Group rules constrain named sets of players. A Min/Max rule says "at least 1 of these" or "at most 2 of these" in every lineup. An If/Then rule says "if any of these players is in the lineup, then at least 1 of those must be too." Use them for decisions a stack rule cannot express.
Before you start
- Open a slate and open Build Settings. See Build Settings overview.
- For same-team or same-game correlation by position, use the Stacks tab first. See The Stacks tab.
Step by step
- Click Build in the workspace toolbar.
- Click the Groups tab.
- Pick Min/Max or If/Then with the toggle.
- Click Add Group Rule or Add If/Then Rule.
- Set the condition, then build the player set. Click a filter chip such as Salary or Own% and drag the range, or search the players field and pick players by name.
- Click + Set exposure if you want a cap on the rule's players.
- Click Build in the footer.
Every control
The tab holds up to 15 Min/Max rules and up to 5 If/Then rules. A rule's checkbox applies it or keeps it without applying it.
| Control | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Condition | At Least, At Most, Exactly, or Between, with a count from 0 up to the number of lineup slots. In an If/Then rule this is the THEN block. | At Least 1 |
| Filter chips | Each chip is one filter. Salary, Proj, Own%, Value, and Optimal open a range slider with the slate's spread drawn behind it. Mins shows on NBA, WNBA, and CBB. Grid shows on NASCAR and F1. Starters keeps projected and confirmed starters on NBA, WNBA, and soccer. Time keeps games that start at a chosen time or later. Several chips combine, and every player must pass all of them. Each active chip shows how many players match it. | Off |
| Positions | Appears once a filter is on. Click a position to remove it from the set. Click it again to restore it. On a showdown slate the All / CPT / FLEX switch limits the set to captain rows or flex rows. | All |
| Reset | Clears every filter and the player set for that slot. | |
| Players field | Search and pick players by name. While a filter is on, the list shows the matching players first. A pick you add by hand stays in the set. | |
| IF selector | Any fires when at least one IF player is in the lineup. All fires only when every IF player is in it. Not All fires when at least one IF player is missing. | Any |
| Add THEN condition | Adds another THEN block to the same IF, up to 5. | |
| + Set exposure | Optional cap on how often the rule's players appear across the pool. | Off (100 when set) |
How it works
Every checked rule is a constraint on every lineup. A Min/Max rule forces the count of its players into the condition. An If/Then rule checks its IF set first. When the IF is true, every THEN block must also be true. When it is false, the rule does nothing for that lineup.
A rule's Max Exp becomes a per-player cap on its players, the same as setting each player's Max Exp cell in the Player Pool.
Rules apply on top of stacks, locks, exclusions, and sport rules. A lock on a player who sits in an "At Most 0" group makes the build infeasible.
Group rules in a playbook
A playbook never stores player names. When you save a playbook, a rule built from filter chips saves the filters, and the playbook finds the matching players on every slate it runs on, in the browser, in a scheduled build, and in Replay. A rule built only from hand-picked players stays on this slate, and the save dialog lists it under the settings that do not travel. A player you add or remove by hand on top of the filters stays on this slate too, and the picker shows edited by hand until you change a filter. The Time filter stays on this slate as well.
Worked examples
- One back from a committee. Min/Max, Exactly 1, players: the two running backs. No lineup takes both, and every lineup takes one.
- Kicker only with his QB. If/Then, IF Any of: the kicker. THEN At Least 1 of: that team's QB.
- Fade the chalk, but not all of it. Min/Max, At Most 2, players: the highest-owned players (click Own% and drag the low end up).
- Punt slot. Min/Max, At Least 1, players: every player under $4,000 (click Salary and drag the high end down). Set Max Exp to 30 so no single punt takes over the pool.
- Late-game pivots. Min/Max, At Least 2, players: click Time and choose the last start time, so every lineup keeps two players you can still swap.
- Never two goalies from one game. If/Then, IF Any of: goalie A. THEN At Most 0 of: goalie B.
Tips
- Start a group from the Optimal chip. The players the simulator sees in winning lineups most often make the best "at least 1" groups.
- Keep groups small. A 20-player "at most 3" group barely constrains anything.
- After the build, check the Pool column in the Player Pool for the group's players to confirm the rule held.
Troubleshooting
"Couldn't build lineups" : two rules, or a rule and a lock, cannot both be true. Uncheck rules one at a time and rebuild to find the pair.
"Your rules ruled out most lineups before they could be built." : the rules leave too few valid combinations for the count you asked for. Loosen a condition or lower the lineup count.
Related
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