Auction draft...new settings..etc.

So, we're going to be dealing with some new features in uber this year.  I'll try to explain some of them below.


Roster:
Originally, we were getting rid of defense...but people overwhelmingly want to keep D and get rid of K.  So, that's what I did.  We will have 14 total roster spots you will be drafting for on Sunday.
1 QB
2 RB
2 WR
1 WR/TE
1 TE
1 OP (offensive player utility)
1 Def/ST
5 bench players (plus we are having one IR spot that you can use week to week).



Scoring:
I think the scoring is basically similar to yahoo, but I've toned down the bonuses a bit.  There are no "big play" bonuses, but there are a few total yard bonuses.  QB's get 1 pt for 300-399 yds, and the 2 more pts for 400 yards or more.  Rb's get 1 pt for hitting 100 yds...and 2 more for 200 (same for WR's).
I don't know what the default scoring is for Defense (because I had erased it originally), but check out the overall settings here: Settings for Uber
If you see anything that should be changed BEFORE the draft, let me know.

Auction draft (from espn.com):

ALL LEAGUE TYPES: IN-DRAFT (Convert to Auction Draft Mode)
A "Launch Auction Draft" link will be available on each team's main "My Team" page 1-hour (60 minutes) prior to the scheduled start time.
Each team is given a fixed amount of $200 to fill all roster slots (including bench).
A countdown clock will appear displaying the time until the first player is open for bidding.
Teams are randomly assigned in the nomination order (for example: 1-10). Nomination means when each Team Owner is required to select and submit a player to be openly bid on. Note that unlike traditional snake drafts, the nomination order works in a straight, left-to-right (for example: 1-10, 1-10, 1-10, etc.) order. While there are some minor strategies in player nomination, the order is mostly irrelevant in Auction drafts (since all teams can bid on any player).
Across the top of the draft application each team is represented with the colored football helmet. Your team is highlighted and the $ dollar amount displayed below each helmet is the team's current balance or the team's maximum bid (depending on which option is set). The helmets of teams without an owner currently connected are grayed out. You can mouse over each helmet to get more information about them (i.e. team & owner name, maximum bid).
At any time during the draft, players can be added to the PLAYER QUEUE panel by selecting a them then dragging and dropping them into the panel to the right.


ALL LEAGUE TYPES: IN-DRAFT (The Auction Begins)
Teams have 30 seconds to nominate a player to be put up for auction. Players are nominated by selecting them in the main PLAYERS table (doing this will display the player's image and 2009 stats) and then clicking the "Nominate Player" button. If no player is selected within the 30-second time frame the system will automatically nominate a player in the following order of priority 1) the top player in the Player Queue panel (if any) and 2) the highest priced player still available.
The default for all player nominations is $1. This amount can be raised by the nominating team before submitting if they want.
A successfully nominated player appears (with profile and stats) in the "On the Block" area, and the auction clock commences. The auction clock will countdown from 30 seconds. Once the clock shows 10 seconds or less remaining, any bids inside of 10 seconds remaining will reset the clock back to 10 seconds, until a bid is won.
Bids can be made on a "+1" basis (default), or by manually entering a dollar amount. There are two buttons in the application to submit a bid. The "Bid History" panel displays a running log of all active bids made on the current player.
Teams can only bid to a dollar amount which allows them at least $1 for any remaining roster slots. For example, in a standard 16 roster slot league, when the draft first begins, the maximum bid is $185 ($200 - 15 other roster slots). A team's maximum bid is viewable by hovering over the team helmets. The maximum bid can also be set as an option in the OPTIONS tab. Once the bid max has been reached, the draft app will no longer let you submit a bid; the bid buttons will be grayed out.
Teams must draft a player to all active or "starting" roster slots. If all bench slots are full, the only players available to bid on are from unfilled active roster slots. Likewise, if any position maximum has been reached you can not bid on a player from that position (the system will not allow it).


ALL LEAGUE TYPES: IN-DRAFT AUTO-BIDDING (Absentee Team Owners) 
Due to the interactive nature of the Auction draft, it is highly recommended that ALL team owners are present when the draft begins. If you're missing 1 or 2 owners at the beginning of the draft, we recommend the LM pauses the draft until all owners can be contacted and connected. If more than 3 or 4 owners are missing, we recommend you reset the draft time to a time when all owners are available.
Each team whose owner is not present will be considered on "Autobid" and the system will actively draft for them.
The Autobid system will bid up to a randomly determined % of the player's pre-set value. The bidding range for this is 60% to 110% of the set/default value. This means if Felix Jones' preset draft value is $40 the autopilot system could bid up to $44, or only just to $24. This feature was built into to allow for bargains to still be obtained in a draft with absent owners, yet still field each one a competitive team.
NOTE: At anytime during the draft, if a team is disconnected, they will automatically go on Autobid.

Questions?  Email me or post them on the message board (I started a thread on the espn uber message board).

Cute sleepy kitten