This year we finally released Dobbernomics without the Beta tag. Over the last couple of years we have observed and fixed flaws and loopholes in the game, as well as implemented user suggestions. We now feel that this game is ready for full rollout.

As always, there was a snafu immediately after the first game (fortunately, there were just two games in two days followed by a two-day break so we had plenty of time to react and fix). Rosters are unlocked and the game is ready. You can put in a team here! And don't worry about missing the first two games that were played in Czechia – 23 teams actually have a negative points total. So joining late will see you already ahead of 23 other players!

Yesterday I went to Twitter (and email) to answer any questions you may have about this unique concept.

I will do a Q&A for the @Dobbernomics game in a DobberHockey article.

Do you have any questions about the game?

— Dobber (@DobberHockey) October 6, 2024

What are the pros and cons of choosing one expensive player (ahem, Connor McDavid) vs. picking two mid-priced players?

This strategy is your own. I have experienced over the years during Beta mode that most people grab McDavid, and will swap him for Nathan MacKinnon during McDavid off days that MacKinnon plays. Reacting to this, I set McDavid's price very high to start ($14.8), thereby handicapping your ability to fill the rest of your roster with established players of middling expense. MacKinnon is similarly expensive at $13.79, the second highest in the game. After that, Igor Shesterkin is next at $12.80, or nearly a full million dollars below Mackinnon and two million below McDavid!

If you do decide to do the McDavid/MacKinnon (or even Nikita Kucherov) thing, and many other players in the game employ the same strategy, it actually becomes a quick and easy way to increase your team value – McDavid will keep increasing in price when he plays, and dropping back to his baseline when Edmonton has a couple of days off. So if you keep selling him after he plays, and then later selling MacKinnon after he plays – your team value will continue to rise quickly.

But early in the season, my focus is on keeping many 'decent' players on my roster who play three games in five days. I'll slowly build my team value to the point where it will perhaps reach $60M by December (you start with a $50M roster). Once I'm at $60M, 'THEN' I will start doing the McDavid/MacKinnon rotation.

How do you use the Dobbernomics resources?

There is an FAQ about the game here, including points breakdown and transaction rules.

I also use Frozen Tools schedule planner here.

For starting goalies, I of course use Goalie Post.

I also look at the hot/not players on Frozen Tool, here.

The 'browse players' page can be filtered by position, by team, or via the search function. You have to kind of get used to how the searches work – if a player doesn't appear, don't forget to 'clear results' or switch to the proper position (or 'all positions').

How should I create an effective budget among forwards, dmen and goalies?

This is to your own taste/strategy. But when first putting in my team, I put in goalies first. Goalies are set at a minimum of $6.5M – even the worst goalies. During the Beta testing, we quickly learned that to set the value low for weak backups resulted in players punting the goalie categories, rostering the two worst goalies, and then spending that extra money on skaters.

As for defensemen versus forwards – others may have a strategy, but I rely on my team needs (if I dropped a defenseman, I need a defenseman) and the hot players at the time.

I joined the global league. Why is my global ranking different than my league ranking?

📢 advertisement:

— AS (@ASinToronto) October 7, 2024

Your league ranking is your ranking within the league you joined or the league you created. Your global ranking is your ranking versus everyone in the entire game.

If the goal is most points, why is there a ranking for team value? Is that so I can pretend to be like the Dallas Cowboys – a ton of value but win nothing of value? :)

Also, since I'm new to the game… I assume you need to sell someone first before buying?

— Brian Pike (@bpike19) October 7, 2024

The main goal is most points, but a fun secondary goal is to have the highest team value. There is a challenge in maximizing player value across an entire season, and if you're the best at doing it then that's quite an accomplishment. There is a prize for top team value too!

And yes, you need to sell someone in order to clear a space to buy someone.

Also, will the site's weekly Capped articles integrate this game at all, or is it more generic?

— Brian Pike (@bpike19) October 7, 2024

It won't incorporate this game, as 'Capped' looks at real-world player salaries and not salaries that I put in based on the Dobbernomics scoring system.

When are the points counted and when exactly is the value of the players changing?

— Saints55 (@Saints551) October 6, 2024

Generally speaking, the player point calculations take place between 3am and 4am EST every night. Values are calculated shortly after rosters are locked (which, as noted below, is 15 minutes before the first game).

When are rosters locking in and unlocking?

— Saints55 (@Saints551) October 6, 2024

Rosters lock 15 minutes before the first game that day. They unlock again two hours later for games that take place the next day. This past Sunday was an exception due to aforementioned glitch in the scoring that needed a fix.

More FAQs about the game here

Put in a team here!

Follow @Dobbernomics for game updates throughout the year