Is The Huddle still worth the $$$?

[MPFC]

Seems like the past few years the analysis has been tailing off. For instance, you could find 3 years stats plus predictions in the rankings, now it's a quick blurb and projections. Other sites have much more detailed insight in a player profile. There seems like there used to be more articles rather than a quick "sleeper" section. Plus we want to know what players have changed during the rankings, and the same info in both cheatsheets and top 200 - why have to go back and forth? During the season, there are some good tools. But as a pre-Draft site, do you think this is worth the money?

[Company of Heroes]

Yep, this is one of two main references I use pre-draft (the 2nd is free). I tried another pay site last year, but i went back to only paying here this year. I love the tools and find them exactly what I need. There are always a few players I think they are too high or too low on and the other free site I use, along with Twitter, helps me identify those. I like the strength of schedule and schedule swing articles and love the sleeper article, especially because it is another perspective from the Huddle rankings.

 

The positional cheat sheet vs top 200 is just personal preference. I primarily use the cheat sheet during drafts (adjusting a few players I like more or less), but the top 200 helps in later rounds and comparing to other sites.

 

I do agree having some way to see players that are moving up or down the ranking would be useful to see, but I haven't been able to identify a convenient way of doing that.

[DaFreak]

This is my last year I think, they do not seem to stay on top of things like they used to. Might try one of the other pay sites.

[ChampSampson]

Absolutely worth the money imo.

 

DMD and J2V are great to follow. One knows what he's talking about, the other is pure gold if you fade his picks!

 

[Avernus]

Absolutely worth the money imo.

 

DMD and J2V are great to follow. One knows what he's talking about, the other is pure gold if you fade his picks!

 

 

fade his picks?

[MPFC]

Here's an example: Jarvis Landry is listed as the 11th WR in the Cheatsheet, but he has 10 or so WRs before him on the Top 200 list.

 

Edit: i see that is because I have my custom league ranking selected in the Cheatsheet - but this should also be an option on the Top 200.

Edited September 4, 2015 by MPFC

[Shorttynaz]

Use another pay site and you'll be back. Hopefully DMD charges a $50 reinstatement fee

[Shorttynaz]

Here's an example: Jarvis Landry is listed as the 11th WR in the Cheetsheet, but he has 10 or so WRs before him on the Top 200 list.

Uhh.. I'm not a mathematician, but doesn't 11 come after 10??

[DMD]

Seems like the past few years the analysis has been tailing off. For instance, you could find 3 years stats plus predictions in the rankings, now it's a quick blurb and projections. Other sites have much more detailed insight in a player profile. There seems like there used to be more articles rather than a quick "sleeper" section. Plus we want to know what players have changed during the rankings, and the same info in both cheatsheets and top 200 - why have to go back and forth? During the season, there are some good tools. But as a pre-Draft site, do you think this is worth the money?

 

I can assure you the same amount of analysis happens and I personally ensure that it does. The change in the cheat sheets was a few years ago and this is the first time I have heard anyone missed it. One of the fears was that it made the rankings really long and people complained because they wanted to print it out. It may seem shorter for whatever reason but I know it is not. As for articles, we are at the same pace as ever and we will bring out fewer than other sites but that is because we;ll do comprehensive reviews of all teams/positions with 5000+ word articles instead of the piece by piece you get elsewhere.

 

This is also the first I have heard that anyone missed the up and down arrows that were replaced with the projected fantasy points in your scoring system on the cheat sheets. That too was a customer driven change.

 

You are certainly entitled to your perceptions and I would like very much to improve them. But any changes were made for a reason and specifically to better serve the readers, not worsen their experience in any way.

[Shorttynaz]

Not my site - but I don't think you need to defend the changes, DMD. This is not the only site I pay a yearly fee to - but if I was forced to choose one, I would continue to pay for this one and just let the others go. Other sites seem to put more canned info out there - don't really take the time to do the analysis. They may release more 'articles', but I find that they start contradicting themselves. One will talk about how Melvin Gordon is a player not to take before his ADP as he's in a 4 man committee, but then another article on that same site will say how he's worthy or grabbing a round before his ADP.

[DMD]

Here's an example: Jarvis Landry is listed as the 11th WR in the Cheatsheet, but he has 10 or so WRs before him on the Top 200 list.

 

Edit: i see that is because I have my custom league ranking selected in the Cheatsheet - but this should also be an option on the Top 200.

 

The top 200 list is static meaning I do it by hand in three different generic scoring systems. Rankings offer several "premade" versions and of course custom as well which means the order of them could be greatly different within a position depending on what how they are scored. That of course has a huge bearing on how they compare to other positions which is why you cannot really make a custom 200 list. You can certainly apply some generic format to it which is exactly what any site does that claims to have custom 200 lists. But the list would be different for every scoring system and there is no realistic way to create a 200 list other than by hand with every single possible scoring system because that is about both positional scoring and more importantly how positions compare to each other. It should also take into account things like roster size, starting requirements, etc. that cannot be captured in a 200 list. That is why I have never understood why people pay so much attention to a 200 list when they can have customized rankings that they can apply themselves to the unique nature of their league rules.

[MPFC]

Thanks DMD. I'll keep giving it a shot this year, tho I do end up making my own spreadsheet to have all info in a comprehesive place. Maybe if you had an interactive spreadsheet with ADP, HUD rankings, custom league sizes and scoring, etc that would be cool.

 

Thanks agan for listening.

[Shorttynaz]

Thanks DMD. I'll keep giving it a shot this year, tho I do end up making my own spreadsheet to have all info in a comprehesive place. Maybe if you had an interactive spreadsheet with ADP, HUD rankings, custom league sizes and scoring, etc that would be cool.

 

Thanks agan for listening.

Have you looked at 'myHuddle'? It's all there.. Customize your own league parameters and it will spit out a spreadsheet for you.

 

EDIT: There is no 'universal' ADP list. It's all subjective to specific sites. They all have em - and they differ from site to site. Some are pretty well different from others. ADP is semi-useful, but you should already know ahead of time if you're getting a steal on someone who's falling (based on whatever rankings you're using) or if you're taking him too early. Drafting isn't a science, it's an art.

Edited September 4, 2015 by Shorttynaz

[stevegrab]

DMD,

 

Change always has risk, you do what many want (based on info you gather) and others don't like it. As a software developer of a business software we often experience and have long had a process where we try to give people options (new feature is not turned on, system works the same way). But I recognize that isn't always possible or practical.

 

I have personally always used the site more in season that for the draft. In part because I don't spend a lot of time on draft prep, only play in one league and with 5 players kept per team we don't have to deal with who is the 1st, 2nd or 3rd picks in the first round, let alone guys in rounds 2-5. Not that the draft info doesn't help me draft or decide on my keepers. I know I've dropped out of paying once or twice and come back.

 

I haven't looked at other pay sites recently, but do recognize the quality of the product here. As it relates to how much better they are than others, I won't quantify but can agree they're not the same magnitude, more to do with other sites getting better and the wealth of available information.

[DanTheMan_5]

The only thing I really miss is the player movement in the rankings. It's probably more so I can tell myself how smart I am when I see my guy move up.

[Grits and Shins]

 

I can assure you the same amount of analysis happens and I personally ensure that it does. The change in the cheat sheets was a few years ago and this is the first time I have heard anyone missed it. One of the fears was that it made the rankings really long and people complained because they wanted to print it out. It may seem shorter for whatever reason but I know it is not. As for articles, we are at the same pace as ever and we will bring out fewer than other sites but that is because we;ll do comprehensive reviews of all teams/positions with 5000+ word articles instead of the piece by piece you get elsewhere.

 

This is also the first I have heard that anyone missed the up and down arrows that were replaced with the projected fantasy points in your scoring system on the cheat sheets. That too was a customer driven change.

 

You are certainly entitled to your perceptions and I would like very much to improve them. But any changes were made for a reason and specifically to better serve the readers, not worsen their experience in any way.

 

I miss the up/down arrows!

 

I also have felt like the player write ups haven't been updated as frequently when something significant occurs .. just a feeling

[Avernus]

 

I miss the up/down arrows!

 

I also have felt like the player write ups haven't been updated as frequently when something significant occurs .. just a feeling

I would like to know who didn't like the up/down arrows? More information without taking much space is ideal...

[darin3]

I thought the up/down arrow thing was brought up last year around this time and they were re-added. Or maybe I'm just having some sort of double-reverse deja vu or something.

[DMD]

The trade-off was adding the projected fantasy points to the cheat sheets which is new this year. One of the issues too with the arrows was that I always feared that someone would print up the rankings, see the up arrow and assume that meant the player was good or see the down arrow and write him off as bad. Arrows often only lasted for 24 hours until the next update. It could be up one day and down the next in some cases. The majority of people don't look at the rankings every day or even more than once before their draft.

[IrishPride]

Liked the 'Trending" arrows and Free agent forecast.......Forecast and Trending are the key words but like I said in previous post, "The Blaming/Membership Fee" is the best $25 dollars ever spent? Its all DMD fault? I am perfect and every Fantasy mistake is "The Huddles Fault" ? Its great, every late night drunken trade or FA pick up or release? I have what Chris Carter called a "Fall Guy!" That just slid in there like butter.......Love the site, we all need to spend more time in the advice section though.......

[stethant]

I've been here since 2009 and enjoy it every year. Yes there were some great columnists who are no longer here but change is inevitable and at the end of the day DMD's analyses are more than worth the very low price you have to pay to get them.

 

I will say I did subscribe to another site this year for the first time and can honestly say it did not add much to draft preparation. I don't see the need to do that again.

[faceplant]

Yes there were some great columnists who are no longer here but change is inevitable and at the end of the day DMD's analyses are more than worth the very low price you have to pay to get them.

 

 

This ^^

[keggerz]

I've been here since 2009 and enjoy it every year. Yes there were some great columnists who are no longer here but change is inevitable and at the end of the day DMD's analyses are more than worth the very low price you have to pay to get them.

 

I will say I did subscribe to another site this year for the first time and can honestly say it did not add much to draft preparation. I don't see the need to do that again.

And don't forget about the free podcast, too.

Edited September 5, 2015 by keggerz

[Nostack]

I'd like to see an app with notifications, something that notifies me of injuries or players not not playing for other reasons. The predraft ranking isn't where the huddle is worth it, it's the in season free agent forecasts and articles. Again, I would like to see an app.

[ReturnToSender]

I am a "My Huddle" user, putting my own league's crazy bonuses and scoring system, and though we are a "PPR" my specific Huddle Cheat Sheet and the PPR one is very, very different. I really like the tools at my disposal, they have helped me a lot over the years, and I seem to stay with something if I view it as "not broke."

 

Not saying other sights don't have great insight to offer, but this is my only pay site.