Keeper Leaguers: How do you combat teams tanking? (1 Viewer)

[Skoo]

In the 5th or 6th year of a keeper league where we keep 2 veterans and 1 rookie each year. That part, I like a lot.

What I don't like is that every year as soon as someone thinks they're out of it, they sell off all their good players for draft picks the following year.

It's week 5, and in a 10-team league 4 teams have already thrown in the towel. My team is incredibly stacked, but I still don't like it. There's 2 stacked teams, and everyone else.

We did institute a $75 penalty for the team that comes in last place, but no one cares because that means they also get the 1st pick the following season.

Anyone have any ways to combat this? I tried propsed adding more keepers and make it more like dynasty, but that didn't fly.

Thanks for any ideas

 

[LittlePhatty]

Been covered a lot, search the forum for the key word "tanking" and change the search option to Search Thread Titles Only.

 

[RenegadeRoy]

Don't allow trading of picks.

Also if four teams in a ten person league think they're done after week 4, then maybe you need a new league.

 

[mikel0254]

I'm in the tenth year of a 10 team, 2 keeper league. Every year people do this. There's nothing wrong with it in my mind. We have an unwritten rule that you must start your best possible lineup, but if someone wants to give up and sell their team, they should be allowed. But 4 teams selling after week 4 is incredibly early. I hate to be the guy who disses someones league, but I agree with RenegadeRoy...there might be something wrong with your league mates if they are giving up so quickly. In my league, it's typically only one or two teams at most who do this, but not until the week of the trade deadline, or two weeks before at the earliest. Everyone tries until they can't anymore. I would suggest moving your trade deadline to an earlier date, that way more teams think they still have a shot at the playoffs...but if 4 teams are already giving up, it's probably a solution that won't work.

It might be annoying, but it certainly helps your chances this year if you're only competing against 5 other teams, instead of 9.

 

[Skoo]

I'm in the tenth year of a 10 team, 2 keeper league. Every year people do this. There's nothing wrong with it in my mind. We have an unwritten rule that you must start your best possible lineup, but if someone wants to give up and sell their team, they should be allowed. But 4 teams selling after week 4 is incredibly early. I hate to be the guy who disses someones league, but I agree with RenegadeRoy...there might be something wrong with your league mates if they are giving up so quickly. In my league, it's typically only one or two teams at most who do this, but not until the week of the trade deadline, or two weeks before at the earliest. Everyone tries until they can't anymore. I would suggest moving your trade deadline to an earlier date, that way more teams think they still have a shot at the playoffs...but if 4 teams are already giving up, it's probably a solution that won't work.

It might be annoying, but it certainly helps your chances this year if you're only competing against 5 other teams, instead of 9.

Unfortunately I have considered quitting, as one of the others is planning to do next year. What stinks is that the league is full of guys I've known for years and see all the time, so that's the league we're always talking smack about. But yeah, quitting after 4 weeks is just ridiculous. A few years ago I started 1-3 and ended up as the #1 seed in the playoffs. It's not like real sports, teams can rip off 7 games in a row after losing the first few.

It's also tough to leave behind my keepers....will get to choose from Bell/Gronk/Antonio for 2 keepers and Yeldon/Abdullah for the rookie keeper.

Thanks for the input though guys.

 

[Bossman]

Put that $75 up for grabs in a "Toilet Bowl" playoff system.

All the teams that didn't make the Championship playoffs would qualify ... including the guy that paid $75 for finishing last.

 

[Skoo]

Put that $75 up for grabs in a "Toilet Bowl" playoff system.

All the teams that didn't make the Championship playoffs would qualify ... including the guy that paid $75 for finishing last.

I should've mentioned, we actually already do that. We have a pretty cool little toilet bowl trophy too.

Was a good idea, unfortunately it didn't have the desired effect.

 

[bonscott]

Easy.

1) First off since you only keep 3 players it's basically a redraft. You should never allow future draft picks to be traded, you only open yourself up for this. Leave trading future draft pick trading to dynasty leagues (where you keep all your players).

2) Toilet bowl for the top pick. This alone keep teams from totally tanking it. You still need to be "good" to get a better pick. Winner of the TB gets the #1 pick, loser gets #2, winner of the consolation game gets #3 and so forth.

3) Charge for low score of the week. We charge $5 for low score of the week and high score gets $10 they win (thus half of that is paid by the low score).

4) And true tanking will be dealt with harshly with people being removed from the league if it's that bad.

I have a new guy in my local keeper league (IDP, keep 5 of 28) and he's 0-4 going on 0-5. He's trying to sell off non-keepable good players to playoff bound teams for keepers. But he even has said in his trade posts that he won't just gut his team because he needs to stay competitive so he's not paying $5 every week for low score and he wants to get as high a pick next year as he can. Now this is a guy that gets it and glad I brought him in.

 

[mikel0254]

Put that $75 up for grabs in a "Toilet Bowl" playoff system.

All the teams that didn't make the Championship playoffs would qualify ... including the guy that paid $75 for finishing last.

I should've mentioned, we actually already do that. We have a pretty cool little toilet bowl trophy too.

Was a good idea, unfortunately it didn't have the desired effect.

We have a toilet bowl as well. The winner gets the first pick in the draft the next year. And we don't snake our draft, so whoever wins the toilet bowl gets first pick in every round. So there's certainly incentive to have some talent on your squad at the end of the year

 

[bjabrad]

High points for the week gets $25 and 2nd place gets $15. So even when they start to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs they can still win money each week.

Top six teams make the playoffs. Bottom 6 teams have their own playoff called the ToiletBowl with the winner getting the #1 draft pick the next year.

 

[Tool]

can you explain why 4 teams are quitting after 4 weeks? That seems odd.

 

[IheartGuinness]

In our league, teams that don't make the playoffs play for draft position for the following year. There's no "toilet bowl" or anything like that. The cumulative scores of all non playoff teams are tallied throughout the post season. Highest total gets to choose his draft spot. Second highest gets next choice, etc.

 

[Fariq]

can you explain why 4 teams are quitting after 4 weeks? That seems odd.

They are tools

 

[Jack White]

Don't combat it; embrace it. It's part of the deal in keeper leagues.

I agree, though, that future draft picks should not be traded.

But trading a stud for a good keeper for next year?

Totally legit.

If you don't like it, don't play in keeper leagues.

 

[shady inc]

Kick whoever finishes last out of the league. No exceptions. And eliminate from your group of friends as well. No further communications whatsoever.

 

[Hankmoody]

1. Don't allow trading future draft picks until 2 weeks before trade deadline.

2. Set draft order next year based on BEST finish that doesn't make the playoffs. Keeping 2 players is nothing, and the "worst" team from the prior year is by no means in such a deep hole they deserve the #1 pick.

 

[jawhoo]

What I've seen work is the weekly fees, but instead of $ to the top player or top two players, or money owed by the lowest scorer, add a built-in wager for every head-to-head regular season game.

Say it's ten bucks a game. If you finish 6-7, you owe an additional $10 at the end of the season on top of the entry fee. If you finish 8-5, you get $30 before the playoffs start. But, you're relatively strongly incented not to go 2-11 or worse.

 

[Runnyb]

We just added a pink license plate frame with "I finished last in my fantasy league". If someone sees that car without the plate frame on, it gets waiver money deductions next year. Obviously you need a fairly solid group of owners with little turnover. We will see how this works out at 2016 draft.

Also have a "toilet bowl" for the 4 top teams that didn't make it to the show, winner gets about 50% of their buy in back. Gone over well with everyone last 4 years.

For what it's worth, It's a 12 team, 2qb/3rb/3wr/te/k/d 18rd draft - owners have to stay on top of it and really manage their rosters and waivers.