[The Wolf]

A great post from Fyrestorm about stats-only. Turn rating and stats off, set trading to hard/neutral and follow this and you're off.

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

I used to think and play this way for the longest time. Then I tried pure stats-only, and let me tell you, it is COMPLETELY different than having ratings, no matter how inaccurate they may be. The thing is - and most people should be able to relate to this - it's nearly impossible to un-bias yourself after seeing a player with top-notch ratings in every field. In the back of your mind, that guy is a GOD, and he's just not reaching his potential yet. So you take him through arbitration even though he hasn't hit his stride yet, because it's hard to shake that initial impression. Stats-only completely eliminates that bias. The same guy in stats-only is going to be a perennial minor leaguer, if he even stays in your organization. As Wolf said, it's up to you and how you like to play. This is just how I see it.

Go to League Setup -> Global Setup. Set your scouting accuracy to Normal or below (since your scout will still give you barebones scouting reports). Under Rating Scales, selecting "None displayed" for Player Actual Ratings Scale and Player Potential Ratings Scale. I usually leave Other Player Ratings Scale on, since that gives you speed and positional ratings that are nigh-impossible to quantify otherwise...Next, check "Overall rating based on AI evaluation, not pure ratings". That ensures that the AI values players the way you want them to, which is the next step:

Go to the AI Options tab in the League Setup. Make sure that "Ratings Weight" is set to 0%. The other percentages are up to you, but I personally use Wolf's recommendation (67/22/11). What this does is it changes how the AI evaluates players. By giving zero weight to a player's ratings, the AI is forced to evaluate their worth solely by their stats, just as you are. Make sure to hit the Apply Changes Now button, and you should be good to go. Set up the rest of the league normally, and like Wolf said, make sure you sim a few years ahead. No point in inaugural drafting if you have no idea what any players can do...I don't think I could ever go back to playing with ratings now; I'm hooked on stats-only. But it's your game; how you play is up to you.