[HELP NEEDED] What to do with "team management" of AWOL GM in H2H League? #WhatsFair

[Pengwin7]

I have two keeper leagues.
In both leagues this year, a life-issue created a GM that wasn't able to manage his team.
[*In both cases, the GMs are fine guys... DobberForums guys... and do intend to remain as GM... but they did take periods off from team management.*]
[*This thread is not about replacing managers. It is about what to do with their team rosters WHILE THEY ARE ABSENT.]

These are both H2H leagues.
It is critical to consider the "opponent" and fairness of match-up for each opponent in H2H leagues.

In league 1, the GM went AWOL from start of season.
The first two H2H match-ups were cake-walks for the opponents, big H2H wins.
The options for the league were:
a) To find an immediate replacement GM (which is NOT easy 2-weeks into a fantasy hockey year, for a keeper team)
b) To have different league GMs actively manage his roster. Daily.
c) To just set a line-up for the week and leave it in place as semi-competitive.
We chose option c) and did this for the first 11 H2H weeks, so each team got a cake-walk opponent.
[Fortunately/unfortunately, the GM - who is a very solid guy - came back to his DISTANTLY LAST PLACE TEAM (which is GOOD) and now has great odds now of getting the #1 overall pick next year.]

In league 2, the GM went AWOL from early-January until now.
So, he actively managed his team for the first 12 H2H weeks.
He had a slowly less-and-less "active" roster for weeks 13-19 while he has been away.
Now we are finishing week #19, with 4 more H2H weeks to go and he has indicated he is still overwhelmed with his life issue.

So now, as a league do we:
a) Leave the team as is (his players on his IR are actually healthy, and players on his active team some are now injured). This would be consistent/fair with match-ups for his last 6 opponents.
b) Start actively managing the team going forward. We can either set a daily or weekly opponent, but these opponents WILL face an active team that the last 6 opponents did not face. It would be fair with what first 12 opponents faced.
c) Retroactively set his team to be active daily. *This may change past H2H match-ups, making some teams that beat him become losers. We would also somehow have to determine who to PICK for retroactively putting somebody into his line-up.


It's a brutal spot for leagues/commissioners.

What have you guys done in your past leagues?
(as surely this has happened to some of you guys out there.)


The short version:
When this happens (a GM can't manage his team)... do you guys hope to have the team actively set... or do you think the team should just be left untouched?

[2014olympicgold]

League 2, “Start active players” button.

Get another GM to manage that team, but all they do is hit the “start active players” button. I’d first correct an IR issues, add the highest O-Rank, or just highest Ranked player on the FA if you have a free roster spot. Only drop him once the IR player returns or drop the lowest ranked player. Then have the acting GM just hit that “start active players” button, and don’t switch what the computer has chosen.

A lot of this is honour system tho.

[rataylor22]

Here's what I think Peng, and it depends if a commish has time to do this. Set his lineup every day for the rest of the season, best you can, and then let it play out. Guys get injured, oh well, waivers, etc. Set it once, and let it ride out.

[LawMan]

That's certainly a really tough spot because no matter which action you take some managers will be hurt and others will be helped both directly and indirectly. Also, whatever rules and procedures you establish will become the league's norm going forward. First I'll say that all managers need to accept that one of the wrinkles (good and bad) of head-to-head is that weekly matchups can radically effect scoring and overall standings that's what you sign up for in head-to-head.

League 1- Is there a question here? I think you were right to select option c. Yes 2 teams got an advantage by facing an inactive roster but overall I'd prefer to set the lineup as the overall advantage would be reduced and the desire is usually to at least face a team that is filling out a roster. Once the manager comes back its slightly more difficult to face him as he's now making moves, the good news is that he's in last place so the advantage is reduced. In the grand scheme of things the difference between playing the last place team with an inactive roster and the last place team with an active roster (and a manager who may be active but not 100% invested) should be minimal. Again head-to-head fluctuations happen.

League 2- You can't do (c) in my opinion, you just can't it will create way, way, way more problems than doing nothing. Don't retroactively score, goalie matchups will be particularly screwed up!! So he "actively" managed for 12 weeks, and then was less active for 7 weeks. I slightly prefer option (b) but with the following clear parameters: no adds, drops or IR moves simply set his available roster players between bench and lineup each night. As soon as you start adding, dropping and to a lesser extent activating it becomes subjective, as the commissioner you will have the best of intentions but you can't possibly get everything right. Also, I'm going to say you're a better manager than the AWOL guy so it won't be like facing AWOL guy it will be AWOL guy ++ thus most unfair to the final 4 weeks.

When you inform the leagues of your decision I re-iterate that it is head-to-head and this is part of it. The fairest thing to do in each situation IMO is to set the lineup daily but nothing more, sure that will lead to some likely sure fire victories but them the breaks. Also, if anyone loses to the ghost teams you get to trash talk them into oblivion, which is fun .

[Pengwin7]

Here's what I think Peng, and it depends if a commish has time to do this. Set his lineup every day for the rest of the season, best you can, and then let it play out. Guys get injured, oh well, waivers, etc. Set it once, and let it ride out.

That's a good consideration.
It's WHL - so if you could post that opinion in league thread, it would be appreciated.

[JohnScott AllStarMVP]

If it's a money league you should present the options and go forward with the majority's decision.

If it's a free league just do what you think is best.

[The Guvnah]

If it's a money league you should present the options and go forward with the majority's decision.

If it's a free league just do what you think is best.

Agreed. Hopefully, if it's a money league, you have a little commissioner council with 2 or 3 other serious league members who can pass judgement on such things. Why can't everyone just be as insane about fantasy hockey as the rest of us are?

[GretzkysMullet]

Why can't everyone just be as insane about fantasy hockey as the rest of us are?

We're all pretty insane in this league.

[kevinsrangers]

Maybe get a group willing from your league to vote on the teams best players.. Maybe take a dobber poll?
Anyone not actually hurt should be immediately taken of ir and entered into lineup. No team matching or playing guys on a hunch, but keeping there highest ranked guys in the lineup.

[Pengwin7]

Thanks for all responses.
I think we are going to set one best-lineup at start of every week, vs. each opponent.
That sort of a middle-of-the-road compromise that we can be consistent with... not as inactive as past weeks, not as active as when GM was managing team daily.

If any other commissioners out there have ever had this case, more input is welcome.