The Purple Helm

League rules

1. Each season consists of 17 games. The 4 teams with the best records after Week 14 make the playoffs. 1st - $1100, 2nd - $450, 3rd - $200, Top Scorer - $125, Top Record - $125
2. 12 team, full-PPR league
3. No divisions.
4. League schedules are randomized the day before the draft each year. Each team plays every other team at least 1 time per regular season
5. Draft order is determined by 100yarddash.com. Bottom 4 teams get increased ‘Higher Luck’ (+6) for slight advantage during dash
   1. Draft order is determined on the Friday prior to the first regular season NFL game
6. League Entry Fee is $200/owner
   1. $167 of that goes towards the season winners
   2. $33 of that goes to the dynasty pool
      1. Winner of the dynasty pool is the first team to win back to back championships
      2. If no team wins back to back years for 10 years, starting in 2021….
7. Teams must field a full roster for every position each week. This means players that are on a bye week cannot be played in a starting line-up.
8. There are no tie breakers for regular season games. However, during the playoffs the tie breaker for a game is first determined by the better regular season record and then by total points forward from the regular season.
9. There is no veto committee for trades
10. Players played in a starting line-up must be eligible for the position spot they are played in (ie. a QB cannot fill a TE spot)
11. In order for a new rule to pass or to amend an existing rule, ⅔ (8) of the league members must vote in favor of the rule. Rules are voted on during the draft weekend
    1. Rule change proposals must be submitted 72 hours prior to the draft

League scoring and rosters

The rules doc shows scoring and rosters as pictures, which aren't copied here. The full scoring settings are in the league's settings in Sleeper.

Keeper league rules

1. You can keep up to 2 keeper players each year.
2. You can only keep a player for 2 times in succession. Player drafted in 2016 can be kept in 2017 and 2018.
3. Keepers cost a draft pick one round earlier than they cost the previous year. Player drafted in 2016 7th round costs a 2017 6th rounder, and a 2018 5th rounder if kept again.
4. Undrafted free agents (aka FABB players) picked up during the year will cost a 10th round pick in the first year kept. The following year that player will be kept at his current ADP 1 week prior to the Purple Helm draft date.
5. Waiver free agent (players drafted and then waived/dropped by other teams) keepers will be kept at the same round they were drafted in by the original owner. Team A drafts Big Ben in the 8th round and waives him in week 7. Team B picks up Big Ben and keeps him at the cost of an 8th round pick the following season. Waiver free agents kept a 2nd year get kept at their ADP (average draft position)
6. If an undrafted free agent keeper, waiver free agent, or drafted player keeper have the same round cost, the second player will be kept at the next highest round. Both keepers are supposed to be kept for a 10th round pick, now are kept for a 9th round pick and a 10th round pick.
7. Season ending injured or suspended players that are acquired as an undrafted free agent or via the draft are not eligible to be kept.
8. One I.R. spot per team will be allowed for owners with players with season ending injuries. You must notify the league/commissioner of this transaction in alignment with keeper rule 12.
9. If a team acquires a player in a trade, they will cost one round higher than the original owner drafted them. Team A drafts Tom Brady in the 5th round. Team A trades Tom Brady to Team B. Team B keeps Tom Brady the following year for a 4th round pick. *This rule does not supersede Rules 5, 6 and 13
10. Keeper league rule changes must be proposed at least one week prior to the draft date.
11. Any unintended consequences of the keeper league rules that require a change mid-season must be approved by all 12 owners. If not approved, the change can be voted on again in the offseason.
12. Keepers are due prior to kickoff of the first regular season game of the NFL season (ie Thursday night at 7:20pm) either in the sleeper app, an email/text message to the commissioner/group chat or written on the paper provided by the commissioner. The keepers can also be entered into the spreadsheet on the google drive. The submissions must be documented in a written form, no verbal selections. Failure to submit keepers by this time results in a forfeit of any kept players for that year.
13. Players eligible to be kept for the next season must be on a team’s roster by the last game of Week 17
14. Each team is eligible to keep 3 assets
    1. Assets are defined as keeper players or draft picks (acquired via in season/offseason trades)
       1. Only 2 keeper players are allowed as part of your 3 assets
          1. i.e. you can keep 2 players and one draft pick, 2 draft picks and one player, or 3 draft picks

In season trades

1. You are allowed to make as many in season trades as you want
2. In season trades can involve players and/or future draft picks
   1. Future draft picks eligible for trade are only from the upcoming season
      1. i.e. During the 2024 season you can only trade draft picks for the 2025 season

Offseason trades

1. Offseason trades will be eligible from one day after the Championship week games up to midnight of the day of the next year’s draft
2. Trades can involve keeper players and/or draft picks for the upcoming draft
   1. Ie. Darren Waller for Cam Akers
   2. Chase Claypool for Team B’s 7th round pick
   3. Player, pick for pick
3. A team can draft no more than roster limits allow (15 total players)
4. If a team has more draft picks than allowed players, they forfeit the remaining rounds/picks
   1. I.e. Team A acquires an additional 5th and 8th round pick, they will lose their 15th and 14th round picks of that draft.
5. If a team has less draft picks than allowed players, they draft in the “16th round” with any other owner in a similar situation. The draft order is determined by last year’s record (including playoffs) and is traditional round drafting, not snake. Tiebreaker for record is points forward.
   1. The players drafted in the 16th round are considered “Free Agents” for the purposes of keepers. They will meet the Free Agent keeper criteria as defined above
6. Trades must be submitted to the commissioner by both parties for it to pass. A notification to the league will go out once the trade is complete.
7. There is no veto committee for offseason trades

Draft day pick trades

1. Trading of draft picks for other draft picks is allowed after the draft order is determined
2. There is no limit on the number of trades or additional draft picks you can acquire
3. Only trades of draft picks during that same season/draft are allowed
   1. i.e. You can trade 2026 picks for only other 2026 picks
      1. Team A receives 2026 3rd round pick, Team B receives 2026 4th and 2026 5th
      2. Team A receives 2026 5th round pick and 2026 6th, Team B receives 2026 5th and 2026 6th (pick swaps)
   2. You cannot trade your future draft picks for draft picks this season
      1. i.e. Team A receives 2027 2nd round pick, Team B receives 2026 3rd and 2026 4th

Previous season rule changes appendix

2026 season

Proposals (Colton):

PROPOSAL 1. A 6 TEAM PLAYOFFS

Now: only 4 teams make it. 8 of us are dead by Halloween.

New:

• Top 6 make the playoffs
• Seeds 1 & 2 get a Week 15 bye
• Bottom 6 play a REAL loser bracket, seeds 7 & 8 get a bye
• Winner of the loser bracket gets the 1st overall pick next year
• Tank your lineup Weeks 15-17 and you lose the pick

Why: half the league plays for the ring, the other half plays for 1.01. Nobody sits out December.

Downside: we lose the 2 week aggregate final.

PROPOSAL 2. ADD A MEDIAN GAME

Now: you can finish 3rd in scoring and go 5-9. That happened last year.

New: every week you play your opponent AND the league average.

• Top 6 scorers get a bonus win
• Bottom 6 get a bonus loss
• Records look like 17-11

Why: wins go to good teams instead of lucky schedules. It's one toggle in Sleeper. Zero extra work.

PROPOSAL 3 — UNCAPPING PICK TRADING

Now: 3 assets total. If you want 2 keepers you can take exactly ONE pick back for your whole roster. That's not a trade market.

New:

• Still 2 keepers max
• No limit on draft picks
• 15 man roster still caps you, extra picks eat your last rounds

Why: sellers can sell, buyers can buy. More trades, more chaos in the chat.

PROPOSAL 4. MAKE FAAB PICKUPS LADDER IN KEEPER

Now: win a bidding war, keep him for a 10th one year, then his price jumps to ADP. Your reward for a great pickup is losing him.

New: FAAB pickup costs a 10th the first year, a 9th the second. Same ladder everybody else gets.

Why: Makes keeper pricing all around easier to figure out, and rewards good finds on waivers.

2025 season

Proposals:

• Jack: Loser punishment putter
• Westman: League Fee increase (200, 225, 250, 300)

2024 season

Proposals:

• Ben: No other rule changes or formal rule change discussions for 2 league seasons (ie 2025 & 2026 seasons). Eric addition - League commish can call for an emergency vote under extenuating circumstances (recent example would be implementation of COVID rules)
• Westman: Draft order determined the Friday of draft weekend (either 100 yd dash or royal rumble)

2023 season

Proposals:

• Eric: Amendment to Line 7 of Keeper rules: Season ending injured or suspended players that are acquired as an undrafted free agent are not eligible to be kept.
• Westman: Additional line for Keeper rules: You cannot draft players that are out for the upcoming season (injury or suspension) for keeper purposes
• Westman: Add an additional starting position (1 flex) and get rid of Kicker for 2024
• Westman: Adding a 3rd keeper spot for 2024
• Dakota: Add a superflex (QB/RB/WR/TE) starting position for 2024
• Jack: Revert to half point PPR for WR only
• Jack: Keepers due after final preseason game. Change draft order determination night before draft?
• Jack: League Rule 7 change: Teams can have 1 vacant spot on their starting roster if there are 2+ players on their bench who are of the same position that are anything other than able to play (bye week can only count as 1 of the 2)
• Jack: Pick the walkup music at the draft for someone else (Secret Santa style or person drafting in front of you)

Keepers are due before start of first game of season, Draft order determined Friday before first game

Colton:

• Allow in season trading
• # advantages total (2 keepers max) - can have 2 keepers and 1 pick or 3 picks
• 3-Advantage Rule (see rule change proposal powerpoint)

2022 season

2022 Rule Changes

• 8 owners required to vote/pass a rule change
• Switched league to Sleeper App
• 2021 season was Year 0 in empire pot
• Kicker points are 0.1 for every yard after 30
• Offseason trades are allowed up to midnight of the draft
• Offseaon league trades capped at 2 players/draft picks (assets)
• Rule changes for the next season are due 72 hours before the draft

2021 season

2021 Rule Changes

1. New punishment for last place is to do the polar plunge. Additionally, in the next year’s draft party you are sticker bitch and beer boy.
2. Change to empire league pot in which league fee increases to $150. $25 of that league fee goes to the empire pot. When a team wins back to back seasons, they win the total pot. If no team wins back to back years for 10 years, starting in 2021.
3. New payout structure: Top scorer and top record get $75
4. Payouts:
5. Playoff Structure: 3 week championship. 1st round is just one game. 2nd round is aggregate (for both winners and loser brackets)
6. 15th rounds is the current draft; losing one bench slot
7. Kicker 60+ yard field goals get 6pts
8. Offseason trades approved
   1. Can keep 2 players and trade away a keeper for picks
      1. Capped at just one player to trade away
   2. Passed for 2022 season

2020 season

2020 Rule Changes

1. New punishment TBD before Week 1 (9/12). All owners must agree.
2. Full Point Per Reception

2018 season

2018 Rule Changes

1. Keepers will be due by midnight (12:00 am) CST on draft day
2. Waiver free agents kept a 2nd year get kept at their ADP (average draft position)
3. Draft order is determined by inverse order of playoff standings. However, the last 4 team owners in the playoff standings choose a wrestler to participate in a simulated WWE2k16 Battle Royale for the first four opportunities to pick a draft spot. After the first four teams pick their draft slot, the remaining eight pick their draft slot in inverse order of playoff standings.