Any suggestions of a website to run a keeper fantasy baseball league?

[Blunt36]

I've been in a "regular" fantasy baseball league for years, run through Yahoo, and we're thinking of starting up a keeper league instead. I think most keeper leagues are auction style, which is what we'd like to do. Any suggestions of websites to manage a keeper league, with auction values, escalating salaries, etc? We'd probably prefer a free one if its out there, but would be willing to do a pay site if its worth it.

[Patrick425]

I've been in a "regular" fantasy baseball league for years, run through Yahoo, and we're thinking of starting up a keeper league instead. I think most keeper leagues are auction style, which is what we'd like to do. Any suggestions of websites to manage a keeper league, with auction values, escalating salaries, etc? We'd probably prefer a free one if its out there, but would be willing to do a pay site if its worth it.

I've noted this before, but I'll mention it again out of unabashed pride. I have been involved in a keeper fantasy baseball league since 1984 (not a typo). When we began, we manually calculated the stats and standing using USA today (which would publish all player stats once a week). Then we graduated to various software programs. For the last 10 years or so we have been using CBS sportsline.

 

CBS seems to add new features to it's service every year. Unless you do the auction online (we don't), you will still have to enter all the teams and values manually (not really hard to do, since you can select several players at a time). Also, it will not automatically update contracts each year, but it does allow you to enter "wildcard" values after each contract to help you keep track. We use a lettering system to designate where each player is in terms of his contract (and you can manually update each contract as well). I really like CBS. It's live scoring option is really cool. It also archives all your previous years and keeps track of historic league records. In addition, they send out a trophy or bobble head each year to give to the winner.

 

Our league is a classic rotiseree style league. Not sure if your league is the same, but they do a good job with these types of leagues, I can't speak for how they handle head to head leagues.

 

We really have very little complaints with CBS. On rare occasions the standing update will be a delayed or they miss a stat, but they always correct it soon after. Which I assume is the same with many other services. Perhaps there message board could be a little more robust, but that's about it. The cost is $179, but if you sign up before Feb 5, there is a $30 discount. If you have 10 owners in your league, that comes to about $15 an owner. Really not that bad. I would definitely give it a look.

[yoshii8]

I agree, I think CBS is definitely the best I've seen. It is very user friendly and offers pretty good analysis on both rotiseree and head to head leagues.

[OldHoss]

+1 on CBSSportsline. My Keeper League has been there since 1998 and it gets better every year.

 

We do not do an auction draft. We do a live straight draft in reverse order of finish (not a snake draft). We started out allowing 12 keepers and charging $1.00 per transaction. But that resulted in having the same few teams at the top of the standings each year and not a lot of trading or free agent pick up. We've since gone to 8 keepers + 1 rookie and no transaction fees and have not had a repeat winner since. Getting rid of the transaction fee has kept more people interested and active longer into the season.

 

Feel free to let me know if you have questions.

 

Here's our rules (FYI: the section entitled "Transactions" applies to how the website processes transactions such as waivers and trades and does not reflect our league policy regarding transactions):

 

Player Pool:		AL and NL Players.
Positions:		C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, MI, CI, OF, DH and P.
Eligibility:		Players are eligible at their primary position, plus positions they've played 20 games last year or 1 game this year. Everyone is eligible at DH.
Transactions:		• Lineups are set once for the start of each period. Deadline is 5 minutes before gametime on the first day of the period. • Owners may set lineups and change players' positions from a list of their eligible positions. • Add/drops are handled by a waivers process. • The waivers process runs on Friday. • The waiver order resets after each weeks' games. • Dropped players remain on waivers for at least 1 day(s). • Trades are not allowed. • Owners may not make trades during the offseason.
Schedule:		Weekly scoring periods, starting on Mondays.
Fees:		League Entry Fee: $112.50
Scoring:		Rotisserie System.   Scoring for Batting Categories BA - Batting Average HR - Home Runs R - Runs RBI - Runs Batted In SB - Stolen Bases Scoring for Pitching Categories ERA - Earned Run Average K - Strikeouts (Pitcher) S - Saves W - Wins WHIP - Walks + Hits / Inning

 

ROSTERS

 

Each team must consist of no more than a 33-man roster, and no more than 23 starters. Each team may start a maximum of the following number of players at each position:

 

9 pitchers

5 OF

3 cornermen (1 1B, 1 3B, and 1 1B/3B)

3 middle infielders (1 2B, 1 SS, and 1 SS/2B)

2 C

1 DH (any position other than pitcher)

 

To qualify at a position, a player must have played at least 20 games at that position the year prior or played at least 1 game at that position during the current year. Rookies or players that have not played 20 games in a previous season or 1 game in the present season will be assigned a position by the commissioner based on minor league position and projected position in MLB.

 

SCORING

 

Scoring is based on the statistical categories listed above. You accumulate stats in each of these categories based on your starting team's performance on a daily basis, and totals are ranked among all 12 teams in the league, from 1 (lowest) to 12 (highest). The team with the highest combined rankings at the end of the season wins the league. Pitchers' hitting stats do NOT count.

 

Although stats and standings will be updated on a daily basis, scoring weeks run Monday through Sunday, meaning there are no lineup changes allowed during the week.

 

LINEUP CHANGES

 

Owners are responsible for entering their own lineup changes on the website. Free agent pickups may be activated the monday following Friday waivers. The deadline for setting your lineup is 30 minutes before the first game of the day each Monday (the first day of the scoring period). Your lineup can be changed at any time up until that deadline.

 

TRADES

* Offseason trades are allowed.

 

Trades are allowed throughout the season until the trading deadline of Monday August 31st, 2009 (30 minutes before the first game of the week).

 

Trades can only consist of current roster players and/or draft picks. You cannot trade future picks more than one draft in advance. * Exception - Trading picks from the current draft (on draft day, during the draft) for picks from a future draft is subject to commissioner approval.

 

No cash or in-kind considerations are allowed. The commissioner has the authority to disallow trades which undermine the competitive balance of the league (i.e., dumping).

 

A trade is not considered complete until the Commissioner is notified by both parties that a trade is completed. Copying of e-mails in one party's confirmation is not acceptable.

 

FREE AGENT PICKUPS

 

Free agents (any player not on one of the twelve teams' rosters) can be picked up anytime after the first week of the season through the end of the regular season. To pick up a free agent, just use the add/drop function under "transactions." A waivers process will occur every Friday to determine who gets what free agents. Waiver priority is based on reverse order of standings as of Monday morning (beginning of the scoring period).

When all teams have been given a chance to get one free agent from their list, the team at the bottom of the standings is then given its next choice and the waivers process runs again.

 

Waivers will not allow any team to exceed 33 players on its roster.

 

FEES AND PAYOUTS

 

The league fee will be $112.50 payable at the beginning of the season ($12.50 goes towards paying the sportsline website fee), and all transactions (trades and free agent pickups) will be free.

 

All of the money (less the $149.99 Sportsline fee) is divided among the top 4 teams in the following manner:

 

1st Place: $600

2nd Place: $300

3rd Place: $200

4th Place: $100

 

PROTECTING PLAYERS

 

Prior to the draft, each team is allowed to protect 8 players on their roster. Each team may also keep 1 additional player with rookie status. A player has rookie status if he qualifies for the rookie of the year award in the following season. (Fewer than 130 AB or 50 IP in Major League Baseball and fewer than 45 days of 25-man roster major league service time).

 

COMMISSIONER

 

All trades, questions, etc. should be sent to the commissioner.

[Patrick425]

If you run a keeper league, but don't do an auction , yes, you will probably end up with the same teams on top each year. The only way to run a keeper league is to have an auction (that determines the market value of the players) and have some sort of LT contract rules that escalate contracts each year. In our league, we also limit the number of years an owner can keep a player.

[bball123h]

If it's not auction, Yahoo seriously upgraded this year. You can even customize the draft order for each individual round, allowing for draft picks to be traded. It remembers the rosters from the previous season, so keeper selection was pretty simple. Plus, it is totally free.

[NievesNoNO]

CBSsportsline is the best I've used thus far. That's in comparison to ESPN and Yahoo. I'm not commissioner of the league but I know you have a great deal of control on how set things up. Values, required games at positions to qualify, stat categories, etc.

CBS gets my recommendation, although it's not free. If you have a serious group of players, which it sounds like you do, then I think you'd appreciate what CBS will provide.