreasing the impact of attention to detail. Many people will claim the opposite, but I'm 97 percent confident they're wrong. A position being high variance from week to week doesn't mean that better decisions won't be rewarded over a 16-week sample… usually they will be.

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

There are a few things where I wish fantasy production aligned a bit more closely with real-life value. For example, a zero-yard reception has no real value to a team, and a one-yard TD pass is worth very little compared to a 70-yard gain that doesn't hit paydirt. Here are a few scoring suggestions to move in that direction:

  • 2QB and/or SuperFlex
  • Rewarding a point for first downs instead of PPR
  • 20 passing yards per point instead of 25.
  • Six-point Passing TDs
  • -3 or -4 for INTs and lost fumbles
  • -1 for QB being sacked (don't worry, he gets +1 for passing and rushing first downs!)

Jake Letarski - Operations Manager

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

Auctions for sure, though it's difficult to get a league out of old traditions. 12 teams strikes the perfect balance between too shallow of a player pool and having a barren waiver wire.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

Yay -- every week. I'll pass on preseason DFS, but will play all the way through the playoffs. 

3. How about best ball?

Yes, but not necessarily as a money maker. Will do a couple because it's a more realistic mock draft than I'd get anywhere else. If I win, it's just a bonus.

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

You really only have the option for "stars and scrubs" in an auction, and I think it's the way to go. I'll spend 80 percent or more of my money on the starting lineup, then fill the rest of the roster with $1 sleepers.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

True. There's a breakout just about every year past Round 8. Lamar Jackson is resetting this precedent, but generally QB12 score isn't significantly different from QB3-4.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

If I had to pick I generally prefer A. But it all depends on your draft position and the flow of the draft.

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

While streaming defenses does add some skill, these two positions are largely luck. They should be eliminated from fantasy. Throw in an extra FLEX if you have to. If you're dying for a defensive component, use a few IDPs. 

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

We need a way to mitigate some of the luck factor that comes with head-to-head record. I was exposed to a "Victory Points" format for the first time this season, and I think that's a great first step.

Chris Liss - Managing Editor

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

Both. At least 12, and anything bigger is cool up to 20. 

2. DFS - yay or nay?

I played when I was in the US at times. It's cool in a lottery ticket sort of way...

3. How about best ball?

Good draft prep tool, I lose interest when my real drafts roll around. 

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

Stars and scrubs.


5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

False. It used to be true, but now that everyone thinks it's true, it's false.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

50/50.

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

Like them both.

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

Would love an NFFC style national contest with QB-flex. 

Peter Schoenke - RotoWire President

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

I prefer auctions, but either format is fun and has it's pluses and minuses. 14-team super flex is ideal.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

Yay!

3. How about best ball?

Yay!

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

I'm more focused on positions as they ebb and flow in scarcity year to year based on the player pool and shifting rules and strategy in the NFL.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

For sure, unless it's a 2-QB league or Super Flex. Then there's an essential need for QBs.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

I'll usually wait since they get hurt. But really it just depends on how the player pool shapes up each year.

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

Kickers - I get that they're more or less random (except for maybe the very elite), so I wait for my last pick. But it's fun to have them in the game since kicking FGs is a big part of the game and a play that has a long visual.

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

I've found 14-team super flex with limited benches and more non-QB flex player starters as the best format. You want a large free agent pool to keep people active and avoid the injury pitfalls but without making rosters too small. Superflex can make the worst starting QBs valuable in free agency and widen the pool.

Mike Doria - NFL Editor

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

I prefer snake drafts, but only because I tend to do better in them by simply going with the flow, plus I like how different draft slots can alter my approach and team composition. That said, auctions are way more fair because every team has a chance to get ANY player on the board. I've settled on 14-team leagues as my preference. It's not as easy to construct a perfect lineup as it is in 10-12 teamers, but not the scrub-fest that 16-team formats can be.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

I dabble, but I treat it like a trip to Las Vegas. That is, decide how much I'm comfortable losing and stick with that limit. No exceptions. I've had some good weeks and good years and think I'm ahead overall, but not by much, so I'm hardly a DFS ringer like some of my co-workers!

3. How about best ball?

It's pretty cool and a great way to get in practice reps before my important drafts. Any dough I win is a bonus. In fact, this year I'm inclined to play less DFS and more best ball.

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

In auctions, I prefer the balanced attack, focusing on getting good values rather than going all-in on a player or two. This year, of course I want guys like Christian McCaffrey and Lamar Jackson on my team, but inevitably, someone else is going to be be willing to pay more than I want to for players like them. In snake drafts, I try to map out my first 2-3 picks in advance and then simply go with the flow, attacking shallow positions and trying to remain patient on the deeper ones.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

In general, but if you get to the point of the draft where there's no more elite RB/WR/TE options and you start splitting hairs like "which of these six so-so backs do I take here?" then take your QB...for me, that usually means getting my No. 3 or No. 4 ranked signal-caller. I'd be shocked if I land Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes with that approach this year.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

I'm a fan of taking one of the top guys and not worrying about the tight end slot until his bye week. In the event of an injury, then you simply shift gears and join the rest of the league in playing weekly tight end roulette, but it's my first choice to avoid that.

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

I'm cool with going with kickers, but I prefer the Team Kicker option. Either way, I'd rather grab one of the more reliable options based on team context. If that means getting made fun of because many believe that only fools take kickers before the last round, so be it. My last couple of player picks in any given draft are usually total darts anyway, and candidates to be dropped once FAAB gets going. As for team Ds, I won't force it, but I don't mind being part of an early run if I get to the point where all the players in the draft pool seem pretty similar in terms of value/upside...but otherwise, streaming is a good way to go and RotoWire has a good weekly article on that topic.

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

There's several formats that are already out there that I'd like see become more common. One is All-Play leagues in which essentially you're playing against all the teams in your league in a given week. So if you're the top scorer that week in a 12-team format, you go 11-0, while the low scorer goes 0-11. That eliminates those annoying "I was the second-highest scorer this week but still lost" scenarios. And give me playoff formats that play out over two or three-week periods vs. the traditional setup that can crush teams that dominated all season, but then have a crummy Week 16. I also like two-QB and Super Flex leagues. One more thing; in any recurring league the draft order should either be inverse order of the previous year's standings, or alternatively, the last-place team can select its preferred slot, followed by the next-to-last place team, and so on...

Eric Caturia - Assistant NFL Editor

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

It doesn't really matter to me. No matter the league settings, I'll be ready once the draft begins.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

I'm down with anything related to fantasy football, but DFS is more of a passing fancy than fully committed effort due to lack of time. In essence, I put together lineups in the hour leading up to the first slate of games Sunday, which limits the number of contests entered on a weekly basis.

3. How about best ball?

I'm a huge proponent of best-ball leagues. All one has to do is draft, keeping in mind stacks — i.e. rostering a QB plus skill players from offenses with a lot of potential — among other things, and let the season run its course without worrying about setting lineups. In the end, your optimal fantasy output based off league settings counts toward a particular week's result, taking away regret about leaving a top scorer on the bench.

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

The choice really depends on the format. In non-PPR, it's difficult to get away with a zero-RB approach, primarily because yards and TDs are the sole ways to accrue points. It's much easier to roll with "stars and scrubs" in PPR, when an owner can get by with regularly starting pass-catching backs like Austin Ekeler, James White and Tarik Cohen if the rest of the roster is well stocked.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

If an owner misses out on the likes of Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, it probably behooves that person to continue stocking up the other skill positions in the early and middle rounds before taking a chance on a high-volume passer (think Matt RyanJared Goff or even Matthew Stafford) or lesser dual-threat option (Josh Allen or Daniel Jones).

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

Having had so much success in recent years with Travis Kelce, I'm partial toward choice A at the moment. If I miss out on Kelce or George Kittle, though, I have no qualms waiting for up-and-coming tight ends like Tyler Higbee, Dallas Goedert or Irv Smith.

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

This isn't a rant by any sense of the word. Rather, kickers and defenses are the positions in which an active owner can take full advantage on the waiver wire from week to week. Based off others' reticence to roster more than one kicker, top kickers not named Justin Tucker more often than not find their way off squads when bye weeks hit, making it possible to claim them. As for DSTs, streaming is often the way to go to take advantage of prime matchups, even if said unit is sieve-like more often than not.

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

I'd like all-play to become more en vogue. If you're unfamiliar, your result in a given week is based off your performance against the entire league. So, if you're in a 12-team league and score the second-most points, you wouldn't be penalized for playing the top scorer in a typical head-to-head league. Instead of taking an L, your record would be 10-1 for that week, which is more reflective of your team's performance.

Joe Bartel - Operations Specialist

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

Auction draft is 100 percent the way to go. The true optimal route for a fantasy degenerate is to incorporate some sort of keeper/dynasty format on top of an auction league, but at the end of the day, fantasy football is something that is easy for everyone to understand and follow.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

It's not something I actively incorporate into my football routines, but if I have time throughout the week, or leading up to Sunday, it's definitely something I try to do. The more fantasy football you can incorporate into your life, the better.

3. How about best ball?

Yes, I LOVE best ball. If nothing else, it's great to prep for your August drafts. I never feel unprepared in the years since I've started participating in best ball.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

True -- waiting on QBs is the prudent approach. Last year it was Lamar. The year before that it was Mahomes. I doubt we'll have any sort of historic performance from a QB to that extent, but you get can incredibly capable guys past Round 10, allowing you to build much needed depth in the earlier rounds.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

Generally I'd rather throw darts at lower-round TEs, but it depends on where you're selecting. If you find yourself in the back half of the first round, it's easier to convince me to dive into the George Kittle or Travis Kelce's of the world instead of passing up an obvious RB or WR stud.

Ilango Villoth - NFL Writer

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

Long-running snake drafts will always have a place in my heart, but nothing beats a well-structured auction. The best startup I've ever been part of was a Two-QB dynasty league that did individual long-running auctions for each rookie class from 2010-18, then culminated in a draft for all leftover veterans. That auctions allow for that kind of off-the-wall approach gives them a step up in my book. 

2. DFS - yay or nay?

With a half-dozen deep dynasty leagues to manage, I mostly leave DFS to the diehards.

3. How about best ball?

Call me a purist, but if you aren't pulling your hair out over lineup decisions what's the fun?

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

I'm usually the guy who trades his first-round startup pick. I'll take my chances hitting on multiple guys in the mid rounds.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

100 percent of the time. Except in Superflex or 2QB...

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

I used to be team top-TE-or-bust, but the late rounds are oversaturated with talent. Especially in dynasty, I'll take being able to grab guys like Mike Gesicki, Irv Smith, O.J. Howard or Dallas Goedert after or around pick 100.

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

Get 'em out of your league and put in a handful of IDP slots instead. Once you've seen the light, it's impossible to go back. 

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

I don't have anything too outlandish to propose, but I do envision a utopian future where fantasy leagues have universally embraced multi-QB formats and moved past the need for DST/kicker slots.

Harry Thompson - Developer

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

I'm a big fan of an auction draft, it's the more rewarding format if you come prepared. Any player can be acquired if you're willing to pay, and that unlocks an additional level of strategy. I rarely leave an auction draft not liking my team because you can have some plan beforehand of what you want your team to look like. That being said, I also acknowledge an auction draft isn't for everyone. It can take longer and isn't the most inviting for new players. Either format can be fun in its own way though so I think the right choice is dependent on your league. If you have a group of experienced players looking for ways to change up your league, going from a snake draft to an auction is a great idea. Leagues with newer or more casual players, stick with a snake draft.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

Yay! Absolutely! If you're a good season-long player, you already have your finger on the pulse of the league and know the latest injuries, favorable matchups, and player trends. DFS is like a weekly test of that knowledge, with a reward! Entering a couple of contests on a Sunday morning is one of my favorite things to do during the football season. It doesn't take a lot of time and you can enter for low amounts just for fun. I've even seen some fantasy leagues incorporating a weekly DFS contest as a side contest, I think that's a great idea!

3. How about best ball?

Best ball leagues are great because they have all the excitement of a draft without having to maintain that team throughout the season. It also introduces some additional strategy because there are some NFL players whose value changes in a format where you automatically get to keep their best weeks and drop their worst. Take Will Fuller as an example, he's likely to miss a handful of games but can just as likely put 20 plus PPR points in one week which he did twice this season including an incredible 53.7 points against Atlanta in Week 5. I'd argue being able to identify players like that is a useful skill for your season-long leagues, not just in best ball. Having too many of these players on your roster all year might give you high scoring potential, but a very low floor, and I think the key to success lies somewhere in the middle with a balanced approach. With that in mind, I actually like to do a couple of best ball drafts as part of my draft preparation. It can act as a "mock draft" of sorts, but you won't have players randomly leaving halfway through the draft.

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

Balanced attack, always! If you put too much of your hopes on a handful of players and they get injured, which will happen, you're left scrambling. In fact, I often like to judge a team based on the best player on their bench. If someone's backup is quality enough to be in a starting lineup, that tells me they are going to be competitive even if their starter is injured or on a bye. I know some people might argue a "stars and scrubs" approach because you can make your team progressively better through waivers, but in any given week you won't know whether you have the highest priority or if the players you want will even pan out. I like to focus on the "long" part of season long -- you need to put yourself in a position to have success after many weeks and some inevitable setbacks. A balanced attack is the way to do it.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

True! Admittedly, this might change if there continues to be a top tier of players like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson who pull away from the field. For now though, I am still fine waiting on a QB. The difference between QB5 and QB15 in a given week isn't as much as people think it is. Plus, there's tons of viable QBs you can add off the waiver wire and start right away if they have a favorable matchup. I'm always one of the last people in a draft to take a QB, I'll likely get the same production as QBs taken several rounds earlier but paired with a better WR or RB that I got with that premium pick.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

There are a couple of elite players at the position that I would of course want to have on my team, but rarely for the price it would actually take to acquire them. I'd much rather take a flier on a late round tight end. If it works out, like Mark Andrews or Darren Waller did last year, you have a great positional advantage. If not, you are in the same position as most of your league.

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

So much of your week during the fantasy season is carefully reviewing all the matchups and putting in the time to have a winning lineup. Do you really want to have all that effort undone because your kicker missed an extra point? Or the other team's defense happened to get a pick-six in garbage time? Most people don't even change who they are starting in those positions, they use who they drafted all year and maybe make a switch because of bye weeks. Not a lot of strategy in that! I'd much rather replace those positions with an additional FLEX spot or even IDPs. I honestly think if more leagues make the simple decision to drop kickers and team defenses, they'd never look back.

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

This past season, I participated in a "vampire league" where all but one team drafts and that other team (the "vampire") gets to pick from whoever is left. If you lose to the vampire, they can steal one player from your lineup. You do get to "protect" one player making them unstealable, but you also can't start them. It was a lot of fun wrestling with lineup decisions in weeks where I was playing the vampire -- I had to decide whether I should go with full strength and risk losing my best player or play more conservatively. I think fantasy football could be better if we embrace trying new things like this. So many leagues rely on the default settings without changing things up too much, what's the fun in that!? Try altering the scoring settings, or adding new positions like IDP or SuperFLEX. I've seen some leagues have a lot of success with adding a weekly prize or adding  a side contest like DFS or picking against the spread. A lot of the leagues I've done that stuck with standard scoring year-over-year are no longer active; changing things up and tailoring them to what the people in your league find fun is what works. Who knows, maybe you've already found the perfect format for your group. If you see an idea that you think would be fun to try though, don't be afraid to suggest it. Maybe someone else in your league is thinking the same thing!

John McKechnie - College Football Editor

1. Do you prefer snake drafts or auctions? How many teams are ideal?

Twelve-team snake draft.

2. DFS - yay or nay?

Yay for DFS.

3. How about best ball?

Love Best Ball.

4. Stars and scrubs, or a balanced attack?

Stars and Scrubs. Always over-confident in my ability to find the undervalued guys; sometimes it busts, other times I win the league.

5. True or false. Waiting on QBs is the way to go…

True.

6. Pick one - A) I must get a top-tier tight end. B) I'd rather throw tight end darts than use a high pick on one.

It depends on draft slot, but I rarely go into a draft looking to get a tight end in the first three rounds. So, answer B.

7. Give us your rant on kickers and team defenses…

Kickers can be done away with across all of fantasy football but I don't get as worked up about it as some. Picking a team defense or streaming defenses requires some skill so I like that element of fantasy football. I prefer team defense over IDP, too.

8. Please share any out-of the-box ideas you may have to make playing fantasy football better, or any cool format/contest ideas you'd like to see come to life?

I have really enjoyed the emergence of 2QB and Super-Flex leagues over the last couple of seasons and would like to see those formats continue to become more mainstream.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Doria
NFL Editor for RotoWire. Roots for the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics and the underdog. Plus the McGill Redbirds.
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