Ideas for changes to league for upcoming season wanted!

[The Badfinger]

Our league is going on 14 years old.  Quick history:  Started as 10 team with basically standard ESPN rosters and scoring.  Expanded to a dreadful 16 teams as the commissioner wanted his new work friends in the league.   After a couple years, a personal argument with another guy and the commissioner caused the commissioner to resign.   I was co-commissioner only because we felt someone else should have access to the commissioner tools as the commissioner traveled a lot for his work.  So when he resigned, I took control and immediately kicked out his friends and got the league down to 10 teams.   At that time I kept it pretty much standard.  Over the last 2-3 years, a couple guys left  on good terms, and last year I kicked a guy out for just being an a$$hat.  Current league makeup is 7 guys from the original league and 3 guys from the golf course I now work at.  Everyone is a a big fan of the NFL and fantasy so it is all good.  And no complaints so far with some minor changes I have made along the way.

 

So last year was our 3rd year as a 2 QB league.  This year will be our first keeper year, with teams being able to keep up to 2 players.  I don't deviate from how the ESPN site handles this.  And I announced this change prior to the draft last year in order for everybody to draft accordingly and trade and/or obtain players last year with an eye to this year.

 

Now to my point.

 

All this is good and fine, but our league, at least to me, still feels a bit stagnant.  My goal has always been to have to actually manage your team...schedules, byes, etc.

 

These are the current league settings that are a bit away from the norm:

 

2 QBs.

2 Keepers

Each team can only roster a total of 4 RBs and 4 WRs.

Total transaction limit for acquiring players as FA's or off the waiver is limited to 40.

Trades can be made through the end of the season.  No voting.  Commissioner has sole authority for approval and their is no waiting period.

 

So....what other ideas to you guys have that you have tried with success to make your league more fun and more challenging?  Would like some ideas!

 

[1fastdoc]

When it comes to truly managing a team, jumping to a dynasty format made a huge difference.  In redraft, even with keepers, if things go south you're done.  We have a 22 man roster with 10 active and 12 bench plus IR.   First, being dynasty there is incentive to actively manage the team as a whole. Secondly, when your start WR goes down, you're not necessarily screwed as there are plenty of potential break out studs on the bench.  With 10 teams our Waiver Wire is very anemic but one guy got Deebo Samuel off it a coupe years ago.

 

So with that said, you could increase the number of keepers. Or, increase the bench so guys can draft and store prospects and handcuffs.  The latter can prevent a team from losing all hope if the WR1 or RB1 goes down.  I went from 6th to Champion one year thanks to a couple sneaky breakout players that I drafted late and turned into studs when I lost Thomas

 

If you still have a kicker, burn that stupid position.  

[Def.]

5 hours ago, 1fastdoc said:

If you still have a kicker, burn that stupid position.  

 

It's truly shocking how many people have a problem with this in leagues. 

[stevegrab]

7 hours ago, Def. said:

 

It's truly shocking how many people have a problem with this in leagues. 

 

In our league any suggested rule change is met with suspicion, somebody always thinks they are being screwed over. 

 

Our league is a bit larger, at 12 teams. We did try 16 for a short period (same thing had more people interested in joining a young league at work) but got quickly went back to 12. We have 5 keepers without any limits on position, years, no increasing cost each year. If you drafted Tom Brady when he rose to success, he could still be yours today. So in that regard it is a bit more dynasty than standard keeper. We have 9 starting slots and 9 bench slots, no limits on who is on your roster, if you want 6 QBs go ahead.  Staring slots QB-RB-RB-WR-WR-WR-TE-K-D.  I'd like to go back to having a flex spot, but most are opposed. (Average roster is 2-3QB, 4-5RB, 5-7WR, 1-2 TE and many teams only carry a single K or D most of the year.)

 

I like that you don't allow voting on trades, I always found that to be bush league stuff. We have two commissioners, the same 2 guys since the beginning, I am one of them. We've been at it going on 30 years now, and it has stagnated some. We've tweaked rules at time to keep things even/fair or to increase interest. But I think we are coming to an end in a few years, as both commissioners are burned out, nobody else wants to do it and some owners just go thru the motions. 

 

For your league, the limits on roster spots (RB/WR) could be hurting ability to have depth. Also the restriction on total transactions can impact teams that want to make a lot of moves. We charge $2 for every player added to a roster, one guy really doesn't care and regularly leads the league in moves made, sometimes he adds a guy early in the week and then finds somebody better before Sunday and replaces them before they ever had a chance to be active for a game. 

 

PS  Good luck keeping interest. 

[zing]

A few ideas

Get rid of position limits 

Have atleast 2 flex positions 

Increase starters and bench.

5 pt bonus for RB/WR over 100 yds.

5 pt bonus for QB over 300 yds.

No defense, players get pts for KR/PR yds and TD'S. ( pts for yds same as RB/WR) 

Edited May 25, 2022 by zing

[Henry Muto]

On 5/24/2022 at 8:25 PM, 1fastdoc said:

If you still have a kicker, burn that stupid position.  

 

I love kickers because so many people think this way and don't care and I can get an advantage and I will take any advantage people want to give me to help me win.

 

In 2014 I won $200,000 and in 2012 I won $100,000 both by less than 2 pts I had Janikowski and Gostkowski those 2 years 2 legendary kickers that helped win all that cash.

 

In 2014 Gostkowski was the #1 kicker scoring 172 pts between weeks 1-16.

 

In 2012 Janikowski has a legendary 20 point game in week 15 without that I don't win $100,000.

 

Edited May 26, 2022 by Henry Muto

[darin3]

47 minutes ago, Henry Muto said:

 

In 2012 Janikowski has a legendary 20 point game in week 15 without that I don't win $100,000.

 

 

This guy used to smash cars' side-view mirrors in downtown Walnut Creek, CA after getting wasted at the bars.  This was back when he was a rookie.    

[Def.]

33 minutes ago, Henry Muto said:

 

I love kickers because so many people think this way and don't care and I can get an advantage and I will take any advantage people want to give me to help me win.

 

In 2014 I won $200,000 and in 2012 I won $100,000 both by less than 2 pts I had Janikowski and Gostkowski those 2 years 2 legendary kickers that helped win all that cash.

 

In 2014 Gostkowski was the #1 kicker scoring 172 pts between weeks 1-16.

 

In 2012 Janikowski has a legendary 20 point game in week 15 without that I don't win $100,000.

 

 

Back before the NFL made changes sure you can say that, now 10 years later there is no consistency and it shows with how NFL teams are treating the position in general.  The past two years alone has had several expected starters cut with roster cut downs, some even without another kicker option even on the roster.  

 

I'm not going to repeat it all but I broke down the top 10 K's over the last 3 years and found only 1 kicker was in the top all 3 years and 2 others were on the list 2 of the 3 (and not necessarily back to back years either).  So that means out of a potential 30 names, 23 of them are unique over the last 3 years.  So next will be well certain teams will be there its just different kickers...nope 24 different teams span those 30 slots.

 

If you don't have one of those top 2 (maybe 3) then you're really not getting much difference PPG from the 4th to the 18th K.  Honestly think there maybe more strategy and less luck picking from the plethora of CBs you'll find in IDP leagues then kickers, which in redraft is just overspend to get Tucker and hope he don't get hurt (or released).     

[1fastdoc]

3 hours ago, Henry Muto said:

 

I love kickers because so many people think this way and don't care and I can get an advantage and I will take any advantage people want to give me to help me win.

 

In 2014 I won $200,000 and in 2012 I won $100,000 both by less than 2 pts I had Janikowski and Gostkowski those 2 years 2 legendary kickers that helped win all that cash.

 

In 2014 Gostkowski was the #1 kicker scoring 172 pts between weeks 1-16.

 

In 2012 Janikowski has a legendary 20 point game in week 15 without that I don't win $100,000.

 

 

My issues is that there is more luck than skill with this position.  I research everthing to death and looked for kickers that were on teams that could get down field but fail to get TD's.  Didn't work, still just dumb luck.  And in a dynasty league where many matches are within single digits, all the planning with the other positions is moot when a kicker fails to produce or has a banner game.

[boltnlava]

20 hours ago, 1fastdoc said:

 

My issues is that there is more luck than skill with this position.  I research everthing to death and looked for kickers that were on teams that could get down field but fail to get TD's.  Didn't work, still just dumb luck.  And in a dynasty league where many matches are within single digits, all the planning with the other positions is moot when a kicker fails to produce or has a banner game.

Noted. They would still have to get it through the uprights though right? At some point having a reliable kicker is optimal. Right? 

See: Chargers circa: forever.

[The Badfinger]

Consider this a consolidate response to all above...

 

I really like some suggestions, and others not so much.

 

Here is some of my reasoning for what I have done:

 

Roster Limits:  IMO it really makes one think about bye weeks when they draft.  And for RB's in particular, if you can only roster 4, lets say for example you draft Dalvin Cook.  For your 4th running back...do you draft Mattison or would you rather draft an  RB that would likely be in a committee situation and you would only use to cover 1 bye week in a perfect world?  Plus this always leaves some halfway decent WR/RB on waivers to pickup in case of injury.

 

Transactions Limits:  It prevents "that guy" from grabbing every hot player each week, or just adding and dropping 3-4 guys on Saturday to prevent others from using them that week.  I hate those guys...enough so that I quit another league because 2 guys do it all the time.  And for this league, I know they would never agree to pay a fee for each waiver claim.

 

Kickers/Defense/Etc:  Maybe a bit old school, but I just like seeing them on the roster, and there is a bit of strategy...weather, stadium, etc.  A little homework can make a difference.

 

Larger Bench:  No....just no.

 

Dynasty vs Keeper.  To me the draft night is the best single event of the entire fantasy season.  I think a dynasty league would just not be as fun.  And if our new 2-keeper league kills some fun, I might just kill that.  But most teams have 3-4 studs, so again keeping only 2 requires another hard decision...and I like those.

 

 

 

 

 

[darin3]

Roster limits are archaic.  I'd never take part in a league that forced you to keep a certain number of each position, plus-or-minus.  Let the owner run his team as he sees fit.  If he needs to make adjustments, let him do so via trade or waiver wire / free agency.

 

If you're hellbent on transaction limits, then cap them and make any additional beyond that cost the owner a buck (like an actual dollar) that ends up being accrued and added to the "most points" prize (if there isn't one, create one and go from there).

 

Having a couple keepers is fine.  Just stick to the usual "give up the round you drafted them in" rule.

Edited May 28, 2022 by darin3

[League_Champion]

17 hours ago, darin3 said:

Roster limits are archaic.  I'd never take part in a league that forced you to keep a certain number of each position, plus-or-minus.  Let the owner run his team as he sees fit.  If he needs to make adjustments, let him do so via trade or waiver wire / free agency.

 

If you're hellbent on transaction limits, then cap them and make any additional beyond that cost the owner a buck (like an actual dollar) that ends up being accrued and added to the "most points" prize (if there isn't one, create one and go from there).

 

Having a couple keepers is fine.  Just stick to the usual "give up the round you drafted them in" rule.

 

I agree with this 

[Ramhock]

Just sharing an unusual waiver rule that our 38 year, TD only, redraft league has.  12 teams and still have 6 original owners.  Back in the day, waivers weren't as prevalent.  We started with adding a player after weeks, 3, 6 & 9. Order from formula for worst to first.  That is it, never changed.  Otherwise, make a trade.  It puts more emphasis on the draft.  I have always preferred that emphasis.

[The Badfinger]

On 5/27/2022 at 7:52 PM, darin3 said:

Roster limits are archaic.  I'd never take part in a league that forced you to keep a certain number of each position, plus-or-minus.  Let the owner run his team as he sees fit.  If he needs to make adjustments, let him do so via trade or waiver wire / free agency.

 

If you're hellbent on transaction limits, then cap them and make any additional beyond that cost the owner a buck (like an actual dollar) that ends up being accrued and added to the "most points" prize (if there isn't one, create one and go from there).

 

Having a couple keepers is fine.  Just stick to the usual "give up the round you drafted them in" rule.

 

On 5/28/2022 at 1:04 PM, League_Champion said:

 

I agree with this 

 

I have been playing FF for 12 years now.  I know many have played longer.  But I have never been in a  league that had a cap on a position.   But of course there really was a limit just because there was an overall roster limit and any good manager would be stashing a backup QB, keeping a spot to cover bye weeks if they had a kicker or DST they did not want to drop, etc.   I have never been in one where there was a cap.  Again last year our cap was 4 for RB and WR.  I think it was good for 3 reasons:  More strategy during the draft,  eliminated the guys that just pickup players they don't need just to block another team, and it was unlike the standard leagues most of us were also in...something different.  And they must have liked it because 8 of the 9 other guys are coming back next year...the 9th moved to Europe and I am having trouble contacting him, but I think he will be back as well.

[The Badfinger]

On 5/30/2022 at 10:06 AM, Ramhock said:

Just sharing an unusual waiver rule that our 38 year, TD only, redraft league has.  12 teams and still have 6 original owners.  Back in the day, waivers weren't as prevalent.  We started with adding a player after weeks, 3, 6 & 9. Order from formula for worst to first.  That is it, never changed.  Otherwise, make a trade.  It puts more emphasis on the draft.  I have always preferred that emphasis.

 

Now this is an idea I can get behind...might have to think about his. 

 

[stevegrab]

On 5/30/2022 at 11:06 AM, Ramhock said:

Just sharing an unusual waiver rule that our 38 year, TD only, redraft league has.  12 teams and still have 6 original owners.  Back in the day, waivers weren't as prevalent.  We started with adding a player after weeks, 3, 6 & 9. Order from formula for worst to first.  That is it, never changed.  Otherwise, make a trade.  It puts more emphasis on the draft.  I have always preferred that emphasis.

A TD only league, still after almost 40 years?  Now that's old school.

 

I've tried to lobby for our waiver order to not reset every week, but say every 2-3 weeks. It would add some strategy allowing you to wait to use that high waiver spot on a better asset. But our league going on 30 years old is very resistant to change (fractional scoring was our last big one 2-3 years ago). 

[slinger]

On 5/27/2022 at 5:31 PM, The Badfinger said:

Dynasty vs Keeper.  To me the draft night is the best single event of the entire fantasy season.  I think a dynasty league would just not be as fun.  And if our new 2-keeper league kills some fun, I might just kill that.  But most teams have 3-4 studs, so again keeping only 2 requires another hard decision...and I like those.

 

It sounds like you're trying to improve the wrong area of the league. If Draft Night is the best single event of the season, what can you do to make that night better? My league is 16 years old. It is an Auction, Keeper league, and it works for the group. We do an in person draft each year and it is the best night for everyone. I have a couple of owners, who say they take the regular season, sort of serious, but draft night is why they stay in the league and cannot wait for it every year. I do tweak my rules each year, just a few things, and if I don't like it, we adjust it or switch it back. I recently created a Draft Night packet for everyone to take home with them. 

[Docniner]

I commish a league where we have 4 keepers. Start 2 QBs, 2RB,2WR,1TE,1PK,1D/ST. Things still work well but some guys wanted a little spice to the league so we decided to go with Individual Defensive Players. You could start 1DB(cb,s), 1DE/EDGE/IL, 1LB. Since we added IDP's I.expanded total roster size to accommodate the defense additions. Your team could carry 2 players max at the defensive positions to allow for bye weeks. Scoring for the def. Positions were 1pt.sack,1pt.int's,1pt.forced fumbles,1pt.fumble recovery, 2pts.safety. The addition worked well for the guys and.they seemed a.little more interested/involved in their teams. Another thing we added last year was 2 spots for.the TAXI SQUAD. You could only carry rookies at those 2 spots. So to sum up, the additions we made invigorated the league. One thing about adding IDP's is there are plenty of that produce good numbers. It's just not limited to a handful of stud players. Also, there.seems to be decent players available on the waiver wire.

             We incorporated  several year back 2 IR spots as well. It's a fact that players are gonna get injured and this allows to put guys on IR without having to lose.said players to your team. To qualify for IR the player had to at least declared Doubtful/or out, Covid rules(per NFL rules), suspended(set to return after Sus.) Once the team takes.said players OFF IR you must return them to your active roster the following week and make adjustments according to your league rules.

         I just listed some of the things we did to spice up owner involvement. Guys have liked the changes we've made and they have all returned in the following years.