It provides more of a challenge, and it's so much more fun to talk trash to the guy you smoked the week before. An owner who dose not pay as much attention as other owners may have different things going on. Who has the right to determine what level someone should participate at. If an owner pays his fees and attends the draft they should be able to participate. If you have a family then pay as much attention to them.
Lousy owners are part of the game.
Whoever gets last, doesn't get their check back. This usually gets people to send in their line up and keeps them interested. In our 12 team league, we tolerate the annual poor, disinterested owner without fines. There is always a contending team who gets burned to a degree, but it tends to even out in the end. Also, we've gotten more careful about accepting referrals who haven't played before and are recommended by a fellow owner who lets the interested prospective owner overstate his real level of interest.