RADIO
RotoBaller's Nick Mariano provides an overview and draft strategy guide for the FFPC Main Event, a high-stakes fantasy football contest with a $500,000 grand prize.
So what exactly is the FFPC Main Event? The game lives up to the name: The Main Event consists of up to 3,000 teams, which can spread into 250 leagues of 12. You’ll face every team in your league through Weeks 1-11 before a 4-team playoff that starts Week 12. Eyes are drawn to the guaranteed $500,000 grand prize, but cash prizes are awarded to the team with the best regular-season record, most points, playoff winners, as well as second and third place in the league playoffs.
Whoever wins the league playoff earns entry to the Championship Round, where the grand prize is up for grabs. You won’t play a specific team there -- it’s strictly total points scored from Week 14-16 with prizes through 125th place.
The FFPC further separates from the field with unique scoring and roster requirements. You’ll adjust to tight ends getting 1.5 points per reception while all other positions get one point per reception. It adds up, and really elevates those top-tier options. The multi-flex option is another difference, providing six RB-WR-TE combinations one can utilize. View the full rules here.
Be Prepared
Mistakes will not be tolerated, as folks don’t pony up $1,800 and casually draft off stale ranks. They will have a plan just like you, so you must beat them in pre-draft planning as well as execution. Given the unique rules, most ADP reports and strategy guides won’t apply. That's why we're here.
The dual-flex option does spread your roster contributions more, but the 1.5 PPR for TEs is the biggest shift. Seeing Travis Kelce and George Kittle go in the first round will be both commonplace and justified. And that massive prize pool provides an aggressive, tournament-style attitude for many participants.
The Main Event also sports a 20-man roster -- 18 offensive players with a kicker and a defense. Starting requirements are as follows:
- 1 QB
- 2 RBs
- 2 WRs
- 1 TE
- 2 Flex (RB, WR, TE)
- 1 Kicker
- 1 Defense
That's right, meaning you've got 10 bench spots to strategize with. Those looking to get their feet wet on the FFPC can enter their mid-stakes event called the Footballguys Players Championship. The drafts run from late April through the NFL season’s start week. Each league is $350, which may sound pricey for experiencing a learning curve, but this is where you’ll find the best trial run against many folks that you’ll be facing in the Main Event. You can also fire up some $35 classic leagues to check out the draft experience itself.
Have a Strategy (or Three)
While tools like ADP help assess a market, please remember that each draft is its own economic experiment. While it’s not an auction, you’ll be able to see the room’s perspective regarding aggression towards TEs and QBs, the lean of rookies versus veterans, as well as potential stacking early on.
My macro strategy everywhere is to have a road map, but the early TE potential emphasizes the need for a flow chart. When building your ranks and projections (or using ours!), identify hot and cold spots to attack and avoid. You’ll need to know how TE -> RB -> RB compares to TE -> WR -> WR and everything in between.
And while we laid out the starting lineup earlier, we can’t overlook the larger 10-man bench. That’s quite the stash! But that second flex slot and TEs being true options widen the viable player pool, so be sure to manage upside and don’t over-adjust for bye weeks before the season’s even begun. You’ll have time to analyze risers and fallers, and that hedge player against a Week 5 Bye-fest could be FAAB fodder come Week 2.
There’s also the unsettling, yet very real, threat of COVID-19 and its effect on football players being available. Of course, everyone being healthy and safe is priority number one but this is a fantasy column and we all need to understand the subtext in this conversation. Players could be out for three-week chunks (or more), injuries may be more frequent due to no preseason (akin to baseball’s early spike) and we’ll need more Plan B’s and C’s than ever.
Each team has $1,000 as their FAAB with waivers running on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 pm eastern. Even with deep benches, there will be plenty of priority adds to make throughout the season. Many of you will (rightfully) be streaming both kickers and defenses, so be sure to budget enough for those weekly transactions.
Positional Breakdown
Quarterback: You won’t find the insane late-round values of 2019 here in ‘20, as most rushing QBs have been adequately bumped up. Some of you may be used to QBs earning a point per 25 pass yards, but this is 20 yards per point as well as only -1 per interception. With only 12 teams and this not being Superflex, one doesn’t need to roster more than one QB at a time. If you wait on QB and get totally left out in the cold by a room drafting two signal-callers, just snatch Derek Carr against the Panthers and go from there. Stay flexible!
Running Back: I’m allocating seven spots out of 20 to the RB position because the attrition is serious and most early handcuffs will be drafted. We can dig into this in a future piece, but in a setting with such a top-heavy prize structure you don’t want to handcuff your own RBs. You want exposure to multiple backfields and avenues to rostering RB1’s. Hedging Ezekiel Elliott with Tony Pollard keeps you afloat and ties two roster spots to one opportunity, whereas Elliott + Chase Edmonds or Alexander Mattison can yield two.
Wide Receiver: Another lucky-seven slot, but this is more about mining for those sneaky WR2/3 types that emerge early. Here’s where you’re not covering for early loss, but sifting through the draft dirt in search of gold. Loading up early can help fill up the dual flex while you see what your RB volume looks like.
Tight End: You’re likely drafting a starting TE within the first 6-8 rounds, and then taking two backups with the hopes that they rise into the flex-worthy conversation. We saw nine TEs surpass 100 targets back in 2015, but that quickly fell to six in 2016 and ‘17, down to five in ‘18, and four in ‘19. We saw 13 with 80+ looks in ‘17, which slipped to 10 in ‘18 and eight last year. You get the point.
Kicker/Defense: Don’t overcomplicate matters - you aren’t taking more than one of each here, and they should be your last two picks. If you feel confident in your queue otherwise, you can bump them to Rounds 18 and 19. Take it from someone who’s been top-12 in kickers and top-6 in defense accuracy twice out of the past three seasons in FantasyPros’ in-season competition. Streaming defenses is mainstream but the kicker angle remains underrated. Look at over/under totals coming from Vegas and target shootouts where possible, even if it’s a crummy kicker.
Early Favorite Values
It’s my article and I know people are always wondering who “your guys” and identified favorites are, so why not massage that into the end here? I’ll even type the word sleeper here for the SEO! ADP for the Main Event is sourced from DraftSharks, with data presented as of Aug. 27.
Favorite QB: Daniel Jones - With an early Main Event ADP of 13.08, making him the No. 13 QB, Jones simply brings that enticing ceiling that I want in this competition. I understand why some may wait for Cam Newton (14.02), as both can rush but Newton is more capable of being the goal-line RB as well. That said, Newton’s floor is lower thanks to durability concerns coming off injury and that the Giants are a better fantasy offense than the Patriots for 2020. You want a passer who can rush, but this means you’re not paying the price tag of the 8th round or higher for the premier rushing QBs. If you want to wait even longer, sit on Joe Burrow (16.09), Gardner Minshew (19.13), or even Tyrod Taylor (undrafted).
Favorite RBs: Let me try to go with some semblance of tiers here.
If you go WR/TE early then grabbing Chris Carson (4.07) in the fourth round leaves me feeling comfortable. I do think Russell Wilson can carry this team on his shoulders, but Carson will be an integral part of the team and the fourth-round cost is acceptable given his reinjury risk. I'd rather him than Melvin Gordon, who has an underrated Phillip Lindsay working next to him.
I’d been preaching Ronald Jones (5.09) earlier in the offseason, but preliminary Main Event ADP has Jones creeping up into the fifth round. I think his pass protection will keep him on the field, though he’ll cede some work to LeSean McCoy. Ke’Shawn Vaughn feels like a second option at best, needing to earn his way up the depth chart past McCoy and perhaps even Dare Ogunbowale. I still like his value there, especially as a first RB choice if the first four picks are QB/TE/WR.
Hopefully, I’ve been able to hammer WRs in the mid-rounds up to the 9th or 10th round, where I can get one of Boston Scott (10.09), Latavius Murray (10.01),or Chase Edmonds (9.10). They each retain some standalone value but would be strong plays should the starter ahead of them go down. Scott has the lowest ceiling, but the highest floor. Murray is a favorite, as he already showed what he’s capable of with Kamara unavailable. Edmonds' stock has risen with Kenyan Drake sporting a walking boot and reminding everyone of the potential should he be the starter.
The late crowd can scoop a Bryce Love (12.04) now that Damien Harris is going in the 10th round, but do note Sony Michel is typically available around the 13th round and has returned to practice. After that, there aren’t many that I’m interested in given the RB curve.
Favorite WRs: Another tiered approach here.
If I’m scooping a receiver early, it’s most likely Julio Jones (2.05) around the middle of the second round. My faith in Todd Gurley to keep that rushing game above water all season is low, and my faith is even lower in the defense to keep them out of pass-happy, catchup mode in many second halves. Calvin Ridley is excellent, Hayden Hurst is exciting, but Jones is a matchup-proof god in cleats.
Those who go RB/TE or even QB early should probably aim for a Robert Woods (4.11) or Terry McLaurin (4.10) type towards the back of the fourth given the GPP format. Wait another round and fall into Tyler Lockett (5.06) or Will Fuller (6.05). Their propensity to burn DBs and put up 100-plus yard games with multiple TDs thanks to strong QB play is beautiful. I’ll be looking for T.Y. Hilton (6.04) or Will Fuller (6.05) around the sixth round, and then Marvin Jones (8.03), Christian Kirk (8.12) or Brandin Cooks (7.06) near the 7/8 turn.
Philly’s No. 1 WR should be Jalen Reagor (10.02), as Carson Wentz isn’t going to only float Zach Ertz and Miles Sanders. Another youngster who may fall into a serious role is Parris Campbell (14.04), all thanks to Philip Rivers. Hopefully, his health returns quickly after that car accident. Hilton can make a leap, but Campbell as a reliable slot option with the athleticism to break long plays off is great value in the 13th. Move us along later and I’m excited by Laviska Shenault Jr. (15.03) in Jacksonville as they’ll be trailing often with a QB willing to scamper and sling it. I dare an LB or DB to stick with Shenault in open space for more than 4-5 seconds.
Favorite TE: Mark Andrews - Andrews at 3.01 early is a fun, fun value here. I believe Baltimore builds on last season's success and targets him more often, especially if the rushing game's regression hits in the slightest. They'll need him to be a reliable option for Lamar Jackson and while the WR corps offer tantalizing upside, Andrews remains the No. 1 receiver on this high-scoring offense.
If you don't want to pay up then you'll want to hit the tier of Hayden Hurst (6.12 - boy, that's rising quickly!), Mike Gesicki (7.09), Jared Cook (8.09) or Blake Jarwin (11.01). I don’t suggest passing beyond those in the top-16 in this format, with Jarwin representing quite the line in the sand. Then building out depth with a Jack Doyle (11.05) or Eric Ebron (11.09) leaves you some “boring” plug-and-play options. Don't forget about Gerald Everett (15.09) behind Tyler Higbee, as well as Tyler Eifert (17.10) reuniting with Jay Gruden.
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