BOBCATS4EVER LEAGUE OFFICE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Historic Keeper Process Sees All Owners Make Selections on Time; Most Keepers Actually Make Sense This Year
Rule Changes Include Three-Keeper Expansion, Defensive Changes
BEACON FALLS, Conn. — The Bobcats4Ever Fantasy Football League is pleased to announce the keeper selections for its 12 franchises in advance of the 2016 Bobcats4Ever Draft, which is set for Monday at 10:15 p.m.
Ownership had a small window in which to make their keeper selections after the annual caucus survey set the draft date slightly earlier than anticipated. For the first time, all 12 owners made their selections before the 11:59 p.m. deadline Tuesday.
“Well bend me over and call me Bradley,” Bobcats4Ever Commissioner Kyle Brennan said. “I’m shocked.”
This was the final keeper process in which franchises were allowed to keep up to two players. Ownership voted earlier this month to begin a three-keeper system with the 2017 Draft. The vote was originally deadlocked at 6-6, but late common-sense reversals by MIII-LES … YOU SUCK! owner Jamie Palatini and Fear Boners owner Marc Schwartz pushed the approval margin to 8-4.
“I felt that the tie vote was a mandate to pursue the topic further and explore why some of the dissenting owners felt the two-keeper system was best,” Brennan said. “Even though Assenberg (Eisenbrowns owner Matt Eisenberg) was among the dissenters — he’s proven himself incapable of finishing a season with three players of keeper quality, so he didn’t matter in my thought process — I was pleased that we had an open (and surprisingly level-headed) dialogue with Mr. Palatini and Mr. Schwartz to push this necessary change through. The flexibility of two of our league’s most accomplished owners is much appreciated. I’m convinced that this will prevent future tanking and the rash of irrationally complex trades that ran rampant last season.”
As part of the change, the keeper draft-pick basement will fall from the sixth to the seventh round. The three-keeper system will remain in place for at least two seasons. An automatic progression to a four-keeper system in 2018 — closer to the dynastic goal of You’ve Been Chopped owner Andrew Fletcher — received the support of only three owners.
The other important change came with regard to defensive scoring. A number of owners expressed a desire to change the defensive scoring system, which often allowed for very high scores by a team’s defense. Although six owners felt the previous system was still sufficient, the Commissioner solicited proposals for potential changes.
After weighing various proposals, Brennan made a proposal that met acclaim from the ownership. Under the new system, the levels of points allowed will move to slightly more moderate marks (15, 10, 7, 3, 0, -2, -5); sacks will become worth a half-point each; and blocked kicks will become worth two points each. All touchdown, return yardage, takeaway and safety points will remain at their previous values.
“I recognized that some defenses were scoring very highly during some weeks, but I didn’t think the system was too broken,” Brennan said. “We tinkered with a few items and decided to leave another few items unchanged for now. At least one owner thinks the special teams element of the D/ST position should be removed, but then there wouldn’t be an ST in that position name, now would there? I won’t stand for misnomers.”
The following miscellaneous rules were all passed with the majority of votes: Issuing a one-week statute of limitations on trade proposals; instituting a three-veto limit, similar to a coach’s challenge system; freezing acquisitions of players suspended for the season; and adjusting the payout structure to give third place $50. The proposal to add a penalty to anyone who removes another owner from the Facebook chat received only 50 percent of the vote and did not pass.
An updated copy of the league’s Constitution will be available this week.
The following are this year’s keeper selections. Trades involving draft picks and the rights of the following players will be allowed until Sunday at 4 p.m.
BOLD COLD BREW CREW
Antonio Brown (WR, Pittsburgh) — 1st round value
DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Houston) — 6th round value
DEACON BLUES
Jordan Reed (TE, Washington) — 6th round value
Sammy Watkins (WR, Buffalo) — 5th round value
DON’T CALL ME GURLEY
Dez Bryant (WR, Dallas) — 1st round value
Doug Martin (RB, Tampa Bay) — 4th round value
EISENBROWNS
Jeremy Langford (RB, Chicago) — 6th round value
Donte Moncrief (WR, Indianapolis) — 6th round value
FEAR BONERS
C.J. Anderson (RB, Denver) — 5th round value (escalated)
Le’Veon Bell (RB, Pittsburgh) — 4th round value (escalated)
HUGE CANS
Julio Jones (WR, Atlanta) — 1st round value
Eli Manning (QB, N.Y. Giants) — 6th round value
MEALZ ON WHEELZ
Rob Gronkowski (TE, New England) — 3rd round value (escalated)
Cam Newton (QB, Carolina) — 6th round value
MIII-LES … YOU SUCK!
Mike Evans (WR, Tampa Bay) — 6th round value
Allen Robinson (WR, Jacksonville) — 6th round value
SECOND FLOOR SHITS
Alshon Jeffery (WR, Chicago) — 4th round value (escalated)
Jarvis Landry (WR, Miami) — 4th round value
SMALL-TOWN AMERICANS
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, N.Y. Giants) — 5th round value (escalated)
Devonta Freeman (RB, Atlanta) — 6th round value
TEAM SPILLZZZZZZ
Eddie Lacy (RB, Green Bay) — 3rd round value
David Johnson (RB, Arizona) — 6th round value
YOU’VE BEEN CHOPPED
Julian Edelman (WR, New England) — 3rd round value
Todd Gurley (RB, Los Angeles) — 6th round value