While we're waiting

We're still not quite ready to go with the fantasy football league yet -- last year's champion and his wife are waiting until the last second to sign up again -- but I wanted to brief everyone on the new draft order rules for this year.

In the past, I've shunned a straight-up reverse finish order because I believe that simply rewards failure. However, after my modified system awarded Anthony and myself the top pick three of the last four years, I decided that maybe the bottom dwellers need more help.

So we'll do a doubly-modified NBA style draft order, giving everyone a chance at the top pick but a really good chance for the worst players last year. Our top three 2008 finishers -- Champ Mike, Bobert and Heidi -- as well as New Guy Mike will have their names all thrown in the hat. We'll pick out one name, have that person pick 13th and then throw the next name (last year's fourth-place finisher, Anthony) into the mix. We'll pick for the 12th spot and then throw another name in.

The system's main advantage is no one will pick any worse than four spots lower than where they finished last year. And, for those who did well, you have a statistically fair chance of moving up the chart.

Taking all of that into account, here’s everyone's chance at getting that elusive #1 pick:

Team	% chance at #1	Worst case
Jeff (Blue Collar Killers)	25.0 percent	4th place
Neal (Plaxico’s attorney)	20.0 percent	5th place
Joel (Bullets over Burress)	16.7 percent	6th place
Paulie (I &lt3 WRs)	14.3 percent	7th place
Capt. Awesome (ZombieJacko Comeback)	12.5 percent	8th place
Jim (Palin’s Death Panels)	11.1 percent	9th place
Dad (BetterThanYourTeam)	10.0 percent	10th place
Joanner (Chase Utley’s WFCs)	9.1 percent	11th place
Anthony (Suck my Vick)	8.3 percent	12th place
New Mike (Pick Six Dix)	7.7 percent	13th place
Heidi (Name TDB)	7.7 percent	13th place
Bobert (Werewolf Bar Mitzvah)	7.7 percent	13th place
Champion Mike (Bad Newz Iggles)	7.7 percent	13th place

I'll let everyone know as soon as slowpoke #1 and slowpoke #2 sign up, and give you a few days before we start drafting players. Whoever ends up with Vick automatically gets slotted next to last in the preseason rankings.

Jeff, of course, will be slotted last.

UPDATE: Champ Mike has signed up, so we're almost there. I've updated his team name in the list