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This league will use Reality Sports Online (RSO) as it's main platform. Reality Sports Online is a platform that allows owners to act as real GMs: each team is subjected to a salary cap, with player salaries being pre-determined by rookie contract values or set by the GM in a free agent auction. This gives owners a sense of realism when making draft selections, acquiring free agents, and making trades. One drawback of beginning a league is that GMs jump in without a feel of the “market” for player values: some 2017 rookies are valued the same as tried-and-true veterans. In addition, determining the rookie draft order can be a challenge. This league seeks to help jump-start the RSO experience by allowing GMs to build their teams retroactively, and begin their first real year in the league as if 4 years have already taken place.
For the purposes of this discussion, the roster format for this league would be Superflex (allowing a QB to be used in the Flex spot) and also contain Individual Defensive Players (IDP). In addition, the only rules discussed here will be ones that deviate from RSO's "standard" league setup.
1. The “Startup” Draft--Owners are given the chance to hold a draft for each rookie class, starting in 2014. In total, there will be 5 separate rookie drafts--2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Owners may only select players that were rookies for that year--in other words, during the 2014 draft, Odell Beckham, Jr. would be available but DeAndre Hopkins would not be available as he was not a rookie in 2014. Contracts are assigned based on where each player is selected, and the default amount is assigned. All rookie drafts through 2018 will be snake-style.
- 2014 (1 player per team)--this draft will be 1 round long. The reason for this is that this class will be entering it’s 5th year, and the 5th year option is only available to first round rookie picks. Any player selected in this draft will have 1 year remaining on their contract. The draft order will be done Kentucky Derby Style: owners will be drawn at random, with the first name drawn having the first selection at a draft slot.
- 2015--Draft order will be determined by potential points for each team from the 2014 season, with the lowest potential points receiving the first selection. This draft will be 5 rounds. Players drafted in 2015 will have an additional year left on their contract, with first round selections having a 5th round option.
- 2016--draft order will be determined by potential points for each team from the 2015 season,with the lowest potential points receiving the first selection. This draft will be 5 rounds. Players drafted in 2016 will have 2 years left on their contract.
- 2017--draft order will be determined by potential points for each team from the 2016 season,with the lowest potential points receiving the first selection. This draft will be 5 rounds. Players drafted in 2017 will have 3 years left on their contract.
- 2018--draft order will be determined by potential points for each team from the 2016 season,with the lowest potential points receiving the first selection. This draft will be 5 rounds. Players drafted will have the standard 4 years on their contract.
- Trading will be allowed between teams during each draft. However, teams may only trade what they have. Each team will begin with 1 draft pick in 2014, and 5 picks in each year 2015-2018. Keep in mind that these draft slots will change depending on the draft order for each draft.
Teams are given the option to exercise the 5th Year Option for any players drafted in the first round of rookie drafts. The deadline to exercise this option is 1 week after the rookie draft is complete. The commissioner will post a message with all eligible rookies. GMs may communicate their intentions before the deadline; any GM that does not communicate their intentions will forego their opportunity to exercise the option. For rookies selected from the 2014 class, only those selected in the first round of the fantasy draft would be eligible for the 5th year option, hence the draft only being 1 round long. We will use spotrac’s base salary rankings to determine 5th year contract values for 2014 and 2015 rookies. This will be done for 2014 rookies automatically. For 2014 rookies (with 2018 being their 5th year), we will use spotrac’s 2017 base salary rankings, as this is what would be used normally.
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