Jump to content
[[Template core/front/custom/_customHeader is throwing an error. This theme may be out of date. Run the support tool in the AdminCP to restore the default theme.]]

Free Agent Claiming


Biscuit
 Share

Recommended Posts

To make a long story sort of short, I'm the Commish of a league that has free claiming with the order determined by worst record to best up to 8 pm Wed (after which it's first come, first serve). I was officially eliminated from the playoffs after week 12, but our league's regular season runs through week 13. I put in a claim for Fred Jackson this week and naturally got him. I got a rather scathing email from a playoff bound team arguing that I shouldn't be able to make claims as I was eliminated from the playoffs and our league rules state: "Non-Playoff and Playoff Teams shall have their rosters locked once eliminated from the Playoffs". I responded that the rule he sited relates to the Playoffs (not the regular season) as 1) in the 7 years we've had the league, we've never locked rosters until the Playoffs have begun, 2) the season isn't over, 3) it's my duty to field the best team possble and attempt to alter the fate of playoff teams and their final seedings, and 4) we Keep one player from year to year and while it's unlikely I'll keep Fred Jackson for next year, you never know. Did I handle this one correctly/ how does your league handle claiming?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To make a long story sort of short, I'm the Commish of a league that has free claiming with the order determined by worst record to best up to 8 pm Wed (after which it's first come, first serve). I was officially eliminated from the playoffs after week 12, but our league's regular season runs through week 13. I put in a claim for Fred Jackson this week and naturally got him. I got a rather scathing email from a playoff bound team arguing that I shouldn't be able to make claims as I was eliminated from the playoffs and our league rules state: "Non-Playoff and Playoff Teams shall have their rosters locked once eliminated from the Playoffs". I responded that the rule he sited relates to the Playoffs (not the regular season) as 1) in the 7 years we've had the league, we've never locked rosters until the Playoffs have begun, 2) the season isn't over, 3) it's my duty to field the best team possble and attempt to alter the fate of playoff teams and their final seedings, and 4) we Keep one player from year to year and while it's unlikely I'll keep Fred Jackson for next year, you never know. Did I handle this one correctly/ how does your league handle claiming?

 

Sounds like your league rules have not been applied appropriately. If you are eliminated from playoff contention, you are eliminated from the playoffs.

 

And so I think Fred Jackson should have gone to the team still alive for the playoffs that had the highest waiver claim.

 

That aside, if your league is a keeper league then teams should never be shut out from making free agent moves. That rule should go after this season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like your league rules have not been applied appropriately. If you are eliminated from playoff contention, you are eliminated from the playoffs.

 

 

Fair enough, but I struggle with the fact a team could be eliminated a few weeks out and suffer injuries (say to a QB) and due to being locked, wouldn't be able to pick up a QB to at least field a competitive team the final few weeks. Knowing there may still be teams on the bubble, I don't think it's fair to give the owners playing the locked roster the unfair advantage of he/she not having a complete lineup.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The rule should simply be modified. Teams locked out of the playoffs can only pick up players after all remaining teams have had their pick. This keeps teams who are out of it from hurting the other teams, and if you suffer that injury you can still pick up a needed player after they have all had a shot at him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO, your rules are not clear. They state "once eliminated from the playoffs" which could be inferred to mean either the actual playoffs, or also include "playoff contention", but it is not explicit. If precedent has been set that teams can make moves even when eliminated from "playoff contention", then I think the move stands. If they have not in the past, then I thnk it should be reversed. Either way, it is a rule that most definitely needs to be reworded and clarified.

 

Now, as to my opinion of how leagues generally should run, so long as it is the regular season and the waiver wire is being run for any team, all teams regardless of place in the standings should be allowed to make claims (and especially so in any form of keeper league). To not allow so could/would prevent these teams from potentially putting out the best possible lineup each week, then you would get people arguing that it was unfair for teams to play these guys late in the season.

 

In addition to the note above about keeper leagues, by their nature all teams must be allowed the same privileges at all times, this includes making waiver moves (no matter if it is in playoffs or not, if they have been eliminated or not, etc.) and trades at any time any team is allowed to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We lock out teams who did not make the playoffs from making add/drops once the playoff starts. However, if you are elminated from playoff contention say in week 9 (playoffs start in week 13), you can still add/drop till week 13. Of course our add/drops cost money so most teams that find themselves elminated don't pick up anyone anyways.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fair enough, but I struggle with the fact a team could be eliminated a few weeks out and suffer injuries (say to a QB) and due to being locked, wouldn't be able to pick up a QB to at least field a competitive team the final few weeks. Knowing there may still be teams on the bubble, I don't think it's fair to give the owners playing the locked roster the unfair advantage of he/she not having a complete lineup.

 

the best way to mitigate this is to still give all owners something to play for. high score of the week, loser's bracket for playoffs ... something. then everyone has a reason to keep making moves and compete.

 

i agree with you ... if i'm trying to get in the playoffs, i'd hate to get beat out by a team that defeated an incomplete roster because the other guy was locked from the playoffs. and as said, if you have keepers, it should always be open.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read the rule not to mean when they have been mathematically eliminated from making it to the playoffs, but rather once the playoffs have begun teams eliminated have their roster locked. I can see where their could be a discrepancy in the interpretation of the rule. Because of the 4 points you brought up, I don't see a problem with what you did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fair enough, but I struggle with the fact a team could be eliminated a few weeks out and suffer injuries (say to a QB) and due to being locked, wouldn't be able to pick up a QB to at least field a competitive team the final few weeks. Knowing there may still be teams on the bubble, I don't think it's fair to give the owners playing the locked roster the unfair advantage of he/she not having a complete lineup.

 

I am not arguing the what-if's and why's, I am just reading the rules and giving an opinion.

 

My thoughts on the what-if's and why's are that in a keeper league no team should ever be blocked from making acquisitions while other teams still can. That's completely unbalanced with respect to the long term interests of the league.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the best way to mitigate this is to still give all owners something to play for. high score of the week, loser's bracket for playoffs ... something. then everyone has a reason to keep making moves and compete.

 

Great point. We reward $2 for the Weekly High Point Scorer. I also posted elsewhere that draft order is currently awarded randomly as we draft online. I've suggested we tally each team's points scored weeks 14-16 (playoff weeks) and award draft picks accordingly (mosst pts = 1st pick - with the tie breaker of total yardage including fieldgoals for the starting lineup). My thought is this is more exciting and weighted than random and it will help keep all owners active to the end. The same owner above is the only owner against this (maybe because he has the second fewest point for 0 and he's in the playoffs).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not arguing the what-if's and why's, I am just reading the rules and giving an opinion.

 

My thoughts on the what-if's and why's are that in a keeper league no team should ever be blocked from making acquisitions while other teams still can. That's completely unbalanced with respect to the long term interests of the league.

 

No problem Caveman. I appreciate all points of view. Being Commish isn't easy especially considering there's no way to 1) cover all what if's and 2) word the rules to completely and irrefutably eliminate any further what if's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This keeps teams who are out of it from hurting the other teams, and if you suffer that injury you can still pick up a needed player after they have all had a shot at him.
Couldn't disagree more. How does Biscuit's acquisition of Taylor hurt the other team? It may prevent another team from scoring even higher, but it didn't harm the other team because the other team never had the other player to begin with.

 

Even if we want to call that "harming" another team, all the teams have to still play a full regular season. Should the Browns, Bucs and Rams be prevented from making waiver wire acquisitions because they aren't making the playoffs this year? No, because they still play a full season and the teams that they play in the remaining games may help determine final standings. Similarly in the fantasy world, even if I'm playing a meaningless game for my own postseason, that doesn't mean I just give my opponent a win.

 

This board is full of reports of teams that collude, purposefully tank their teams, abandon their team, or just don't make a competitive effort of winning. I don't see the point in a rule that actively unfairly prevents a team from trying to field a competitive team throughout the entire regular fantasy season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can NOT totally stop giving waivers to teams out of playoff contention. What if a team you need to lose is playing a team that is out of it and they have no QB that week because of injuries.

 

All teams should be able to pick up players until the end of the regular season.

 

So what if that guy didn't get Jackson and you did.

 

Good for you for trying to win your game and stay competive even though your out of it.

 

Tell the dude that cried you want to finish with the most wins you can because 10 years from now you want to have the best all time record in that league.

 

Never heard of any league not allowing pick ups to teams still playing games in the regular season. That be just stupid times infinaty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Couldn't disagree more. How does Biscuit's acquisition of Taylor hurt the other team? It may prevent another team from scoring even higher, but it didn't harm the other team because the other team never had the other player to begin with.

 

Even if we want to call that "harming" another team, all the teams have to still play a full regular season. Should the Browns, Bucs and Rams be prevented from making waiver wire acquisitions because they aren't making the playoffs this year? No, because they still play a full season and the teams that they play in the remaining games may help determine final standings. Similarly in the fantasy world, even if I'm playing a meaningless game for my own postseason, that doesn't mean I just give my opponent a win.

 

This board is full of reports of teams that collude, purposefully tank their teams, abandon their team, or just don't make a competitive effort of winning. I don't see the point in a rule that actively unfairly prevents a team from trying to field a competitive team throughout the entire regular fantasy season.

+ infinaty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like your league rules have not been applied appropriately. If you are eliminated from playoff contention, you are eliminated from the playoffs.

 

And so I think Fred Jackson should have gone to the team still alive for the playoffs that had the highest waiver claim.

 

That aside, if your league is a keeper league then teams should never be shut out from making free agent moves. That rule should go after this season.

 

And teams eliminated may still be playing other teams in contention. The outcomes of those games could effect another teams chances of getting in or not. All teams should be allowed to compete to the best of their ability until the brackets are set, THEN you can lock out the bunch of losers not worthy of championship contention! :wacko:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you league like mine and alot of leagues has a weekly prize then they should be allowed to compete. The last 2 weeks a team out of contention has won the $25 weekly prize in my legaue brining down there amount owed at the end. And this week I play a team out of contention . I need a win to get in. the other team I am competing for the last playoff spot with would want the team I am playing to be competitive and try to beat me. Waiver Wire moves cost money in my league so that usually keeps teams out of it from making mves but if they want they should be allowed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For our league it is this:

 

Free Agency Pickup runs until the end of our normal fantasy football season (week 13). If you have a game to play, you have the right to the waiver wire.

 

Once the playoffs start, only the teams playing in the upcoming week's game can do WW picks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the best way to mitigate this is to still give all owners something to play for. high score of the week, loser's bracket for playoffs ... something. then everyone has a reason to keep making moves and compete.

 

Agreed. We award $$ to weekly high scorer from week 1 to week 17. It gives incentive to teams who are out of the playoffs, and also avoids the issue of locking rosters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your rules need to be reworded. The way it reads(to me)now is that you are eliminated from the playoff, therefore, you can't make any moves. It shouldn't be this way though. If you had to get another QB to fill in for Warner(if he does not play), then you wouldn't be able to do it if you were locked. You should be able to make moves regardless up until the end of the season. There are teams that could be counting on one of the eliminated teams to win to slide in to the playoffs. You should be able to field the most competitive team that you can bottom line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information