Live in-person draft strategy... LAPTOP?

[moose_ffc]

I just boil down my information to a few sheets. I have looked over everything at that point and there is no reason to look for more information. I like to relax and pick away with my red pen in hand!

[Azrael]

I personally like using a laptop. I keep multiple leagues in one excel workbook. I just think it's easier for me to keep organized.

[programatik]

Whatever the route you decide, do your homework before hand.

The best advice given thus far, even with my posts. I just love it when you see someone walk into the draft 10 minutes before it starts and opens up a magazine and says "so who's the starting QB for [insert team here]" and you just laugh. Pre-draft preparation is the ultimate key. Knowing the players and fitting in as many mocks as possible to get more adept at working with what the other owners are doing.

Sometimes I laugh, and other times I cringe. That guy might be harder to put a finger on when you are determining what players might come around. They are so random that you may or may not see your player fall to you. They also have a higher risk of throwing out a "holy crap, [player] is still available?" This last quote always comes just a few picks before yours and nowhere near their own.

--

To get back on topic, I work with computers everyday and they don't stress me out at all. I have two spreadsheets going. One with my projections and ADP, and another with a team-by-team breakdown of position (color coded) and player name taken. Does owner A have a tendency to acquire a lot of questionable boom or bust picks? Is owner B likely done with running backs?

It also helps to do a quick ctrl + F and find if a player has been taken or not, though this has been nullifed in recent years due to our league using a draft board. The one thing you can provide is a set of sound bites to lighten the mood.

"T-t-t-today, junior!!" - Adam Sandler
"You gotta be sh**in me.!!" - Sopranos ?
"What would you do with a brain if you had one?" - Dorothy in Wizard of Oz
"He chose... poorly." - Indiana Jones 'Holy Grail' dude
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break your concentration?" - Samuel L Jackson - Pulp Fiction

You can get creative

[joejlitz]

The best thing to do is to set up web-cams around the room and angle them at your opponents cheat sheets. Then use your laptop to know who they're going to draft next and beat them to the punch!

Seriously, I do all my homework on a laptop, print my excel spreadsheets and use paper. I just prefer it. If you only have 1-2 minutes to pick, it doesn't sound like you will have enough time to surf the internet anyway.

[Stelly]

I do most of my homework in excel ahead of the draft, and then draft from the ranking I have created, often 3-4 pages. I usually have my detailed work with me, but rarely pull it out (only in emergencies, or when I start second guessing myself).

I like the draft to be fun, and enjoy the betwen pick banter. Spending time online, searching for info, etc. takes away from busting other guys chops, which is most of the fun in it anyways!

A couple years back, the 2 private rooms in the bar we go to for the draft each had a Fantasy draft going on at the same time. Here's what the two rooms looked like:

1) 10 guys sitting around a table, with a draft board on the wall showing all the picks. Everybody has a magazine, and/or a few sheets of paper, a pen and a beer. Lots of beer bottles, pitchers, food, etc all over the table. Lots of banter/busting chops/general debauchery.

2) 10 guys sitting around a horseshoue shaped table, with a large projection screen with the leagues website up showing the draft progress. Each guy has a laptop, magazine, notes, 4 highlighters, 2 pens, 3 pencils and a glass of water. It sounded like an exam room.

I'll take league #1 any day of the week...

[smackthefirst]

I do most of my homework in excel ahead of the draft, and then draft from the ranking I have created, often 3-4 pages. I usually have my detailed work with me, but rarely pull it out (only in emergencies, or when I start second guessing myself).

I like the draft to be fun, and enjoy the betwen pick banter. Spending time online, searching for info, etc. takes away from busting other guys chops, which is most of the fun in it anyways!

A couple years back, the 2 private rooms in the bar we go to for the draft each had a Fantasy draft going on at the same time. Here's what the two rooms looked like:

1) 10 guys sitting around a table, with a draft board on the wall showing all the picks. Everybody has a magazine, and/or a few sheets of paper, a pen and a beer. Lots of beer bottles, pitchers, food, etc all over the table. Lots of banter/busting chops/general debauchery.

2) 10 guys sitting around a horseshoue shaped table, with a large projection screen with the leagues website up showing the draft progress. Each guy has a laptop, magazine, notes, 4 highlighters, 2 pens, 3 pencils and a glass of water. It sounded like an exam room.

I'll take league #1 any day of the week...

Hey, someone else uses that bar? My whole draft was ruined that day when I broke the tips on both pencils and realized all my preparation was for naught because I had forgotten that oh so critical pencil sharpener. That was one of the worst days of my life.

[moochman]

****DISCLAIMER****
I've lost one laptop due to me spilling a beer on my own laptop so use this strategy at your own drunken risk.

Ahh, but how many beers have you lost protecting your laptop?

Hey, if you're comfortable using a laptop during your draft, it's cool. My inperson draft is in an old league with a corps of 10-12 out of a 12-14 team league. We know eachother and it's great to knock backs some brews and rip eachother's picks. Just can't do that when I have to mull over a pewter screen.

If your league is a drinking league you I suggest a shot penalty for a late pick. Lose your slot and take a shot.

[Guru13]

I just love it when you see someone walk into the draft 10 minutes before it starts and opens up a magazine and says "so who's the starting QB for [insert team here]" and you just laugh.

happens every year in my money league.

[scottaa1]

I've lost one laptop due to me spilling a beer on my own laptop so use this strategy at your own drunken risk.

I spilled a beer on a laptop once. Turned it off immediately, unplugged it, yanked the battery, and rinsed it out with fresh water. Then opening it up flat and laid it keyboard-down on a towel ovrenight to drain/dry. Worked fine afterwards.

There was no fantasty draft involved.