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There are many different types of leagues in which one could draft Jamal Lewis.
photo by Icon Sports Media, Inc
Creating a league to fit the players
by Doug Thonus on August 06 2008
Sponsored by: Time Warner Cable & Metro Sports
Stay on top of NFL player analysis, rankings and feature articles with Fantasy Huddle, brought to you by Time Warner Cable & Metro Sports. Content republished with permission from original publishing company.
Are you new to Fantasy Football and want to step into the experience slowly, or have you played for years and need to spice up the experience? Setting up a league may not seem like the most important thing as the options all seem similar, but the options chosen will greatly impact the style and difficulty of the league.
Regardless of experience level, every league needs a set of rules. It`s best to create a lead handbook document and pass it out to all members and make them sign it. No, this isn`t taking things too far. It will avoid a lot of arguments later. Explicitly state everything in it that can possibly be an issue.
Outside of the standard rules about scoring, rosters, waivers, playoffs and money split (if involved), consider rules addressing trades, collusion and ensuring bad teams play out the string.
Before creating that rulebook, consider the audience and set it up accordingly. The goal should always be creating a league that provides enjoyment for everyone. A league that`s too challenging may turn off newcomers or casual players. A league that`s too forgiving may annoy experienced vets.
The Beginner League
The beginner league is about creating an environment in order to make things as easy as possible on the user. Stick with a major league provider as most provide weekly default rankings and lineup advice, which provides a safety net to avoid the truly abysmal teams from forming.
Set up the league with standard yardage (no points-per-reception), TD scoring and a standard lineup: QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, K and DEF. Picking standard lineup requirements and scoring allows for more standard cheat sheets to provide reasonably accurate help for a newcomer.
Keep a short roster with 14 spots on it and put cap on the number of players available at any position at three. Set up your waivers in a worst to first processing method each week. The short roster ensures that plenty of talent exists on the waiver wire while the cap on players at a position will stop experienced players from hoarding all the running backs. The waiver priority will give worse teams a chance to improve.
Lastly, be generous with the number of teams allowed to enter the playoffs. The key is to get everyone involved and feeling like they have a chance, so going NBA style with the playoffs allowing half the teams in keeps most in the hunt throughout the season.
The Moderate League
This is the level most probably feel comfortable playing, and it only needs a few changes from the beginner league to remove the safety net.
Developing starting lineup requirements There are a wide variety of fun choices to use, and they are all acceptable for experienced players who should be able to alter their cheat sheets accordingly. One favorite is to go with QB, RB, 3 WRs, FLEX, TE, K and DEF. This lineup will play out as most teams using the flex player as a RB, but provides fair balance between RB and WR values.
Scoring changes are appropriate at this level, but should be considered carefully. Milestone bonuses, big play bonuses, reception scoring, or out of position TD bonuses are ways to significantly shake up your scoring system. However, be cautious when making changes and consider whether a change really makes sense or is just gimmicky.
The standard scoring system without the bonuses still may be best.
Are you new to Fantasy Football and want to step into the experience slowly, or have you played for years and need to spice up the experience? Setting up a league may not seem like the most important thing as the options all seem similar, but the options chosen will greatly impact the style and difficulty of the league.
Regardless of experience level, every league needs a set of rules. It`s best to create a lead handbook document and pass it out to all members and make them sign it. No, this isn`t taking things too far. It will avoid a lot of arguments later. Explicitly state everything in it that can possibly be an issue.
Outside of the standard rules about scoring, rosters, waivers, playoffs and money split (if involved), consider rules addressing trades, collusion and ensuring bad teams play out the string.
Before creating that rulebook, consider the audience and set it up accordingly. The goal should always be creating a league that provides enjoyment for everyone. A league that`s too challenging may turn off newcomers or casual players. A league that`s too forgiving may annoy experienced vets.
The Beginner League
The beginner league is about creating an environment in order to make things as easy as possible on the user. Stick with a major league provider as most provide weekly default rankings and lineup advice, which provides a safety net to avoid the truly abysmal teams from forming.
Set up the league with standard yardage (no points-per-reception), TD scoring and a standard lineup: QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, K and DEF. Picking standard lineup requirements and scoring allows for more standard cheat sheets to provide reasonably accurate help for a newcomer.
Keep a short roster with 14 spots on it and put cap on the number of players available at any position at three. Set up your waivers in a worst to first processing method each week. The short roster ensures that plenty of talent exists on the waiver wire while the cap on players at a position will stop experienced players from hoarding all the running backs. The waiver priority will give worse teams a chance to improve.
Lastly, be generous with the number of teams allowed to enter the playoffs. The key is to get everyone involved and feeling like they have a chance, so going NBA style with the playoffs allowing half the teams in keeps most in the hunt throughout the season.
The Moderate League
This is the level most probably feel comfortable playing, and it only needs a few changes from the beginner league to remove the safety net.
Developing starting lineup requirements There are a wide variety of fun choices to use, and they are all acceptable for experienced players who should be able to alter their cheat sheets accordingly. One favorite is to go with QB, RB, 3 WRs, FLEX, TE, K and DEF. This lineup will play out as most teams using the flex player as a RB, but provides fair balance between RB and WR values.
Scoring changes are appropriate at this level, but should be considered carefully. Milestone bonuses, big play bonuses, reception scoring, or out of position TD bonuses are ways to significantly shake up your scoring system. However, be cautious when making changes and consider whether a change really makes sense or is just gimmicky.
The standard scoring system without the bonuses still may be best.
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