Whether you’re a first-year player or have been a fantasy gym nerd from the beginning, everyone can benefit from reviewing some dos and don’ts. Here are our top tips for building out your draft.
Do prep a long draft list. Just because your team is only 20 gymnasts doesn’t mean a draft list of 75 will cut it. Everyone else in your league has those same 75 names on their lists, too, so you should go all the way to the maximum 200 deep on your draft list.
Don’t forget about Division II and USAG teams when drafting. Getting to that magic 200 means pulling from as many teams as possible, and you’ll be missing gems if you only consider top teams.
Do put your most-wanted gymnast at No. 1. Gymlytics uses a traditional snake draft, so your gymnast ranking matters! If you draw the first pick, your No. 1 draft pick will be your No. 1 gymnast, and then (in a 20-person league, for example), your next pick could be your No. 40 draft pick. If you draw the last pick in a 20-person league, your No. 20 and No. 21 draftees will be your first and second picks.
Don’t forget that when you add gymnasts to your draft, they’ll be added in order, with the No. 1 pick ending up at the bottom of your list, upward to No. 200 at the top. This is different than in previous seasons!
Do draft a mix of all-arounders, specialists, and freshmen. Your best team will be one that maximizes scores, which don’t necessarily come only from all-arounders! Which is related to…
Don’t draft all-arounders who are successful on all four but only have moderate scores. A two-eventer averaging 9.900 on both pieces is more valuable to your team than an all-arounder averaging 9.800 across the board.
Do consider creating a league with your friends! Elect a commissioner, and you’ll be able to set league size, team size, and even hold a live draft. If you do this, simply have each player submit the gymnasts they drafted live in order to be sure your Gymlytics team reflects your live draft.
Don’t join too many teams. Year after year we see players completely neglect teams, never setting lineups because they’re trying to play 10 (or more!) teams at once. That’s just too much to keep track of! It’s not enjoyable for anyone if half of a league drafted talented gymnasts but isn’t setting lineups.
Do remember there is a waiver wire. If you’re not sure about an injury status or a freshman, you might have a chance to pick them up later on in the season when the waiver wire opens (usually around week three).
Don’t forget to check our Injury Updates page while you draft. There’s nothing worse than accidentally picking up someone who is out for the season!
Do consider using one of our pre-set draft lists, or use our custom draft tool to create a list with your preferred specifications.
Don’t draft too early. Intrasquads are still happening, and injuries can crop up between now and January. If you want the most up-to-the-second draft, do the prep work now, but wait until later in December to make your final decisions.
Do set some solid rules if you’re doing a live draft. You do not want it to take six hours! The College Gym News staff can speak from experience: Give everyone a time limit for their picks because you will be mentally exhausted by the time you get to the later rounds.
Don’t be too much of a stickler in a live draft (unless you really want to). If you hold your draft today, someone who was picked could tear their Achilles tomorrow. It’s more fun for everyone if you allow players to make post-draft adjustments when those things happen!
Do be sure your commissioner is reliable. They’re in charge of the behind-the-scenes league rules in Gymlytics, so it’s important they’re paying attention!
Don’t send messages to gymnasts on social media asking questions about injuries, lineup status, or anything else (unless they specifically hold a Q&A or use the question box feature on their Instagram Story). The gymnastics community is small, but the gymnasts are not your friends just because you are a fan of the sport! Respect their privacy, please.
Do remember to have fun! The gymnastics community loves spreadsheets, get into data, and is competitive, but fantasy gymnastics is meant to engage us with our favorite sport in a fun way. It’s not supposed to be stressful or mean-spirited. Enjoy building your draft and learning about the gymnasts on your eventual team!
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Article by Emily Minehart
