Strategy 2025 Flex Spot Discussion & Strategy

[WaynesWorld19]

 

[Saints4ever]

The only time your captain can screw you over is if he’s not in your best 22 then you will get the 0.

A non playing captain will ensure your VC gets double and the emergency covers non player.

 

[The Defender]

The only time your captain can screw you over is if he’s not in your best 22 then you will get the 0.

A non playing captain will ensure your VC gets double and the emergency covers non player.

So basically everything works same as last year, however the flex will be last adjustment made to scoring if he gets higher than lowest on field score.

 

[stevebbb]

I prefer Boyd solo of the two

We know Boyd should play with King out for at least 5-6 weeks so he gets 6 weeks to make money and by then I don't think we need a rookie to be sitting on flex

30k cheaper, better short term JS and potentially better scoring potential especially if they ease Ro back through FF

Running both could be a disaster especially if you dont have a loop in another line?

Yeah, just realised Reidy is RUCK only. For some reason I thought he was RUCK/FWD.

Boyd R3 it is!

 

[dabombers]

Ruck in flex to cover injuries doesn’t make sense

Eg: if you had a playing R3 then he’s your cover

If you have a non playing R3 & use your flex in R2…. You still need to park your injured ruck in the flex… meaning you’re running 22 on field while everyone is running 23

Ruck in flex only makes sense if top 2 scorers overall are rucks AND you already have them AND the 3rd highest scoring player overall is a ruck

Ok I get your confusion timtimtim

Boyd at R3 has made some cash and is downgraded or has made himself into a viable keeper (I think I would take the cash as thats what bench rookie priced players are for to improve onfield side and then have the standard VC loop at R3).
The downgrade or just a trade for him will be to a R/F, and I don’t care if that player is playing or not.
The perma VC loop is the safest way to have 2 bites at the cherry.

Out of the Top 30 players last year 6 were Rucks by Averages and by points there was 5 of the top 30 with English at 31st.

This season there are zero Fowards who were top 30 in either category.

So the play is to go into byes and ride it for as long as possible with a ruck flex sitting there just incase of injuries.

Boyd if he makes cash will be downgraded as thats what bench rookies are for and move to an non playing R/F.

If you had read my previous posts you would know that the last two seasons have been ruined by what I call ‘Ruckocalypse’ a total apocalypse of trades used on Rucks because of injuries.

I am sure I am not the only one to use more than 4 trades on rucks the last two seasons. Last year I think I used 6-8. Especially after the Gawn bad press reporting him out for 6-8 weeks and he was just out for 1 week I think from memory.

If an injury occurs late in the season and I have enough trades I may not sideways to another Ruck, it may become a Midfielder or Defender depending on form.

The flex is also a good trade tool to use through the season to park a player close to fully Moo’ed out and then just trade the higher BE guys.

I won’t go to early on the Ruck Flex trade and it may take a boost prior to Rd11/12 just incase I trade into an injury over the byes.

 

[dabombers]

Also apart from MSD supplement players. There usually gets to a point in the season where the cash cows dry up.

They are either sub players or they get two games and back to the reserves.

I am sure no one here has ever gone too early on a rookie downgrade.

It was written in the sacred book of SuperCoach “Thou shalt not trade to a rookie early or the SuperCoach gods will unleash their wrath with furious anger”.

Whatever plan you go having a 90+ averaging player at Flex could help your season while trying to upgrade the last 1-2 spots onfield.
During the rookie drought.

Hopefully this season is wet all the way through, let it rain rookies every 5-6 rounds.

 

[Saints4ever]

So basically everything works same as last year, however the flex will be last adjustment made to scoring if he gets higher than lowest on field score.

Spot on

 

[The Defender]

Spot on

Thanks

 

[timtimtim]

Ok I get your confusion timtimtim

Boyd at R3 has made some cash and is downgraded or has made himself into a viable keeper (I think I would take the cash as thats what bench rookie priced players are for to improve onfield side and then have the standard VC loop at R3).
The downgrade or just a trade for him will be to a R/F, and I don’t care if that player is playing or not.
The perma VC loop is the safest way to have 2 bites at the cherry.

Out of the Top 30 players last year 6 were Rucks by Averages and by points there was 5 of the top 30 with English at 31st.

This season there are zero Fowards who were top 30 in either category.

So the play is to go into byes and ride it for as long as possible with a ruck flex sitting there just incase of injuries.

Boyd if he makes cash will be downgraded as thats what bench rookies are for and move to an non playing R/F.

If you had read my previous posts you would know that the last two seasons have been ruined by what I call ‘Ruckocalypse’ a total apocalypse of trades used on Rucks because of injuries.

I am sure I am not the only one to use more than 4 trades on rucks the last two seasons. Last year I think I used 6-8. Especially after the Gawn bad press reporting him out for 6-8 weeks and he was just out for 1 week I think from memory.

If an injury occurs late in the season and I have enough trades I may not sideways to another Ruck, it may become a Midfielder or Defender depending on form.

The flex is also a good trade tool to use through the season to park a player close to fully Moo’ed out and then just trade the higher BE guys.

I won’t go to early on the Ruck Flex trade and it may take a boost prior to Rd11/12 just incase I trade into an injury over the byes.

I’m new to this like everyone else haha! But stress testing ur logic i still think it doesn’t make sense to have a flex ruck in almost any situation

It wont save you from another ruck apocalypse (I think)

Hear me out, let’s say you have:

R1: Gawn
R2: Xerri
R3: non playing loop
Flex: English

And gawn goes down with an injury in a regular non bye round

Last year you’d have to trade or cop a donut at R1

This year if you don’t trade, English’s score covers Gawn but you still cop a donut at R1

The magnitude of disadvantage is less this year because you still have 22 scoring players but you lose the flex benefit and are still disadvantaged regardless

Now you can avoid this by trading Gawn to the best available scorer across all lines (and English to R1)

Note: since 20% of top scorers last year were rucks (6 of top 30 you mentioned) it’s more likely you’ll bring in a MID (or DEF seagull) for ur flex

However while this addresses the problem for the current round you’re STILL disadvantaged by having a ruck flex

Why?….

This is because for all the weeks leading up to Gawn getting injured you’ve had English at flex who is statistically less likely to be a top scorers (only 6 of top 30)

in other words, using last year as an example to illustrate:

Even if you nailed your rucks and picked Marshall as your flex (3rd highest averaging ruck)… there are still 11 players that have a higher average than him

Hence you’d have been better off starting one of those 11 as your flex and trade Gawn to Marshall when he got injured

 

[Sherman41]

 

[Significant]

I’m new to this like everyone else haha! But stress testing ur logic i still think it doesn’t make sense to have a flex ruck in almost any situation

It wont save you from another ruck apocalypse (I think)

Hear me out, let’s say you have:

R1: Gawn
R2: Xerri
R3: non playing loop
Flex: English

And gawn goes down with an injury in a regular non bye round

Last year you’d have to trade or cop a donut at R1

This year if you don’t trade, English’s score covers Gawn but you still cop a donut at R1

The magnitude of disadvantage is less this year because you still have 22 scoring players but you lose the flex benefit and are still disadvantaged regardless

Now you can avoid this by trading Gawn to the best available scorer across all lines (and English to R1)

Note: since 20% of top scorers last year were rucks (6 of top 30 you mentioned) it’s more likely you’ll bring in a MID (or DEF seagull) for ur flex

However while this addresses the problem for the current round you’re STILL disadvantaged by having a ruck flex

Why?….

This is because for all the weeks leading up to Gawn getting injured you’ve had English at flex who is statistically less likely to be a top scorers (only 6 of top 30)

in other words, using last year as an example to illustrate:

Even if you nailed your rucks and picked Marshall as your flex (3rd highest averaging ruck)… there are still 11 players that have a higher average than him

Hence you’d have been better off starting one of those 11 as your flex and trade Gawn to Marshall when he got injured

Wouldn't you have those 11 on other lines?

 

[timtimtim]

Wouldn't you have those 11 on other lines?

Theoretically yes you would

Which is the 2nd part of my flex thesis (note: I do know I’m already too deep in this rabbit hole)

Part 1: no flex ruck (unless he meets the part 2 criteria)

Part 2: your flex player should be your “23rd best player”

“23rd best player” = highest scoring player that’s not good enough to start on field in their respective line (eg: a D7, M9, R3, F7 type)

It’s NOT your literal 23rd highest scoring player

Using last year as an example:

If you nailed the top scoring players in each line you’d have:

D7: Sinclair ave: 109.9
M9: Dunkley ave: 111.8
R3: Marshall ave: 112.0
F7: Mckay ave: 86.7

In this case you’d (ironically) have Marshall in your flex as he’s the next best option across all lines, and have Nank (110 ave) in R3

Pending personal circumstance, you may choose Sinclair to utilize his DPP given how close the averages are (especially if this was your last trade).

However the theory of “23rd highest scoring player” still applies

.
.
.

The flex makes each round a “best of” round - either best 18 (of up to 22 green dots) or best 22 of 23

Although the flex feels like we have more options, generally speaking, in reality we may not

Hope people stress test this logic. I’m just as much a Gumby as anyone else on this haha

 

[Saints4ever]

Theoretically yes you would

Which is the 2nd part of my flex thesis (note: I do know I’m already too deep in this rabbit hole)

Part 1: no flex ruck (unless he meets the part 2 criteria)

Part 2: your flex player should be your “23rd best player”

“23rd best player” = highest scoring player that’s not good enough to start on field in their respective line (eg: a D7, M9, R3, F7 type)

It’s NOT your literal 23rd highest scoring player

Using last year as an example:

If you nailed the top scoring players in each line you’d have:

D7: Sinclair ave: 109.9
M9: Dunkley ave: 111.8
R3: Marshall ave: 112.0
F7: Mckay ave: 86.7

In this case you’d (ironically) have Marshall in your flex as he’s the next best option across all lines, and have Nank (110 ave) in R3

Pending personal circumstance, you may choose Sinclair to utilize his DPP given how close the averages are (especially if this was your last trade).

However the theory of “23rd highest scoring player” still applies

.
.
.

The flex makes each round a “best of” round - either best 18 (of up to 22 green dots) or best 22 of 23

Although the flex feels like we have more options, generally speaking, in reality we may not

Hope people stress test this logic. I’m just as much a Gumby as anyone else on this haha

I think you’re over thinking flex atm.

Go log into your team and put a rookie in flex, now use the exact same players and move the rookie to starting midfield and move Bont to flex.

2 different players in flex but this wouldn’t change your team or its score.

Yes once we have extra salary flex becomes key.

For now I think you’re over thinking it.

Love your passion though.

 

[dabombers]

I’m new to this like everyone else haha! But stress testing ur logic i still think it doesn’t make sense to have a flex ruck in almost any situation

It wont save you from another ruck apocalypse (I think)

Hear me out, let’s say you have:

R1: Gawn
R2: Xerri
R3: non playing loop
Flex: English

And gawn goes down with an injury in a regular non bye round

Last year you’d have to trade or cop a donut at R1

This year if you don’t trade, English’s score covers Gawn but you still cop a donut at R1

The magnitude of disadvantage is less this year because you still have 22 scoring players but you lose the flex benefit and are still disadvantaged regardless

Now you can avoid this by trading Gawn to the best available scorer across all lines (and English to R1)

Note: since 20% of top scorers last year were rucks (6 of top 30 you mentioned) it’s more likely you’ll bring in a MID (or DEF seagull) for ur flex

However while this addresses the problem for the current round you’re STILL disadvantaged by having a ruck flex

Why?….

This is because for all the weeks leading up to Gawn getting injured you’ve had English at flex who is statistically less likely to be a top scorers (only 6 of top 30)

in other words, using last year as an example to illustrate:

Even if you nailed your rucks and picked Marshall as your flex (3rd highest averaging ruck)… there are still 11 players that have a higher average than him

Hence you’d have been better off starting one of those 11 as your flex and trade Gawn to Marshall when he got injured

timtimtim

Lets deconstruct this.
The chance of your final or finished side being the top 23 of 23 scoring players and getting to them early (during midseason byes) is nearly impossible both to predict and escape later season injuries.

Bye rounds
Top 18 onfield scores. Is the game.
So I agree it doesn’t matter where they come from, any position could score better than a Ruck.

History
The top 2-3 rucks seem to always be within the top 22 players continuously every season. Even with a game or two less than other players.

Rareness of spots.
The Ruck line is limited by spots versus other lines.
This season it offers the first time to expand that valuable line.
So for each bye round you could guarantee you are playing 2 rucks who hopefully are scoring 120SC points every round, this is also 2 captain options.

Future fixtures.
Rest the lowest averaging scoring teams Ruck as flex.
Example your 2nd Ruck is up against Shrek (fully fit) you slide him to flex as he may only score a 90.
That score should outscore your F6.

Negatives
Trading in a $550-$650 Ruck at Rd 11-12 just to have 2 playing rucks each bye round could prevent a better trade in another position.

It could mean holding a midpricer who has done his job and should be one up one down traded to say a Flanders or a Dawson, someone on a hot streak or fully recovered from an injury and spitting out those 140SC scores.

Changing Plans.
Even though this thread started with me suggesting to start the season with 3 Premo Rucks with one in flex.

My comments and Teams presented in RMT thread have moved away from this.

The only prerequisite for my two starting Rucks is that they don’t have an early Bye.

My thoughts are to shift to the Flex ruck for the byes.
5 bye rounds, 3 with only 2 Rucks and 2 rounds getting 3 Rucks worth of points as part of best 18.
Versus
Just 2 rucks only and two rounds going down to only 1 ruck with high chance of no rookie coverage.
This would mean very well planned upgrading or trading strategies to be ahead of the curve, especially to deal with Rd 12 the first bye which could wipe out 5 or more keepers to find coverage for. Or just sacrifice that bye to then make it up in byes afterwards.

After that it could be any strategy.

It all depends on your starting side,
Mine will be an almost complete defence lots of midfield midpricers and cash cow rookies who are locked in starters. Fwd line is opposite to most with less midpricers and mainly rookies, which could be risky but as the lowest scoring line on averages it seems the place to go lean on.

Though play it your way and enjoy it.
It doesn’t matter if your rank is top 100 or 40k.
Just as long as you enjoy the game and watching footy.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

This is my favourite thread on Big Footy

 

[MacStradbroke]

This is my favourite thread on Big Footy

Can we move it to the Bay? Those blokes would have a field day reading this.

 

[A Bit Dusty]

This is my favourite thread on Big Footy

Did the thread "Dusty’s going to the Suns" on the Suns board finally get locked

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Did the thread "Dusty’s going to the Suns" on the Suns board finally get locked

No posts from me in there never thought it was likely.

 

[toxic]

timtimtim

Lets deconstruct this.
The chance of your final or finished side being the top 23 of 23 scoring players and getting to them early (during midseason byes) is nearly impossible both to predict and escape later season injuries.

Bye rounds
Top 18 onfield scores. Is the game.
So I agree it doesn’t matter where they come from, any position could score better than a Ruck.

History
The top 2-3 rucks seem to always be within the top 22 players continuously every season. Even with a game or two less than other players.

Rareness of spots.
The Ruck line is limited by spots versus other lines.
This season it offers the first time to expand that valuable line.
So for each bye round you could guarantee you are playing 2 rucks who hopefully are scoring 120SC points every round, this is also 2 captain options.

Future fixtures.
Rest the lowest averaging scoring teams Ruck as flex.
Example your 2nd Ruck is up against Shrek (fully fit) you slide him to flex as he may only score a 90.
That score should outscore your F6.

Negatives
Trading in a $550-$650 Ruck at Rd 11-12 just to have 2 playing rucks each bye round could prevent a better trade in another position.

It could mean holding a midpricer who has done his job and should be one up one down traded to say a Flanders or a Dawson, someone on a hot streak or fully recovered from an injury and spitting out those 140SC scores.

Changing Plans.
Even though this thread started with me suggesting to start the season with 3 Premo Rucks with one in flex.

My comments and Teams presented in RMT thread have moved away from this.

The only prerequisite for my two starting Rucks is that they don’t have an early Bye.

My thoughts are to shift to the Flex ruck for the byes.
5 bye rounds, 3 with only 2 Rucks and 2 rounds getting 3 Rucks worth of points as part of best 18.
Versus
Just 2 rucks only and two rounds going down to only 1 ruck with high chance of no rookie coverage.
This would mean very well planned upgrading or trading strategies to be ahead of the curve, especially to deal with Rd 12 the first bye which could wipe out 5 or more keepers to find coverage for. Or just sacrifice that bye to then make it up in byes afterwards.

After that it could be any strategy.

It all depends on your starting side,
Mine will be an almost complete defence lots of midfield midpricers and cash cow rookies who are locked in starters. Fwd line is opposite to most with less midpricers and mainly rookies, which could be risky but as the lowest scoring line on averages it seems the place to go lean on.

Though play it your way and enjoy it.
It doesn’t matter if your rank is top 100 or 40k.
Just as long as you enjoy the game and watching footy.

Did you factor in DPP changes?


I'm not sure how you sleep at night


Wayyyyyy too much thought on an extra on field scorer

 

[dabombers]

 

[SC fish]

There are so many strategies I've decided to just go with what I first thought of, but I can't remember what that was!

 

[JT_the_Man]

It doesn’t feel like much of a change. For now I’m just going to make sure whoever is in there has DPP.

 

[Saints4ever]

It doesn’t feel like much of a change. For now I’m just going to make sure whoever is in there has DPP.

You want a DPP because you plan on moving different players in and out of flex each week?

 

[Lolaser]

Everyone is over thinking flex way too much. Reading this thread has made me want to claw my eyes out at times.

There is only one strategy with it and that is to put a fourth ruck there or not. If you do, awesome, gives you cover and you'd probably want a R/F DPP at R3 or flex to let you rotate.

Otherwise, do everything as normal and then decide if the next midfield, defence or forward rookie is the best and get them on field (doesn't matter if it's flex or anywhere else).

If you have M/F DPP in one of the lines, then you can swing mids and forwards through there irrespective of whether the flex player is a MID or FWD and irrespective of whether they are DPP themselves.

There will be some using it over the upgrade rounds to plan targets and manage best rookies on field, but we can't predict that stuff now.

 

[Foxman98]

Everyone is over thinking flex way too much. Reading this thread has made me want to claw my eyes out at times.

There is only one strategy with it and that is to put a fourth ruck there or not. If you do, awesome, gives you cover and you'd probably want a R/F DPP at R3 or flex to let you rotate.

Otherwise, do everything as normal and then decide if the next midfield, defence or forward rookie is the best and get them on field (doesn't matter if it's flex or anywhere else).

If you have M/F DPP in one of the lines, then you can swing mids and forwards through there irrespective of whether the flex player is a MID or FWD and irrespective of whether they are DPP themselves.

There will be some using it over the upgrade rounds to plan targets and manage best rookies on field, but we can't predict that stuff now.

It's amazing how much it's been over complicated,

Like you said it's either 4 rucks or it's an extra rookie

Back end of the year when/if we have full teams is when the strategy comes into play more

 

[Deliverance]

I'm putting bont in flex, that way I'm more likely to get the best score each week, because he hardly ever has low scores.

Discuss