Had my final draft of the year tonight (scores from last night are retroactive). It's a pseudo dynasty league with contracts for players. You can sign guys for up to four years and their value is whatever you paid for them in the auction draft per year. Thus, it benefits you to lock in young players at below-market values for multiple years.
If you cut a player, you are charged a third of their contract (rounded up) over the life of the contract. So if you have a player that costs $15 and you signed them for the next three years, you'll take a five dollar cap hit each year for the next three if you cut that player.
I inherited a team that wasn't great. I only ended up hanging on to four players and cut the rest that were still under contract (which was only about seven guys to begin with).
Derrick Henry - $17 (2 years)
Cooper Kupp - $7 (3 years)
Jamaal Williams - $3 (3 years)
Zay Jones - $3 (3 years)
In retrospect, wish I'd cut Jones, because there were guys I would have much preferred at the end of the draft. Oh well. I went into the draft with about $150 out of $200 after you take cap hit into account.
I haven't set the contracts for any of these guys yet, as I have until next Thursday to do so and I might as well wait and make sure no one ruptures a knee.
This league starts 2QB/4WR/3RB/1TE/1K/1DEF and is standard scoring but six points for QB touchdowns. I largely considered this a rebuilding year, so I tried to grab one star and then find values on guys who might be long-term keepers.
QB - Alex Smith ($8)
QB - Case Keenum ($4)
WR - Sammy Watkins ($6)
WR - Cooper Kupp ($7)
WR - Michael Crabtree ($3)
WR - Jamison Crowder ($3)
RB - David Johnson ($39)
RB - Royce Freeman ($19)
RB - Derrick Henry ($17)
TE - David Njoku ($5)
BN - Sam Darnold ($14)
BN - Jamaal Williams ($3)
BN - Zay Jones ($3)
BN - Rex Burkhead ($2)
BN - Dion Lewis ($5)
BN - Jordy Nelson ($1)
BN - Chris Godwin ($1)
BN - Tyler Lockett ($2)
BN - Derrius Guice ($11)
BN - Nick Chubb ($12)
BN - Aaron Jones ($1)
BN - Mike Gesicki ($1)
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I didn't draft a defense or a kicker. Will figure that out tomorrow. There are two IR spots, so I can toss Guice there and four year that motherfucker.
All in all, I like that team. Should be able to win some games now while locking down a few guys long-term at what will hopefully be below-market values next year.
Wasn't intending to end up with Jordy Nelson, but when I nominated him no one else put in a bid. Whoops.
Also kind of pissed people drove up the values of Chubb and Guice so far, but I figure those are still great values next year if they become startable RBs. Same with Freeman. Just sucks I couldn't get Darnold for cheaper. Would have cut bait and let the other guy have him, but I needed a third QB. Probably just gonna put one year tags on all three of my QBs and try again next year. Might two year Keenum since the risk is low at four bucks.
As far as great values go, Burkhead for $2 is steal, as is Lockett for the same. I like Gesicki at a buck for four years and will probably tag Njoku for at least three years as well. Also love Godwin for a buck. That's four years for sure.
I'm thinking I'll lock down a good chunk of my cheaper players for more than one year, which should allow me to spend big on a couple of starters in next year's auction draft while mostly having my bench locked down.