Thread by @DFBeanCounter

One of the most interesting debates on fantasy twitter is the film vs analytics war that wages on year after year.

I think, for the most part, everyone can agree that neither side has all of the answers. So then the question becomes "how to meld them together?"

Let's Dive In.

I am certain that everyone has their own way of doing this but I thought I'd share mine. If you do it a different way please share! I am always looking for a better way to do things

Anyway, here it goes...

I start with analytics. Analytics is really good at figuring out who NOT to draft. Its not as good at figuring out who TO draft.

I essentially "cast my net" with analytics and then try to "fish within the net" with film.

I obviously have no experience with watching film.

I watch football because its fun. I am constantly wow'd by the feats on the field, but I couldnt tell you if player x did thing y right at point z of his route etc.

I leave that stuff to the expert football watchers.

I use my process in which I give each player a grade based on the "journey" they've taken.

Player x produced y and z amounts at A and B ages.... So did player Y. They are probably similar.

Player X entered the draft after his age 20 season. So did Player Y, ergo he's probably similar to player Y.

So on and so forth.

Eventually I get player X into a bucket with a bunch of similar guys and conclude that this is a good, bad, or ugly group to be a part of.

Each player ends up with a prospect grade.

Bulletproof
Coinflip
Maybe
Bust

Then once we get to this point I start looking at what the film folks are saying.

If they tell me that player X is absolutely terrible. I move the player down. If they tell me that player Y is absolutely fantastic I move the player up.

Generally speaking players dont jump tiers, but sometimes players will move down.

For instance, KJ Hamler was easily a bulletproof WR last year. But just because he graded highly didnt mean I ranked him highly.

Hamler was my WR12 despite showing up as my WR4 per the process.

Then after the draft we take the prospect grades and figure out who the best players in each tier are based on the film scores/rankings/tiers from various film analysts.

I am not "all" analytics but it is my basis, and as a result film is a smaller piece of the puzzle.

If I were a film analyst I could see doing it the opposite way.

Take your tiers per your film grades, listen to what the analytics folks are saying and sort within those tiers based on the analytics.

So who are the film guru's that I want in my corner?

@TheFF_Educator
@RayGQue
@angelo_fantasy
@Devy_Kane

Id suggest following them if for some reason you aren't already.