X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Resetting the Rules - How Fantasy Leagues Can Cope with COVID

Is your fantasy football league in chaos from postponed NFL games? Cliff provides tips to help fantasy managers and commissioners deal with COVID-19 issues in 2020.

Out, out, out, in, in, in, in, in, in, out, in, out, in, in, out, in, out, out, out, in, in.

That’s not me working as a bouncer for the pretend nightclub I started in my house (it’s me and my wife and my two dogs, no Darren Waller fundraiser situation here,) it’s me seeing how many of the Rotoballer Top 20 have missed time, barely four weeks into the season. 

It’s worth noting that by no stretch of the imagination is this unexpected, but for a pastime that most of us specifically leaned into because it was something to do mid-COVID-19 (more so than usual) some of our leagues didn’t spend September toiling away at the lengthy rules that were needed to ensure that games could function week-in and week-out.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Changing the Rules

Many of us haven’t had to set a roster with a Tuesday night football game involved when the 2010 Eagles and Vikings were forced to postpone their game due to a snowstorm (if you’d like to win bar trivia, that was Andy Reid’s Eagles team, which would’ve put him in the useless statistics library if the Chiefs-Patriots game had to be pushed to Tuesday.) Many of us wouldn’t have assumed an IR of 10 players was a good idea for the whole league. While some of our leagues maybe did away with buy-ins or other facets to make the complicated game slightly more simple in 2020, a much larger portion of you did not. 

Sportrac has 224 players on IR as I write this, plus 67 opt-outs in the pre-season. This doesn’t cover the players who are on a single game Out designation, of which there are 62 on offense as of my writing this on 10/5. There are bad years, and then there is 2020. 

The NFL is a bit of a moving target as far as rules and regulations for COVID-19; while it originally hoped daily testing and contained travel would help ensure games could be played safely and normally, the league has also dished out hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines before even a hundred total games have been played. It announced Monday that regulations would be updated, which serves as a nice reminder; the league didn’t quite know how this would shake out.

The NFL updating its own rules serves as an important reminder to everyone in your league; it’s not too late to update some of your own. For some of you, you’ve already done this. For others, especially the ones frustrated over how your teams have been affected while your leagues have ultimately stayed silent, this is something you can forward over to your commissioner to review. 

One last note: none of these rules require a change that should affect anyone’s roster. We won’t recommend you switch to team QBs like an XFL fantasy league or switch the scoring to best ball, as those changes wouldn’t affect all teams equally. Too much season has already occurred, now it’s more about making it sustainable the rest of the way.

 

Ground Rules

Any new league rule that is proposed and adopted should abide by the following three principles:

  1. The rule has to provide relief for poorly affected teams while also providing an opportunity for less affected teams, without straying too far in either direction
  2. The rule has to be unanimously approved, or at least majority+1 (seven of the 10 in a 10-player league, though I always hope the commissioner lets the league decide and stays out of it); if we’re not largely on board, then let’s not do it
  3. Is the juice worth the squeeze, or will instituting this rule cause more of a headache to everyone than it will provide a solution? The goal is to ensure that the league is fun, fair, and competitive. A hundred rules to try to provide total fairness to an already weird year isn’t a solution, it’s just some temporary safeguards that may have some unintended consequences. 

I would also say that rules are more necessary if there is a financial implication, or even a winner/loser punishment system, for the league. Leagues that didn’t have a buy-in or prize this year may find that rolling the dice week to week makes more sense. On the other hand, if you’ve paid quite a bit of money for a down year, I’d almost certainly insist that some rules be added so that I didn’t simply forfeit my investment.

Everything on my list follows these three rules, and while it may evoke some commissioner eye-rolling, it’s a good start that most of the league can agree upon!

 

Designated Players

If a game is being threatened with a COVID-19 related postponement, one of the easiest things you can do is mark a designated player for each of your starters whose games are being threatened with a new start date. Whether it’s a “wait and see” approach like the Patriots and Chiefs ended up taking, or rescheduling for a future contest like the Titans and the Steelers, more games will end up being threatened this year in a similar matter. Your ground rules should be as follows

  1. If a legitimate reporting sports organization (ESPN and Adam Schefter, the NFL or NFL PR, Fox Sports, or another outfit that has reporters who communicate directly with the league off) reports that a game risks being postponed the day before a kickoff, swap in the temporary starter and bench the designated player. The designated player is the starter you’d prefer to start whose game is being threatened. 
  2. Text or email your commissioner and their opponent to let them know which of their starters are being substituted for a designated player. This must be done the day before the game, and cutoff times can be decided by the league. 
  3. If the game that was set to be postponed is actually played, the commissioner swaps in the designated player. If the game is not played, the lineup is not adjusted.

This means that you have a safeguard in place for the games whether they occur or not, and you win or lose based on a full lineup, not a last-second cancellation.

 

Additional IR or Bench Spots

With the statistics I highlighted above regarding league-wide injury statistics, there’s a high probability that each team in your league has enough major injuries to warrant consideration of more IR spots. For affected teams, it’s a necessity. Keeping a healthier roster, having the room to acquire backups or upside guys, means that they’ll be competitive even if they’re less so. For teams not affected, especially when it comes to keeper leagues, the upside is obvious; you get more places to stash the guys who you can keep next year. 

Not interested in IR specific roster spots? Why not open up the bench and let guys go deeper. This is even more of a boon for the team managers who don’t have a lot of IR guys, though it may require a way to do a mini-draft to fill the five or six bench spots more fairly (though waiver chaos has its obvious benefits)

It’s arguably one of the most controversial new rules on this list, but if your bench is small and BYE weeks are arriving, is it really worth winning because teams had to drop their short-term IR studs just to roster a whole team? I have no interest in winning a matchup because a guy felt the need to drop Christian McCaffrey to temporarily roster Justin Jackson.

 

Best Projected Substitutes

If a game is canceled on the day-of and the “designated player” option isn’t doable, you can institute a sweeping rule that allows for any day of replacements, even if games have already started, for the highest projected player. For lack of a better term, I call it the “Best Projected Substitute”

The rule is simple; if the league votes to institute this rule, and a game is canceled on the day-of, any affected players are automatically replaced with the highest projected player in that position on the bench. Team managers are allowed to add drop or adjust their lineup as they see fit without commissioner intervention, but it is a stopgap for teams that may not be able to adjust in time to institute a replacement, or their best available replacement is locked. 

This is one of the trickier rules, as your league may find that you want this rule to only be in place once Sunday games start. But the most careful clarification is regarding locked players and projections; the commissioner is only allowed to substitute in the player with the highest projection, regardless of the actual score. This may mean a player has already played on Thursday and gets added to a lineup, or it could regard a player with a questionable designation on Monday. You’ll want to be clear here because solving one problem could mean more are added, so it’s best to get this rule exact before it becomes necessary.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

KaVontae Turpin

Arrested on Two Charges
Cole Ragans

to Begin Throwing on Monday
Theo Johnson

Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
Andrés Giménez

Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
Jermaine Burton

Continues to Show Growth
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
Austin Cindric

Remains an Overrated Road Racer
Brad Keselowski

Likely to Brush Past Chicago Street Course to Focus on Daytona
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek One of the Best Underdog Options After Strong Runs at Mexico City and Last Year
Cole Custer

Strong Mexico City Run and Xfinity Series Chicago Win Make Him a Solid DFS Option
Erik Jones

Likely Not Good Enough on Road Courses for DFS Consideration Despite Poor Qualifying Result
Noah Gragson

May Be Better Than Other Cheap DFS Options
Riley Herbst

Despite Decent Mexico City Run, Don't Expect Riley Herbst to Contend at Chicago
Cody Ware

Is a Road Course Veteran, but It's Rarely Helped Him in NASCAR
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Is The Heavy Favorite to Win at Chicago Street Course
Christopher Bell

Should Be Strong Despite Practice Struggles at Chicago Street Course
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade may not Happen Until "August, September"
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Houston Rockets

Jock Landale Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Jabari Walker

Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner, Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
James Wood

Goes Yard in Five-Hit Night
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Los Angeles Lakers

Jaxson Hayes Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Max Muncy

Out at Least Six Weeks
Clarke Schmidt

Leaves Start with Forearm Tightness
Colson Montgomery

Promoted to the Major Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
Max Muncy

Goes on Injured List With Knee Bruise
Max Muncy

Out of Thursday's Lineup
James Wood

Joining Home Run Derby
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
Divine Deablo

Could be the Quarterback of the Defense
Isaiah Rodgers

a Likely Starter for the Vikings
Boston Celtics

Josh Minott Inks Deal With Celtics
Sandro Mamukelashvili

Heading to Toronto
Jared McCain

Not on 76ers Summer League Roster
Dylan Harper

Unavailable for California Classic
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF