Here in Florida, they make a big deal about emergency preparedness. We tend to get a lot of disasters -- hurricanes, flooding, Josh Freeman, the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the event of an emergency, we're supposed to know what to do and who to contact. And that might be a good idea for your league, too.
Right now there's a chance that somebody is going to quit your league. You might not know it. In fact, they probably haven't made the final decision themselves. It's still July, after all. But their interest level has hit bottom, their funds don't allow participation or they simply have other priorities that don't include the league.
It happens. But here's what doesn't happen: You finding out about it in July. More than likely, you'll find out a week or two before the draft, if you're lucky. It might be a couple of days before. In any case, when you do find out, there won't be a lot of time to find a replacement. And that's why you need to have a list of people who could fill in if needed.
More than any summertime cheat sheet, the most accurate and valuable list you can create is one of great fantasy owners who could help the league if you're short a player. And when I say "great fantasy owners," I don't mean someone with a bunch of trophies or the guy at work who knows so many stats you've nicknamed him "Elias." A great owner is someone whose personality fits with the league, has the right temperament for your style of play and will be an active and interested owner. How good they are fantasy football shouldn't matter at all.
That sounds strange, but you'll be better off in the long run. One year there was an opening in my league, and a guy we all knew asked to join. He admitted he didn't know much about fantasy football, and while he loved the hometown team, he knew next to nothing about the other 31 clubs. But he wanted to learn and be part of the league. We were all getting older, and he missed the camaraderie we used to share. He also saw that we kept part of it going with fantasy football, and he promised he'd be a good owner.
Turned out, he wasn't a good owner. He was a great owner. But he was terrible at fantasy football that first year. He got better the next year, and by his third season he was up to speed with everyone else. And yes, a couple of years after that he won the league. But that's not really the point. If he had never won the title, he was still an excellent choice to fill that spot. He had no fantasy football knowledge, and every quality you'd want in a fellow owner. He didn't complain about things, he didn't try to find loopholes in rules and he answered e-mails and phone calls. And we already knew the guy and liked him. It was a perfect fit.
It's not easy to find somebody like that in a pinch. But it's very easy to find "somebody." There will always be some body with and entry fee in their pocket and room on their calendar for another draft. That might solve your numbers problem in the short term, but you really have no idea what you've got in that owner. Are you their 10th league? If their team starts out 0-4 will they disappear? Will they chew out an owner if they don't get the trade they want? I have no idea. You don't either, but if there are no other options you'll probably just roll the dice. And a year or two later, you could be back in the same position.
At your draft or auction, you select players based on the information you have and a gut feeling. Do the same for potential owners. Identify two or three people who you'd want in the league if there was an opening.
Maybe you'll never need to contact them. But if you do, you'll be glad to have a short list of people who have some qualities you want in an owner. And you don't have to be the commissioner to do it. You just have to care about the league.