It's time to tidy up. Most things will stay, but some things might have to go. You look around, see what's out of place and do something about it. It's not fun, but it is necessary. And when you're done, everyone will be better off as a result.
It's time to see if any managers are slacking at their job.
Does your league have a team sitting at 0-5 or 1-4? They expected things to go better this year, but their strategy failed, or some hamstrings failed, or maybe a knee or two. Bad luck, bad draft, bad lineup decisions, or something else has caused those managers to lose interest. Not in fantasy football, though. Just your league, because that 0-5 manager is 4-1 somewhere else. When you're in 15 leagues, a few of them probably will get off to a good start. But the rest? Adios, amigos. So now they're abandoning your league, but you still have to identify them.
Fortunately, two things have come together to make your job easier: Injuries and bye weeks. Did Saquon Barkley stay in a lineup during his bye? How about J.K. Dobbins or David Montgomery? Maybe Devin Singletary or Khalil Shakir, even though they were declared out long before game day? If you see one or more of those scenarios, it might mean a manager is bailing on the league.
Note that I said "might." Sometimes things happen that we can't control. Everybody is going through something, and that something might have interfered with their ability to set a lineup for one week. Even great managers have weeks where life takes priority, and lineups don't get set. It happens. But the commissioner needs to find out. A text, email or phone call can get to the bottom of things pretty quickly.
In reality, the commissioner should already be looking out for these things. It's their job, especially considering they don't have a lot to do during the season (they aren't scoring with pen and paper anymore). The commissioner should make sure teams are at least staying active and fielding a valid lineup. In a league where the difference between making the playoffs and missing them might be one game, you can't afford to dole out cheap wins because one manager couldn't be bothered to fulfill their basic obligations. If you're the commissioner, look at the lineups and reach out to anyone who started guys who weren't playing last week.
Even if you're not the commissioner, go ahead and help them out. If you see something, say something. Don’t wait until the end of the year when you need a certain team to lose, only to find out they’re playing a piece of driftwood that week. Let the commissioner know when you see a team not setting a valid lineup.
I know some people take a “it’s their money, so they can do what they want” position, but I disagree. It’s their money, but it’s your league. It’s your fun being jeopardized. It’s the integrity of your playoffs. If someone isn’t going to play, let them go. Either find a replacement, or have their opponents play against the league average, or have the commissioner set a lineup based on highest predicted score for each player. Whatever you do, don’t let an absent manager keep control of the team. They could mess up your entire season if left unchecked.
Fortunately, it’s only week 6. You can right the ship before it’s too late. But this is the week to do some fall cleaning, and clear out managers who don’t want to be there, and therefore shouldn’t be there. Good luck this week.
What do you do with absent managers? How many chances should they get before they’re shown the door? What’s the best excuse you’ve heard for not setting a valid lineup one week? Share your thoughts below.