Fuck Jeeves - Setting up a Keeper LEague

[A_B]

So I think my friends and I are going to set up a NFL fantasy keeper league. We have always just done one off drafts before but we want to up the ante a bit. We have also just done straight drafts, but are thinking an Auction style this year.

What are the basics? Any good references to use to set it up? What websites are best for running keeper leagues? I think ESPN is totally free.

Anyone have dos/don't for setting a league up from scratch?

[Giff]

Just to confirm, have you ever used a site to track your league?

[The Sybian]

So I think my friends and I are going to set up a NFL fantasy keeper league. We have always just done one off drafts before but we want to up the ante a bit. We have also just done straight drafts, but are thinking an Auction style this year.

What are the basics? Any good references to use to set it up? What websites are best for running keeper leagues? I think ESPN is totally free.

Anyone have dos/don't for setting a league up from scratch?

We use ESPN for my keeper league. I like the site, but if there is a way of plugging in keepers, my Commish hasn't figured it out. We have the option of keeping 0-4 players, each kept player costs a certain round draft pick based on the round they were drafted in, and number of years kept. I can go into detail if you want. Max 3 years kept, traded players maintain keeper costs, but dropped players reset keeper cost when picked up.

I love auctions, but only done them with an in-person auction that was mostly Swampers. I recommend Howard as auctioneer. He can't do the fast talking auctioneer thing, but he is sober, and that's really all you need. I can send you the 16 page Constitution from my league comprised mostly of law school classmates.

[A_B]

Just to confirm, have you ever used a site to track your league?

We used CBS for a while and it SUCKS. Probably looking to go to ESPN.

[A_B]

So I think my friends and I are going to set up a NFL fantasy keeper league. We have always just done one off drafts before but we want to up the ante a bit. We have also just done straight drafts, but are thinking an Auction style this year.

What are the basics? Any good references to use to set it up? What websites are best for running keeper leagues? I think ESPN is totally free.

Anyone have dos/don't for setting a league up from scratch?

We use ESPN for my keeper league. I like the site, but if there is a way of plugging in keepers, my Commish hasn't figured it out. We have the option of keeping 0-4 players, each kept player costs a certain round draft pick based on the round they were drafted in, and number of years kept. I can go into detail if you want. Max 3 years kept, traded players maintain keeper costs, but dropped players reset keeper cost when picked up.

I love auctions, but only done them with an in-person auction that was mostly Swampers. I recommend Howard as auctioneer. He can't do the fast talking auctioneer thing, but he is sober, and that's really all you need. I can send you the 16 page Constitution from my league comprised mostly of law school classmates.

I'll see if Howard can fly in to town for the draft (we actually have a recovering alcoholic who can probaby serve in case) and sure, send me the constitution, which sounds retarded.

[Rush2112]

I like the site, but if there is a way of plugging in keepers, my Commish hasn't figured it out. We have the option of keeping 0-4 players, each kept player costs a certain round draft pick based on the round they were drafted in, and number of years kept.

I've searched high and low in their "fully customizable" league options and the only way to set keepers is to have them drafted/auctioned prior to the start of the draft/auction at large. Very lame.

[Giff]

We do Yahoo and last year was our first year for keepers. I don't know how it works for online drafts, but it was a simple process to input them for our offline draft. We keep one player at the cost of the pick two rounds earlier than he was picked the year before.

[mister d]

Draft online, auction in person. Online auctions suck. They drain all of the fun out of the process.

[Ryan]

We do Yahoo and last year was our first year for keepers. I don't know how it works for online drafts, but it was a simple process to input them for our offline draft. We keep one player at the cost of the pick two rounds earlier than he was picked the year before.

If the owners cooperate and pick their own keepers straight from their team page, Yahoo fills them all in the appropriate rounds for you

[Giff]

Draft online, auction in person. Online auctions suck. They drain all of the fun out of the process.

It seems like an in-person auction would take forever.

I don't like the idea of auctions for FF for some reason. I do for FB.

[The Sybian]

and sure, send me the constitution, which sounds retarded.

Oh, it's retarded alright. I was kidding about sending it, because it is such overkill. You wouldn't believe the amount of bickering and infighting or the number of edits. Here is a cut and paste of the keeper section:


560 - KEEPERS:

[A] Every year you can keep anywhere between 0-4 players.

You can only keep a player for up to 3 years. If you trade that player, his eligibility goes with him (i.e. if you can only keep him for one more year, then the new owner can only keep him for one more year).

[C] Players that are taken off the waiver wires (regardless of if they were drafted and dropped or not drafted) will be eligible to be kept for up to 3 years after the year you picked them up.

[D] If you keep a player, you lose a draft pick for that year. The draft pick you lose depends on where you drafted that player. You will lose a pick one spot ahead of where you drafted him for the first year; three spots for the second year you keep; and five spots for the last year. For example, if you draft a player in the 7th round, if you keep him the next year, you lose a 6th round pick; if you keep him year 2 you lose a 4th round pick; and if you keep him year three, you lose a 2nd round pick.

[E] If you pick up a player off the waiver wires, we will treat him as being drafted in the 8th round. Thus, if you keep him, after the first year, you will lose a 7th round pick; year 2 a 5th round pick; and year 3 a 2nd round pick.

[F] If you keep a first round player, or any other player that has worked his way up to first round status via paragraph 5 above, you will lose a first round pick.

[G] You cannot keep more than one player per round position. Thus, for example, if you have two players who would cost you a first round pick, you cannot keep both. You can only keep players if you have an open draft pick. If, however, you have two players that would cost you the same draft pick, but you have an open draft pick a round earlier, you can opt to keep the second player for that earlier round (e.g. you have two players who would cost you a 3rd round pick, but no players that would cost you a 2nd round pick; you can keep both players in exchange for a 2nd and 3rd round pick).

[mister d]

It seems like an in-person auction would take forever.

That's part of the problem. Either it takes forever or its so fast you can't do anything besides click bids. In person is great because the longer the better when you're havin' good times with good friends!

[A_B]

We will try to do an in-person auction I think. Beer will flow.

I want to change the scoring system. I hate the standard scoring, typically. TDs are fine (though I like devaluing QB tds) but I like yardage to scale up. But like, you get nothing if your guy has less than 50 yards receiving or rushing. Then when you hit that give 5 points, then 12 for 100, 20 for 150, etc..

I am probably overthinking it

[Giff]

I am constantly overthinking fantasy football this time of year.

I do like that idea. There's no way I could pass something like that in my league. Collectively, we're pretty anti-change, but we did finally start keepers plus we threw in a consolation tournament for the #1 pick. Even though it's a pain in the ass to track that and still haven't gone back to determine who won that last year. If I can't, we'll just pull a name out of a hat. Seriously, the most enjoyable part of fantasy football to me is pre-draft until the draft. Then I'm inevitably disappointed.

[The Sybian]

We will try to do an in-person auction I think. Beer will flow.

I want to change the scoring system. I hate the standard scoring, typically. TDs are fine (though I like devaluing QB tds) but I like yardage to scale up. But like, you get nothing if your guy has less than 50 yards receiving or rushing. Then when you hit that give 5 points, then 12 for 100, 20 for 150, etc..

I am probably overthinking it

No, I love this scoring.