I’m in several (too many) fantasy football leagues this season and, unfortunately, I didn’t land a top 2 pick in any of them. That means I’m going to miss out on LaDainian Tomlinson and Steven Jackson, the consensus top two picks in 2007. In a traditional serpentine draft (1-12 in odd rounds, 12-1 in even rounds), those that are drafting in the back half of round one are at such a disadvantage. Sure, they get to pick early in the second round, but the difference between RB13 and RB20 isn’t as great as the difference between LT and, say, Rudi Johnson or Laurence Maroney. Also, the Jackson and Tomlinson owners get to pick first in the third round, which only serves to enhance their advantage over their less fortunate peers.
Here’s a solution: reverse the serpentine after the first two rounds. Go 1-12 in the first round, 12-1 in the second round and then 12-1 again in the third round before continuing with a traditional serpentine for the rest of the draft. In this scenario, the fourth round would go 1-12, the fifth 12-1, and so on.
According to Antsports average draft position (ADP), here is team #1 versus team #12 after three rounds (for comparison purposes, assume the two teams only select RBs and WRs):
Team #1: LT, Cedric Benson, Andre Johnson
Team #12: Rudi Johnson, Steve Smith, Thomas Jones
Benson and a healthy Jones hold about the same value, so we’re really comparing LT and AJ versus Rudi and Smith. The difference between LT and Rudi is significant but Smith holds a big advantage over AJ.
Has anyone played in a league that utilizes this format? If so, how did it work out? I think the deciding factor is how much people want each pick. Right now, owners are clamoring for a top 2 pick, because they know it gives them an advantage. If this format is utilized, and a guy picking 12th gets picks #12, #13 and #25, it would diffuse some of that desire for a top pick.
