WTF Salary & Valuation Guide

This page details how player valuations and salaries are calculated in the WTF system. Salaries are designed to reflect a player's true market value based on their on-field attributes, position, and the context of the draft.

1. Player Rating Calculation

Every player's value begins with their Rating. This is a weighted average of their attributes, where specific attributes are more valuable for certain positions.

2. Rookie Draft Pricing

Rookie salaries depend on whether it is a standard draft or the initial league reboot.

Reboot Draft (18 Rounds)

Designed to utilize ~80% of the $100M cap for a full roster. Top picks are highly valuable but leave room for cap management.

* Standard Draft Logic applied.

• Round 1: $16.0M down to ~$13.2M
• Round 2: $10.0M down to ~$7.2M
• Rounds 3-10: $8.5M down to ~$1.8M (Flattened curve)
• Rounds 11-18: $1.5M down to ~$0.6M

* All rookies receive a Talent Bonus (up to 15%) based on how their Rating compares to elite prospects.

3. Free Agency & Extensions

When a player enters Free Agency or is offered an extension, their salary is calculated using a market-based curve.

Adjustment Factors:

• Position Multipliers:
  • QBs: 1.6x
  • RBs, WRs, DLs, DBs: 1.2x - 1.3x
  • TEs, LBs, OLs: 0.9x - 1.1x
  • Kickers/Punters: 0.6x
• Term Discount: Longer extensions reduce the annual salary using the same factors (5% per year after the first), applied as a discount: salary = salary / factor.
• Floor: No player will ever be signed for less than the league minimum of $500,000.

4. Rookie Contract Extension Salary Calculation

In the WTF league, when you resign a player who has performed exceptionally well (winning an MVP, two Super Bowls, and making two Pro Bowls) while on their rookie contract, their new base salary is calculated using a formula defined in includes/functions_salary.php.

The calculation follows several steps to determine the market value of the player:

1. Base Market Value (Rating-Based)

The calculation starts with the player's Rating, which is a weighted average of their attributes (Speed, Power, Hitting, etc.) tailored to their position.

• Floor: The absolute minimum base is $500,000.
• Quadratic Scaling: For players with a rating above 35, the salary scales quadratically:
  $500,000 + (Rating - 35)^2 * 16,000
  Example: An elite player with a 70 rating would have a base market value of approximately $20.1M.

2. Position Multipliers

The base market value is adjusted based on the player's position:

• QB: 1.6x
• WR: 1.3x
• RB, DL, DB: 1.2x
• TE, LB: 1.1x
• OL: 0.9x
• K, P: 0.6x

3. Age Multiplier

The player's age at the time of the extension influences the price:

• Under 25: 1.05x (Youth premium)
• 25–29: 1.10x (Prime years premium)
• 30–32: 1.0x (No adjustment)
• Over 32: Decreases by 0.05x for every year over 32 (Veteran discount).

4. Performance Multipliers (Awards & Stats)

This is where the player's accolades significantly impact their price:

• MVP: A 15% increase (+0.15) to the multiplier.
• Pro Bowls: A 10% increase (+0.10) to the multiplier.
  Note: The current logic checks if the player was a Pro Bowler in the current evaluation period/season.
• Stats Bonus: If the player hit elite statistical milestones in the previous season (e.g., >4000 pass yards, >1200 rush yards, or >10 sacks), they receive an additional 5% to 10% bonus.
• Super Bowls: While Super Bowl wins are tracked for historical purposes and team status, they do not currently add a direct percentage multiplier to the individual player's salary calculation in the calculate_extension_salary function.

5. Term & Minimum Raise Rules

• Length of Extension: Longer deals provide more security, so the annual salary is discounted based on how many years you add:
  • 1 Year: /1.00x
  • 5 Years: /1.20x (5% discount per year added).
• The "No Pay Cut" Rule: If the calculated market value is lower than the player's current salary, the system instead starts from a 5% raise over their current salary, then applies the same term discount.

Summary for a Specific Case

For a rookie who is an MVP and a multi-time Pro Bowler:

1. Their high attributes (likely resulting from being a top pick and playing well) will drive a high initial base via the quadratic formula.
2. They will receive a 15% premium for the MVP and a 10% premium for the Pro Bowl.
3. They will likely receive an additional 5–10% premium for their stats.
4. Since they are likely in their "Prime Years" (under 30), a 5–10% age premium will apply.
5. If you sign them to a long-term deal (e.g., 5 years), the annual salary is discounted by the term factor (e.g., dividing by 1.20).

Result: Such a player will command one of the highest salaries in the league, often exceeding $30M+ per year for QBs or $20M+ for other elite skill positions, reflecting their status as a premier franchise cornerstone.