Converting a keeper to dynasty (1 Viewer)

[valhallan]

I have a few large issues to solve with my league and would like some Shark Pool insight. We voted to become a 12-team dynasty league this year after having been a 10-team keeper league for 2 years. Each of the 10 original teams has two keepers, but not all are “keeper material”. Our keeper set up was based on an free-lance article here at FBGs that described a redraft-dynasty hybrid league where the 7th round would be the “keeper” round and the player you draft in that round must be kept on your roster for 4 years, no matter what (including death). So after two years every team has 2 keepers but some are studs and some are duds. We have to develop a way to allow the original 10 owners the option of keeping their guys if they wish but also be fair to the 2 newcomers who have no keepers. Our best idea so far is to designate the 3rd and 4th round as “keeper decision” rounds, meaning you would have to use your third round pick to keep the first guy and your fourth to keep the other one. If you choose not to keep them, they fall into the draft pool. Keep in maind that some keepers are worth those picks (Fitz, Gore) while others are not (Arrington, Simms). Does that seem fair to you guys? Any other suggestions?

Also, we determined our draft order last year with playoffs and a toilet bowl bracket. Is it fair to leave the draft order as is, given that everyone played those games under a different set of assumptions about this year? How do we handle the 2 new teams? Our best idea so far is to institute a draft lottery like the NBA, giving the guy with the first pick the most chances in the hat and the league champion the least chances. The two new teams would be given the median amount of chances. Does that seem fair? Any other suggestions?

I really want to make sure this transition goes as smoothly and as fair as possible… any advice or stories of past experience with similar issues would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dave Stauff]

Seems to me your best approach would be to start from scratch, but you don't appear to want to do that.

Absent that alternative, what I would do is have a random drawing for the draft position of the two new franchises (roll a 12 side die or have a drawing that only involves those two new teams). Everyone else stays in draft order from last year, just slot these two in wherever they draw.

On keepers, to be fair to the new guys as well, I'd require teams to "declare" their intent to keep one or two of their players once the draft order is determined. If they keep one, they forfeit their round 1 pick. If they keep two, they forfeit rounds 1 and 2. This give them a choice but makes than declare their intentions before the actual draft starts. My two cents . . .

 

[valhallan]

Yes, starting from scratch would be the best but there's no way it would happen with this group of guys.

I like your idea about the draft order. That would at least mix the order up slightly and give the new guys a shot at a high pick.

Declaring keepers before the draft is definitely something we should do. I'm not sure the league would go for the 1st and 2nd round thing though because the keepers aren't your usual batch of LT, Peyton, SJax, etc. It runs the gamut from Fitz to B.Edwards, Gore to Arrington, Rivers to Simms. Only a handful are worth a first or second rounder, but several more are worth third or fourth rounders. I'm honestly hoping it's possible to come up with a way that doesn't involve forfeiting draft picks but there doesn't seem to be anything else that would be remotely fair.