By: Jack Fenty

There’s no denying that fantasy football is the best game around. Nothing is quite better than drafting your team, competing and bragging against friends after a big matchup win, and of course, fighting for the chance to win some money. It’s a hell of a lot of fun, but I’m here to pitch you an idea to take your league to the next level…Promotion and regulation!

Basic League Needs

Just like the most-famous promotion and relegation league, the English Premier League, your promotion/relegation league must have two separate leagues. I recommend…

• 8 players in the top league, 6 players in the feeder league

It’s up to you and your friends to decide how you will choose who starts in the top league and the feeder league.

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I also recommend you have a commissioner and a co-commissioner. The commissioner will overlook the top league and the co-commissioner will overlook the feeder league.

• Commissioner & Co-commissioner

League Rules: Set it Up!

1. Promotion/regulation– the team that finishes in last place in the top league gets relegated and the team that finishes in first in the feeder league gets promoted.

2. Draft-order– Just like soccer leagues across Europe, life in “the show” isn’t easy. The team that gets promoted to the top league shall receive the last selection when choosing the draft order for the next season.

3. Keepers– If you’re looking to spice up your league even more add keepers to it (“Keepers”- selecting one player from your roster to carry over to the next season).

If you choose to do a keeper-league, the team that is promoted and the team that is relegated switch teams when choosing keepers. The idea is the team that is being promoted gets the worst keeper option in the top league and vice versa for the team that is relegated.

Recommendations: Modify Where Needed

1. Buy-in/payout– Besides not getting relegated or the potential of being promoted, there needs to be something each team is fighting for. I recommend making the buy-in for the top league more than the feeder league.

2. 2 QB League– With so few league members in each of the two leagues, I highly recommend making both leagues a two QB league. This will allow for more strategy instead of each team having a top-8 quarterback.

3. 2 Flex League– It’s simple- the more starting lineup spots league members have to fill the harder it is.

4. Dedication– Make sure your friends are all on-board with this promotion/relegation idea. You don’t want a member being relegated and quitting.

5. Trial & Error– Just like the MLB does with minor league baseball, allow the feeder league to experiment with new rules that could potentially be added to the top league in the future. It works, add it. It doesn’t, scratch it.

I’m curious; let me know in the comments your thoughts on promotion/relegation in a fantasy football league…