[quote author=Ralphis link=topic=511.msg4935#msg4935 date=1318219415]The elite captains will always win no matter where they draft. The current system gives the other guys a fighting chance.[/quote]<br /><br />That is a contradiction.&nbsp; The other guys don&#039;t have a fighting chance if the elite captains will [i]always[/i] win.<br /><br />[quote author=Ralphis link=topic=511.msg4941#msg4941 date=1318288205]Don&#039;t confuse above average players with great or elite, they make a huge difference![/quote]<br /><br /> ::)<br /><br />Anyways.<br /><br />Obviously, more skilled captains compose better teams because they constitute 33% of their playing roster.&nbsp; I agree with Ralphis and Gilgamesh (and others) on that.&nbsp; However, I can do something to make elite captains lose.&nbsp; I can give them a crippling handicap.&nbsp; You are going to respond, &quot;But that is wrong!&quot;&nbsp; And it may be, but this discussion doesn&#039;t seem to be about what is right or wrong, but what is possible.&nbsp; (Actually, it was about where to insert new captains in the draft.)<br /><br />Even though Gilgamesh&#039;s data looks to be more relevant to the current climate of IDL, and it clearly shows the trend that late picks are better than early picks, I also agree that there isn&#039;t enough data to draw conclusions of even moderate confidence.&nbsp; I agree with Xenaero and Ralphis (and others) on that.&nbsp; However, not all inferences are inductive.&nbsp; For example, I can definitely say (to Ladna) that the first spot in a straight draft is better than the last spot in a straight draft.&nbsp; I don&#039;t need empirical data to support this.&nbsp; It is deductively reasonable that draft picks #1 and #13 will be better than picks #12 and #24.&nbsp; In the same way, I can say that the first pick of a straight draft is better than both the first and last picks of a snake draft, and both of those are better than the last pick of a straight draft.&nbsp; (I would consider that pick to be a crippling handicap.)&nbsp; So a different draft spot can affect a team&#039;s quality, although maybe not in a snake draft.&nbsp; The fact that we can&#039;t determine whether early or late picks are better, is evidence that a snake draft succeeds in doing little to compensate for captain quality (or previous season record, or whatever), whether this is a good thing or not.<br /><br />To go back to the contradiction:&nbsp; If the elite captains always win, then the other guys don&#039;t have a fighting chance.&nbsp; I believe this is what the current system accomplishes.&nbsp; If this is fine with us, then fine.&nbsp; We are happy.&nbsp; If, on the other hand, we want the other guys to have a fighting chance, the elite captains can&#039;t always win.&nbsp; That can be arranged, first of all by amending the draft. (I am not saying [here] that we should, just that it is indeed possible.) If that is wrong, then fine.&nbsp; We won&#039;t do it.&nbsp; But the fighting guys don&#039;t have a chance.&nbsp; You can&#039;t have it both ways.<br /><br /><br /><br />