the first place team is 1 game up on second place. They're very close in pts for a tie breaker. #1 takes his lineup out to assure he loses and goes to 2nd place. He wants second place bc the 3rd place team has a lot of injuries and will be easier to beat.
Its not against the rules, but I feel it's cheap.

Sounds pretty shitty.

But at the same time, brilliant. Almost like going through and claiming/dropping all of the QB's if your opponents QB was say Cam Newton.

Strategy. Play on.

ZWICK 4 PREZ;1685035 wrote:the first place team is 1 game up on second place. They're very close in pts for a tie breaker. #1 takes his lineup out to assure he loses and goes to 2nd place. He wants second place bc the 3rd place team has a lot of injuries and will be easier to beat.
Its not against the rules, but I feel it's cheap.

It's not something I would ever do... but as long as it didn't directly lead to someone getting into the playoffs because of this dude losing then I've got no problem with it.

As commish of my league, I wouldn't be happy with it. You obviously cannot tell your players who to start, but you can't start inactives/empties in my league so he would be in trouble.

This is gamesmanship at its finest. I have no issues with it. He earned the top spot and the flexibility to do what he needed to do.

If people are starting inactives week to week...you need to raise the entry fee or kick them out. It's not an issue in any of my leagues. This, to me, is strategy. As long as there is no collusion where he is sitting everybody so he can take a loss so a guy can make the playoffs...all good here.

Iliketurtles;1685103 wrote:It's not something I would ever do... but as long as it didn't directly lead to someone getting into the playoffs because of this dude losing then I've got no problem with it.

Agreed. As long as the winner in the blown game didn't make the playoffs where he otherwise wouldn't have.

I've been on both ends of this. I've had a team intentionally lose a matchup to another team that was on the brink so that MY team DIDN'T make the playoffs. It was an incredibly shady move, and it was done because my team had gotten healthy and was on a hot streak. In another league I'm in, we have a rule that you must have an active lineup in each week or you can be put up for review at the end of the season. This league is VERY competitive and literally had a waiting list to get into, so it's easier to make a rule like that. However, in your standard league, I don't think there's anything you can do about it. It is indeed gamesmanship at its finest.

Dr. KnOiTaLL;1685162 wrote:I've been on both ends of this. I've had a team intentionally lose a matchup to another team that was on the brink so that MY team DIDN'T make the playoffs. It was an incredibly shady move, and it was done because my team had gotten healthy and was on a hot streak. In another league I'm in, we have a rule that you must have an active lineup in each week or you can be put up for review at the end of the season. This league is VERY competitive and literally had a waiting list to get into, so it's easier to make a rule like that. However, in your standard league, I don't think there's anything you can do about it. It is indeed gamesmanship at its finest.

My two big leagues (I am not the commish in either) both having waiting lists. I waited 5 years to get into my auction league. People have been booted from each league for various reasons but this has gone on before and has been deemed acceptable in many circumstances.

This happens all the time in the regular NFL. For example, let's say the Packers have clinched a bye in the NFC Playoffs and home field going into week 17 vs the Lions later this year. The Lions need to win to get in. If they lose, the Cowboys go. The Packers don't give a shit about how fair it would be the Cowboys if they sit Rodgers. They do what is best for their team.

So my general rule in fantasy football would be similar. Are you doing what is best for your team? Starting 3 guys on a bye in week 5 is not what is best for your team. Grounds for being kicked out. Doesn't happen in my current leagues due to us having some nice, competitive groups and league fees in excess of $200.

Are you cheating? Is there collusion? If those answers are no...and you want to sit your whole lineup to try to get a certain seed...then go for it. It could always backfire.


In your situation...that is a bit shadier. I would call a protest in that situation.

We had almost this exact issue last year. The last week of the regular season only mattered for playoff seeding as the top 8 teams were clinched. We had a guy who was losing by 3 points going into Monday night with Lynch and Tate to play for the Seahawks so basically an easy win. Well he figured out where everyone would most likely end up. He decided to bench those final two guys and leave the slots empty taking a loss. The team who won missed the playoffs anyway but the loss dropped him to the 8 seed. He wanted to play the number 1 ten because injuries had weakened it. I'm the commish and allowed it bc it's gamesmibship.

This year we voted to reseed after each playoff round. So the number 1 team will always have the easiest matchup based on rank and the 8th seed the hardest matchup.