Competitions 2024 IPL RDT Fantasy- RD1: Saturday 23rd March-12:30am AEST
- Thread starter Professor
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Since I've never really had the opportunity to write all this down, here's my rationale:
When I first came up with this I referred to it as "extending the bench" - it's probably not a great term for it, but the idea is that because scoring is so volatile, trying to pick your best 11 out of 15 or 16 every week is a mug's game, and that therefore you should try and use the bench to have as many looks at scoring players as possible. In my view this strategy is best suited to the IPL specifically because seriously, just look at the quality of squad you can put together in the salary cap. Also a LOT of key players are designated allrounders, which means you can be flexible in moving players around the field as the round goes on.
So as early in the round as possible you put a player on the bench on each line and see how they go. Then you need a WKP donut playing after that to take the keeper, but on the bat or bowl lines you need two donuts due to the way the emergency rules work in this - the lowest playing score comes on from the bench, so you need your other bench player not to play, as well as one on field to create the space for him to come on. This is why I find three to be ideal structurally - if your bench flops, you can then hide the donuts on what's left of your bench and trust the rest of your squad. You're much more likely to get one or two hits than none or three.
In my view, these are the pros and cons:
+ Using very little of your salary cap on three players means you can use more on average on the remaining 13. Even if one of your donuts is 290k instead of 230k, you're left with $8.25m across 13 players, or an average of 635k each. For context, Hardik Pandya and Glenn Maxwell would average less than that. You'll always find value somewhere with a player coming off injury or something like that - I often find myself starting with 13 players I'd be happy to call premiums. Or at least, have the opportunity and the pedigree to score like a premium.
+ Each of those 13 players has a chance of being in your scoring XI. Without a donut you're committed to picking 11 out of 16 and you're almost guaranteed to leave points on the bench.
+ You also have much more of a chance to take the VC - so two chances at a big captain score instead of just one.
- The main disadvantage involves doubles. Diabolical often talks about the maximum number of doubles you can have during any given phase of the competition - for each donut you run, you reduce this number by one (as long as you keep that donut through the whole phase). So over the course of that phase you might expect to lose three scores - using the magic number of 55 which tends to be what's needed to be at the pointy end, that might cost 165 points once or twice a season. Then you have to weigh that against being able to take better scores off the bench or at VC. However...
- There's no guarantee the score you take off the bench will be better than the one you give up! Last season I had a situation where I had Jadeja sitting on my bench with an 82, which is an easy take, right? But the only bowler I had left to play was Rashid and I had to trade him out to make the spot free - and missed out on his 226!
- It's also very important to make sure you're across teams if you do this. If the player you intend to use as a donut comes on - even as Impact Player - it can throw your direct loop as well as an intended VC into chaos!
I'm still not entirely convinced one method or the other is better for scoring, but honestly I've gotten used to this now and inertia makes it hard to give it up!
When I first came up with this I referred to it as "extending the bench" - it's probably not a great term for it, but the idea is that because scoring is so volatile, trying to pick your best 11 out of 15 or 16 every week is a mug's game, and that therefore you should try and use the bench to have as many looks at scoring players as possible. In my view this strategy is best suited to the IPL specifically because seriously, just look at the quality of squad you can put together in the salary cap. Also a LOT of key players are designated allrounders, which means you can be flexible in moving players around the field as the round goes on.
So as early in the round as possible you put a player on the bench on each line and see how they go. Then you need a WKP donut playing after that to take the keeper, but on the bat or bowl lines you need two donuts due to the way the emergency rules work in this - the lowest playing score comes on from the bench, so you need your other bench player not to play, as well as one on field to create the space for him to come on. This is why I find three to be ideal structurally - if your bench flops, you can then hide the donuts on what's left of your bench and trust the rest of your squad. You're much more likely to get one or two hits than none or three.
In my view, these are the pros and cons:
+ Using very little of your salary cap on three players means you can use more on average on the remaining 13. Even if one of your donuts is 290k instead of 230k, you're left with $8.25m across 13 players, or an average of 635k each. For context, Hardik Pandya and Glenn Maxwell would average less than that. You'll always find value somewhere with a player coming off injury or something like that - I often find myself starting with 13 players I'd be happy to call premiums. Or at least, have the opportunity and the pedigree to score like a premium.
+ Each of those 13 players has a chance of being in your scoring XI. Without a donut you're committed to picking 11 out of 16 and you're almost guaranteed to leave points on the bench.
+ You also have much more of a chance to take the VC - so two chances at a big captain score instead of just one.
- The main disadvantage involves doubles. Diabolical often talks about the maximum number of doubles you can have during any given phase of the competition - for each donut you run, you reduce this number by one (as long as you keep that donut through the whole phase). So over the course of that phase you might expect to lose three scores - using the magic number of 55 which tends to be what's needed to be at the pointy end, that might cost 165 points once or twice a season. Then you have to weigh that against being able to take better scores off the bench or at VC. However...
- There's no guarantee the score you take off the bench will be better than the one you give up! Last season I had a situation where I had Jadeja sitting on my bench with an 82, which is an easy take, right? But the only bowler I had left to play was Rashid and I had to trade him out to make the spot free - and missed out on his 226!
- It's also very important to make sure you're across teams if you do this. If the player you intend to use as a donut comes on - even as Impact Player - it can throw your direct loop as well as an intended VC into chaos!
I'm still not entirely convinced one method or the other is better for scoring, but honestly I've gotten used to this now and inertia makes it hard to give it up!
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IPL not a real strong suit of mine. 44th last year, but don't have a great grasp of players.
Setting up my team at "Donut King" and working my way back once I see the first lineups for CSK and RCB.
If I went in with the 4 options from the first game, then disregard those fielded, benched and the Jadeja VC. All subject to change.
Setting up my team at "Donut King" and working my way back once I see the first lineups for CSK and RCB.
If I went in with the 4 options from the first game, then disregard those fielded, benched and the Jadeja VC. All subject to change.
Rollercoaster ride with this lot especially as some not guaranteed overs.
$114k spare
View attachment 69693
$114k spare
View attachment 69693
Quite a few injury concerns at the moment , they might be close to getting a game 😀
Surely RK19 has to be a DPP player as well for full consistency.
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Hi all, keen to go around again this year. Will probably leave the team like this until final teams.
Was just wondering on availabilities of a few players the I couldn't really find any info on.
-Bairstow
-Tom Curran
-Deepak Hooda
Normally I'd aim to have every player playing and adjust based on how the round is going. Have to think a bit differently in this format with looping.
Was just wondering on availabilities of a few players the I couldn't really find any info on.
-Bairstow
-Tom Curran
-Deepak Hooda
Normally I'd aim to have every player playing and adjust based on how the round is going. Have to think a bit differently in this format with looping.
All seem available but not sure about starting xi ?
https://wisden.com/stories/ipl-2024...-india-cricket-news-latest-cricket-news-today
https://wisden.com/stories/ipl-2024...-india-cricket-news-latest-cricket-news-today
Between him, Ferguson and Joseph for 4th O/S.
Paid more for Joseph so you think he would have first crack
Paid more for Joseph so you think he would have first crack
Could also play in Green's place. Not sure he'd bat ahead of Faf, Kohli, Maxwell or even Patidar and he's also more of a new ball bowler...
Not long til we find out!
