by xtrap » Wed Jul 02, 2008 2:46 pm
[quote:67d9b47850="Pan Mark"]I was hoping we'd have this draft done BEFORE the long weekend. Does everybody know how to use the proxies?
Pan Mark[/quote:67d9b47850]
If not.. here are some tips..
The proxy system is a little complex, but once you get used to it, it is quite easy and intuitive to use. You have two ways to use the system: You can set proxies for each round, or you can set groups of proxies.
Round approach
You select a handful of players that you want and rank them in order of preference for each round. Once it is your turn to pick, the site will automatically give you the highest ranked player left on your list FOR THAT ROUND. If you put five players in your list for your first-round pick, and they are all gone when it is your turn to pick, the computer will not automatically skip down to your second-round picks. You would have to come back and make a first-round pick manually. You can list players in more than one round so in case you have a guy lower down your first-round pick, you could also put him in your second-round and third-round groups, if you wanted.
Group approach
The group approach allows you to put players in groups, and then you can have a little more flexibility with your picks. Let's say you have the No. 10 pick in the draft, which means you would have the No. 3 pick in even-numbered rounds. In the first two rounds, then, you would have the 10th and 15th overall picks, and you want to get a SS and a starting pitcher with your first two picks. Let's say that you think there are only two SS worth a first-round pick - Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter. And there are 3 starting pitchers you think worthy of a first-round pick - Peavy, Carmona and Sabathia. You would set one group of consisting of Rollins and Jeter. You would then mark Jeter as "delete if group picked," which means that if you get Rollins, then the system deletes your selection of Jeter so you won't wind up with two SSs with your first two picks. Then you would set the next group up with Peavy, Carmona and Sabathia. If you get either Rollins or Jeter with your first pick, that group is exhausted, and so when it came time for your next pick, the system would move to your next grouping. However, if Rollins or Jeter were both gone when it was your turn to make your first pick, the sytem would automatically move to your second grouping and pick from among the 3 pitchers you have listed. Again, you would rank Carmona and Sabathia as "delete if group picked" so that you wouldn't wind up with two pitchers taken with back-to-back picks.
I like to use the Round approach in the early rounds, because usually you are just taking the best player available in those rounds. But then as you get farther down the list, you might decide to start picking specific positions for a round, but there aren't a lot of options available, so you start using the groups option.
One other important tip: Make sure you create your SOM team BEFORE the draft, and you put the players into your roster as you are drafting so you will keep an eye on how much money you have available. In an 18-round live draft (17 players and one stadium), you can only spend $76 million, because you have to leave $4 million to fill out the 25-man roster so you will have a team that is under the $80 million mark. Every manager is responsible for keeping up with his salary cap.