Starting a Keeper Fantasy League

[Blaneyfan 0]

Hi Folks

Some buddies and I are starting a keeper fantasy league this year. There will be 6 of us that have played together in freebies for 5 yrs and we are going to get 4-6 more players. 5 of us have been playing for longer than that but only together for 5yrs. There is only one guy that is fairly knew but he is quite competitive in nature and is catching on quickly. We expect it to be a fairly competitive league for mostly fun with a meager payout of around $100. $15 each and remainder after site paid out.

Are there any tips that any of you who have experience commishing a keeper league could offer me? I'd like to see this run smoothly from the start and would like to avoid any pitfalls I might run into.

I am prepared to do my homework before we even get talking about the draft, we probably won't do it until the week before the season starts so we should have time to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands all the rules, so nobody should have any need to biatch!

 

I have some things of specific interest:

1) Recruiting the right players. Is there anything that tells you right off to stay away from someone, as they are sure to be a problem in some way?

2)Scoring: Scoring schemes that work well?

3)How long until you determine a team "dead"? What do you do with them?

4)Playoffs, how many teams? What weeks, 14-15 or 15-16? Or over 3 weeks?

 

There's more but it's early and my coffee is getting cold!

Any help, or links to sites/articles, would be appreciated!

 

 

Cheers

[Blaneyfan 0]

A little more information.

The scoring as of now is very preliminary and hasn't been voted on. I just tentively put it this way to get the site set up.

TD = 6

2pt = 2

Xpt = 1

 

Rushing

1pt - 10yds

.25pt per attempt

 

Recieving

1pt - 20yds

.5 per reception

 

Passing

.25 per Completion

1pt per 40yds

 

Field Goals

0 - 30 = 3

31 - 50 = 4

51+ = 5

 

Standard team defense scoring

 

We will be starting:

1 - QB

2 - RB

2 - WR

1 - TE

1 - Flex (RB, WR, or TE)

1 - Kicker

1 - Team Def

 

I'm using Fanstar software. We are using it for our Nascar Pool this year and with 174 people in it, it is working well and we all like it. They also carry all sports and we play pretty much everything so it will be nice for me to have it all on one bill and pay it once a year, for all our fantasy sports.

 

I probably forgot some of the scoring but that's the meat of it.

 

Thanks in advance for any consideration and time you might give this thread!

 

Cheers

[Portis26 0]

1) I'm not a fan of points per attempt. -- > (rushing or passing) -

 

2) if you are using decimal point scoring, then let FG be the yardage amount. i.e. 43 yd FG is 4.3 points

 

3) Take the "Flex" position out and use 3 WRs - so one team doesn't eat up all the RBS - it will help in long run viablility of the league- IMO.

 

4) Depending on how many teams would determine how many teams should get into the playoffs. If you have 12 teams, maybe top 6 get in, top 2 teams have a bye... etc.

 

5) I am a fan of the week 17 Championship game -- but more people aren't.

 

6) Set a FIRM trade deadline

 

7) All monies should be paid up front - less problems down the road.

 

8) Determine "keeper" rules FIRST -- I'd start with ONE - keeper, and you lose the draft pick where that keeper was drafted in the previous year. SO players who drafted LJ in the 4th round, lose a 4th round pick--

 

9) Set roster limit... like 2 QBs, 4 RBs, 4 WRs, 2 TEs, 2 K, 2D --- it will keep the waiver wire active during the season.

[PistolPete2432 0]

Make sure the people that are trying to join your league check it often and actually like talking to people in the league, it seems to me the people that end up dropping out are the ones who never did any trades, who never responded to emails and everything like that

 

Make a rule where you have to field your best lineup and can't bench all your players to get better draft picks the next year

 

Teams in the playoffs does depend on the amount of people in your league, if 12 teams then 6 playoff teams with the top 2 teams getting byes in week 14, but if 10 teams then make it 4 teams in the playoffs starting in week 15, definately not a fan of having the championship during week 17 because its totally unfair to the owner that loses peyton or edge or anything like that

 

I wouldnt use points for carries and passes its just not necessary

[Blaneyfan 0]

Thanks guys! That's exactly the type stuff I was looking for!

 

Cheers

[EAwer 1]

for a slightly unique keeper league, relatively more realistic to the NFL, but hard to manage for the commish, check out the keeper/contract league rules @ USfantasysports.com

 

HTH

[G3-175SE 0]

1. Attempts - I am with the other people about rushing, passing & completions. Get rid of it or make it so small that it is only 1 or 2 points so that it doesn't make a big difference. Played in a league where is was a big difference and caused problems. I prefer not to use it,

 

2. 12 teams - 6 playoff teams (top 2 get first round bye), 10 teams 4 playoff teams.

 

3. Championship game - week 17. It has had very little effect on my leagues and that is what you draft backups for. It is no more unreasonable then using a backup on a bye week.

 

4. Have very specific bylaws posted where everyone can read them. Should cover any forseeable problem; draft, tiebreakers, keepers, team abandonment, bylaw changes etc. There are so many that it is hard to list them all here. And be prepared to make changes, ask the other owners for input during the offseason. I have found that it helps. I have compiled mine from looking at others and incorporating those features that I need. Every year I add something I didn't think of before.

 

You can look at one of mine at My Webpage

 

5. Definitely set roster limits for each position.

 

6. I don't like the FLEX option. Use it if you want but most people I play with like it better without FLEX, but that is just my opinion.

 

7. All money to be paid up front.

 

8. $15 is great if it is a local buddies league but if you want long term players from the internet you might want to set it to $50 or $75. I set up one last year for $50 and some won't play because not enough money.

 

9. If you are commissioner, be a commissioner, not a buddy. You can also run it with a committee if no one wants to lead.

 

10. If a TD is only worth 6 why would a FG be worth more than 3? I see the bonus for longer FG but not for longer TD runs/passes. I had bonus pts for longer TDs and FGs but found that it didn't work as well as I liked and most owners didn't like either so got rid of them.

 

All I can think of right now. Hope this helps.

 

And have fun!

[Stars 0]

8) Determine "keeper" rules FIRST -- I'd start with ONE - keeper, and you lose the draft pick where that keeper was drafted in the previous year. SO players who drafted LJ in the 4th round, lose a 4th round pick--

 

We started like this, but keepers skewed the league too much. We ended up with a diminishing system whereby you had to lose a draft pick 3 (or now 4) rounds before you drafted him.

 

Which is great for picking up sleepers who become stars, but means that you need to pick a sleeper or back-up if you want to retain a top RB etc.

 

It works well, I wouldn't change it. We retain one player at each position - but only if they're worth retaining, and the diminishing round system means that many aren't worth it.

 

Keeps the lower rounds of the draft interesting, anyway, particularly as many have different strategies from each other.

[G3-175SE 0]

We started like this, but keepers skewed the league too much. We ended up with a diminishing system whereby you had to lose a draft pick 3 (or now 4) rounds before you drafted him.

 

Which is great for picking up sleepers who become stars, but means that you need to pick a sleeper or back-up if you want to retain a top RB etc.

 

It works well, I wouldn't change it. We retain one player at each position - but only if they're worth retaining, and the diminishing round system means that many aren't worth it.

 

Keeps the lower rounds of the draft interesting, anyway, particularly as many have different strategies from each other.

 

To keep it simple we don't worry about losing draft picks due to keepers. You keep 3, each from a different position. YOu can keep as long as you want to keep them. I know a lot of people like to say keepers should lose you a draft pick in certain rounds but sounds like work to me. I like to keep it simple.