Opinions: min. tenure for free agents

[bernieh]

Your opinions wanted:

So I haven't decided on the right rule to dissuade managers in no-salary-cap leagues (Live Draft leagues) from continuously using the free agent pool before every series to play matchups, since there's otherwise no penalty for making transactions. There's major problems with going with the simplest ideas of imposing season-long transaction limits or periodical allotments (tell me if you need me to elaborate), but I've hit upon one idea I really like, and think would be desirable as an option in salary cap leagues.

Basically, when you pick up a free agent after the season has started, he must stay on your team for a minimum of 15 games. Most obviously, this would deter you from going to the well too often to play matchups if your acquisitions had to stay on your team for 5 series. But additionally, I would advocate this rule as an [i:6d5715c993]option[/i:6d5715c993] for salary cap leagues as well, because it would also stop those newbies who always flip half their team after a 3-8 start.

Note that I would not make this rule affect trades between teams, because you could not freely use trades to play matchups. If you do, then that's against our Fair Play policy and then we just kick you out. By the way, shortly I will place text on transaction pages to make it [i:6d5715c993]very clear[/i:6d5715c993] that foul play will not be tolerated.

So what do you think? Is 15 games the right number? I think 12 is a bit too few and 18 is unnecessarily high. Do you have a much better idea that's easy for the layman to understand and for me to implement? The first Live Draft/no cap leagues start their seasons on Monday so I need to install ASAP. I know - I'm flying by the seat of my pants but I'm doing what I can.

Thanks.

[Detroit-Tigers]

15 is fine.

[DHowser]

I think you might want to consider a little bit of a higher #. The reason being that if you can carry 28 players on your roster, you could change out of 1 or 2 of them pretty much every series, or bank some moves and when you're playing a key team still be able to make 5 or 6 moves. If you make the # around 25 then maybe that would limit this a little more.

[bbasebrawl]

I can remember many years ago when I first started fantasy ball that we could only make free agent pickups once a week... That would definitely deter from making so many moves....

[Jerlins]

I'm not sure it is possible to program:

Once a player is dropped, he is not available to that team until he has been picked up, then dropped again, by a second team.

As for your suggestion, 15 games minimum seems perfect.

[geekor]

I personally fine 15 a bit low, I'd like to see 21 (1 week). But I'd live with 15 ;)

[ironwill1]

15 works for me.

I was so looking forward to flipping my team every day! :lol:

[The Biomechanical Man]

I think 15 is perfect.

[apolivka]

I would say 18 or 21 would be a better number. 21 games is only about 12% of a 162 game season. If someone can't help you for 12% of a season, you probably shouldn't be picking him up.

[blueiguana]

Another way to do it is to say that once a team drops a player, that team cannot re-acquire him for some extended period of time -- maybe 30 games. That should dry up most of the matchup scheming, but would allow a team to grab someone to fill an injury hole for a few games.