In epic, movie trailer voice:

In a world where the narrative is dominated by the multiverse and multiple versions of the same character, we bring you the DVQ 2022, the latest in the fifth, or maybe it’s the sixth, generation of DVQ variants.

It is a landscape ruled by a formula that had found its best formula, and has stuck with it for some time now. Where sheer rankings are eschewed in favor of a fantasy football draft version of baseball’s WAR analytic, where the mighty Draft Value Quotient computes one number to rule them all, a number that represents the draft pick value for every player based on his projection production, as forecast by a Madman.  

But this is not just any madman behind this array of interconnected calculations, this is a fantasy Madman. A Madman who has run the gamut of potential variations on our existing methodology, has determined all the alternative options to be inferior, and has decided none of the new ones stack up to the current one.  

So the Alpha DVQ, the mother of DVQs, has returned to fulfill our football fantasies.  

Because if it ain’t broke, don’t tweak it.

The Draft Value Quotient uses a variety of data components — from fantasy point projections to schedule difficulty to positional depth, tiers within each position and more to reveal a player’s true overall value. It has been tailored for 12-team PPR leagues.

The DVQ rating delivers a number that equates to the point in the draft at which a player’s production meets his draft value — if Johnny Catchgood has a DVQ of 68.3, then he is projected to score roughly the amount of points you should expect the 68th most valuable player to score.

Since there is normally greater separation between the top players and the rest of the player pool — think: You don’t often see three players tied for the top score, but you might see multiple players tied deeper down the end-of-season rankings.

Because of this bell curve, there are big gaps in the DVQ at the top of the rankings. Don’t be alarmed to find that Derrick Henry, the second-rated player — the one the DVQ suggests you take second overall — has a DVQ of 3.91, or the fourth-overall pick. Yes, it means his projected point likely won’t deliver what you would want out of a second-overall pick, compared to the top player, but it is a better value than any other player left. Similarly, the third-rated player, Austin Ekeler, has a DVQ of 15.1, Dalvin Cook next at 48.82, and by the fifth pick, Christian McCaffrey, the DVQ of 63.58 suggests closer to a fifth-round pick rather than fifth overall. So be aware of that bell curve.

The best method of using the DVQ is to identify abnormally large gaps. In the above example, it shows how much more valuable a top-three pick is compared to No. 4.

The DVQ also levels the playing field across the entire roster. It evens the playing field to provide one comprehensive metric that, for example, gives proper weight to how many more points quarterbacks score on average than any other position, but also how it is easy to find QBs who are productive fantasy performers.

The Madman hopes it helps build your fantasy winner. Check back regularly for periodic updates. And happy football season.