The IDP Guys Autism Awareness Invitational is an annual tournament that brings together many IDP players worldwide. This primer discusses some of the scoring and rule features to help prepare for your drafts.
Introduction
The IDP Invitational is a great opportunity for IDP players across the world to get together for a fun tournament and raise money for an excellent cause. This year, we were able to fill 144 teams for the tournament (which isn’t enough — sign up for the 2023 Invitational here).
In this article, I’ll discuss some unique rules and scoring settings and how they might apply to your draft strategy.
Quarterback ADP Changes
The IDP Invitational uses the Scott Fish Bowl 10 scoring settings, which have been mostly unchanged for this year’s Scott Fish Bowl 12. Therefore, the Scott Fish Bowl ADP is applicable for the IDP Invitational. Both tournaments are hosted on MyFantasyLeague.com this year, so the site rankings, projections, and ADP will influence drafters similarly.
In 2021, there was a shift in quarterback ADP, with six quarterbacks drafted in the first round and ten in the first two rounds. This year, quarterback ADP has shifted, with managers drafting QBs even earlier — 13 by the end of round two.
The scoring bonuses and penalties for accuracy drive a much higher variance in scoring at the position. Quarterback spike weeks are important during the playoffs, especially the final week when you have to finish first out of ten teams.
While the ADP for quarterbacks has shifted higher, the running back ADP has shifted lower. Last year, managers drafted 17 running backs in the first four rounds. This year, there were 14. This is a common trend across all formats with uncertainty among the top players, so it’s no surprise to see that shift here.
Wide receiver ADP is minimally affected, with nine drafted in the first four rounds in each of 2021 and 2022. Tight end is similarly unaffected, except that the elite of the position in 2021 (Travis Kelce, Darren Waller) had ADPs in the top 10. Travis Kelce is the top tight end selected this year with an ADP of 10.5.
The other side of the quarterback scoring coin is that poor quarterback play is heavily penalized. Multiple interceptions and a completion percentage below 66% will result in single-digit or negative weekly scores. Starting a quarterback in the superflex spot is usually beneficial. In this tournament, it is worth having second thoughts if that quarterback is inefficient or has a tough matchup.
Linebackers Matter
Under the IDP Invitational scoring, a solo tackle scores two points while a sack scores four. As a result, defensive ends and tackles score substantially fewer points than linebackers. T.J. Watt tied the NFL record for sacks last year and was outscored by three linebackers. Nick Bosa was the second highest scoring defensive end and was outscored by 23 linebackers.
Similarly, Micah Parsons finished as the 12th highest scoring linebacker, whereas he was seventh in Fantasypros scoring. He is not a bet I want to make with a top-five linebacker selection in this tournament.
The previous two IDP Invitational winners scored 370 and 390 points in the final week. They both started a linebacker in the IDP flex spot and got 74 and 91 points from their four starters. While quality defensive linemen are scarce, don’t forget the linebackers — the scoring is very favorable to the position.
You will still be able to grab linebackers on the waiver wire, but pay attention during the draft to ensure coverage at the position.
Bench Spots are at a Premium
With eight bench spots and nine unique positions in the starting lineup, it is impossible to roster a backup for every position (unless you manipulate flex spots). You’ll have to make tough choices on what positions to carry. You can easily set aside backups at onesie positions like tight end, defensive tackle, and cornerback, especially if you have an elite option as your starter.
You may decide it is better not to roster a third quarterback, third defensive end, or fourth safety to carry extra running backs, wide receivers, and linebackers.
Zero RB Strategies are Viable
With three non-superflex spots, it is possible to start six wide receivers in this format. This makes the IDP Invitational friendly to zero RB strategies.
The Scott Fish Bowl has 22 player rosters with 11 starters, while the IDP Invitational has 30 player rosters with 22 starters. Most teams carry two or three IDPs on the bench, leaving five to six bench spots for offensive players. This leaves more injury fill-in running backs available on waivers, making it easier to punt the position in the draft.
Week 17 Match-ups
With a ten-team winner-take-all final week, you may want to consider week 17 matchups. Week 17 game stacks have been discussed for best ball tournaments this year, but not for IDP. Here are a few games I’m thinking about for the final week. Don’t try to reach in drafts — a lot will change between now and Week 17.
Los Angeles Chargers vs Los Angeles Rams
Per Football Outsiders, the Chargers and Rams were fourth and sixth respectively in neutral pace of play. This is the only Week 17 match-up with two teams in last year’s top 10. This game is the early favorite to have the most total snaps played. This should benefit all IDP players in the game.
New York Jets (Vs Seattle), San Francisco 49ers (Vs Las Vegas), Detroit Lions (Vs Chicago)
Seattle, Las Vegas, and Chicago are the consensus worst offensive lines in the league (per PFF, Pro Football Network, and FTN). They are exciting match-ups in case you are considering drafting Nick Bosa, Aidan Hutchison, or Jermaine Johnson.
Thank you for reading my Primer on the 2022 IDP Invitational. You can find my other articles on my IDP Guys author page, and you can find me on Twitter to comment or complain @djkelltown.
