Okay, so today I messed around with this “VORP” thing for fantasy football. I’d heard some guys talking about it, Value Over Replacement Player, and it sounded kinda fancy, but I figured I’d give it a shot. I mean, anything to get an edge, right?
Digging In
First, I had to figure out what VORP even was. Basically, it’s trying to show how much better a player is than some scrub you could pick up off the waiver wire. The higher the VORP, the bigger the upgrade that player is.
So, I grabbed my league’s scoring settings. We use a pretty standard PPR (points per reception) setup. Nothing too crazy there.
The Numbers Game
Then came the fun part – well, sort of. I had to find some projections. You know, the estimated stats for each player. I just used some free ones I found online. Probably not 100% accurate, but hey, it’s better than nothing.
Next, I needed to figure out the “replacement level” players. What is the bare minimum type of player? For running backs and wide receivers, I went with guys ranked way down the list, like RB40 and WR50. For quarterbacks and tight ends, I picked even lower, like QB20 and TE20, since you usually only start one of each.
Doing the Math (Ugh)
Okay, time for some calculations. For each player, I took their projected points and subtracted the projected points of the “replacement” player at their position. That difference is their VORP.
For example:
- Stud Running Back: Projected for 250 points.
- Replacement Running Back: Projected for 100 points.
- Stud Running Back’s VORP: 250 – 100 = 150
I did this for a bunch of players at each position, just to get a feel for the numbers.
What I Learned
Honestly, it was kind of interesting. Seeing the VORP numbers laid out really showed the difference between the top guys and everyone else. It highlighted the scarcity at certain positions, like how valuable a top-tier running back truly is.
It also gave me a new way to compare players across different positions. Like, is a wide receiver with a VORP of 120 better than a running back with a VORP of 100? Hmmm, need to work with this more.
Will this change my draft strategy? Maybe. I’m not gonna throw out everything I know, but it definitely gives me another tool to think about. I’m going to play with it before I decide whether to use it or not. I think it’s a smarter way to put together my team and that’s my goal, to make the smartest choices.
