Being a fantasy commissioner is pretty thankless, but it's also pretty easy. Back in my day (cue old-timey music and a sepia tint) we had to compute scores by hand, field phone calls for waiver wire choices and lineup changes and even fax weekly updates. Now it's all done by computer, and the main job is to collect money and emcee the annual draft (if you even draft in person). There just isn't all that much to do.

Until now. It's time to prove your worth and navigate the most difficult season in your league's history.

What can be said about the recent NFL developments due to Covid-19? Teams are getting kicked out of their stadiums, key players are missing from lineups, Will Fuller has been suspended, a team played a game without a quarterback and week 12 won't wrap up until Wednesday night.

Okay the Fuller thing isn't related to the virus, but you have to feel badly for Deshaun Watson. Does he have any receivers left?

Anyway, the problems the league is experiencing mirrors the resurgence in Covid-19 cases across the country. And it won't magically stop for the fantasy playoffs. Now is the time to put together an action plan and make sure the league operates as smoothly as possible. Some items can be put into place when necessary, and others can be done right now.

Now, you might say: But Michael, that isn't necessary at all. The league website will figure out any obstacles and we'll just follow their ruling. And yeah, you could follow that "plan." But you're the commissioner. You're supposed to be responsible for making sure league business gets done. If you throw up your hands and leave it up to some person in some department in some company, why have a commissioner? What's the benefit to having you at all?

Believe it or not, the big companies don't always get it right. Do you want waivers to run late because a game is played on Tuesday or Wednesday? It might not impact week 13, but what if it brushes up against a scheduled game in the future? Do you sit around and hope the website figures it out?

And what if your rules didn't account for a global pandemic? If stat corrections are final when the next week's games start, does that apply if "the next week's games" are a day away? What happens if the NFL cancels a game with no playoff implications?

You do have options. You could run the waiver wire manually and input it later. You could suspend the one or two-day hold on players. You could incorporate timely scoring discrepancies. You could designate contingency players (before any games start) whose stats would count if a game was canceled.

There are a lot of things you can do, but you can't do any of it alone. You're not a dictator. The first thing you can do (and really need to do) is schedule a league meeting. Preferably it would be via zoom or conference call, but it can be an email chain. You should acknowledge potential challenges and ask members what their concerns might be. Then offer up contingencies and come to a consensus before problems actually happen. That way you're prepared for (almost) anything.

Now, your league might not want to make any changes to the waiver wire or bench spots or anything else. They might be satisfied with going with whatever the website decides. And that's okay. At least you took the lead as commissioner and addressed it. You offered to help make things easier. In short, you did your job.

If you haven't heard from your league's commissioner, feel free to ask them about contingencies. They don't have to have the answers, but they have to be interested in making sure you get answers. That's the responsibility of a commissioner.

League members need to know that the commissioner is on top of things. Don't just shrug your shoulders and hope a website gets it right. Make yourself available to answer questions and address concerns. Even if no changes are made, everyone will know you care enough to be proactive. Step up and be the commissioner your league needs you to be. Good luck this week.

Has your league discussed Covid-related contingencies? What should a good commissioner be doing now to avoid problems later? Share your thoughts below.