Feedback on Free Agent pickups during playoffs

[JohnP]

My classic team in 2nd place lost three RB's this week, I'm going to be starting someone HORRIBLE and I'm probably still against it.

Dear Jared - please don't call me horrible. Fozzy

[Tom Kessenich]

Totally for it or at the very least increasing roster size by one or 2 in week 13 ..

but knowing this league the way I do.. change is always turned down.. that's why other leagues are gaining more and more customers and numbers over the NFFC. it's a shame, because I love this league so much and will always play in it, but I see more and more people heading to the leagues that provide more of an opportunity to win. this league is for the monster vets and tough vets.. newcomers coming here and trying to compete generally get eaten alive (in a lot of instances)..

Mike,

I'm curious to know what leagues provide people with more of an opportunity to win?

To my knowledge, they ALL end free agency in week 13 (one does week 12). Now some private leagues in other contests allow free agency to be extended through week 16, but like Chris said, "when free agency is over, it is like Christmas!"

Also, the NFFC listens to their customers more than any other contest out there IMO. It was the customers who initiated 3RR, KDS, paying points instead of H2H, etc.

We've expanded roster size based on customer feedback among other things. So yeah I'm curious as to what Mike is referring to. We've been told by some we listen too much to customer requests in some instances so I guess we're not gonna win no matter what we do. But I'm surprised to hear anyone say we are resistant to change. I don't think that accurately reflects how this contest has been run at all.

[renman]

Totally for it or at the very least increasing roster size by one or 2 in week 13 ..

but knowing this league the way I do.. change is always turned down.. that's why other leagues are gaining more and more customers and numbers over the NFFC. it's a shame, because I love this league so much and will always play in it, but I see more and more people heading to the leagues that provide more of an opportunity to win. this league is for the monster vets and tough vets.. newcomers coming here and trying to compete generally get eaten alive (in a lot of instances)..

I am confused by this post as the NFFC has been incredibly open to change based on feedback they get from players. There are numerous examples of it. I also do not see how any league provides "more opportunity to win" unless the talent of the players in other leagues is simply lower. Whatever the rules are in other leagues I imagine all players in said league can benefit from the rules equally so I do not see how rule changes offer more opportunities to win. To the point of the thread. I am totally against opening up free agency after the regular season is over. The smart players set up their team the way they see fit for the 3 week run and then play ball. Some people carry 2 kickers, some roll dice and carry one and open up other roster spots. Its the way the game is played.

[chriseibl]

Totally for it or at the very least increasing roster size by one or 2 in week 13 ..

but knowing this league the way I do.. change is always turned down.. that's why other leagues are gaining more and more customers and numbers over the NFFC. it's a shame, because I love this league so much and will always play in it, but I see more and more people heading to the leagues that provide more of an opportunity to win. this league is for the monster vets and tough vets.. newcomers coming here and trying to compete generally get eaten alive (in a lot of instances)..

Mike,

I'm curious to know what leagues provide people with more of an opportunity to win?

To my knowledge, they ALL end free agency in week 13 (one does week 12). Now some private leagues in other contests allow free agency to be extended through week 16, but like Chris said, "when free agency is over, it is like Christmas!"

Also, the NFFC listens to their customers more than any other contest out there IMO. It was the customers who initiated 3RR, KDS, paying points instead of H2H, etc.

We've expanded roster size based on customer feedback among other things. So yeah I'm curious as to what Mike is referring to. We've been told by some we listen too much to customer requests in some instances so I guess we're not gonna win no matter what we do. But I'm surprised to hear anyone say we are resistant to change. I don't think that accurately reflects how this contest has been run at all.

+1, nothing comes to mind where the majority of players were behind something and it wasn't implemented. There's always going to be a minority who wants FAAB run differently, wants playoff FAAB, wants different payout structure, wants different scoring system. There are differences in all of the major contests, but I don't really see any of them changing things up much more or less than the others (for better or worse).

[ForLoveOfTheGame]

My classic team in 2nd place lost three RB's this week, I'm going to be starting someone HORRIBLE and I'm probably still against it.

Dear Jared - please don't call me horrible. Fozzy

I actually have high hopes for him in that match up... it's a motivational tactic calling him horrible, I need a chip on his shoulder John! The more important question is, are you going to be nice and let someone else win a grand prize this year?!!! That'd be really nice of you Mr. only TWO time champion!!!

[Greg Ambrosius]

I know this has been discussed before, but with injuries at ridiculous levels and several teams facing resting players in week 16, what are thoughts on proposing a rule change for the future, letting FAAB run through week 15 for teams in the championship rounds or in league playoffs? It is random enough in the playoffs with studs not showing up for one week and ruining hopes after 13 weeks of dominance, why not have FAAB run a couple of extra weeks? The running back situation has become comical.

I personally lost my top two RBs in week 14 (Yeldon and Blount) and backup Mccluster as well in the classic, but that's just one league. There are other leagues where I didn't lose anyone and facing teams with no running backs and/or tight ends to play. I know this idea has been knocked down in the past, but figured I would revisit it during this massacre. I went into playoffs with 5 RBs and down to 2, with one being Kyle Jurzuzyzczyc. Thoughts?

So how would you deal with a situation like we're looking at this week where two new starting RBs would be available on the free agent wire and could possibly change the outcomes of many, many leagues? Heck, it could decide the $150,000 Primetime champion this year if both players go off. Denard Robinson and Bryce Brown are likely available in most leagues (and maybe all leagues for Brown) and both should have prominent roles this week. Is it fair to allow those players to be picked up and change the outcome of the contests, even for those owners who dominated for 13 weeks and now don't have FAAB to pick up these players?

Mike talked about adding a pickup or two in the playoffs for the Championship Round teams in private leagues and we did consider that. But even adding $2 for two pickups or an additional $1 to the regular season champions' FAAB total would give big advantages to whatever teams could get these players for this week. It would seem like a "lucky" advantage to have two starting RBs suddenly fall into your lap in Week 15 after battling 11 other teams all year long for free agents and most points. Why allow such a "lucky" find like that in the Championship Round? It seems counterproductive to everything we do here.

I get the frustration of the injuries this year and no position has been ravaged more than RB. Everyone needed incredible depth to survive all of the injuries this year. And the carnage didn't just stop in the regular season; we saw more of it in Week 14. Nobody was immune from the injuries. But we want this to be a skill-based game at every angle and I'm not sure that adding free agents in Weeks 15 and 16 is the answer.

It's not that we don't listen to suggestions to improve our game. Heck, we've been accused of changing TOO MUCH. I just didn't agree that adding free agent pickups was the right move for our national contests and even in the private leagues I felt it added an unfair advantage. I'm sorry if that was misconstrued as not listening to our customers, but not every suggestion is automatically implemented.

There's no doubt that injuries were almost too much to endure this year and we'll always listen to suggestions to overcome them. But we also won't make a new rule change just for the sake of trying something new. It needs to be fully analyzed and vetted first.

[Coltsfan]

I can't imagine having free agent pick ups in the finals. I think we have a good system and I would hate to change it. Luck is always going to be a part of this game and there just isn't any way around it.


Wayne

[nails]

Billy, it's not easy to win in these leagues.. example, primetime leagues, for the most part 2 guys take down league money.. (I'm not complaining as I took down the 6500 this year in my league).. however if you really want to create opportunity to win, award the top 2 teams money which I agree with based on record and points.. then have a 4 team playoff for the league championship based on points or head to head doesn't matter. that keeps teams interested.. but after 10 weeks, most of the teams are out of it w/ no chance to win.. that's why I like the auctions because I know even if I don't have the greatest year, I can still make the playoffs and get hot at the end..

I agree the nffc will listen but there have been virtually no changes based on recommendations and whenever I hear a suggestion, the vets such as yourself immediately squash it down. which is your right. I'm not complaining at all here billy, but again, you can say what you want, but why is the FFPC so popular? why are their numbers 10x the NFFC? look at their online championship and how many play in it. ?

again, I'm NFFC till the end.. and I play here mostly.. i'll play smaller leagues in other places, but my big money is spent here.

as for free agents go in playoff time my position on that is based on one thing. you spend the 13 week season with the availability of blind bidding. you go into a league like this and win it based on drafting and your ability to pick up players. it's a hybrid formula. Then what happens after week 13, you remove half of the equation which got you to the end point to begin with and you then essentially throw in luck to the equation.

no matter what you do, you can handcuff almost all your players but bottom line, you can't handcuff everyone at the end of the year. if you get unlucky in week 14 and lose 2 running backs or even 3, your done.. and that's dumb luck not skill. your argument is that people should be able to plan for these things and the teams with depth should win out.. that may be true in some instances, however in most cases it's not. and if you pay 1600 to join a league that allows free agents during the whole season and then take it away when you need it most, I just don't like it. the skill is keeping your money in tact to deal with the playoffs .. and the guys who say they are the best should be able to plan accordingly. but looking at the leader board and seeing 20 teams with the same owners .. my opinion is that a big reason teams dont' want this is they have 100 teams to deal with and they don't wanto have to deal with it..

these big leagues are turning into the fanduel and draftkings with so many multiple entries it's getting sick. of course if you put in 20 teams into the primetime odds are 2 or 3 of them will cash in. the ordinary joe who doesn't want to spend 30k or 40k with entry fees is at a severe disadvantage in these leagues against most of these players. could I put in 20 teams into the primetime leagues? sure I could.. but to me that takes the fun out of it.. anyone can win doing that.. and to me it's really not about the money it's about winning .. again, I'm not complaining as I did very well this year in my leagues. no complaints, but I did it by working the free agent wire.. now it's all about luck .. I had a team that dominated in primetime all year long and that monster team is probably done because I've had injuries and I can't pick up an upside player to give me a shot to catch up. but again, I know the rules, I accept those rules and i'll keep playing but I certainly don't agree with you guys on this topic.

Totally for it or at the very least increasing roster size by one or 2 in week 13 ..

but knowing this league the way I do.. change is always turned down.. that's why other leagues are gaining more and more customers and numbers over the NFFC. it's a shame, because I love this league so much and will always play in it, but I see more and more people heading to the leagues that provide more of an opportunity to win. this league is for the monster vets and tough vets.. newcomers coming here and trying to compete generally get eaten alive (in a lot of instances)..

Mike,

I'm curious to know what leagues provide people with more of an opportunity to win?

To my knowledge, they ALL end free agency in week 13 (one does week 12). Now some private leagues in other contests allow free agency to be extended through week 16, but like Chris said, "when free agency is over, it is like Christmas!"

Also, the NFFC listens to their customers more than any other contest out there IMO. It was the customers who initiated 3RR, KDS, paying points instead of H2H, etc.

[nails]

So if I carry 3 tight ends and 3 of them get hurt week 14. am I not "smart". based on your logic below the "smart" teams set up their teams for the 3 week run. that's absurd. this time of year guys drop like flies.

again, this is exactly what I'm talking about.. about an idea thrown out and then getting shut down ..

How about this .. what happened to putting out surveys at the end of the year with a few proposed rules changes? even if the majority vote for a change, the league doesn't have to agree to it, but a few guys on the boards doesn't equate to a majority vote. I think we should nominate each year a few changes to propose in the end of year survey. then circulate an online survey "Use survey monkey" it's very good.. and at least the NFFC greg and tom can get an idea of what people want.. most people don't like to voice their opinions.. I'm one that probably voices it too much.. and yes, I'm in the minority , but I think Ive earned the right to a voice in this league based on my participation over the years.

Greg, I did see your post and I don't agree. everyone has a shot in every league to pick up the same players if they have free agent money left over. That's no more of an advantage then any other facet in these leagues.

but Greg, I respect everyone's opinion .. please everyone understand that.. I'm not upset, I'm not mad, I'm not complaining.. I love this league and will always play in it.. but there are definitely some changes that could :

1. improve the league.
2...more importantly increase the participation level over the FFPC (I can't stand that league to be honest. I don't like the customer service over there but clearly they are doing something right as they have a ton of players.. and you know what as a business owner myself.. you have to respect what they are doing. and I'm sure greg and tom know that and agree with me).

anyway, good luck week 14.. I need 240 points in primetime to get back in running I estimate. ! LOL. I have to rely on Fozzie Wittiker and Tim Hightower to get me there LOL.. but you never know!

Later.

Totally for it or at the very least increasing roster size by one or 2 in week 13 ..

but knowing this league the way I do.. change is always turned down.. that's why other leagues are gaining more and more customers and numbers over the NFFC. it's a shame, because I love this league so much and will always play in it, but I see more and more people heading to the leagues that provide more of an opportunity to win. this league is for the monster vets and tough vets.. newcomers coming here and trying to compete generally get eaten alive (in a lot of instances)..

I am confused by this post as the NFFC has been incredibly open to change based on feedback they get from players. There are numerous examples of it. I also do not see how any league provides "more opportunity to win" unless the talent of the players in other leagues is simply lower. Whatever the rules are in other leagues I imagine all players in said league can benefit from the rules equally so I do not see how rule changes offer more opportunities to win. To the point of the thread. I am totally against opening up free agency after the regular season is over. The smart players set up their team the way they see fit for the 3 week run and then play ball. Some people carry 2 kickers, some roll dice and carry one and open up other roster spots. Its the way the game is played.

[Cocktails and Dreams]

I can't imagine having free agent pick ups in the finals. I think we have a good system and I would hate to change it. Luck is always going to be a part of this game and there just isn't any way around it.


Wayne

Do you play any contained leagues or are you speaking primarily to the overall races?

As for Greg saying it is "lucky" to stumble upon Robinson this week, yes it might be. Under my proposal, everyone gets one dollar and the tiebreaker is points scored order, to ensure those that had the best season would benefit from this "luck.", While we all can benefit or not in a 20k or 10k league it just seems like too much money to not have any control over your roster whatsoever in the most important part of the season in my view. a It is another strategy to decide if a certain player is worth using your dollar on or not. Perhaps they used their buck last week on something. NFFC is in the extreme vast minority of contained leagues that do not have free agency in the playoffs. My proposal bridges the gap between those that want free agency to run through the playoffs and those that do not. I can count on two fingers how many places do not have it. Just because something is obviously the way to go in overall contests, does not mean it should be that way in contained leagues. If every place that has fantasy football contained leagues has free agency except for the NFFC and the FFWC, and they both have overall races making up the primary business, then it tells me that they are both not doing what they should be in regards to contained league free agency. It is quite arrogant to think that the vast majority of the other places have it wrong IMO.