I see teams in my world having great success while spending 0 dollars on advance scouting.  Could some of the veterans explain to me the advantages and disadvantages of this strategy?  Thanks in advance

There are literally dozens of threads about this if you search, but generally the reason people go with zero advanced scouting is that player progression for the most part is predictable for players that have been in the minors for at least a year or two.  Recently signed draft picks and internationals are pretty much the only players that it is hard to get projections for without advanced scouting.

If you're not trading for prospects and you trust your drafting ability, you don't need ADV.   If you like to trade for youth and your draft budget is low, you need ADV. 

Some guys with 0 ADV keep spreadsheets with projections from their higher draft and IFA scouting budgets so they can go back and see more accurate player projections.

I'm too lazy for that so I pay for ADV.

I don't keep spreadsheets.   I trust what I do.  For instance, I put 20m in HS scouting in Hamilton.  I ranked 48 players.   I got 11 of them.   I consider all of them useful, or possibly useful, at the BL level at some point.  I make a note on the player card.  And I'll let them develop.  In three seasons, I'll either keep the note or remove it.  Along the way, I'll know each player was one of the 48 players I ranked if I want to trade them.

I am really tempted to try this but I want to get a few more years of experience in.  In one league I moved from 13m to 12m in ADV and I noticed a big change in the projections that I was seeing.  I am wondering if there is really a big difference between 12m and, say, 4m.  Do they just keep getting wackier?

Keep in mind that 13 and 12 aren't exactly that close.  You'd see a lesser change going from 18 to 19, or vice versa.

Think of it as a +/- accuracy.

At 0, you've got the maximum variance... 20 the minimum.

You need to have the experience of looking at projections and knowing how "realistic" they are.  Once you start ignoring projections and trusting your own guesstimates more, then you can stop paying for ADV.

How would you know if you're developing a 'prized prospect' or a career Lo A backup?  Would the difference in the budgeting be this drastic? 

Look at current ratings, and how they change over time.  'Nuff said

I hate this strategy. I think it should have far more drawbacks than it does but honestly, having 0 advanced is not going to hurt you at all if you are not trading prospects in their early years. That said, I wouldn't recommend this strategy to any inexperienced owners until they have alot of seasons under their belts in order to better understand player development patterns.

Development patterns vary between owners.  That's something people overlook.

Posted by MikeT23 on 2/2/2011 7:03:00 AM (view original):
Development patterns vary between owners.  That's something people overlook.

In strong worlds it's nigh on impossible to trade for prospects, no one is willing to give them up at a resonable price, if you can't trade for 'em why even think about paying to see 'em.

That is part of the reason I quit trying to trade for young prospects and went to 0 ADV.

I agree with Crump, I would be much better off putting that money toward a good Int'l free agent since I know I'm not going to trade for a stud prospect.