League Members,

After reviewing nearly a decade of SCUFFLE history, I’d like to submit the following proposals for consideration beginning with the 2026 season.

Before outlining the proposals, I want to acknowledge that SCUFFLE has been a lot of fun to be involved with. The league has created a unique fantasy football experience because of the many features that set it apart from traditional leagues.

These proposals are not intended to criticize what SCUFFLE has been. Rather, I believe we’ve reached a point where the league would benefit from discussing whether some aspects of the structure still serve the goals we want them to serve.

I am presenting two separate proposals. While I personally support both, I believe they address different issues and should be voted on independently. Owners may support one proposal, both proposals, or neither proposal.

Proposal #1: One Championship Path

Over the years, we have seen multiple examples of teams with double-digit wins missing the playoffs while teams with losing or .500 records qualified. While these outcomes were consistent with the league rules, they raise an important question:

Should playoff access be determined primarily by current-season performance, or by where a team happened to be placed before the season began?

Examples include:

• In 2021, two 5-9 teams qualified for the playoffs while a 9-5 team was left out. 

• In 2024, a 4-10 team qualified for the playoffs while a 10-4 team was left out.

• In 2025, two 7-7 teams qualified for the playoffs while a 10-4 team was left out.

These examples highlight how divisional placement and previous-season performance can have a significant impact on playoff access. While that was part of the original design, it can also lead to situations where strong teams are excluded from championship contention because of where they started the season rather than what they accomplished during it.

Every owner should begin Week 1 with the same path to a championship.

One of the benefits of this structure is that every owner begins each season with a fresh opportunity to earn a playoff spot and compete for a championship. The advantage should not come from where a team happened to finish the previous year, but from the work an owner puts in during the current season. The owners who consistently succeed are typically the ones who draft well, manage their FAAB budget effectively, identify value on the waiver wire, make smart roster decisions, and stay engaged throughout the season. Those are the competitive advantages that should separate teams, not playoff opportunities that are partially determined by where a team finished the year before. 

Proposed Changes to League Structure

Eliminate Divisions

Gold, Silver, and Bronze divisions would be retired in favor of a single 12-team division. (Naming rights to the champion?)

Every owner would begin each season on equal footing, with no inherited advantages or disadvantages based on previous-year results. 

Best 6 Records Make the Playoffs

Playoff qualification would be determined solely by regular-season record.

The six teams with the best records would qualify for the postseason.

Randomize the Additional Three Regular-Season Games

Each team would continue to play every other team once during the regular season (11 games).

The remaining three games would be randomly generated before the season begins.

This creates a neutral schedule for all owners and ensures no team enters the season with a built-in scheduling advantage.

Benefits of Proposal #1

• Every owner starts the season on equal footing.

• The six best regular-season records earn playoff berths.

• Current-season performance becomes the primary focus.

• The league remains competitive from Week 1 through Week 14.

• Success is determined by drafting, roster management, waiver decisions, and season-long engagement.

Ultimately, I believe this proposal creates the cleanest possible championship structure while preserving the competitive elements that make fantasy football enjoyable.

After nearly a decade of SCUFFLE, I believe the Premier League-style format has reached a point where its influence on playoff access outweighs the benefits it provides. SCUFFLE has reached a point where the simplest solution is also the best one: one division, one playoff race, and one championship path for all 12 owners.

Proposal #2: Rewarding All-Play Performance 

One of the best features of SCUFFLE is the All-Play system.

Unlike head-to-head records, All-Play minimizes schedule luck and measures how a team performs against the entire league each week.

Under the current structure, All-Play largely serves as a future-facing metric. It influences division placement and future playoff opportunities, but provides little direct reward during the season in which the achievement is earned.

This proposal would create an immediate reward for season-long excellence.

Proposed All-Play Incentives

Increase League Dues from $20 to $40

The first $20 per owner would continue to cover the league website and operating expenses.

The additional $20 per owner would create a league-wide prize pool.

12 Owners × $20 = $240 Prize Pool

Reward Both Championship Success and Season-Long Excellence

At the conclusion of the season:

• League Champion: $80

• Top-4 All-Play Finishers: $40

The league champion receives the largest payout for winning the title, while the Top 4 All-Play finishers earn back their league dues ($40) by demonstrating consistent success throughout the regular season.

Instead of using All-Play to influence future playoff opportunities, this proposal rewards All-Play directly through cash payouts during the season in which the achievement is earned.

Benefits of Proposal #2

• All-Play performance receives an immediate reward.

• Season-long consistency is recognized.

• Owners have meaningful goals beyond playoff qualification.

• The league rewards both championship success and regular-season excellence.

Final Thoughts 

I have intentionally presented these ideas as two separate proposals because they address different aspects of the league.

Some owners may support moving away from the current divisional structure but prefer a different approach to league dues and payouts. Others may like the idea of rewarding All-Play performance while preferring to keep the current league format. By separating the proposals, owners can evaluate and vote on each idea independently.

My goal is not to diminish what SCUFFLE has been over the last decade. Rather, it is to start a conversation about whether our current structure still aligns with what we want the league to reward moving forward.

The final question I would ask before casting your votes:

Should where a team starts the season determine its access to the championship, or should that be determined by what the team accomplishes during the season?

(I am unable to find out how to install a poll onto this post- so either, Josh- edit the post and add one for me, or just just and paste the two Proposals and reply with your vote in the comment section?)

Proposal #1: One Championship Path: YES NO

Proposal #2: Rewarding All-Play Performance: YES NO

© 2026, Tim Matuszak. All rights reserved.