Incentives and balance.

[nauticagmo]

Hi all, just wanted to ask if there were any good ideas for keeping players interested in the league from a long term standpoint. I'm in a friendly league with 12 people, 50 dollar buy in.

In previous years, we were playing H2H standard draft, and we would give the consolation winner 1st draft position choice, and the second place winner gets the second draft position choice, etc. This year the commissioner was thinking of setting up an auction league, but wants to give auction money instead to the consolation league, in 5 dollar increments. To me, the $60 auction dollar difference between first and last place would be too much of an advantage for the league in following years, but I don't have any good ideas to offer the commish for incentives and balance.

I personally do not like the idea of rewarding losing teams, but if anyone has any good ideas, I'd love to hear them.

[silentjim]

The auction dollars does seem a little excessive. I could see offering the ability to nominate players first, as well as the number one (and so on) waiver priorities as an option for auction leagues. More money seems like a big nightmare. I've never heard of anything like that in the past.

Oddly enough, everything you're suggesting makes me think that bad teams would bail and good team would hang around, which means keeping them interested for the long term doesn't seem viable. If I had a team that got decimated by injuries for example how would I ever recover if everyone else constantly got better picks or more money to bid? It's doable obviously with good drafting, but it's still a handicap.

[Fenris-77]

I'd agree there, I don't think that tangible, draft-related, benefits is a good way to maintain interest at all, since the worst teams would continue to be the worst teams. Something a little more low key is probably in order. I like the idea of waiver priority. You could always give em a little extra FAB to work with too, which would help their team bulding efforts during the season (which in turn keepes people interested). Assuming you use FAB and not striaght waivers of course.