RULES.

I.  BASIC RULES.

1. The draft was randomized and each owner now has 3 franchises .  This leaves 8 teams unclaimed ( see the table in the "standings and roster" tab).
2. Each week , you will start one of your 3 teams, to play against your opponent ( see "schedule" tab for weekly matchups).  Standard Fantasy scoring rules will apply, as indicated in the table below.
3. Each week, transactions will commence on TUESDAY, in reverse order of the current standings ( 8th place will have 1st action , then 7th, etc).  As of now, we will use text messages to accomplish this. There will be no transactions prior to week 2.
4. Each week, by 1 hour prior to kickoff of the 1st game (typically on Thursday night , except for week 1 or holiday weeks) , each owner must TEXT the commissioner the 5 players he/she is choosing to start.  For example, if you have Buffalo you text me and say QB Allen , RB Cook, WR Moore and Shakir, TE Kincaid  ( or whoever YOU choose to start).  We can be casual with this because since only 2 teams are playing Thursday night most weeks, if your team isn’t , then it is OK to deliver the lineup text after Thursday , but it MUST be before kickoff of your teams game! QB plus any 4 other players from that single starting team is permitted.
5. Standard waivers will be in place for weeks 2 and 3 of league play. This means starting with the 8th place team , that owner has the option to trade a team for any unclaimed team in the waver pool.  Then the 7th place team goes next , etc , all the way to 1st .  you do NOT have to make a move each week if you do not  like any of the teams in the waiver pool!  Commissioner will send text messages as transactions occur.  
6. Beginning week 4, the steal rule will begin; the team in LAST PLACE (8th) will have the right to either trade a team they own for a team in the waiver pool, OR they will STEAL a team owned by any owner in 1st - 6th place, and give that owner one of their less desirable teams.  Whatever team owners started last week is PROTECTED , and cannot be stolen ( the other 2 teams that were idle are eligible to be stolen).  After the 8th place owner texts me their choice , I will notify any impacted owner of the theft, update the rosters and waiver pool and text the 7th place owner, who also has the choice of trade a team to waiver pool, or steal from any owner in 1st - 6th (giving the owner an undesirable team back again here).  The same owner cannot be stolen from twice in the same week.  The same team(franchise) cannot be stolen twice in the same week.  Once the 8th and 7th place teams have traded or stolen , the remaining 6 owners have traditional waiver rights - they can trade a team for unclaimed teams in the waiver pool.  You can absolutely trade a team you got stuck with from a steal ( IE, if 8th pace owner steals your #1 team and leaves you with Miami, you can dump Miami into the waiver pool that week when it is your turn , in exchange for an unclaimed team in the pool of 8).
7. If you were in 7th or 8th place last week, and remain in either 7th or 8th the following week, you do NOT get to steal again in back to back weeks.  This will prevent teams at the bottom from hoarding teams and not starting them.  NOTE WELL !! AS OF WEEK 6 THIS RULE HAS BEEN AMENDED - TEAMS IN 7TH AND 8TH CAN STEAL FROM THE TOP 6 OWNERS EVERY WEEK.  FOR NOW , RULE 8 BELOW DOES NOT CHANGE ( MAX # OF TIMES ANY TEAM CAN BE STOLEN , IS STILL TWO).
8. The max number of times any team can be stolen all season is TWO.  We will see how this plays out.
9. NOTE WELL!! - No  team can be started for more than 3 weeks in a row - meaning, it is highly likely that a lot of good teams will get stolen as the season goes on!  Owners will need to consider this as they proceed week to week . This will eliminate an owner from starting the same team all year.

II. SCORING. 

1. Standard Fantasy scoring rules apply - see the table at end of document again.  We will agree on a league or media source for the official scoring recognized but the NFL and other FF leagues.
2. The team that outscores his/her opponent WINS that week.  The league standings are based on WINS and LOSSES, not cumulative total points.  We will keep track of total points scored for tie breakers and as needed for playoffs, if teams finish with identical W-L records.

FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION - Regarding lineup setting - one owner expressed that it would be cool if you just got the best 5 players scores each week , even if you DIDN'T start the right ones ( IE, you sat Skylar Bell but he went off) . I know there’s a lot of confusing concepts flying around right now , but we could also implement this as a “best ball” rule; if you choose to do this , you still have to designate which team is starting that week (and do so on time!) , but then you automatically get your team’s QB and top 4 offensive scorers ( RB/ WR/TE) - but maybe it would be cool to have this be allowed but cost a point deduction?  ( IE, you start the Bills and invoke “best ball” ; your opponent starts Philly and sets a lineup….. the score ends up where the top 5 bills score 120 points, you suffer a (10? 15? ) point deduction , but the Philly owner doesn’t - the could factor into who wins !!!  We can vote/discuss, or do some data analysis for the 1st few weeks and decide then.

See the table below which recaps traditional scoring methods.