Dynasty Roster Size & Timing (1 Viewer)

[wlwiles]

Trying to see how other dynasty leagues do this because I feel like mine does it backwards. 25 man roster + 2 IR so most owners enter the offseason with 27 people rostered. FA is closed once Week 17 is over. Our rookie draft is usually in July, and 1 week prior we have to trim down rosters. 5 round rookie draft, so if you've got 5 picks then you trim to 20. If you've got 7 picks, you trim to 18 -- you cut as many people as you need so that you come out of the rookie draft with no more than 25 total players, with both IR spots cleared. Then after the draft, FA opens up (daily FAAB waivers) and it's back to normal again.

It feels like cutdowns should be after the draft, or am I crazy? If I cut down to 20, and have 5 picks, but then during the draft lets say I swap my first for two later ones, I have to cut a guy to make room for 6 picks. But then if I trade two picks for one, now I come out of the draft with 24 people and I can't get that guy back that I cut without a FAAB bid.

How do other leagues accomplish this?

 

[TartanLion]

In one league, we expand our roster from 25 to 30 just before rookie draft then we have to cut it back down to 25 before the first week of the season. It gives extra room so your drops are nominal and allows you to track your deeper stash players through pre season before having to make ant decisions

 

[Boston]

Very partial to how we do our 2 leagues...one is a 10 teamer with 25 roster spots and the other is 14 teams with 26 roster spots (rules are the same but they are two very different worlds due to the sizes)...there is unlimited IR during our season (this helps with trades and waivers since there aren't roster spots taken up by guys not playing), but you have to cut down to 25 or 26 right after the Super Bowl and there is no IR in the offseason...we have the rookie draft a few weeks after the real draft...after the rookie draft you are allowed to have a roster size of 25 or 26 plus the amount of draft picks you have...this has added another layer of strategy to the leagues...we then have a cutdown date to 25 or 26 about a week before week 1...waivers and trading are allowed all year long (zero restrictions there).

 

[Mingooch]

In my league we drop a player as we add a player, not a whole group prior to the draft.

 

[BearsFan4Life]

14 team - no ppr
20 man rosters - no IR
FA closes after Week 17 and opens after rookie draft is complete
2 round rookie draft in late July

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

@wlwiles For what it's worth, the commissioner in my MFL dynasty does it pretty much the same way your league does it, and I also have the same feelings that you do about it.

Drop-add lock is coming up in the next couple of weeks. Roster size 24. If we have all five of our draft picks, then we cut it down to 19 (max roster size into the draft). If we have 8 picks, then we cut it down to 16.

Arse backwards. Having a lot of late round rookie picks shouldn't be a liability that requires a smaller roster going into the draft. Would much rather have a universal draft cutdown to 19, and then a temporary expanded roster size for pre-season, have to get back to the normal 24-man just before regular season starts. It would give 5th round draft picks more value.

Nobody has ever had to forfeit draft picks, but there's usually 5th round giveaways for a couple of FAAB.

 

[menobrown]

A lot of people here, myself included, play in a lot of FFPC leagues and they used to have cutdown from 20+I whoever you might have on up to 3 IR spots down to 16 BEFORE free agency. Thankfully a few years ago they moved it to March 31st so most of FA is done.

I'm in a few private leagues and it's pretty close to the same timeline. One league allows for cuts up to a week before the draft but none of my leagues have cuts after the draft and I'm good with that, but was really difficult back when cuts were due before FA started.

 

[eighsse2]

My league sounds similar to yours (@wlwiles). 12 teams, 20 man active roster (+5 IR), PPR, 1QB. You can make drops or trades all offseason. Then a cut deadline is set for a few days prior to the draft (which is usually just a few days before the regular season begins). You have to cut down to 20 or fewer, and you technically have unlimited picks (well, ultimately limited at 20 of course). Also, if it isn't obvious, even if you keep guys who are injured, you draft only up to 20 total. As far as the issue of trading during the draft, well ... I don't think, to my knowledge, anyone has ever done that in this league. But if someone did make a consolidating trade, I guess it would just free up whatever their next pick would be? And the person on the other end of the trade would lose their last pick that they were expecting to have?

Just for curiosity's sake, in our league, 1.01-2.12 are all essentially always used. Not sure if I've ever seen a pick in that range go unused. The first unused pick is usually around 3.4-3.8 I'd say. And maybe only about half of the 4th round picks are used. Zero to three fifth rounders get used. And maybe a single sixth every two or three years.

ETA: Oh, another thing. Sounds like most people here go straight from the draft to free agency. We actually have a short period of free-for-all adds and drops (well, not free, they still cost the normal transaction fee, but "open add/drops"). Or, is that what free agency is? I guess there is a difference between waivers and FA.

 

[Crippler]

our league is 50 man rosters with max 4 of development squad(IDP). Unlimited IR. After season we carry all these players until start of season. The draft is 5 rounds and if you had 20 picks carry to cut time. We allow 30 waiver wire moves per year. After draft you can pickup whoever you want and carry. We call it Free Agent frenzy after draft. Some owners get up close to 80 guys. We have had guys run out of waiver wire picks by week 1. We cutdown 24 hours before kickoff.

wild Wild West type of stuff here. Love it

 

[wlwiles]

My league sounds similar to yours (@wlwiles). 12 teams, 20 man active roster (+5 IR), PPR, 1QB. You can make drops or trades all offseason. Then a cut deadline is set for a few days prior to the draft (which is usually just a few days before the regular season begins). You have to cut down to 20 or fewer, and you technically have unlimited picks (well, ultimately limited at 20 of course). Also, if it isn't obvious, even if you keep guys who are injured, you draft only up to 20 total. As far as the issue of trading during the draft, well ... I don't think, to my knowledge, anyone has ever done that in this league. But if someone did make a consolidating trade, I guess it would just free up whatever their next pick would be? And the person on the other end of the trade would lose their last pick that they were expecting to have?

Just for curiosity's sake, in our league, 1.01-2.12 are all essentially always used. Not sure if I've ever seen a pick in that range go unused. The first unused pick is usually around 3.4-3.8 I'd say. And maybe only about half of the 4th round picks are used. Zero to three fifth rounders get used. And maybe a single sixth every two or three years.

ETA: Oh, another thing. Sounds like most people here go straight from the draft to free agency. We actually have a short period of free-for-all adds and drops (well, not free, they still cost the normal transaction fee, but "open add/drops"). Or, is that what free agency is? I guess there is a difference between waivers and FA.

I hadn't even considered the ability of forfeiting a late pick if your roster is full. So if I enter the draft with 20 players and 5 picks (25 being the limit) and then a draft day trade has me headed towards 26 players, I'd love to be able to have the option of forfeiting my last round pick vs. dropping another player. What platform do you play on that allows this? We're on Sleeper...if it's allowed on there then I just wasn't aware of it but I'll bring it up to the commish. Thx GB

 

[eighsse2]

My league sounds similar to yours (@wlwiles). 12 teams, 20 man active roster (+5 IR), PPR, 1QB. You can make drops or trades all offseason. Then a cut deadline is set for a few days prior to the draft (which is usually just a few days before the regular season begins). You have to cut down to 20 or fewer, and you technically have unlimited picks (well, ultimately limited at 20 of course). Also, if it isn't obvious, even if you keep guys who are injured, you draft only up to 20 total. As far as the issue of trading during the draft, well ... I don't think, to my knowledge, anyone has ever done that in this league. But if someone did make a consolidating trade, I guess it would just free up whatever their next pick would be? And the person on the other end of the trade would lose their last pick that they were expecting to have?

Just for curiosity's sake, in our league, 1.01-2.12 are all essentially always used. Not sure if I've ever seen a pick in that range go unused. The first unused pick is usually around 3.4-3.8 I'd say. And maybe only about half of the 4th round picks are used. Zero to three fifth rounders get used. And maybe a single sixth every two or three years.

ETA: Oh, another thing. Sounds like most people here go straight from the draft to free agency. We actually have a short period of free-for-all adds and drops (well, not free, they still cost the normal transaction fee, but "open add/drops"). Or, is that what free agency is? I guess there is a difference between waivers and FA.

I hadn't even considered the ability of forfeiting a late pick if your roster is full. So if I enter the draft with 20 players and 5 picks (25 being the limit) and then a draft day trade has me headed towards 26 players, I'd love to be able to have the option of forfeiting my last round pick vs. dropping another player. What platform do you play on that allows this? We're on Sleeper...if it's allowed on there then I just wasn't aware of it but I'll bring it up to the commish. Thx GB

We're on CBS but we do a live draft on paper, then commish enters the picks manually as adds within an hour or two after the draft, then add/drops are turned on. That's only how I assume we would handle an unbalanced mid-draft trade, if one were to ever happen.

 

[runner06]

Our league is as follows

12-team league 24 man roster + 2 IR spots during regular season.

1. Teams must cut down to 24 players (active + IR) by February 15th (Wednesday after Super Bowl) so teams can carry only 24 players into the offseason.
2. Trading opens up again after the end of the 3rd day of the NFL Draft so April 29th. Roster size is unlimited at this point. However, waivers/free agency are locked so you can't claim or pick anyone up.
3. Our league rookie/free agent draft occurs in late May / early June. Players may continue to carry an unlimited number of players.
4. Teams must cut down to 24 players (IR players don't count towards total this time) by the Saturday before the NFL season starts so September 2nd this year.
5. We finally have waivers process on the Monday before the season starts so September 4th. Teams may then pick up free agents.

 

[Lehigh98]

Trying to see how other dynasty leagues do this because I feel like mine does it backwards. 25 man roster + 2 IR so most owners enter the offseason with 27 people rostered. FA is closed once Week 17 is over. Our rookie draft is usually in July, and 1 week prior we have to trim down rosters. 5 round rookie draft, so if you've got 5 picks then you trim to 20. If you've got 7 picks, you trim to 18 -- you cut as many people as you need so that you come out of the rookie draft with no more than 25 total players, with both IR spots cleared. Then after the draft, FA opens up (daily FAAB waivers) and it's back to normal again.

It feels like cutdowns should be after the draft, or am I crazy? If I cut down to 20, and have 5 picks, but then during the draft lets say I swap my first for two later ones, I have to cut a guy to make room for 6 picks. But then if I trade two picks for one, now I come out of the draft with 24 people and I can't get that guy back that I cut without a FAAB bid.

How do other leagues accomplish this?

Section IV: Rosters​

In-season (September 1st through W17)
Rosters will be 25 max, 10 IR spots, and 10 taxi squad spots.
IR slots only available to players designated as IR or OUT with injury (no suspended players, etc).
Taxi squad players do not score for your team.
There are no restrictions on timing of moving players on and off of taxi squad aside from when rosters lock for games.
Only rookies and devy players are eligible to be placed on the Taxi squad.
All Devy players need to be on the Taxi Squad, they're not allowed on the Active roster (unless you already have 10 Devy players on Taxi Squad)
Rosters need to be at in-season requirements by September 1st at 8pm ET.

Off-season (After W17 - August 31st)
Rosters will be 35 max, you may go over during any draft.
IR / Taxi squad is turned off after W17 to August 31st and all IR / Taxi squad players are moved to active roster.
If you fail to meet requirements by deadline, you will locked out of trading and waivers.
If it's not fixed by Week 1, you'll receive a ZERO for Week 1.
If it's fixed by start of Week 2, you may be removed from the league.

Starting Lineup
This is a Best Ball, MFL will select your highest scoring lineup.
10 starters
1 QB, 1 RB, 1 WR, 1 TE, 5 Flex (RB, WR, TE), 1 Superflex (QB, RB, WR, TE)
Player is locked at kickoff of their game.

 

[Gally]

Our league has 45 man rosters in season (full IDP) but we only keep 15 players year to year. Our timeline is as follows:

• June 1st - Start of new league season. Roster is 45 man active players, 5 IR slots, 6 Taxi squad (2 rookies each rookie year and they can stay on the TS for three years)
• Two Weeks prior to draft: Provide your freeze list of 15 (or $250 salary max). TS does not count against the salary cap or the 15 freeze spots. The other players on your roster (but not on your freeze list) become Restricted Free Agents (RFA). They are no longer on your roster but you have matching rights to the winning bid provided you have the cap space and draft pick necessary to acquire them in the auction.
• Draft: Consists of two phases. There is a Restricted Free Agent Auction prior to the draft. Any team that has cap space (freezes totaled less than $250) is eligible to participate in the auction and use up their remaining cap space. You must also have draft picks in rounds 1-5 because every RFA you win in the auction it costs you draft pick. Starts in round 5 and moves back towards round 1. If you don't have cap space or draft picks in those rounds you cannot participate in the auction. All non rookie players are eligible for the auction. The winning bid sets their salary.
• Draft (Phase 2): 25 round draft. All players (including rookies) are eligible for the draft (college players are not eligible. Player must have declared for the NFL draft to be eligible for our draft). Each round has a salary associated with it but it doesn't count against the salary cap until the following year provided that player is frozen as one of your 15 freezes.

We start 16 players so you essentially get to keep a starting lineup from year to year. Our format allows for player movement and allows you to keep a core team provided they don't price themselves out of being able to be kept. Players drafted or acquired in the auction are eligible for up to a 3-yr contract at that salary. This locks them into that salary and protects them from escalation. If a player is not under contract and they finish in the top 15 of their position their salary will escalate based on the finish. Increase goes from $5 minimum up to an average of the top 5 salaries at that position (QB is currently $76).

This format works really well and gives the fun of having an auction and a draft every year. The draft date (auction and draft happen back to back) is typically the Saturday before Labor Day weekend.