Our brand new NFL Draft Assistant app is here, and if you’re familiar with our previous version, you’re going to find that this is a much different experience than what you were previously used to.
This guide will hopefully help you navigate any confusion created by the changes, as well as how to get the most out of the new features we packed in here.
Once you open the app, instead of being instantly directed to a cheat sheet as before, you will default to our news feed, which also includes the latest articles from RotoWire.
You will also see options to connect your league via our “My Leagues” feature, as well as Draft Assist and Mock Draft.
Ultimately, the idea is that you will use the Mock Draft option to prepare for your draft, while the Draft Assist will be what you use during your actual draft. The main difference is, the Mock Draft option will auto-select picks that aren't for your team, while the Draft Assist will require you to make all selections.
After selecting Draft Assist or Mock Draft, you will end up here. You can then click “Start a Draft” or "Start A Mock Draft," depending on which option you choose.
You will then end up in our custom draft settings section. This is where you will select the number of teams, draft type, scoring, and roster settings, as well as your draft order. You can also add any keepers you may have here.
To add keepers, you will need to tap "Add Keepers," which will create a pop-up allowing you to scroll through or search players. Once tapping on a player, you can then select the team to apply the player to, as well as a specific round and pick, or you may choose no round.
Please note that, for draft type, auctions are only available as an option while using the Draft Assist feature.
Also of note, you can click the purple "customize" tabs to get more detailed scoring options, adjust roster settings, as well as change your draft order. You can also click "Edit team names" to add names to each team.
After confirming your settings, you can then build your draft plan.
If you select Choose For Me, you will get our recommended, default settings that best match your league. However, you do have the option of building your own plan, which will create rankings and draft suggestions based on your draft goals.
If you choose to build your own plan, first, you will have the option to determine how risky you’re willing to be in the early, middle, and late rounds of the draft. This will take things like injuries, plus our floor and ceiling projections, into account.
Once you make those selections, you’ll then get to determine how important ADP (Average Draft Position) is to you. Do you want to stick as close to ADP as possible, or throw it out, and focus on getting the guys who best match your draft plan and our projections, or somewhere in between?
From there, we offer a long list of factors that matter most to you to build your rankings on. You can tap on each option, hold it, and then move it around. The higher toward the top of the list it is, the more weight it will have on your rankings.
Once you have those factors in order, you will have the option to manually add players whom you want to place a premium on, or want to avoid.
Just click “Add Players You Like,” then scroll through or manually search for the players you want to add to this list.
You will then do the same for players you want to avoid.
With your top targets and avoid lists in order, you will then have the option to go deeper into your draft plan or jump into your draft. If you select “Finish Your Draft Plan,” it will take you into your draft.
However, if you want to add more layers of customization to your draft plan, select "Add A Draft Strategy."
Here you can choose specific rounds to wait for a position, or which positions you want to pick in each of the early rounds.
If you select “Wait On A Position,” you will get this pop-up to select a specific position, and then the earliest round you’d be willing to draft it.
When selecting “Script The Early Rounds,” you will have the option to select which position you want to go for in each of the first three rounds.
Once you have chosen any positions to wait on, and/or scripted the early rounds of your draft, if you wish to do so, you’ll end up back here, where you will ultimately “Finish Your Draft Plan.”
This will then take you into your draft, and you’ll be ready to start selecting players.
From this page, you can continue scrolling down and see more options, such as best available by position, how likely a player is to be gone by your next pick, as well as safest and most upside by position, and also the top rookies left.
You will also be able to scroll to the right to see more players and data.
You can also click on any player card there to unveil much more data on each player, as well as notes from your “Assistant GM” as to why you may want or not want to pick that player.
In Draft Assist mode, once your draft starts, you'll also have a player list available to mark off players to other teams, since they're not automatically selected for you like in the Mock Draft mode.
From the draft page, across the bottom of the app, you can also click on “Cheat Sheet.” This will show you a ranked player list based on your league settings. You can also use the toggle drop-down, which shows "Overall" in the screenshot, to switch to specific positions or get an ADP view.
The Queue feature will allow you to set an order of players, either to act as a custom ranking or another way to keep a list of players you want to target. However, at this time, your queue will not save if you exit your draft.
If you click "More," you'll see other options to assist with your draft. This includes the ability to see a full draft board or grid, which can be drafted from. You can also edit erroneous selections from the board.
Also, by tapping "Competitive Insights," you can get an overview of what positions every team has drafted thus far, as well as what positions are most likely to be selected between now and your next pick.
As you draft, the rankings and suggestions on who to draft will update based on what positions you have picked so far, how many players are left in a tier at each position, and who your opponents have drafted. It is an entirely new dynamic drafting experience.
Once your draft is finished, you will have the option to see your draft roster, as well as a draft board, with everyone’s picks.
If you run into any issues using the app or have any questions, you can always reach out to our customer service team at support@rotowire.com.