Keeper league questions

[MFJDZ69]

I'm a new commish and had 2 questions for any exp. commissioners. First some of my managers expressed concern about the "can't cut list". Myself I don't like it but I understand it is needed in some leagues. If you play with all friends, good friends, does it make sense to remove the can't cut list? I myself got bit by the list with Lincecum( he was a top 5 pick of mine). Second I have 10 teams in my league I thought in the beginning we would keep up to 4 players, is this too many or right on? One manager said that come draft day next yr. there would not be any one to draft. Of course there are more than 40 good players but I would just like to hear from someone who has done this for awhile to see their perspective. Thank you all input is greatly appreciated.

[cardinal1975]

I really think it all depends upon the league and the people involved. Part of the logic behind a "can't cut list" on yahoo or another site is that a team will not be able to cut a top player outright if they get mad, quit, or whatever else could happen. Generally this isn't an issue, but there are occasions where it could hamper a team. Part of the concern with losing it from my perspective might be that an impatient and/or inexperienced owner may drop a stud player after 3-6 bad weeks. To me part of commishing a league is avoiding divisive issues and staying clear of "drama". If a team drops a stud player outright (I have seen it done before) then you could have issues with a team getting a great talent for nothing and other people in the league upset they couldn't get the player or thinking you have collusion involved in your league. Once people begin to question whether the league and fellow owners are above board you will likely have some turnover at best with the league dying at worst.

As far as how many keepers go....I would consider taking a vote from everyone before the year starts. Depending on if the guys in the league like to roster build or simply enjoy starting over from scratch will make the difference on what you should do. I would consider starting with a lower number at first like 4 to see how everyone enjoys it or what type of complaints you get. I would remind anyone not happy with 4 keepers to keep an open mind and it can always be re-evaluated after the season. Losing 40 players in a shallow league like yours really should not hamper anyone's ability to draft good players or build a good roster from year to year.

[bigmck]

I never have liked the "Can't Drop Lists". If you get a guy that has a terrible year or gets hurt, you are stuck with him. If it isn't a money league and it is mostly friends playing, I don't see a need for it. == As the previous poster said, starting out with four keepers for 2013 and then in the spring of 2013 you can talk about adding more for 2014 is a good idea.

[mkultra]

"Can't Cut" is only useful for public leagues and when you're dealing with several newbies and/or strangers. If you all know the game and each other, I think it's insurance you don't need.

As for your keeper strategy, my long-time H2H league (12 teams) has run with 3 keepers for well over a decade, and we made the decision to switch to 5 next year. The main reason is that 3, it's generally obvious who your keepers are because 99% of the time it's just your Top 3. With 5, your choices get just a little tougher, and you're more likely to take a flyer on younger or unproven guys (I'm thinking players like Harper or Willingham here).

Just make sure that (a) you've got caps on how long players can be kept; and (b) you roll out keeper changes a year in advance.