Rate this Anti-Tanking initiative.

[hockeyrobot]

Hi guys, like most commissioners you may have run into having to employ anti tanking initiatives in your leagues. I have gone this route as we are in a 5 year partial keeper with friends and family, general acquaintances and I'd rather kick not anyone out. While the league is extremely competitive I have had an issue this year having to remind GM's, especially the lower placed ones, to keep lines set and maximized.

So my proposed initiative is called "The 4 Week Blind."

1.) At the beginning of the year before the draft I will randomly select 4 weeks. It doesn't matter which weeks are selected randomly, if they are paired in some instances etc because no one in the league will no which weeks are the "Blind Weeks" nor will we really know which teams will finish bottom 6 (previously we had a lottery which followed the same ball ratio as the NHL).

2.) The teams that end the season and find themselves in lottery positions will be trying to score the most points over those 4 weeks and the top 6 draft order for the following year will be determined on total fantasy point generation for the 4 weeks included in the blind.

3.) The reason for the blind or not allowing GMs to know the weeks and eliminate anyone who is close to a lottery position from tanking to get into the lottery and or otherwise simply pay attention to the 4 weeks where points will be totaled.

4.) At the end of the playoffs, the blind weeks will be revealed and totaled and then we will set draft order for the following year.


Thoughts?

Very interesting. I am currently trying to figure out how to address this issue in a very similar league of my own. It's very hard to find a balance.

It cant' hurt to give it a go for a year to see how it works. I use a consolation playoff for the 4 non-playoff teams. Win two rounds for #1 overall - teams seem to be souring on this as they can't sell off as much as they want - otherwise they'll never win 2 in a row.

I do love this idea but that being said I think rebuilding is a part of the league. So ideally I want to have it where people can sell off......but not as much as they are now where they're literally trading everyone who isn't in their keep 8 for whatever draft pick upgrade they can get.

Maybe more keepers is the solution??

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how about you just boot anyone that tanks simple as that

One of his first points was he didn't want to kick anyone out because most of them know each other.

[Swels Stewart]

Another vote for random draw after the season (and avoiding the bye-weeks). If the commish knows the weeks it gives them an unfair advantage. This is not a knock against you, but as pointed out it makes it transparent and avoids issues if someone else ever take on the position.

That said, I do think teams should be allowed to rebuild and would probably prefer a model based on setting line-ups.

[Old_Smokie]

Great responses and points thus far. I had planned to let my missus pick the 4 random weeks and seal em in an envelope but yes selecting the weeks afterwards randomly would work as well. I like the route of competing in a playoff sort of option as well.

[K_H]

As long as lineups are set, then tanking isn't an issue so I dislike it.

[audiopile]

If there is any sort of imbalance between team 12 and 7 the this won't work. Chance are 7 is gonna get first pick. Maybe use lowest bench score for those 4 weeks or avg lowest bench score per week over the season. Lowest bench gets a ticket in the lottery.

[yougo]

As long as lineups are set, then tanking isn't an issue so I dislike it.

This is exactly the purpose of this. It will force teams to do their lineup.

[hockeyrobot]

This is exactly the purpose of this. It will force teams to do their lineup.

Right. Because I doubt most leagues will boot a guy for missing a few days...but that can have a massive effect on the league. Plus who wants to go through and monitor? Yahoo should come up with something

[hockeyrobot]

If you go to Yahoo suggestions and search Anti Tanking I just posted a thread. Go vote on it!!

Anti Tanking stats

This is mainly for hockey...

Add in stats that show how often people don't set their lineup. It's a problem in a lot of leagues with no solution because they have a set group of guys and don't want to remove anyone.

You already give notifications saying "player x is playing today but not in your starting lineup"....so if there could just be a tally of that somehow.

[butch]

the best anti-tanking measure is to have a commish that doesnt put up with inactivity and is very ''up front'' about it to anyone that decides to join .

and as a back up , have a gp's limit requirement to qualify as a lotto team .

I use a 8o% of averge gp's number (which is quite generous and should probably be raised to light a bigger fire under the less active)