FOUR CATEGORIES
Review Time Estimate: 4 minutes
ADJUSTMENTS: ROSTER, LINE-UP, BENCH & IR SLOTS
The following revisions to the norm are designed to provide you with more latitude for line-up options in case any of your players become infected – and without depleting the Waiver Wire to any great extent. I propose to do this by removing one of the running backs and one of the wide receiver slots, but leaving the two flex player slots available for use, SOLELY for this season.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of my roster proposal:
- Roster Slots: ( 13 )
- Weekly Line-up Slots: ( 8 ) – 1-QB, 1-RB, 1-WR, 2-Flex: RB, WR, or TE , 1-TE, 1-K, 1-D/ST
- Bench Slots: ( 5 )
- COVID-Injured Reserve Slots: ( 3 )
Yep, COVID-IR slots on your roster, in addition to the ( 13 ) other roster slots. Those three slots are SOLELY for any rostered player that becomes COVID positive. So if you want to keep him on the team, you’ll be able to do so.
And yes, in case you’re wondering, no one can ever make “temporary use” of these three slots unless one or more of the players that they’ve placed into those IR slots have been officially diagnosed as COVID-positive.
Consequently, this feature will help teams that may get hit hard by the virus. And yes, there will be a checks and balances system in play here. The use of any of those IR slots will be tracked by me, by your divisional rivals AND by your opponent. So once that player is deemed healthy enough to return to the team, be it one week, one month, or more, then he must be removed from that IR slot. At that time, you will have to reseat him on your active roster by dropping a player. And to that end, I will enforce a penalty of 25 points off of your next game for each player that’s in a COVID IR slot who has been released from quarantine and is cleared to return to the team.
WHAT IF ONE OF MY PLAYERS BECOMES A LATE SCRATCH DUE TO COVID?
As a means of insurance in case a player in your lineup tests positive for COVID prior to game time, you can do this. Simply post the name of the player who you’d like to serve as a back-up to one or more of your starters on our DISCUSSION BOARD, where that proclamation will become time-stamped. Please note, there are two caveats to this proposal:
- You cannot back up players in either a Questionable or Doubtful status.
- Naturally, the back-up must be selected before his game kicks off AND before your starter’s game kicks off.
- Sadly, the Back-Up switch will only be honored if the starter is pulled because the starter is COVID-positive… which will be easy enough to verify.
– EX:
T. Taylor – Backs up Brees
A. Peterson – Backs up D. Cook
J. Jacobs – Backs up K. Drake
Adopting this provision is particularly important in case a forfeit occurs. For example, if a team forfeits and your backups have already played, if you’d used this strategy to back up a player, you will have been covered for that unexpected possibility.
NOTE: If an NFL team forfeits, that creates two teams of players that nobody can use.
WHAT IF THE SEASON ENDS EARLIER THAT WEEK 16?
If the NFL season only goes through Week 9, then everyone’s entry fee will be returned in full. However, if the season goes ten or more full weeks, but stops shy of Week 16, then cash awards will happen as usual; ie: 1ST PLACE: $700 • 2ND PLACE: $350 • THIRD PLACE: $175
First, Second and Third Place will be determined by the league’s best W-L record. Should there be a tie, then the winner will be determined by the tie-breaking factors that were approved in both leagues:
- Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
- Highest Points Forced Record
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played outside of the conference.
- Most Jackson Awards
- Coin toss
NOTE: If the NFL announces they are ending the season in the middle of an active week (ie: on Saturday after Thursday Night Football is already played), we will regard the standings at the end of the previous full week as the end of our season. EX: If we play all of Week 10, then the season ends following the Thursday night game on Week 11, the winners this season will be determined by the standing at the close of Week 10.
A FORFEIT-AVOIDANCE MEASURE
If you find yourself in a position where you cannot field a complete lineup because:
- All three of your COVID IR slots are filled and you cannot set a complete line-up without waiving a newly-quarantined, injured, or bye-week: QB-1, a RB-1 or RB-2, WR-1 or WR-2, or TE-1, then you qualify for this provision.
- If you have at least three active players on your roster who are affected by NFL team forfeitures, NOT including players who are already in your COVID IR slots, and are unable to set a lineup because of, or in part by that NFL forfeiture, then you also qualify for this provision.
At that time, we’ll lean on the points that are generated by both your D/ST and your opponent’s D/ST to determine a winner. Sure, the final score could be 2pts – 1pt, but if this situation happens, it could happen to any of us. So going this route gives any of us who gets dealt a bad hand, the chance to still compete.
NOTE: If an NFL team forfeits and you have the D/ST for one of the two teams affected by the forfeiture, taking advantage of this provision won’t be possible unless you have a second D/ST rostered. So you’ll simply have to play that fantasy week out without a D/ST.
Please submit your appraisal of the above in the form below. I will send out an email to both leagues next Friday, with an update on where we are as things close in for our currently scheduled draft dates, on 9/6 and 9/7.
Thanks for your input, your time and your attention!!
Cheers,
The Commish
