What to do about a dormant owner?

[panerd]

So I am in a work fantasy football league and like most leagues have several owners who don't put much effort in. One guy though takes the cake, he had the computer auto-draft and hasn't made one lineup move or transaction since. Leaving him with several weeks of multiple players on byes (including the computer picking two kickers and having one of the bench while the other was on a bye) and Le'Veon Bell on his bench the entire season. Sad part about it is that his team isn't half bad and actually is around 6th place (though I doubt he even has any idea). So here comes the controversy...

He was scheduled to play the guy currently in 4th place and all of a sudden he has waiver wire moves, Bell in his line-up, players on byes moved to the bench. His buddy is the guy who happens to be in 5th place. He did pay the same entry as everyone and I guess can do whatever he wants with his team but what a load of bullshit that his friend doesn't help him with his line-up any week (including when they played each other) but now he is in there with a meaningful game this week.

Anyone ever have something similar happen? Anything the league can really do about it at this point? It would have been nice I guess to have some rules about inactive lineups but its a little late week 11 to have them now.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by panerd

So I am in a work fantasy football league and like most leagues have several owners who don't put much effort in. One guy though takes the cake, he had the computer auto-draft and hasn't made one lineup move or transaction since. Leaving him with several weeks of multiple players on byes (including the computer picking two kickers and having one of the bench while the other was on a bye) and Le'Veon Bell on his bench the entire season. Sad part about it is that his team isn't half bad and actually is around 6th place (though I doubt he even has any idea). So here comes the controversy...

He was scheduled to play the guy currently in 4th place and all of a sudden he has waiver wire moves, Bell in his line-up, players on byes moved to the bench. His buddy is the guy who happens to be in 5th place. He did pay the same entry as everyone and I guess can do whatever he wants with his team but what a load of bullshit that his friend doesn't help him with his line-up any week (including when they played each other) but now he is in there with a meaningful game this week.

Anyone ever have something similar happen? Anything the league can really do about it at this point? It would have been nice I guess to have some rules about inactive lineups but its a little late week 11 to have them now.

We had someone do that in our league, so teams were getting easy wins. To make it fair the commish just took control of the team and moved every player to the bench, so in effect everyone gets a forfeit win against this team. I happen to play them this week

[panerd]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

We had someone do that in our league, so teams were getting easy wins. To make it fair the commish just took control of the team and moved every player to the bench, so in effect everyone gets a forfeit win against this team. I happen to play them this week

Yeah probably the best move in week 2 or 3 but I think like 5 people have sadly lost to his team. Is your's a money league? On one hand I am with you that if he can't manage his team he makes it difficult for everybody else but on the flip side if he makes the playoffs somehow and wins some money he did pay his entry fee. The fact that it is at work adds another dynamic that hopefully wouldn't exist just among friends.

On a side note my team is usually competitive (it seems like if you actually make moves and pay attention you should finish top 1/2 in any league) but even when I am 2-10 I am still trying to pick up players and compete. Maybe I'm too competitive or just have integrity but I can't stand guys that have 50 moves when they are 10-2 but players on byes when they are 2-10.

[MrBug708]

If he paid the fee, he should be allowed to play. It sucks for any team moving forward, just dont allow him back next year. You didnt seem to indicate whether or not you know his friend is helping, just suspect it to be true. How many teams? If it's week 11, it sounds like the guy in 4th place already benefitted from a no-show from this guy once, so is it really fair that he was scheduled to play him twice and this happens?

[panerd]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

If he paid the fee, he should be allowed to play. It sucks for any team moving forward, just dont allow him back next year. You didnt seem to indicate whether or not you know his friend is helping, just suspect it to be true. How many teams? If it's week 11, it sounds like the guy in 4th place already benefitted from a no-show from this guy once, so is it really fair that he was scheduled to play him twice and this happens?

12 man league so this is still the first go around but I agree with everything else. I hate it in fantasy baseball also but if someone pays $150 entry and wants to trade their stud players for a $6 "keeper" Johnny Peralta they are wasting their own $150. (Yes this did happen!) Not much we really can do... was kind of venting but also hoping for a shot in the dark idea I hadn't heard before. Pretty sure the guy is helping because I think the bad owner needed help just registering for the league. Can't imagine he just figured out how to claim players etc...

[Kodos]

Crap like this is why I gave up on fantasy sports years ago. Too many quitters.

[molson]

I usually get roped into a free casual friends or friends-of-friends league and just about every time, most of the player have quit by this point in the season. I'm in one this year that is particularly bad though. I'm not sure anyone's active. I just get whoever I want in waivers every week. I don't spend a lot of time on it, but I'll keep plugging along. I seems I am much more successful in fantasy sports when nobody is competing against me. So at least there's that.

[albionmoonlight]

We had an owner like that this year. When it became apparent, we decided to let everyone get the one "free" week against her. But the commish took control after that so that the people who played her twice would not get an unfair advantage.

No real good solution, though.

[Izulde]

I'm guilty of that this year. Had the #1 pick for the first time ever, but I got stuck with an auto-drafted team due to not being able to get to a computer. I stayed it with the first few weeks, but lost interest because this wasn't my squad and the AI really fucked me over. We also suffered a number of bullshit losses where we magically faced the top team in the league.

If I don't get invited back next year, I'm okay with it. Might even allow me to enjoy football more.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by panerd

Yeah probably the best move in week 2 or 3 but I think like 5 people have sadly lost to his team. Is your's a money league? On one hand I am with you that if he can't manage his team he makes it difficult for everybody else but on the flip side if he makes the playoffs somehow and wins some money he did pay his entry fee. The fact that it is at work adds another dynamic that hopefully wouldn't exist just among friends.

On a side note my team is usually competitive (it seems like if you actually make moves and pay attention you should finish top 1/2 in any league) but even when I am 2-10 I am still trying to pick up players and compete. Maybe I'm too competitive or just have integrity but I can't stand guys that have 50 moves when they are 10-2 but players on byes when they are 2-10.

That does add a different dynamic, maybe best to just ride it out and not invite him back, or add a rule that if he fails to field a complete lineup he must play the rest of the season with a short lineup (so if he plays 2 players that have a bye, he must leave 2 spots open the rest of the year) Sucks if he beat teams prior, but most likely insures he doesn't finish in the money at the end of the season, so it is motivation.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Might even allow me to enjoy football more.

I find that not having to root for players that I don't like increases my enjoyment. Or not being disappointed that my team scored but it wasn't the right player.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by molson

I usually get roped into a free casual friends or friends-of-friends league and just about every time, most of the player have quit by this point in the season. I'm in one this year that is particularly bad though. I'm not sure anyone's active. I just get whoever I want in waivers every week. I don't spend a lot of time on it, but I'll keep plugging along. I seems I am much more successful in fantasy sports when nobody is competing against me. So at least there's that.

That's why you should join the FOFC Alternate Rules League next year! Just about everyone has had 10+ roster moves, not sure I can pinpoint a team that has just given up.

[MCK]

In our money league, we fine any team that has a player on bye or is officially out in their starting lineup $10. This is our 21st season and I think I've only fined 4 owners.

Depending how much the entry fee was and level of competition, the commissioner should have stepped in right away once he saw the owner was not active.

[Toddzilla]

This is why fantasy football is the worst