Commissioner Report to League:

Some teams still seem to be struggling with how keepers work. It is the same as it was at ESPN, *except that* our picks in rounds 1-4 are no longer locked from trading.

Intoducing the first 4 rounds into draft pick trading creates some additional implications that obviously may impact your keeper and early round draft situation. Before agreeing to a trade, you will want to consider your position carefully, and understand how the trade will affect your keepers, and your draft!

The rules have not changed, the change is that rounds 1-4 are no longer locked by ESPN.

Very simply:

  • 1. Each team team may keep from 0-4 players from their existing players, each season.
  • 2. Any players kept to your team will be your first four picks in the draft.
  • 3. Keeper rounds are 1-4. Players may not be kept beyond the 4th round.

    • Let's go over a potential scenario:

    Team 7 trades an elite player + his 3rd round pick to Team 8 for a 1st and 2nd round draft pick. His top 4 picks are now in rounds 1-1-2-2, so his keepers, if any, will occupy those earliest slots that are available in his draft. He will begin selecting from players on the draft board with his 4th round pick, since he has traded his 3rd round and filled his first picks with keeper selections.
    Flipside, Team 8 has acquired an elite player, at the cost of his 1st and 2nd round picks, but has acquired an additional 3rd round pick. The elite player that he acquired will be kept with his highest 3rd round pick, and he will draft off the board for his other 3rd round pick, or, he may elect to use it and his 4th round pick to hold 3 keepers, but since he only has 3 picks in the first four rounds he will only be able to keep 3 players. Unless he decides to trade for another selection in the top for rounds, in which case he would have 4 selections in the first 4 rounds to hold 4 keepers.

    So, to conclude, since teams may now trade for draft picks in the keeper rounds, those picks can either be used to draft off the board, or they may be used to hold keepers. Indeed, if you intend to keep players, they *must* be kept in your earliest draft slots, within the first four (keeper) rounds.

    If anyone still has questions, dm me or post on the board and I'll help you figure it out. This isn't hard, but you do have to stop and think about the ramifications of a trade. If you trade for players that you don't have picks to use to keep them with in the first 4 rounds, it is no one's fault but your own- so think it through before you trade!
    Commissioner out!!