Formula builder is incredibly difficult to perfect. The default rankings are projected OVR in descending order, but as soon as you activate FB, it scrambles them all up and has the potential to really f you. In one of my seasons I tried to commit to learning it, but the system is completely non-intuitive. My initial weights were completely wrong so I spent a few hours tinkering with it and seeing the degree to which small fluctuations in the Weights mattered and I was actually able to put together a pretty decent list. But ehhh it basically sucks.
Since then I just stick to manual and I do well, esp since they added fuzzy scouting. I have pretty good intuition as to which guys have overrated OVRs and which are underrated, which pitchers have falsely positive or negative vR / control, etc.
Strategically, I take steps similar to what hockey said. "Probably won't sign" go to the bottom first, but sometimes I do want to keep those guys on the list because sometimes it's worth a risk,
Player Profile: Louie Kondou comes to mind.
Player Profile: Skip Tatum may have also slipped due to signability.
I also massively devalue DH, 1B, and LF ... esp ones who lack power and/or vR. There are literally dozens throughout the entire list, those definitely go to the bottom. I also set my filters to draft 0 DH 0 1B and 0 LF, I set the "other" to 3 so I will inevitably end up with some, but I do my best to avoid these players unless they are specifically awesome. Usually my failed 2B picks will get to play LF, and usually I end up acquiring good 1B/DH thru free agency or trade instead of the draft.
I also tend to boost some pitchers (relative to where they stand based on OVR) but I don't go overboard with it the way some people do. Some people only draft pitching no matter what, and imo that's a mistake whenever they are passing on hitters that end up being more valuable. Obv I can't see other people's draft boards, but in general I can tell that teams "reach" on pitching more than they should. Whatever, I get it, pitching is scarce, but it's not as scarce as people think? Anyways, I also tend to pick out which pitchers have very high control/splits/pitches relative to OVR, there are usually some excellent relievers in the 70 projected OVR range that deserve to be at least 15-20 spots higher than they originally sit
I boost defensive catchers with at least 10-25-75-75-75 who can also bat, esp ones with power and vR and durability. Guys like
Player Profile: Stan Soriano players who have mediocre OVRs but can have productive careers (3.53 career catcher ERA and .770 career OPS)
I boost any shortstop with 85-85-85-85 who is at least reasonable at the plate, esp ones with some power and vR. It's important to judge which ones are overrated defensively and are actually 3B vs which ones are authentically SS.. There are lots of projected 100 range/glove/arms, but that's obviously not reality, so tread carefully here. I jump for joy whenever I land a guy like
Player Profile: Quilvio Andrus, but for every 1 of those there's probably 5 who bust. My SSs need to be able to field and my 3Bs need to be able to hit, so there's a lot of tweeners in this category who never get past AAA one way or the other
If I have time, I dig deeper into the list and devalue everyone with potential OVR between 60 and 67 because those players are essentially useless. They are rarely ever better than minor league, with no possibility of DITR or AAAA bonus or anything like that. Instead, I head to the section with potential OVR between 50 and 59 because those players qualify for DITR, whereas the 60+ do not. I identify pitchers with high VEL + gbfb, but low stam and control approx 50, splits approx 35-40, pitches approx 60-50-40; catchers with 80+ arm strength, etc. Those are the players that turn into monster DITRs.
Player Profile: Fernando Colon,
Player Profile: Javier Guzman, etc, I draft a few extra of those types of guys with projected OVR 50-55 instead of career minor leaguers projected OVR 65