A Fantasy Draft Formula Designed To Keep You In All Season

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Imagine coming all the way from the bottom of the standings to competing for the last playoff seed in your league. You went from last to 5th in a 5 game win streak. Its do-or-die last week in the regular season. Your match-up looks tight but you definitely got a chance. Too bad the guy also competing for the same spot is facing Team Quitter this week. Team Quitter's starting QB has been on IR for 2 weeks and the other positions are not much better. That's because Team Quitter has no more stake in the game. He gave up 3 weeks ago. No matter how good your chances are to come from behind or maintain a lead in the standings, if the competition is facing a dead team your probably not going anywhere.

You can't blame people who quit on fantasy football too much. Staying in and playing the spoiler doesn't do it for everyone. No doubt managers who quit still impact the league because their team remains and there's no way to tell how they'll leave. They can leave hurt, inactive, and players with bye weeks coming up in starting slots.

In my league, the BFFG, the draft order is based on the results from the previous season. The idea is to give everyone a fair shot at the cream-of-the-crop players. The last place team gets first pick followed by each sequential team and last pick goes to the league's champion. I thought giving 1st pick to the last place team would entice managers who do not do so well to come back and join again next year. The problem is it also entices teams in last place to stay in last place, killing competition.

My new formula is designed to keep managers who are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs to stay involved and compete. Here is how it works with a 12 team league and 6 teams going to the playoffs.
7th seed - 1st pick
8th seed - 2nd pick
9th seed - 3rd pick
10th seed - 4th pick
11th seed - 5th pick
12th seed - 6th pick
6th place - 7th pick
5th place - 8th pick
4th place - 9th pick
3rd place - 10th pick
2nd place - 11th pick
1st place - 12th pick
(New managers to the league follow the 12th pick in chronological order of when they signed up.)

Having a top draft pick is a treat. You're bound to land an MVP type player. This method of assigning the draft order will give those who might normally quit something to play for.