Empire Builder Dynasty FFL - avemo

Please enable JavaScript to view the full PDF

Empire Builder Fantasy Constitution Welcome to the Empire Builder Fantasy Football League. This league was formed in 2020 by a group of Fantasy Players seeking to expand their Fantasy experience to include Dynasty, SUPERFLEX, IDP, Auctions, and more. The League scoring is designed to better represent a player’s actual impact on the NFL game, using a unique scoring system. This league is a money league and owners are expected to pay their League Dues prior to the due date. While this is a competitive league, it is still intended to be a fun learning experience for all owners. By joining the league, we agree to be active participants in conversations, transactions, roster management, league voting, and all other league activities. This is a year-round league and will have league events throughout the entirety of the year. 1.0 Living Constitution It is important to remember that the Constitution is an ever-changing document. It is designed to evolve and adapt with the league and its members. It also exists to provide a framework for the rules of the league, not to cover every possible scenario. 1.1 Commissioner The Commissioner of the League is Avery Bailey. E: [email protected] Please first attempt to contact the Commissioner through the League chat or direct message system, then e- mail. If you are unable reach the Commissioner for any reason, please send a correspondence to another owner or post in the group chat or Slack. As some contacts are time sensitive, so it’s important to have a time stamp. 1.2 Amendments If an owner wishes to amend the constitution, the owner should submit the proposed change to the Commissioner who will determine if the change should be put to a league vote. While most votes will take place during the Off-Season Voting Period, mid-season rules change votes can occur if necessary. All changes should be made to improve the purpose and philosophy of the league. 1.3 Off Season Voting Period Proposed off-season rule changes will be posted for voting on February 20th and will remain available to be voted upon until February 28. Each League member is required to participate in the voting. 1.4 Supermajority/Unanimous Voting For most minor amendments, a Supermajority of 75% of current owners is required in order to amend any rule in the Constitution. However, any major changes including relocating to a different service provider, amending the size of roster, adding or removing line-up spots, etc. will require a unanimous vote and could require a two-year lead period for implementation. 2.0 Funding and Payouts The League is funded by the League Dues. Each owner is expected to pay League Dues prior to their due date, February 20th. League Dues are held in LeagueSafe.com and require a majority approval to remove any funds from the account. 2.1 League Dues League Dues are $100 each year. This fee is due before the Startup Auction. In each subsequent year, League Dues may be paid at the conclusion of Week 17 of the NFL Season and must be and prior to Off Season Voting Period on February 20th. 2.1.1. Offseason Activity Participation League Dues must be paid current to participate in any League Activity including but not limited to Free Agent Acquisition, Trades, League Votes, Rookie Auction. 2.1.2. Failure to Pay Dues Failure to pay League Dues will result in forfeiture of team. If unable to pay by February 20th for any reason, please contact the Commissioner to discuss payment plan. If a conclusion is unable to be achieved, the team will become Orphaned and a new owner will be found. 2.2 Payouts League Winnings are paid the Week after the conclusion of Week 16 of the NFL season. As any payouts require Majority Approval, all owners are required to be active during payout week to ensure that all winners are paid prior to Week 17 and the start of the next fantasy season. Weekly prizes are totaled and tracked on a shared Google Sheet and paid at the conclusion of the fantasy season. 2.2.1 Weekly “Best Owner” Payout: $10 Each Week during the Fantasy regular season (Weeks 1-13) to the owner who starts the most optimal starting roster. (Best percentage of point for starters vs bench.) 2.2.2 Weekly “Bad Beat” Payout: $5 Each Week to the highest scoring losing team each week during the fantasy regular season (Weeks 1-13). 2.2.3 Regular Season MVP (Offensive and Defensive) Payout: $25 to the team Owner of each the Offensive and Defensive player who outperforms the next runner up at their position by the highest percentage of points for the entirety of the fantasy regular season (Weeks 1-13). 2.2.4 Team of the Year Payout: $55 to the Owner of the team who scored the most point during the Fantasy Regular Season (Weeks 1 through 13). 2.2.5 Game of the Year Payout: $25 to the Owner of the team with the highest single game score during the Fantasy Regular Season (Weeks 1-13). 2.2.6 “Bad Beat” Jackpot Payout: $25 to the Owner of the team who suffered the most points against during the fantasy regular season (Weeks 1-13). 2.2.6 Playoff Payouts 2.2.6.1 Champion Purse: $450 2.2.6.2 First Runner Up: $200 2.2.6.3 Second Runner Up: $100 2.2.7 Progressive “Empire” Bonus Payout: $100 will be withheld each season toward a progressive bonus. The entirety of the progressive pool will be paid to a Champion who wins in back to back seasons. 3.0 League Composition Mega League is composed of 12 teams separated into 2 six team divisions. 3.1 Regular Season The Regular Season will be played in a series of Head to Head matchups from NFL Weeks 1 through 13. 3.2 Division Rankings Teams will be ranked within their divisions based on the following criteria: 3.2.1 Overall Winning Percentage 3.2.2 Total Points Scored 3.2.3 Head to Head Winning Percentage 3.2.4 Total points scored by Opponent 3.3 Playoffs After completion of Week 13 of the NFL Regular Season, Division standings will be evaluated, and Playoff Seeds awarded. 3.3.1 Division Winners Each Division Winner will receive a Week 14 Bye. 3.3.2 Wild Card A Wild Card Berth is reserved for the highest scoring team throughout the regular season, regardless of record. The three highest placing non-division winning teams will receive Wild Card Berths. If the team with the most points scored has made the playoffs as a Division Winner, the fourth highest placing team will receive the final Wild Card Berth. All Wild Card Teams will be ranked by record. 3.3.3 Playoff Structure Week 14: Wild Card teams will play in week 14. 3 vs 6 and 4 vs 5. Week 15: The Lowest remaining Wild Card Seed will play against the Highest ranked Division Winner and the Highest remaining Wild Card Seed will play against the Lowest Ranked Division Winner. Week 16: The Winners of Week 15 will play against each other in the Champion’s Bowl. The teams who lost Week 15 will play for the Consolation Cup. 3.3.4 Champion, First Runner Up, Second Runner Up The winner of the Champion’s Bowl will be declared Champion and the team who lost will be the First Runner Up. The winner of the Consolation Cup will be Second Runner Up. 3.4 Naming Rights Naming Rights will be awarded to Division Winners and the Champion. All names will remain family friendly. 3.4.1 League Name The Champion reserves the right to decide the League Name for the upcoming season. League Name must be chosen Prior to Kick-off Week 1 and will not be changed until a new Champion is crowned 3.4.2 Division Names The Winner of each Division during the Regular Season reserves the right to decide the Division Name for the upcoming season. Division Names must be chosen Prior to Kick- off Week 1 and will not be changed until a new Division Winner is crowned. 4.0 Rosters, Lineups, and Rookie Drafts Rosters consist of 53 Active Players and an Injured Reserve. There is no maximum limit to how many of any single position an Owner may have. A minimum to fill a complete starting lineup is required. 4.1 Startup Auction and Draft Mega League will use a Single Blind Bid Style Auction for the Initial Roster Construction. 4.1.1 Starting Auction FAAB Each team will begin the Auction with 600 FAAB. 4.1.2 Phase One Player Selection The top 120 Offensive Players (Ranked by FantasyPros Consensus) and the top 120 Defensive Players (Ranked on Rotoheat) will be combined into a pool and randomized. 4.1.2.1 Player Pools After randomization, players will be grouped into pools of 24 players lettered A-J. 4.1.2.2 Active Pools Each day, for 10 days, the next sequential pool of players will become available for bidding. Only the 24 players in the current pool (as well as any unpurchased players from previous pools) are available for bidding. 4.1.3 Phase Two Player Selection After the conclusion of Phase One Bidding, the Offensive Players ranked 121-244 (Ranked by FantasyPros Consensus) and the Defensive Players ranked 121-176(Ranked on Rotoheat) will be combined into a pool and randomized. 4.1.3.1 Player Pools After randomization, players will be grouped into pools of 36 players lettered A-E. 4.1.3.2 Active Pools Each day, for 5 days, the next sequential pool of players will become available for bidding. Only the 36 players in the current pool (as well as any unpurchased players from previous pools) are available for bidding. 4.1.4 Phase Three/Open Free Agency After the conclusion of Phase Two Bidding, no further bidding will be available until the Sunday immediately following the conclusion of Phase Two. On that Sunday, Phase three will begin. During Phase Three, all players are available for bid. At the conclusion of Phase Three, FAAB will be reset to the start of season amount and Open Free Agency will begin. 4.1.5 Bidding Each team may submit a single blind bid on each player available in the current pool (or previous pools). This process will be handled by selecting the player off the waiver wire and entering your corresponding bid. All bids will process simultaneously at 12am CST each night. Bids of $0 are allowed. 4.1.6 Winning a Bid Whichever team places the highest bid on each player will receive that player. Ties will be broken in the following order:  Highest Bid Amount – FAAB Amount bid by each team  Personal Waiver Priority – For each team, players are placed in Descending Order according to their Bids. For players with matching bids, the team can select their priority by re-arranging them on the waiver tab of the Sleeperbot App  Rolling Waivers – Turn order will be randomly assigned after all teams have entered the league. When a team wins a bid based on this tiebreaker, they will move to the back of the line. 4.1.7 Completing the Auction After the Phase Three Bid, FAAB will be reset to $200 and Open Free Agency will begin. 4.2 Starting Lineup Each team must play a complete starting lineup. Players may be added or removed from the lineup until the scheduled start time of that player’s game. A player whose game has already begun or completed cannot be added or removed from the starting lineup. Each team will be required to start the following players: 4.2.1 Offensive Lineup 1 QB (Quarterback) 3 RB (Running Back) 3 WR (Wide Receiver) 1 TE (Tight End) 1 W/T Flex (Pass Catching Flex) 1 W/R/T Flex (Standard Flex) 1 Q/W/R/T (Superflex) 4.2.2 Defensive Lineup 3 DL (Defensive Linemen) 3 LB (Linebacker) 3 DB (Defensive Back) 2 IDP Flex 4.3 Bench Each Team will have a 31-player bench for lineup flexibility and developing players. 4.4 Injured Reserve Injured Reserve is designed to allow owners to retain the rights for up to 5 injured players without having to have them on the active roster. Only players listed as “IR” or “PUP” can be placed on the Injured Reserve. Injured Free Agents may not be added until they are medically cleared to play. Injured Players may be traded. Suspended players, Doubtful players, and Out players are not eligible for IR. Players on the IR may be cut. 4.5 Offseason Roster Cuts, Expansion 4.5.1 Roster Cuts After the conclusion of Week 17 of the NFL Season and Prior to February 20 (one week before the Free Agency Auction), each Owner must vacate their Injured Reserve slots and cut their roster down to 40 players (Removing 13). Any teams failing to do so will have their rosters forcibly trimmed by the Ownership Percentages on Sleeperbot. 4.5.2 Roster Expansion On March 1st, prior to the Free Agency Draft, Roster Size will expand back to 65 to prepare for the Free Agent and Rookie Drafts 4.5.3 Return to 53 Rosters will return to 53 players after the conclusion of week 2 of the NFL Preseason. 4.5.4 Offseason IR There will be no Injured Reserve slots during the offseason. All players must be vacated from the IR one week before the Free Agency Auction. Any players remaining on the Injured Reserve at this point will be released into the Free Agency Pool. The Injured Reserve will reopen after week 4 of the NFL Preseason. 4.6 Trades Trading is allowed and encouraged. There is no limit or cost to trades. 4.6.1 Trades are instant and require no approval. 4.6.2 If any player involved in the trade is participating in or has completed their game for the week, the trade will complete at the beginning of the following waiver period. 4.6.3 Trading Rookie “Draft Picks” is allowed (see rule 4.9). 4.6.4 FAAB can be exchanged as part of a trade. (FAAB Definition 4.7.1) 4.6.5 Only Fantasy Football Currencies, Players, and futures may be exchanged. Any outside money or material exchange is strictly forbidden. 4.6.6 Collusion, while rare, is strictly forbidden. If an owner expects other teams of collusion, the teams involved in the trade will have 24 hours to explain their side of the trade. 4.6.7 Trades may include a PTBNL (Player to Be Named Later) 4.6.7.1 PTBNL This can be a combination of up to 3 total from any available players, currencies, or draft selections. The team receiving the PTBNL will have up to two weeks to choose which selection they will receive in the trade or will forfeit their rights to the PTBNL. Any player who is listed in the PTBNL may not otherwise be traded or released until the trade has concluded. All options involved in the PTBNL should be agreed upon in a chat involving an impartial third party. 4.7 Free Agency Free Agency will be conducted with Continuous Waivers processing at 12am CST/CDT every weeknight night. Free Agency will be closed for any team which has already played their game for the week and closed entirely for Sunday and Monday, re-opening Tuesday. Players will be awarded based on FAAB Bidding. Open Free Agency will open after the conclusion of the offseason Free Agent Auction and will remain open until the conclusion of Week 16. 4.7.1 FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) Each team will receive $200 Budget at the beginning of each league year to be used for Free Agent Acquisition and the Free Agent Auction. Every night, a blind auction will occur for every player on waivers. The highest bidder will win that player and the amount of FAAB spent will be reduced from the Owners FAAB budget. $0 FAAB Bids are allowed. At the conclusion of week 16, all FAAB will be lost. 4.7.2 Tiebreaker See rule 4.1.6 4.8 Free Agent Auction During the Offseason and Prior to Open Free Agency, all teams will be able to participate in the Free Agent Auction. The auction will be a single blind bid auction held over a 2-week period. The Auction will consist of consecutive Nomination Days, followed by Bid Days. 4.8.1 Player Nomination Day Each team may nominate up to 3 Free Agents on a shared Google Sheet. These nominations will be anonymous. 4.8.2 Bidding Only players previously nominated are available for bidding. A FAAB waiver will be run at 12am CST/CDT on the bidding day and players will be awarded. (See rule 4.1.6). The FAAB spent during the Free Agency Auction is the same pool as the team will have for the rest of the season. 4.8.3 Conclusion of Auction After 14 days, The Free Agency Auction will conclude, and Open Free Agency will begin. 4.9 Rookie Auction The first Sunday after the conclusion of the NFL Draft at 5PM CST/CDT, the Rookie Auction will begin. The auction will be a fast auction style with individual players being auctioned one at a time. Teams must have open roster space to accommodate any players selected during the draft. Owners will be able to nominate players for bidding and use Rookie Auction Bucks to bid on selected players. This auction will be held in the league Slack channel. When this function becomes available on Sleeperbot, the auction will be migrated there. 4.8.1 Pick Values Any “Draft Picks” owned by teams at the conclusion of the Regular Season are converted into Auction Buck which may then be traded in any increment. The distribution of allotment is in accordance with the following chart: Finish Pos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Round 1 77 65 54 49 45 41 37 33 30 27 24 22 Round 2 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 Round 3 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 Round 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 Round 5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Round 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4.9.2 Player Nomination Each team may will nominate 1 Rookie at a time in inverse of the previous year’s standing. Once a player has been purchased, the next team will have 1 minute to declare the next player for bid. At the conclusion of 1 minute, the acting owner is skipped, and the next owner will nominate a player for auction. Any player nominated must be nominated with a minimum bid of $1 of Auction Buck. 4.9.3 Bidding Any Owner may bid on any player provided they have appropriate Auction Bucks to cover their bid. Bid increments must increase by at least $1. After 30 seconds have elapsed with no additional bids on a specific player, the current highest bidder will receive that player and have the highest bid removed from their Auction Buck Pool. If the winning team does not have sufficient Auction Bucks and/or roster space for the player, the bidding for that player will begin over again and the previous winning team will be barred from participating in that player’s auction. 4.9.4 Conclusion of Auction Once 12 teams have passed with no rookie being nominated, the Rookie Auction ends, and all remaining rookies will enter the Free Agency Pool. 5.0 Scoring 5.1 Offensive Passing Yard 0.04 Points Passing Touchdown 6 Points Passing 2 Pt Conversion 2 Points Pass of at least 40 yards 0.5 Points Rushing Yard 0.1 Points Rushing TD 6 Points Rushing First Down 0.5 Points Rushing Attempt 0.1 Points Rush of at least 40 Yards 2 Points Rushing 2 Pt Conversion 2 Points Receiving Yard 0.1 Points Receiving TD 6 Points Receiving First Down 0.5 Points Receiving 2 Pt Conversion 2 Points Reception 0.5 Points Reception of at least 40 Yards 1 Point Reception by TE 0.5 Additional Points Incomplete Pass -0.2 Points Interception Thrown -4 Points Interception Returned for TD additional -2 Points Dropped Pass -1 Point (not currently supported by Sleeperbot but will be implemented as soon as the scoring option becomes available) Fumble -2 Points Fumble lost additional -2 points 5.2 Defensive Solo Tackle 1.5 Points Assisted Tackle 0.75 Points Tackle for Loss 2 Points Sack 4 Points Pass Defended 1.5 Points Hit on QB 1 Point Interception 6 Points Forced Fumble 3 Points Fumble Recovery 3 Points IDP Touchdown 6 Points Safety 6 Points 5.3 Misc. Scoring Blocked Kick/Punt/FG 5 Points Special Teams TD 6 Points Special Teams Forced Fumble 3 Points Special Teams Fumble Recovered 3 Points Special Teams Solo Tackle 1.5 Points Special Teams Return Yard 0.05 Points Field Goal Made 3 Points Field Goal Yardage over 3 points 0.1 Points 6.0 Offseason The Offseason begins immediately at the conclusion of Week 17. Owners may not participate in any Offseason activities until that Owner has paid League Dues for the upcoming season. 7.0 Orphaned, Abandoned, and Expelled Teams 7.1 Expulsion As this is a fun and competitive league, all owners should remain active, strive for the betterment of their team, and maintain appropriate decorum. However, there may come a time when an owner no longer suits the league 7.1.1 Reasoning The following acts can result in Expulsion from League: Harassment – continued abused of another owner Tanking – see rule 10.0 and 10.1 Inactivity – continuously ignoring setting starting lineup, being unresponsive to league votes, waivers, trades, etc. Unpaid Dues – see rule 2.1.2 7.1.2 Procedure Once an issue has been brought to the Commissioner by at least 2 different owners, this situation will be presented to the league. If necessary, a vote will commence for removal of the owner. 9 owners must agree that removal is necessary in order to expel an owner from the league. 7.1.3 Result Once an owner has been removed, the team becomes an Orphaned Team. 7.2 Orphaned Team Any team without an owner is considered an Orphaned Team. As soon as a team becomes Orphaned, the Commissioner will take control until a replacement can be found. 7.2.1 Lineup All Lineups will be set and optimized to the Host App’s best projection. 7.2.2 Free Agent and Rookie Auctions The Commissioner will make every attempt to find a new owner prior to the auctions. This could lead to slight delays for the Auctions, within reason. If no new owner can be found in time, the Team will simply not participate in the Free Agent Auction and will retain all off-season FAAB. If no owner can be found in time for the Rookie Auction, the Auction Budget can be converted into Regular Season FAAB or discounted by half for next season’s Rookie Auction. 7.2.3 Roster Moves Waiver Claims will not be made, and all trades will be declined indefinitely until a new owner is found. 7.2.4 League Dues League Dues will carry over their current status of paid/owed/owed half. The New owner will be responsible for any unpaid dues. 7.3 Appropriate Abandonment If a situation arises where an owner can no longer remain a part of the league, that owner should continue to maintain the best team possible until a replacement owner can be found. The preferred time to leave the league is at the conclusion of the regular season after payouts have been paid 8.0 League Activity This league, while opening as a learning league, is intended to be active and competitive. It is the responsibility of all Owners to participate in responding to League Votes, Trade Offers, Waiver Claims, Paying League Dues, and all other league responsibilities 8.1 Important Dates for League Activity Startup Auction Week 1 Kickoff: Regular Season Begins Week 13: Final Game of Regular Season and Trade Deadline Week 14: Playoffs Begin Week 16: Championship Week 16-17: Payout Week Week 17: New Season Begins February 20-28: Offseason Rule Change Voting February 20: Deadline for Roster Cuts to 40 and IR cleared February 20: Deadline for League Dues March 1: Rosters expand to 65 Players March 1: Free Agent Auction Begins March 14: Free Agent Auction Concludes March 15: Open Free Agency Begins First Sunday Following NFL Draft 6pm CST: Rookie Auction Begins Week 2 of NFL Preseason: Rosters Cut to 53 Week 4 of Preseason: IR slots open. 9.0 Hosting Sites and Apps 9.1 Initial Auction Initial Auction will be hosted on Sleeperbot 9.2 Dynasty Hosting The League and Rosters will be hosted on Sleeperbot. 9.3 Financial Hosting All transactions will occur on LeagueSafe.com. 9.4 Rookie Auction Hosting Rookie Auctions will be hosted on Slack until Sleeperbot has the functionality. 9.6 League Docs All weekly prize winners will be tracked on a shared doc on Google Sheets. League members will have view only access to the doc. Free Agency Auction doc will be open for Owners to add players. 10.0 Fair Play Clause This is a competitive league, created for owners to have fun while learning the Dynasty and IDP Format. In the spirit of competition, owners are not allowed to purposefully lose games. Owners are also not allowed to drop key pieces on their roster with the purpose of tanking. If an owner is thought to be purposefully tanking, the Commissioner will hold a vote to remove that owner from the league. Additionally, as there are cash prizes each week for setting the best lineup, it behooves each owner to attempt to do so. 10.1 Incomplete Roster Penalty If a team owner fails to submit a complete roster with 22 active players, a warning will be issued. If an owner fails to submit a complete roster again, a $10 Rookie Auction Penalty will be levied (carried over to the next season if the team has insufficient draft bucks). A third failure to submit a starting roster will result in expulsion from the league and the team becoming “Orphaned.” This does not apply for players who have been a “late scratch” (same day designation of injured status). 11.0 Week 18 Contingency In the event the NFL extends the schedule to 17 games (over 18 weeks), the Empire Builder Dynasty League will extend its regular season to 14 Games. The playoffs will be moved to weeks 15-17. The Champions Purse will reduce to $440 and the Team of the Year will reduce to $50 to fund the extra week of Weekly Prizes. League Prizes will be paid after the conclusion of Week 17. The League Season will conclude at the end of week 18.