So you want to join a new league...
Hey all!
It’s been a little over a week since our last newsletter… but right now many people are looking to join new startup dynasty leagues. This can be a tricky area. It’s a spot where you want a good secure one that you think will last more than a few years. So here are some things to look for when joining a new league and maybe some settings that most new leagues should have. This isn’t a fully comprehensive list, but they are arguably the most important.
What to look for
A good commissioner - Obviously this is a top priority. Without a good one you not only risk a quickly folding league, but also a poorly run one.
Good team managers - This isn’t always possible with public leagues, but if you know some of the people and many of them can be vouched for, it’s better. Especially active ones. If you see them active on forums and social media daily or routinely… it’s generally a good sign. In most people’s minds, this is the most important. The people you play with can make or break a league both in longevity and enjoyment.
A good set of bylaws - If a commissioner has put the work in to have a good set of bylaws, it’s a better sign for the league. It also will have rules defined for things and you don’t have to worry about things being made up or changed on the fly.
Paying a deposit or extra year up front - This shows commitment to the league and helps cover the cost of a new team should one leave making the abandoned team easier to fill… obviously making the league more likely to survive several years. Two other points… make sure the money is held securely somewhere. By a site or person that/who can be trusted. Second, only allow the trading of draft picks as far out in advance as people are paid up. This avoids someone dropping a terrible team with no future assets. If someone wants to trade assets that are meant for the 2022 team, they should be committed to that season (paid up).
No veto or at least a defined set of rules for it - Dynasty leagues really shouldn’t have veto voting. Either something is collusion and should be overturned and dealt with, or it’s simply a difference in strategy/value/etc. I can understand a set of rules tied to a value disparity on a trade calculator to potentially catch collusion or league integrity hurting trades. Make sure to use something like DLF’s Trade Analyzer that does package adjustments. Some do, some don’t. If you use one that doesn’t, people can just pile on low end players to get things close enough to even. But in general, avoid leagues that have veto voting.
No trade deadline or a late trade deadline - As long as people are staying paid up in advance, this shouldn’t be a huge issue. Some don’t like trading in the playoffs, which through experience I can tell you can cause some very real league issues. But if you have a good group of team managers, having no trade deadline at all is a great setup. It allows teams who are rebuilding to maximize value of their veterans. Ryan and I cut off trading before our playoffs start and open them back up when the playoffs are over. In some leagues, I allow trading during the playoffs if paid for the next year already. Having no trade deadline is becoming popular again (it was for awhile in the mid-2000s as well). Just make sure you have a good group if you go that route.
Superflex - What? This doesn’t seem to fit! Yes, it actually does. I have mentioned on the show that superflex leagues currently fill nearly 17x faster than 1QB leagues in dynasty. And that data was a year ago. It’s probably more absurd now. Not only that, abandoned teams are exponentially easier to fill… making your league’s longterm outlook better. For SafeLeagues, The last hundred plus orphans are always 1QB and they always take the most discounting to replace. Superflex sells itself. Think of 1QB as Standard scoring and Superflex as PPR. That is the trend. Having superflex will be safe for your leagues longevity.
Shameless Plus, SafeLeagues has basically all of that: JOIN A LEAGUE!
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