Pros and Cons of No Free Agency

bendthebarman · 12-30-2020, 10:08 AM

I've been considering trying a no-free agency league. I like building a team and I feel it more immersive to get to know players for the long haul.

I've read many threads and understand the financial side of things. Just curious if any of you have run a league like this and have any pros or cons to share.

I imagine you have to be super draft and trade-reliant and savvy, as there are no big-hitting free agents to salivate over in the off-season. I imagine the AI of OOTP will allow some aging talent to float around off-season, which could have value.

Charlie Hough · 12-30-2020, 04:29 PM

One big question is whether you're planning to have an inaugural draft or simply start a league with rosters already determined. The latter can be really tough with no free agency, especially if you don't end up with a good roster to start.

As long as you have an annual new player draft, that will be the key to replenishing talent and being able to build teams over the long term. But if you have a winning team, you'll have lower draft picks, so that increases the challenge a bit.

If you're using normal trading difficulty, you can still make a lot of good trades because the AI is not that smart at that level, and depending on other teams' priorities, you can make trades that are solidly in your favor. But if you make the trade AI more difficult, then it's even tougher.

International scouting discoveries should still be in play with no free agency, so you can still occasionally acquire free agents that way.

If you like a challenge and you're patient and willing to suffer through losing seasons or willing to rebuild teams slowly, then you might find this approach fun.

12-30-2020, 10:08 AM	#1
bendthebarman Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 112	Pros and Cons of No Free Agency I've been considering trying a no-free agency league. I like building a team and I feel it more immersive to get to know players for the long haul. I've read many threads and understand the financial side of things. Just curious if any of you have run a league like this and have any pros or cons to share. I imagine you have to be super draft and trade-reliant and savvy, as there are no big-hitting free agents to salivate over in the off-season. I imagine the AI of OOTP will allow some aging talent to float around off-season, which could have value.

12-30-2020, 04:29 PM	#2
Charlie Hough Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3,644	One big question is whether you're planning to have an inaugural draft or simply start a league with rosters already determined. The latter can be really tough with no free agency, especially if you don't end up with a good roster to start. As long as you have an annual new player draft, that will be the key to replenishing talent and being able to build teams over the long term. But if you have a winning team, you'll have lower draft picks, so that increases the challenge a bit. If you're using normal trading difficulty, you can still make a lot of good trades because the AI is not that smart at that level, and depending on other teams' priorities, you can make trades that are solidly in your favor. But if you make the trade AI more difficult, then it's even tougher. International scouting discoveries should still be in play with no free agency, so you can still occasionally acquire free agents that way. If you like a challenge and you're patient and willing to suffer through losing seasons or willing to rebuild teams slowly, then you might find this approach fun.