Dynasty League Startup Advice (1 Viewer)

[scientist]

Experienced redraft commissioner, no dynasty experience

I've searched the forums and the Internet at large for Dynasty startup advice and I did find posts/sites related to charters and rules. I've read over a few charters now and I'm starting to get a good idea of what is needed as far as rules go. However, I'm wanting to start an IDP league with my friends, some of whom are not the sharpest tools in the shed. In a nutshell, I'm looking for advice on how to start a dynasty league that will have more depth than a simple keeper league, but not so complex that it's more of a job than a game. I don't want people to have to attend to their team every day in the off-season.

1) Which league management site is the most user-friendly that still remains functional? I'm thinking of using MyFantasyLeague.com.

2) Is an initial auction draft with salary cap and contracts the best way to go? Is going with a contract years cap easier (everyone gets a total of XX contract years to spend)? Should we have our first draft/auction after the 2009 rookie draft?

3) How can you incorporate RFAs, franchise tags, and transitional tags without making it burdensome? Are these features typically added more for fun and realism, or are they necessary? Would it work if all expiring contracts became unrestricted free agents?

These are just a few questions I have, any general advice anyone would like to share is welcome.

 

[PranksterJD]

Experienced redraft commissioner, no dynasty experience

I've searched the forums and the Internet at large for Dynasty startup advice and I did find posts/sites related to charters and rules. I've read over a few charters now and I'm starting to get a good idea of what is needed as far as rules go. However, I'm wanting to start an IDP league with my friends, some of whom are not the sharpest tools in the shed. In a nutshell, I'm looking for advice on how to start a dynasty league that will have more depth than a simple keeper league, but not so complex that it's more of a job than a game. I don't want people to have to attend to their team every day in the off-season.

1) Which league management site is the most user-friendly that still remains functional? I'm thinking of using MyFantasyLeague.com.

2) Is an initial auction draft with salary cap and contracts the best way to go? Is going with a contract years cap easier (everyone gets a total of XX contract years to spend)? Should we have our first draft/auction after the 2009 rookie draft?

3) How can you incorporate RFAs, franchise tags, and transitional tags without making it burdensome? Are these features typically added more for fun and realism, or are they necessary? Would it work if all expiring contracts became unrestricted free agents?

These are just a few questions I have, any general advice anyone would like to share is welcome.

I've started two leagues similar to what you're talking about. One was a set of rules that we made up ourselves. The other was a set of rules that I stole off another established league and modified slightly . The second option worked remarkably better that the first. So, my advice would be to go to Zealots or No Mercy or somewhere else that's been running for several years, and copy their charter, then make whatever small modifications you like. Just make sure whoever you copy has a baseline similar to what you want. For example... I copied Zealots classic leagues and added blind bid waivers. Not a big change since the "money" was already there. I wouldn't have felt comfortable adding something like contracts in since it drastically alters the league concept. Another source would have been a better starting point.Most importantly though, know your owners. My guys are not Shark Pool candidates. They just don't have that kind of to them to follow year round, and really just want to play for 4 months and mostly forget about it after that. As such, most of the suggestions you mention above would complicate the league past their interest level ( this was the problem with my first dynasty attempt, which failed ). Incorporating IDP and a short RFA period was about as much as I could get in without everyone losing interest because of complexity.

 

[valhallan]

What Prankster said. Those ideas you're throwing out are likely too much for a group not comprised of FBG-types. Heck, I spend most days here and on my two dynasty leagues yet I think IDPs and contracts would be a bit much.

Copying the rules of a more established league is a good idea. There are so many problems that can arise and you'll be ahead of the game by mimicking a league that has already ironed out the issues.

 

[scientist]

Thanks guys, I will definitely be doing what Prankster recommended and modify an existing charter. I've skimmed through Zealots, The Big League, and a coworker's private league. Mainly, I just want a league where you can keep your entire team, but at the same time make it cost too much cap room to extend everyone's contract out indefinitely, so that there is strategy involved in who you keep and how long you sign players for. So I need to come up with some sort of a contract system that can be easily managed either directly on the league website or by an Excel sheet I send out to everyone.

As an aside, the league my coworker is in is crazy, it's about as close of a simulation to NFL rules as you can get. The commish does his own website manually and lets owners designate a GM/HC/OC/DC to help manage the team. Way out of my league.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

Thanks guys, I will definitely be doing what Prankster recommended and modify an existing charter. I've skimmed through Zealots, The Big League, and a coworker's private league. Mainly, I just want a league where you can keep your entire team, but at the same time make it cost too much cap room to extend everyone's contract out indefinitely, so that there is strategy involved in who you keep and how long you sign players for. So I need to come up with some sort of a contract system that can be easily managed either directly on the league website or by an Excel sheet I send out to everyone.As an aside, the league my coworker is in is crazy, it's about as close of a simulation to NFL rules as you can get. The commish does his own website manually and lets owners designate a GM/HC/OC/DC to help manage the team. Way out of my league.

Bringing in contracts and salary cap etc will get very complicated and from what I gather of the people in your league, this may be too much for them. Take the Zealots rulebook if you want to use IDPs and skim it down it the rosters are too big for what you want.

 

[PranksterJD]

So I need to come up with some sort of a contract system that can be easily managed either directly on the league website or by an Excel sheet I send out to everyone.

Google docs is your friend if you **have** to go this route.

 

[C & C]

Thanks guys, I will definitely be doing what Prankster recommended and modify an existing charter. I've skimmed through Zealots, The Big League, and a coworker's private league. Mainly, I just want a league where you can keep your entire team, but at the same time make it cost too much cap room to extend everyone's contract out indefinitely, so that there is strategy involved in who you keep and how long you sign players for. So I need to come up with some sort of a contract system that can be easily managed either directly on the league website or by an Excel sheet I send out to everyone.As an aside, the league my coworker is in is crazy, it's about as close of a simulation to NFL rules as you can get. The commish does his own website manually and lets owners designate a GM/HC/OC/DC to help manage the team. Way out of my league.

What my league does may be a happy medium for you. At first glance it's on the complicated side....Franchise/Transtion Tags, Restricted Free Agents, Rookie Draft, salary, contracts, signing bonuses.In it's simple form...Franchise/Transition tags - enable you to keep a player after his contract expires, or gives you a commodity to trade. Franchise = avg of top 5 base salaries; Transition avg of the top 10 base salaries.Restricted Free Agents - Anyone acquired after the auction is signed to a 1 year deal with an owner option of a second year at double the base salary. -- gives owners a chance to keep players a second year who they were fortunate to find during the season.Rookie Draft -- 36 selections are made and the base salary is structured.salary/contract/signing bonus -- We have an auction; when you win the player in the auction you have to decide how long to keep the player (4 years is the max). 1 year = no signing bonus; 2 years = 10% signing bonus pro-rated over the contract; 3rd year is 25%; 4th is 40%. Anytime you cut a player before his contract runs out you get a cap hit.We run August-December. Alot of the guys in this league are your average fantasy players. Everyone enjoys the league as far as I know.If you think something like this is worth you looking into, pm me your e-mail address and I'll send you a copy of our rules. I'm also happy to answer any questions you or others may have.

 

[JoeSteeler]

I started up (with a friend) two dynasty leagues with salary structure, contracts, franchise players and holdouts. I liked the added realism and challenge of these types of leagues.

 

[seatownfavorite]

I run an auction keeper league and how we handle the keepers is to increase the salary on a scale:

1~20 add $5

21~40 add $10

41~60 add $15

over 60 add $20

It returns most of the high priced guys to the pool each year making for an entertaining draft, and it benefits the managers who find a gem at a low cost. AP went for $20 last season in a $200 cap and this year there was an early run on rookie backs, Stewart went for $48. Auction drafts are the way to go.