Fantasy League Rules
Buy-Ins and Prize Distribution
The buy-in for the 2024 season is $50 per participant. The prize pool is divided in a 70-30 split between first and second-place finishers minus the buy-in for the third place finisher (i.e., for a prize pool of $500 in a 10-man league, first place gets $315, second place $135, third place $50). Historically, the buy-in amounts have been as follows:
- 2019 - 2020: $20
- 2021 - 2023: $30
- 2024 - : $50
Drafting
Drafting happens during a live auction format where each manager has $200 to bid on a player. The date and time of the draft will be chosen by a consensus vote using Doodle or a similar scheduling availability service.
Waiver Wire, FAAB and Priority
Each manager begins the season with $100 of FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) that may be used to bid on players and skill positions that are available (undrafted or dropped by a manager) on the free market. The waiver wire uses a weekly blind bidding format, and officially begins after the conclusion of the final game of the week (typically Monday Night Football) and ends at 3 AM EST every Wednesday. There is no minimum amount required to bid on a player, and priority is determined by the reverse order of standings in case of ties. Following the waiver wire period, all unrostered players may be picked up at no cost.
Trade Vetoes
Managers are encouraged to enter into trades with their fellow league members. To prevent collusion, each trade may be vetoed by a simple majority vote. In rare cases when egregiously asymmetric trades are likely to go through (i.e. trading a kicker for Patrick Mahomes), the league commissioner may block the trade to ensure league parity.
Trade Deadline
The deadline to make trades is Nov. 30th.
Playoffs
The playoffs consist of three rounds and begin on week 15 and end on week 17, the week prior to the final week of the NFL regular season. Six teams make the playoffs, with the first four seeds determined by their win-loss record, and the remaining two spots determined by the total number of fantasy points (i.e., Points For) scored through the first 14 weeks. The top two seeds get an automatic first-round bye, while seed 3 plays against seed 6, and seed 4 plays against seed 5. In the next round, the lowest remaining seed will play against the first seed and the highest remaining seed will play against the second seed.
Managers who are eliminated from playoffs will have their rosters locked to prevent them from having an impact on playoff matchups (e.g., rostering every available defense).
Consolation Bracket and Last Place Punishment
Managers who fail to qualify for the playoffs are entered into a consolation bracket to determine their final standing for the season. The manager who gets last place is punished by having the league winner decide their team name for the entirety of the following season.
League Rule Change Process
Any manager may petition the league and its members to change its rules, and only a simple majority vote is required to enact the rule. These rule changes may include, but are not limited to, changing roster and bench sizes, scoring settings, last place punishments, etc. Petitions to change league rules may occur at any time during the season, excluding playoffs.