Is Tanking ok?

[moishetreats]

I think we're rationalizing our beliefs here.

Tanking is accepted in 100% of every single league. Every. Single. One. If it's trading productive vets for picks, using a Taxi Squad, playing lesser-but-justifiable players, or outright benching a stud, each league allows some version(s) of tanking. It's not only okay but necessary. Even the word "tanking" has taken on a negative valence. It's really building for the future -- we just use "tanking" as the word for "building for the future in a way that feels crappy to me".

The only question is what is an accepted form of building/taking in your league. Just check in with your leaguemates, figure it out, and go from there.

[abloom]

Is tanking okay?

It depends on your rules.

Personally I think tanking is perfectly fine, but it should be done appropriately.
(1) your roster should always be full, unless there is a limited faab budget with no zero bids, or unless there is some other type of cost to acquiring free agents.

(2) you should never start players on bye or that are not playing due to injury if you have another player on your bench that can play.

(3) you should be starting a reasonable lineup given your players. You should never be starting a qb2 or qb3 on a team if you have a starting QB. This gets a little more problematic with wrs and rbs.

As others have mentioned really playoff teams should just be sorted by potential points for draft picks and that will get rid of illegitimate tanking and replace it with legitimate tanking (selling off your good players for picks and young upside players).

[Pac_Eddy]

You set your best lineup possible but you can trade away(not give away. Fair trades)

I have no problem with accelerating a rebuild by selling assets at a discount. Trade doesn't even have to be "fair" in my opinion. You can even flat out cut players that may have a small amount of trade value.

You can't intentionally start a weak lineup trying to lose a matchup is the only hard rule.

[Bronco Billy]

I think we're rationalizing our beliefs here.

Tanking is accepted in 100% of every single league. Every. Single. One. If it's trading productive vets for picks, using a Taxi Squad, playing lesser-but-justifiable players, or outright benching a stud, each league allows some version(s) of tanking. It's not only okay but necessary. Even the word "tanking" has taken on a negative valence. It's really building for the future -- we just use "tanking" as the word for "building for the future in a way that feels crappy to me".

The only question is what is an accepted form of building/taking in your league. Just check in with your leaguemates, figure it out, and go from there.

Absolutely disagree with your position here. Trading current players for draft picks is trading value for value. Future draft picks have value just as current players do. Theoretically the acquired pick loses some value because the team trading the pick should be getting stronger, which would move the pick further down the order. That’s offset by the team trading away the player having their own picks gain some value as they weaken their team. That’s not tanking IMO.

Failing to start an optimal lineup and intentionally losing means the tanking team’s picks gain value while giving nothing in return. That absolutely is tanking.

Huge difference between the two.

[wickerkat1212]

It really depends on the league. I really do like the "potential points" as a way to sort the draft. I've presented it to a few of my leagues, but they feel that paired with Victory Points takes all of the "chance" out of the game. So...depends on the league.

For example in a new league I'm in, a Superflex, you have to start a QB but they don't have to be a "starter." As long as you can insert any QB into the lineup (not even two, just one) you're fine. You are supposed to make every effort to seek out a QB. The guy in our league who is doing this traded away his actual starting QBs for picks—perfectly legal in this league. I like what people are saying about the rules/charter for YOUR league. Just set it and then let it play out, whatever your particular league wants.

Most of my leagues are Victory Points.
Some of my leagues don't have kickers/def any more.
Some have potential points as the order for the draft.

Lots of good advice in this thread

[81-]

I'm ok with tanking. It just sez to me you really suck at the fantasy football.

[TheTroll]

The other part is if your league doesn’t have taxi, I think you should. This way you can leave rookies on there even if they are performing. Since they are not on active rosters, it’s not tanking.

Putting Bijan/MHJR in taxi squad should be considered as tanking as well.

I disagree a bit. To activate a rookie off taxi you need to drop an already active roster player so you can’t just do that Willy nilly. This is especially true if your current active roster is full of stable value players. Why would you promote Bijan to active and just drop a player of value to do it? If you don’t need a Bijan and you are still competing fine why short change your event roster (active and taxi)?

[Bronco Billy]

The other part is if your league doesn’t have taxi, I think you should. This way you can leave rookies on there even if they are performing. Since they are not on active rosters, it’s not tanking.

Putting Bijan/MHJR in taxi squad should be considered as tanking as well.

I disagree a bit. To activate a rookie off taxi you need to drop an already active roster player so you can’t just do that Willy nilly. This is especially true if your current active roster is full of stable value players. Why would you promote Bijan to active and just drop a player of value to do it? If you don’t need a Bijan and you are still competing fine why short change your event roster (active and taxi)?

This doesn’t sound like a team that ought to be considering tanking.

[Anteaters]

The other part is if your league doesn’t have taxi, I think you should. This way you can leave rookies on there even if they are performing. Since they are not on active rosters, it’s not tanking.

Putting Bijan/MHJR in taxi squad should be considered as tanking as well.

I disagree a bit. To activate a rookie off taxi you need to drop an already active roster player so you can’t just do that Willy nilly. This is especially true if your current active roster is full of stable value players. Why would you promote Bijan to active and just drop a player of value to do it? If you don’t need a Bijan and you are still competing fine why short change your event roster (active and taxi)?

But in this scenario, we're talking about a team that is tanking. Such a team doesn't likely have a roster full of stable (high) value players. This is a situation where a tanking owner likely has Bijan and Addison on the Taxi squad, while players like Gibson and Rondale Moore are starting.

[Pac_Eddy]

Tanking is accepted in 100% of every single league. Every. Single. One. If it's trading productive vets for picks, using a Taxi Squad, playing lesser-but-justifiable players, or outright benching a stud, each league allows some version(s) of tanking.

I think part of the issue is I don't call the selling of assets for young guys and draft picks to be "tanking". That's rebuilding.

Tanking to me is deliberately setting a weak lineup to just a matchup.

[Anteaters]

Tanking is accepted in 100% of every single league. Every. Single. One. If it's trading productive vets for picks, using a Taxi Squad, playing lesser-but-justifiable players, or outright benching a stud, each league allows some version(s) of tanking.

I think part of the issue is I don't call the selling of assets for young guys and draft picks to be "tanking". That's rebuilding.

Tanking to me is deliberately setting a weak lineup to just a matchup.

I agree with this.

What I don't like is when managers cut quality players and pick up garbage players so they can start a lineup of garbage players. Trading startable players is acceptable. Cutting startable players is a bs move.

[Pac_Eddy]

Tanking is accepted in 100% of every single league. Every. Single. One. If it's trading productive vets for picks, using a Taxi Squad, playing lesser-but-justifiable players, or outright benching a stud, each league allows some version(s) of tanking.

I think part of the issue is I don't call the selling of assets for young guys and draft picks to be "tanking". That's rebuilding.

Tanking to me is deliberately setting a weak lineup to just a matchup.

I agree with this.

What I don't like is when managers cut quality players and pick up garbage players so they can start a lineup of garbage players. Trading startable players is acceptable. Cutting startable players is a bs move.

I don't have an issue with that. I think it's a big risk when it may or may not get you a better draft pick, and that pick may or may not turn out better than the ones right after it.

At least the team is actually getting worse and earning the draft pick.

[moishetreats]

@Bronco Bill and @Pac_Eddy:

I agree with you and I should have been more clear -- trading vets at below market value to get them off your team...

[wickerkat1212]

@Bronco Bill and @Pac_Eddy:

I agree with you and I should have been more clear -- trading vets at below market value to get them off your team...

There is value and below market value.

Trading KAllen for a 1st is value.
Trading KAllen for a crappy WR and a 3rd is tanking, and BS.

[cazzie33]

It all comes down to your personal opinion. If you feel no obligation to be fair to teams competing for a playoff position then go for it. If it wouldn’t bother you to see someone do it to your contending team by giving a team you need to lose a free win then you’re good. Just can’t complain when it gets done to you down the road. Many if not most consider it a strategy & acceptable based on league bylaws. If you do too then you’re in the right league. If you feel it’s a dirty move then you have to decide whether to do it because it’s allowed ( when in Rome … ) or decide not to in the spirit of fair competition. Like in life not everything in FF is fair.

Personally I don’t like taxi squads or allowing purposely not playing your best lineup. Bastardizing your roster just to say you are playing best available lineup isn’t cool for me either. Trading older players to get draft picks is acceptable even if a bit undervalued returns. You can easily get stuck getting nothing if you hang on to them a year too long . Julio was a GOD then still good but injury prone. Then almost overnight a useless asset. Same for AJ Green & many others that you can’t/ couldn’t give away. OBJ would be a good case this year. Could be Cooper Kupp too this year or next especially if Stafford retires. Those dumping of players for what seems like lesser value is defendable. That’s just my opinion.

Not all leagues are for everybody. If you’re not happy about how a league operates just move on if it’s clear it isn’t your cup of tea. Plenty of other options out there. Moving more towards FanDuel or Draft Kings where EVERYONE is trying to put out their best lineup based on my own preferences. Not the same as dynasty challenge for predicting developing talents which is really fun though too. No need to be frustrating yourself in leagues you don’t like the format or tactics built into the bylaws . You can suggest changes if you like the league enough to stay. Nothing wrong with asking but can’t expect everyone to agree