Does Anyone Stop Free Agency Prior To Playoffs ?

[fatguylittlecoat 13]

Seeing if any leagues stop free agency before the playoffs for whatever reason. One of our reasons was we didn't want weaker teams to take advantage of waiver priority to have a continued advantage during the most important weeks of the season. It's kind of backfiring because if a team only carries two QB's and they both get injured in the same week, say week 14, then that owner is screwed in weeks 15 and 16 which are our playoffs. Any thoughts one way or the other ?

[Hardcore troubadour 12,660]

Go to team QB and only allow each team two.

[mobb_deep 917]

I close FA's in some capacity in both leagues I commish.

 

One is a dynasty with 30 man rosters. We close FA's completely at the start of the playoff's. Obviously this scenario is a bit different, because with 30 man rosters, most teams carry their own backup QB's. We've never had an issue with a playoff team not having a QB to start.

 

The other league is a standard redraft, where I only lock teams who do not make the playoff. Teams in the playoffs can still pick up FA's (to avoid the scenario you described).

[Mike FF Today 608]

I'm in 8 season-long leagues this season. One (1) league doesn't allow free agent picks after Week 13, to curtail collusion opportunities. I had to drop some depth from my RB and WR group to pickup an extra QB and K in case I lose someone at those positions. It's maddening, and frustrating and I'm hoping to get the rule changed next season. Teams that make the playoffs should be allowed to make transactions for the duration of the season.

[erknjerk 4]

We trade & do free agency the whole year. We do FAAB. We do this in both my leagues, one is a 2 person keeper auction & the other is a dynasty.

[The Football Guru 212]

I'm in 8 season-long leagues this season. One (1) league doesn't allow free agent picks after Week 13, to curtail collusion opportunities. I had to drop some depth from my RB and WR group to pickup an extra QB and K in case I lose someone at those positions. It's maddening, and frustrating and I'm hoping to get the rule changed next season. Teams that make the playoffs should be allowed to make transactions for the duration of the season.

I'm in two TFC leagues and the league championship is decided this weekend. Free agency is closed after Week 12 as top-performing teams enter the four-week "The Fantasy Championship" round. I'm not a big fan of no free agency during this time; I'm lucky I had enough RB depth to survive the mid-week loss of Mark Ingram (and we are only two weeks into the championship round phase) and win the league title. Anything above and beyond that will be gravy.

[jgcrawfish 232]

I'm in a league for first time that does stop FA. Pickups end on the last sunday of the regular season. I should also mention it's a 24 team league (well 12 teams x 2), so the playoffs start a week earlier than most leagues. Is a challenge because rosters are only 14 anyway. I sort of got screwed by the Gronk inj becuase i had pickup an extra TE and had the forthought enough to go ahead and get an extra QB (lost Dalton this weekend). Now even more screwed with Vincent Jackson getting injured. My season is pretty much over, even if Lamar Miller makes up the 34+ pts deficit I started in tonight (he's a 19, need 16 more).

[shutdown 40]

Seeing if any leagues stop free agency before the playoffs for whatever reason. One of our reasons was we didn't want weaker teams to take advantage of waiver priority to have a continued advantage during the most important weeks of the season. It's kind of backfiring because if a team only carries two QB's and they both get injured in the same week, say week 14, then that owner is screwed in weeks 15 and 16 which are our playoffs. Any thoughts one way or the other ?

We allow only one FAAB transaction per team for the duration of the playoffs. This helps a team deal with the scenario you've presented.

[RepoPatrol 14]

Go to team QB and only allow each team two.

I really like this option.

 

Our league opened up waivers during playoffs for the first time this year, with the caveat that no player who was on a Week `13 roster can be picked up. Lucky for me as i had both Yeldon and Stewart go out.

[Super Cubs 132]

We close waivers week 11, but we also expand the rosters from 16 to 18.

[RedsHawks 6]

We prohibit FA pickups in the playoffs except in the following circumstance(s):

• Pick-ups in playoffs allowed only if all players on the owner’s roster at a position are injured and can't play (ruled as OUT or on IR on the official NFL injury report); if this condition is met, one free pick-up per player meeting above conditions is allowed. Dropped player can't be picked up again.

 

So, if you only have one QB and he's listed as OUT or on IR, you can make an emergency pickup. But, if he's Questionable or Doubtful, you're screwed. If someone had only Rawls and Blount on their roster, they could make pickups for one or both.

 

We also use bench players (rank three in order of who you think will score the most that week) to break ties in the playoffs, so it encourages teams to have more than one player at a position on their roster.

[SexyRexy 60]

We don't allow non playoff teams to make waiver claims during the playoffs. But they're then free to pick up players once waivers clear bc we have a consolation bowl

[Super Cubs 132]

We don't allow non playoff teams to make waiver claims during the playoffs. But they're then free to pick up players once waivers clear bc we have a consolation bowl

that does not really sound fair to the teams in the consolation bowl.

[redsrback 30]

You guys make things difficult. All things solved with a toilet bowl. Playoff winners first pick-up then others. No collusion, more money for pick-ups. No fun going into play-offs and finding out you don't have Rawls or Jonathon Stewart and another RB being rested for playoffs after you spent weeks to get there because of a lazy commish that don't know how things work late into a football season.

[posty 2,296]

No...

[smash-a-mus 6]

We lock teams that are out of playoffs from making any roster changes.

[32Enforcer 0]

For the longest time whoever was on your roster at the end of our league's regular season (wk 14) was what you went to battle with. The last 3-4 years it's been changed to allow a single transaction per team during the playoffs (weeks 15-17).

[SexyRexy 60]

that does not really sound fair to the teams in the consolation bowl.

They can still make roster moves with free agents. It would be more unfair to the teams competing for a championship nobody in the league has ever filed a complaint over it

[IGotWorms 3,317]

I would like a rule that locks rosters for the playoffs, like they have in the real NFL. I dunno, just seems kinda whack that you can pick up some scrub off the wire who then miraculously helps you to a playoff win. You should have to dance with the guys that brung ya, IMO.

 

Problem is then you have the scenario described in the OP where a team's entire stable of QBs, TEs or K gets hurt. So I don't think it's a workable rule except in leagues with incredibly deep benches.

[thewrathofkuhn 40]

I recommend limiting the total number of transactions allowed for each team for the entire season (Week 1-16) to 20-25 each.

 

This forces owners to be judicious with their add/drops and pace themselves as they progress towards the playoffs. It adds another level of GM acumen to the game.

 

We've found 25 to be about perfect. (They also cost $1 each) There are currently 2 playoff teams out of add/drops, a few with 2 or 3 and the rest under 10.

 

If you pair this with small benches of 5 or 6 it really makes for an exciting waiver Tuesday (and Friday for dropped players) and forces owners to run a tight ship all year.