This is a simple potential rule change: owners who start players who do not play a snap, get a replacement player.
Lets face it—we cant all be online at the deadline. Sometimes players are questionable, sometimes players just unexpectedly don’t play (miss a team meeting, etc). While its true that you can use the comments box for replacements on players you know might miss, its hard to anticipate them all. We all work hard to maintain our rosters and have plenty of replacements, so why not get to use them?
My thought is this: if you submit a lineup (this must happen! no last week auto-submit crap), and a player you started does not play a single snap (accruing 0 fantasy points is not the same thing), then you get a replacement player of the same position from your current roster—the one who scored the least amount of points.
Details: If the player qualifies for a flex position (ie, he’s a safety and you’re starting 2 safeties when you only “needed” to start 1) then the lowest scoring possible flex replacement is used. If the player does not qualify for a flex (ie, he’s a safety and you’re starting only 1 safety), then the replacement must also be a safety to satisfy the lineup requirements. If no such safety exists, you’re stuck with 0 points.
Example: Adam starts 2 running backs this week, which is the lineup minimum—Ezekiel Elliot, without realizing he’s suspended this week and Brittle McGlass. Brittle hurts himself in warmups and doesn’t play a snap. On Adams bench he has the following running backs, who score:
- Bruiser McGee, 30 points
- Mack Truck, 20 points
- Average Joe, 5 points
- Special T. Mer, 1 point
Elliot and McGlass would be replaced by Average Joe and Special T. Mer for 6 total points.
Thoughts?
Oddly, I’m not exactly married to the idea myself, but it has happened nearly half a dozen times this season, a couple times were Josh had to adjust lineups via email plea–this would eliminate worry by the submitter (at least he’d be getting some points) and eliminate controversy (in other words, if the backup isnt in the comments, the opposing team knows exactly who is getting subbed in). On the other hand–do we have a good way to completely ensure that said player didnt play a snap?
I dont know how to do a poll apparently, so just leave a comment.
Yes—I agree with the concept, lets iron it out by next season.
No—being at the mercy of one’s lineup is part of fantasy football.
© 2017, Jason Enright. All rights reserved.
I like the general idea of having a mechanism to prevent real life from interfering with fantasy goodness. And I also like the 0 snap vs. 0 points approach. And I REALLY like the name Special T. Mer.
Does the program track snaps, though? If not, that would be a mess. Maybe it would be easier to say that you could replace a guy that was a Sunday inactive/injury with a bench player that has a later game up until the later game starts. That way, you really have 3 hours after the 1pm kickoff to get your stuff together for the rest of the day. If a guy gets hurt before Monday warmups, though, you’re hosed…
I’m open to more discussion on this “worst ball” concept to replace a late scratch.