Ask The Commish: Saturday Night Fever and Expedited Trades

Commish,

There's a guy in my league who will pick up and drop players late Saturday night. He’ll pick up about three or four players, drop all of them, but keep the last one. Some of us think he’s doing it to keep us from getting players he thinks we might want. That hasn’t been true for me, but it’s been true for some others, one guy he was going to play that week. Should they be allowed to do this? Our commissioner said he wasn’t breaking any rules, and we all have the same chance to get players. What do you think?

I agree with your commissioner - if the rest of you have the same opportunity to get these players, then it seems to me the “issue” is really how each of you are deciding to manage your team. Has he been doing this every week so far? If so, then that means they’ve been predictable, so you know what he’s going to do, right? Maybe they noticed a pattern in the behavior in what some of you have - predictably been doing. Maybe the rest of you (especially those who have actually been affected by it) shouldn’t wait until Saturday night to do last minute free agent pick ups. Get the players you want. Everyone has the same access to free agents, and the guy in question is routinely acting like your league’s version of Old Faithful - with some locked-in weekend waiver routine.

Why is this guy doing this? No one knows. It appears no one has asked him. Maybe he really is doing it for the reasons you suggest. Frankly, it personally feels a bit wonky to me too, but at the end of the day, no matter the reason, it’s the way he’s chosen to play fantasy football. And, he’s not intentionally breaking any rules. Whoever has a problem with this current scenario needs to evolve in how they’re managing their own team. Adapt.

Could this behavior call for some sort of rule change or clarification for next season? Perhaps. However, kudos to your commissioner for not needlessly meddling in a situation that doesn’t need to be addressed with any action on their part.

Commish,

A league mate approached me (I’m LM) with a trade proposal last night. We both made counters and it went into today. The value is totally fair in players exchanged and there is zero collusion. He asked if I could or would push the trade through, because we all want to get the players we went after. So, is it fair for me to push this trade through for tomorrow’s kick off, or is it better to let it ride and process on its own? I sent a group text, out of nine guys one is for and one is against. The guy who is against, is an opponent of a team with traded players.

You should let it process, play out the way in the way it’s supposed to.

Even though the other nine says it’s okay, it doesn’t matter. They feel that way now, but they might not feel so egalitarian when they become the one who has to be on the receiving end of a newly-minted, expedited trade. Everyone knows there’s a “process time” and that often is the impetus for two parties to get a deal done in a timely fashion - especially if they know they want to use the involved players the coming weekend. You guys didn’t get it done in time to use the players - that’s the way it goes.

I don’t know the history of your league, so forgive me because I can’t speak on what’s been done before. So, for example, if this is the first time, then you’re setting grounds for other people to want to do it in the future too (when they really need or want it), and ask you to do it for them. I’m not sure you’ll have a good reason to say “no.” And, if that’s the case, then why have the process time for some to adhere to? Maybe move to auto-accept next year?

Yeah, I’d let this process like it’s supposed to.

Send your questions to The Commish: thecommishshow@outlook.com