The Half Tier System
I’ve turned an efficient system of ranking players and incoming players in fantasy football, even more efficient and more flexible!
The Tier System
By now, I assume you’ve come across and understand the Tier System. In case you haven’t, here’s an explanation of it…
The Tier System can be used to efficiently rank players, instead of a clear-cut list of players in numerical order. A tier structurally groups players with similar talents or projections.
For example, most of us assume great fantasy projections for both Le’Veon Bell and Ezekiel Elliott next season. So, instead of claiming Bell as RB 1 and Ezekiel Elliott as RB 2 — or vis versa — a tier groups them together.
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to draft both in a Redraft setting, so a tier will place both players in the first tier for RBs. If it comes down to a decision between Bell and Zeke, you pick the player you prefer; yet acknowledging both are projected elite fantasy talent. Whereas, Doug Martin wouldn’t be in that same tier.
Tiers also help to reveal an immediate recognition of “the gap,” or the difference between players instead of a cold numerical list that implies the same gap between every player.
We all know that the gap with fantasy players are not the same and cannot be always be quantified with a numerical list
A recent example was the 2016 draft class. The overwhelming general consensus was that Zeke was the 1.01. After that, no matter who you preferred at the 1.02 and the 1.03, the gap between Zeke and the 1.02 should have been much bigger than the gap between the 1.02 and the 1.03.
The Common Problem
When scouting and analyzing incoming players, new information can immediate change you’re perception of these players.
When collecting so much information on so many players, add the hours of watching highlights on YouTube and the abundant information from so many quality podcasts….
It can get confusing!
The solution? The Half Tier System.
The Half Tier System
When you insert halves into the Tier System, you’re bringing a new dynamic of flexibility.
So many times I’ve debated with myself if a player should be in this tier or that tier. I’ve understood his skills, his upside, and his floor, to be almost too good enough for one tier but not enough for me to confidently put him there.
On the other hand, his skill-set seems to be too good to be placed in the lower tier. Yet, the gap of the tiers that I’m debating between seem appropriate — so adding a tier in between, especially for one player, seems inefficient. Plus, I want to minimize that tier number for simplicity.
Thus, a good Half Tier System represents players that fit into that bubble without have an entire tier created for them. In addition, it leaves room for that half to be easily moved a half step up, or down, if new information is revealed.
This also helps on your fantasy draft day because it limits the emotional decision making and throwing away the hours of research. Yet keeping you free to draft “your players” and not be bound by #DraftTwitter and the likes.
If you’re feeling risky — or loose from a few adult beverages — the day of the draft, you’re free to draft a player that is a half tier below (but not a full tier below) and keeping a good conscious of your earlier research.
Another advantage is being able to easily recognize players that you don’t value as much as the majority. Instead of placing him in a tier of players that undermine his value — and essentially can be lost on your board come draft day — you place him in the half as a constant reminder. If his value is much higher than the half tier you have below him, you can draft him for a potential trade. Therefore, you’re not forced to place him in that higher, yet you can easily recognize that others value him more than you.
Conclusion
Examples of this will be coming soon! Real Fantasy X Rankings will be coming out periodically throughout the offseason.
Coming soon: Rookie Pre-NFL Draft RB Rankings: 2017
