League Rules

Active Rules

08/01/25: Highest Scoring Team Week-to-Week Challenge (Regular Season Only)

• During the regular season, $25 will be awarded to the highest-scoring team of the week. A team may win this bonus multiple times throughout the season, or not at all. This weekly game gives every team an opportunity to recoup their league buy-in, rather than increasing the overall league buy-in by $25.

• Funding for the weekly $25 prize comes from the lowest-scoring team of that particular week. Each team can only be the lowest-scoring team once. If a team would otherwise be designated the lowest scorer again, the penalty automatically shifts to the next lowest-scoring team. This continues until each team has contributed $25 once, aligning with our 14-team league structure across the 14-game regular season.

09/18/24: Draft Pick Trading (Rounds 4 - 13)

• Draft pick trading is permitted for rounds 4 through 13 only. Rounds 1 through 3 and rounds 14 through 16 are not eligible for trading. Any trade that includes picks from those restricted rounds will be cancelled, and the involved parties will need to resubmit a trade using only eligible picks.

• All draft pick trades must be a pick-for-pick swap — meaning the number of picks exchanged must be equal on both sides. Because each team is limited to 16 roster spots, trading an unequal number of picks could result in a team exceeding their roster limit immediately after the draft. (Example: trading a 4th-round pick and receiving players plus a 10th-round pick is acceptable, as the pick count remains equal.) The value of the picks involved may vary based on the overall trade package, but the quantity exchanged must always be equal on both sides.

09/18/24: Draft Rounds 14 through 16 Saved for Keepers

• Rounds 14 through 16 of the league draft are reserved for keeper placements. This eliminates the need to reverse the draft order for keeper rounds, as was required during the 2024 draft.

07/28/24: League Format Change - League of Record Rules

• Step 1: Select Your Franchise Player

  • Choose one franchise player from your end-of-season roster. This player is guaranteed to remain on your team regardless of any other league activity. Each of the 14 teams will identify their franchise player, signaling to the rest of the league that this player is off-limits. There is no "keep them in the round you drafted them" rule — this player is simply a locked-in part of your team.

• Step 2: Identify Your Lottery Players

  • Select three additional players from your previous year's roster for the keeper lottery. These three lottery players cannot come from the same position group as your franchise player. From those three, a random lottery will determine which two you keep.

  • Before the draft, beginning with the first pick, each team will spin a wheel to determine which of their three lottery players is eliminated. The owner retains the other two players.

• Step 3: Keeper Placement in the Draft

  • Once your franchise player and lottery players are identified, they will occupy the last three slots of your draft. Note that selecting a franchise player and lottery players is mandatory — there is no option to receive additional draft picks in their place. All players not selected as keepers will be available for any team to draft.

• Keeper Selection Timeline & Injury Exception

  • Keeper and lottery selections will be determined during the first week of August. If one of your keeper or lottery players suffers a season-ending injury after selections are made but before the draft, you may substitute a player still on your previous year's roster. The same position eligibility rules for keeper and lottery slots still apply in that scenario. Outside of injury, keeper and lottery selections are final and cannot be changed once submitted.

08/08/22: Commissioner Executive Order -  Updated 3 Strike Rule

• If you leave an ineligible player (Out, PUP, IR, or Suspended) in your starting lineup, you receive a strike. After three strikes, you forfeit a draft pick, beginning with your 12th-round pick. Each additional violation after the original three-strike threshold results in the forfeited pick escalating by one round (e.g., the 12th-round pick becomes an 11th-round pick loss, then a 10th-round pick loss, and so on). This can escalate all the way to a 1st-round pick forfeiture.

• If a strike appears questionable (e.g., a player was ruled out at the last minute), the affected team may appeal by contacting the commissioner to request the strike be reviewed and potentially removed.

8/30/21: New Last Place Finish Rule for 2021

• The team that finishes last in the league will serve as the beer bitch for the entire following year. This means retrieving a beer or drink for any league member upon request. Failure to fulfill this duty will result in a draft pick penalty, with the specific round determined by a league vote.

7/15/21: Regular Season will now be 14 Games 

• With the NFL going to 17 games, we will now be moving away from 13 regular season fantasy games to 14. Playoffs will remain the same length.

7/14/21: Commissioner Executive Order - League fees move from $75 to $100

• Starting with the 2021 season, league fees will be moving from $75 to $100 dollars. This will be the new entrance fee going forward, unless increased by vote or executive order in the future.

2/12/21: Continued Snake Draft for 2021 Season

• Snake draft format will be continued for the 2021 season and on, unless voted on again after the 2021 season. 

8/10/19: Draft Order Change

Eight teams advance to the consolation bracket and six teams advance to the playoffs (same as before). Final draft order is determined by how teams finish after the playoffs:

• 1st pick: Winner of the consolation bracket

• Picks 2 onward: Remaining consolation bracket finishers, in order

• Then: 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place

This structure ensures every team has an incentive to win, regardless of which bracket they are in. Note: The toilet bowl bracket on Sleeper is a reverse consolation bracket — draft order must be carefully reviewed when applying these results.

12/1/16: Week 11 Trade Deadline

• Week 11 will serve as the deadline for player trades between owners. 

8/4/16: Remove Conferences/Top 6 Overall Teams Make Playoffs

• Starting with the 2016 season and onward, there will be no conferences and only one 14 team leader board. Top six teams at the end of the season will make the playoffs. 

3/1/16: Add an Extra Bench Spot to Each Team

Starting with the 2016 season and onward, each owner will have their bench increase from 6 to 7 available bench seats. 

• 3/1/16: Post Season Wins

Only winner's bracket wins will count towards the post season overall record. Consolation bracket, 3rd and 5th place game wins will not count towards the overall post season record. 

8/3/15: Waiver Acquisition Budget (150 Points) Replacing Wavier Wire by League Ranking

• Starting with the 2015 season and onward, owners will start with a 150 point budget they will use to bid on free agents. Free agent bidding starts Tuesday and ends Wednesday at midnight every week. The owner who bids the most points will acquire the free agent. If an owner runs out of points, they can still try to acquire a player with a 0 point bid but will lose if another owner bids with actual points. 

3/1/13: Expand League from 12 Teams to 14 Teams

• The league will expand from 12 teams to 14 teams starting with the 2013 season and onward. 

Retired Rules

8/30/21: Keeper is Optional - Expired 07/28/24

• Keepers are optional, so if you do not want one, you can opt out of having one. If you have already chosen a keeper and they get hurt, you can opt out of having that keeper (Pre-Draft) on your team (you cannot replace your keeper with another keeper if you opt out).

7/15/21: Commissioner Executive Order -  New teams redraft their entire roster. No keepers their first year. Expired 7/28/24

• All new teams replacing an existing team will redraft their entire roster and not be able to keep a player from the previous owner's roster. After a new members first year is over, they will be allowed to keep a player from the roster they drafted, as long as the keepers rule is still in place.

10/22/20: Commissioner Executive Order -  3 Strike Rule for Unfilled Rosters (Retired)

• If an owner fails to fill out their roster each week, they will receive 1 strike. If you receive 3 strikes in one season, you will be removed from the league following the season's conclusion. Strikes include starting the following: Bye Week, IR, Out, Suspended, or COVID Players. 

07/28/20: (COVID-19 Rule, only applies to 2020 season) (Retired)

• If season is less than 10 games, full refund and a completely new draft order is chosen for 2021 (auction).

07/23/20: (COVID-19 Rule, only applies to 2020 season) (Retired)

• If season is more than 10 games but no playoffs, best record wins. Tie-Breaker will be most points scored. Winner receives full payout of funds.

12/5/19: Eliminate Draft Pick Trading (Retired 07/28/24)

• Teams will no longer be able to trade their draft picks. Only player trades will be allowed. 

12/5/19: Reintroduce Keepers into the League Retired 07/28/24)

• Keepers will return in the 2021 season. The keeper has to be someone who you drafted and is on your roster at the end of the season. You lose a pick in next years draft at the place where you drafted your keeper in the previous year. The same keeper can only be kept for two consecutive seasons, not counting the season they were originally drafted. 

8/9/18: League Buy-in Amount (Retired)

• League fees were set to $75. 

12/12/2018: Remove Keeper(Retired)

• Owners will no longer be able to keep a player from one year to the next. 

8/18/18: Last Place Finish Punishment (Retired)

• The team that finishes in last place will buy the first place finisher a bottle of alcohol of the winners choice. 

3/1/16: Add Defensive Player (Expired 07/29/2024)

• Starting with the 2016 season and onward, defensive player will be slot added to each team. 

11/18/14: Keeper Rule (Expired 07/28/24)

• Starting with the 2015 season and onward, owners will select a player as their keeper for the next season. The keeper must be a player you originally drafted and was present on your team at the end of the year. Your keeper will be drafted at the same draft spot you chose the player at the previous year. 

08/15/2015: League Buy-in Amount (Retired)

• League Fees were set to $50

08/15/2012: League Buy-in Amount (Retired)

• League Fees were set to $25