Zombie Leagues is the Best New Fantasy Format

Zombie leagues is a new fantasy league format I formulated in 2021. The general concept is similar to a Vampire league mixed with some guillotine league elements — but with a twist. The biggest twist is; that when a Zombie team beats a Human team, the Human team becomes a Zombie as well, and now there are two Zombies — but it’s much more involved than that. I will explain the format below, and if you wish to try a Zombie League or have any questions, please reach out to me through Twitter @GeoffLambert or join our Discord Server.

The Draft

Similar to a Vampire League, one team — the Zombie — does not participate in the draft, instead, they will build a team after the draft is complete from the remaining player pool. I use the sleeper platform to run these leagues and the best way I’ve found to exclude the Zombie from the draft is to temporarily add a Kicker position pre-draft, you can then put a kicker in their draft slot for the entire draft, then after the draft, remove the Kicker position and allow the Zombie to drop all the kickers and build his/her team. This also renders the last round of the draft useless since after the draft you will remove the kicker spot. So just have teams draft kickers in the last round, and once you remove the Kicker spot, they can just drop them.

After the draft and after the Zombie has added all his players, all teams will be locked until the week before the season starts.

Roster Size and Positions

• SuperFlex
• Running Back
• Running Back
• Wide Receiver
• Wide Receiver
• Tight End
• Flex
• Flex
• DL
• DB
• LB
• IDP Flex
• 5 Bench

The first thing you might notice is there is no QB position, but instead there is a SuperFlex position. That means you don’t have to start a QB if you don’t want to. The scoring makes the QB position a little less valuable than an average SuperFlex league, and therefore, starting a second-tier running back over a second-tier quarterback is a viable strategy — but we will get into that a little later.

The next thing you will notice is the IDP spots. No, it’s not a full-blown IDP league, but having those four IDP spots adds some depth to the player pool, leaving more viable players for the Zombie after the draft. You will also notice a very shallow bench, the reason for that is also to help keep the player pool fairly viable for the Zombie to build their initial team, however, there is another reason for the shallow bench, but we will get to that later.

Scoring

Passing – Scott Fish Ball QB Scoring

1. 6 points passing TDs
2. (-3) points interception
3. (-2) points pick 6 thrown
4. 1 point per 25 yards passing (.04/per)
5. 2 points per 2 point conversion
6. (-1) point per incompletion
7. 0.5 points per completion
8. Note: A Pick 6 throw amounts to a (-6). (-3) for an INT, (-2) for the Pick 6, and (-1) for an incomplete pass

The Scott Fish Bowl QB scoring rewards efficiency and punishes inefficiency. For one, interceptions are (-3), another (-2) if it’s a pick-6, and (-1) for an incomplete pass for a total of (-6). Also, a quarterback with a low completion percentage will be hurt by the (-1) per incompletion, but the flip side is true of a quarterback with a high completion percentage with the 0.5 points per completion.

This scoring effectively reduces the huge advantage a quarterback has in an average SuperFlex league. Where in an average SuperFlex league, you would almost never consider putting any other position in your SF spot, in this scoring, a running back or wide receiver may be preferable — or potentially an elite tight end.

Rushing/Receiving

1. 1 PPR for Running Backs and Wide Receivers
2. 2 PPR for Tight Ends
3. 0.5 points for a rushing or receiving first down
4. 0.25 points per carry
5. 1 point for every 10 yards rushing or receiving

IDP123 Scoring

1. 1 point for QB Hit, Assisted Tackle
2. 2 points for Solo Tackle, Tackle for a Loss
3. 3 points for Forced Fumble, Fumble Recovery, Pass Defended, Safety, Blocked Kick
4. 6 points for Sack, INT, TD
5. 1 point per 10 yards on an INT return
6. 1 point per 10 yards on a Fumble Recovery return

This scoring system, explained here by Jordan Raines, essentially gives defensive players more value and puts their scoring totals more in line with that of the offensive players. To help put it in perspective, defensive lineman T.J. Watt was the 14th overall scorer in 2021 and the fourth overall non-QB scorer. Only Cooper Kupp, Jonathan Taylor and Mark Andrews (TE Premium League) had more fantasy points than did Watt. A sack, fumble, fumble recovery, TD is an 18-point play (even more with the yardage) — now let that set in.

Zombie Rules

Zombie Rules only apply from Weeks 1-thru-11. This will be explained in the Schedule/Playoffs segment.

1. In the event that a Zombie wins a game versus a Human team, there are a few things that happen in this order;
   1. The Zombie has a choice to make; A) Take one starting player from his “victim” OR B) Participate in the Feeding Frenzy (more on that later)
   1. The Victim team now must drop all of their starters from that week into the player pool, with one exception…
   2. The Victim team is allowed to protect one of his starters by sacrificing one of his bench players, however, the player he sacrifices must be the same position as the player he wishes to protect.
   3. If the victim team does not have a bench player for the position he wishes to protect, he must select another player to protect or elect to not protect a player and drop all his starters into the player pool.
   4. The Zombie takes his player before the victim can protect a player. In other words, the victim cannot protect a player the Zombie wishes to take.

Waiver System AKA The Feeding Frenzy

1. Each team starts off with $1,000 FAAB
2. In the event that a Human player loses to a Zombie, the Tuesday after the games there is “Feeding Frenzy”, where all players can bid on the players that have been dropped. The one exception being if the winning Zombie chose to steal a starting player from the other team.
3. Newly converted Zombies can bid on their own players that they had to drop after losing to a Zombie
4. After the Feeding Frenzy is over, Wednesday at 3 am ET when waivers clear, it’s like a regular league with FAAB, all managers can bid on players.
5. Just like Zombie Rules, Feeding Frenzys are only from Weeks 1-thru-11. This will be explained in the Schedule/Playoff segment.

Schedule/Survival of the Fittest/Last One Standing

The Schedule is divided into three sections.

Regular Season (Week 1-thru-11)

1. The original Zombie will be scheduled to play the other 11 teams head-to-head once each during these first 11 weeks.
2. During these weeks, and only during these weeks, do the Zombie Rules and Feeding Frenzy rules apply.

Survival of the Fittest (Weeks 12-thru-14)

1. This is essentially the start of the playoffs, but unlike other playoff systems, all 12 teams will be in.
2. During these weeks matchups do not matter, only total points. In each of the three weeks, the two teams with the lowest point total will be eliminated.
3. When a team is eliminated during the Survival of the Fittest period, they must drop all of their players into the player pool. Their season is over. Similar to a guillotine league, if you’re familiar with that concept.
4. All teams will be allowed to bid FAAB on players just like a regular league.
5. At the end of this 3-week period, there will be only six teams left, and those six teams, whether they are Zombies or Humans go into the Last One Standing playoff.

Last One Standing (Week 15-thru-17)

1. The remaining 6 teams will compete in a regular playoff format from here on out.
2. Seeding will be based on total PF for the season
3. The No. 1 and No. 2 seed will get a bye week in Week 15.
4. The No. 1 seed will play the lowest remaining seed in Week 16, with the No. 2 seed playing the highest remaining seed
5. Week 17 is the Championship game
6. During this part of the Playoffs, managers do not drop their roster if they are eliminated, they are simply out of the playoffs
7. Waivers will be left open for FAAB bidding during the Last Man Standing tournament

Miscellaneous Rules

1. FAAB cannot be traded
2. Zombies cannot trade.
3. You must start a full valid lineup, and it must be a lineup you feel gives you the best chance to win. Purposely benching your players in an attempt to lose to a Zombie, thus gaining Zombie advantage while keeping your stud players, is not allowed. It will be treated similar to how collusion is treated and you will be removed from the league.
4. In the event that one Zombie team plays another Zombie team during the first 11 weeks, nothing happens. There aren’t any players being taken or dropped, it’s just like a regular game.
5. When you become a Zombie, you must change your team name to “Zombie” so you are easily recognized.

Basic Strategies

1. When you play a Zombie, think worst-case scenario. If you were to lose, the Zombie could take your best player, so you want to make sure you have a player on your bench that is the same position as so that you are able to protect them. This is the reason for the shallow bench, you may be forced to make some tough decisions about your bench players.
2. If you are unfamiliar with Scott Fish QB scoring, it rewards efficiency and punishes inefficiency. A 2nd tier RB could outscore an inefficient 2nd tier QB, and a particularly bad QB game could end up with massive negative points. Kirk Cousins famously had a (-24) point game in SFBX (Scott Fish Bowl 10).
   1. Keep this in mind when drafting and setting lineups. You don’t have to start a QB since there is no QB spot, just a SF spot. 
3. FAAB management will be your key to success. Do you blow your FAAB early and be left with very little when the Survival of the Fittest tournament knocks out entire teams, or do you risk saving your FAAB to bid heavy when entire teams get knocked out and just hope you’re not the one getting knocked out? The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.
4. Why would a Zombie elect to NOT take a victims’ best player? During the Feeding Frenzy they could potentially land more than one good player — but they could also end up with nothing.

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