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coolstandings.com - Know where your team really stands!

Check out the general coolstandings.com FAQ.

Frequently Asked Questions - Fantasy Football:

1. How does the fantasy football season work?
2. When are the simulated games played?
3. Can I influence my team's performance?
4. How much can I boost?
5. How does a boost help my team?
6.

Is there a limit to how many extra points my team will score after adding in the free boosts?
7. How significant is this run boost to my team's performance?
8. How are game scores generated?
9.Are the coolstats influenced by boosts?
10.Will you have a fantasy football postseason as well?


Answers:

1. How does the fantasy football season work?

We are simulating the 2008 football season using the actual 2008 schedule, but using the stats from 2007. In order to complete the season before the real 2008 regular season begins, we'll be simulating the season at turbo speed - each day we'll simulate 2 "game days" of the football season. For example, this is how the season will kick off:
8/17 10pm - simulate game for Thu, Sept 4th
8/18 2pm - simulate games for Sun, Sept 7th
8/18 10pm - simulate games for Mon, Sept 8th
8/19 2pm - simulate games for Sun, Sept 14th
8/19 10pm - simulate game for Mon, Sept 15th
8/20 2pm - simulate games for Sun, Sept 21st

As we do in the regular season, after each "day" we update the standings and the coolstats (DIV, WC, POFF), so you can keep track of your simulated team's playoff chances.

2. When are the simulated games played?

The games are played at approximately 2pm and 10pm EST.

3. Can I influence my team's performance?

Yes! The simulation uses team stats to determine the expected number of points each team will score every game. However, we give you the opportunity to increase your team's chances to win by allowing you to boost its offensive or defensive performance for any given game.

If you click on any team from the main standings page, you will see at the top the list of upcoming games. You can also filter games against a particular opponent. Each game is represented as follows:



By clicking on the "Boost Offense" (blue) button, you boost the average number of points the given team can score. Clicking on the "Boost Defense" (grey) button reduces the average number of points that team will allow.

The net boost a team currently has is listed in parentheses next to that team. In this example, Baltimore has a 5.03 point boost, while Pittsburgh has a -1.31 point boost. This means that on average Baltimore would score 5.03 points more than the simulation expects in this game, while Pittsburgh would score 1.31 points less on average.

4. How much can I boost?

Each simulated day, any visitor to coolstandings.com is given 2 free boosts to use on any remaining game, for any team. This corresponds to having 4 free boosts per actual day.

If you are a coolforums member, you have 3 additional free boosts to use per simulated day (5 in all), so that you would have 10 total free boosts per actual day. Plus, for every posting "star" you earn in coolforums, you get 1 additional free boost per simulated day. You can sign up to be a coolforums member here.

5. How does a boost help my team?

Offensive boosts help your team score more points, while defensive boosts help prevent your team's opponent from scoring points. The coolstandings.com simulation first calculates the expected number of points each team would score in a game without any boosts, then adds the boost number to come up with a new average number of points. The number of points a team scores is then randomly generated using this average number of points as a reference.

For a particular team, the net offensive boost is the difference between the number of offensive boosts and the number of opponent's defensive boosts.

In general, you can increase the average number of points scored by your team, or decrease the average number of points allowed by your team. This will increase your team's winning percentage and chances of making the playoffs.

6. Is there a limit to how many extra points my team will score after adding in the free boosts?

Yes. The maximum number of average added points a team can gain from free boosts is 10 points per game. Each additional free boost carries a little less weight:

1st boost: 1.31 points (1.31 points total)
2nd boost: 1.13 points (2.44 points total)
3rd boost: 0.99 points (3.43 points total)
5th boost: 0.74 points (5.03 points total)
10th boost: 0.37 points (7.53 points total)
20th boost: 0.09 points (9.39 points total)

Of course, if 10 free boosts are applied to a team's offense, but that team's opponent receives 10 free boosts for its defense, then the free boosts cancel each other out and no boost is awarded to either team.

7. How significant is this run boost to my team's performance?

With your 5 free boosts per simulated day (3 free boosts from being a coolforums member), you can give your team a 5 point boost per game. While this may not seem like much, it can change a .500 team into a .600 team - equivalent to a 2 game bump over a 16 game season!

8. How are game scores generated?

Game scores in real football games generally approximate a Rayleigh distribution. You're probably familiar with the "bell curve", which describes one type of distribution around an average. The Rayleigh distribution is similar in that it describes how random numbers (or game scores) are spread around an average:

Both the above distributions are drawn for an average value of 20 points per game. One reason the Rayleigh distribution better reflects real football scores is because it is not symmetrical around the average value.

9. Are the coolstats influenced by boosts?

Indirectly, yes. The DIV, WC, and POFF coolstats are generated using each team's statistics and its remaining schedule. As the boosts do impact the simulated game scores, the coolstats will be affected as well. However, the coolstats for the fantasy football season are calculated exactly the same way as those calculated for the real football season.

10. Will you have a fantasy football postseason as well?

We'll see!




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