A few leagues have adopted the use of individual randomisers (IRs) for their fantasy hockey drafts. What is an IR?
In traditional fantasy hockey, each team is constructed around a starting goaltender and three goaltending prospects. As the season progresses, the draft picks change and evolve, sometimes dramatically, due to injury and performance issues. The manager then tries to pick an adequate team, usually made up of forwards, defencemen, and a goaltender, to win as many games as possible.
With IRs, the manager can structure his team in advance, knowing that one or more players will inevitably be unavailable for the majority of the season. As a result, the IRs allow for more flexibility and variety during the draft process.
With some simple calculations, we can find out how much each IR is worth in a standard fantasy hockey league. This is important to know, especially if you are purchasing an IR for the first time and don’t want to waste your money on a dud. We’ll walk you through the process of calculating how much each one is worth so you can arrive at a reasonable price point for these items.
Table of Contents
Fixed IRs
If you’re a member of a league with fixed IRs, then you know what awaits you – the aggravation of constantly having to adjust your team throughout the season. It is not an ideal situation, and you’ll certainly want to avoid it if at all possible. The good news is that you can prepare for this issue ahead of time.
In traditional leagues with fixed IRs, each team has a certain number of players that are on the active roster permanently. If a player is unavailable for a portion of the season, then the team will have to make due with their sub-optimal options until the player returns (at least partially) to form.
This is where buying an IR comes in handy. If you draft an IR in the second half of the season, then you can rest assured that your team will be at least competitive, if not ideal, for the rest of the year.
Roto-IRs
This is the preferred method for many leagues as it allows for more flexibility and variety during the draft process. In a nutshell, a roto-IR is a combination of a fixed IR and a random IR. You’ll have a set number of players that are on the active roster, but you won’t know who will be available when you pick during each draft.
With a roto-IR, you’ll actually receive a set number of picks, usually in the range of 16-32, and you’ll be able to choose from a variety of options. If a player is available, you have to take him. If he’s not, then you’ll have to choose between the options you have left.
Now, you might be wondering where the randomness comes in. Like a fixed IR, a roto-IR also includes a set number of players that are on the active roster, but the position of each player is decided by a dice roll. This means that every time you draft, you won’t have a clue as to what position the player is going to occupy on your team line. It can be anywhere from the best winger to the worst goalie.
As a result, you’ll need to adjust your team throughout the year, as injuries and line moves will impact the positions of your players. It’s not ideal, but this is what you’ll have to live with if you choose this option.
Price
Finally, we’ll discuss the prices for the different types of IRs. If you’re a savvy buyer, you can snag an IR that is just a few dollars more expensive than what you’d pay for a good quality rookie card. Keep in mind that the prices vary from $6 to $16 a week, so make sure you account for the additional cost of purchasing these items.
We used Mr. Fantasy for our research, as he is the most popular and widely used platform among fantasy hockey managers. We compared the price of an IR as of September 12th, 2019, and the results are shown in the table below.
As you’ll see, there is a wide disparity in price. It depends on the type of league and whether or not the league uses roto-IRs or fixed IRs. If you’re looking for an economical solution then you should consider buying a fixed IR, as they are much less expensive than a roto-IR.
One important thing to keep in mind is that the prices for the IRs go up and down, so if you’re lucky enough to secure a bargain, make sure you buy it while it’s still a bargain. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a higher price in a couple of weeks.
Which Type of IR Should You Buy?
Based on the information above, we can conclude that there is no ideal IR for every league. It depends on the specific circumstances of your league. If you’re a fan of strategy and flexibility, then you should opt for a roto-IR. If you’re looking for an economical solution then you should consider purchasing a fixed IR.
One thing is for sure though: no matter which type of IR you opt for, you’ll be making an economical and strategic decision, as well as investing in the future of your team.