Headhunters 2021: Edge of Extinction

## Introduction

Welcome to a super-sized 2021 season of fantasy football: headhunters edition.

Last season, in an amazing Cinderella story, Derek (AKA Clydesdales) rode a six-TD performance from Alvin Kamara to a Headhunters championship. In lieu of a cash reward, Derek was given an immunity idol that he can use at any point up to and including week 12 in the 2021 season. He can also sell the idol for FAAB, put the idol up for auction, or include the idol in a trade.

In 2020, the game changed. The Wheel of Fate was introduced and subsequently produced a lot of dramatic Sunday nights. In the first 12 weeks we had three double-eliminations and one non-elimination round.

In 2021, the game changes yet again. This year, we play 17 weeks, we have 20 teams, we play for cash, and a new wrinkle is being added. All 20 managers will be surviving the month of September, but not all 20 teams...

Some may not wish to stick around for the challenge. But for those that do:

Welcome to the Edge of Extinction.

## Strategize or Fossilize

This season Glorio the great and powerful Fantasy God has discovered a brand new way to torment his Squam People. Many will perish. But in a gameplay twist I have never seen done before in the history of Fantasy Football (until it arrived in my giant brain yesterday), those facing early extinction will find themselves saved...at a price:

### Weeks 1-6: The Great Merge (20 Teams down to 15 Teams)

* ***In weeks one, two, and three, the bottom two teams each week will be forced to merge to continue playing.***

* In Week One, *the teams that finish 20th and 19th merge.*
	+ Both managers will have Tuesday morning to initiate a massive trade that combines their best players onto the roster of one team, letting the other team sink into the primordial soup of early elimination. They will then co-run the surviving team with a FAAB of $1,000 for the remainder of their time in the game (unless either team has spent FAAB, in which case it will be the average remaining).
* *In Week two, the teams that finish 19th and 18th will merge.* Their FAAB will be the average remaining budget of the two teams (ex. 19th place has $700 remaining, 18th place has $900 remaining, their FAAB will be $800).
* *In Week three, the teams that finish 18th and 17th will complete the final merger.* Their FAAB will be average remaining budget of the two teams.

* **All 20 managers will survive the month of September.**
* Weeks 4-6: Single Elimination. Last place team goes home each week. No way out.
* At first glance, this seems like a way to keep shitty teams afloat. But what if two managers decided they wanted to tank early to combine rosters? What if a merged team made a bargain with another team and was able to combine a *third* roster? What if Pat and Chris have to work together, how hilarious would that be? The possibilities are endless.
* "This is bull shit." - At least one of you right now. No. This is Headhunters.

### Weeks 7-12: The Great Purge (14 Teams down to 7 Teams)

* Headhunters will enter week 7 with 14 teams but potentially 17 managers still alive, a surefire way to ensure that the majority of us are still in the hunt for a championship nearly halfway through the season.
* From weeks 7-12, the Wheel of Fate returns with two double-eliminations. With three managers already saved from the edge of extinction in the opening weeks, there will be no non-eliminations in 2021. From Week Seven onward, at least one person is going home every Monday night.
* Any immunity idols must be played by the end of week 12 or they become as inactive as LeSean McCoy in a Super Bowl.

### Weeks 13-17: The Final Surge (6 Teams - 1 Champion)

The final six teams face off in a mad dash to the finish line in five weeks of straight up fantasy football with whatever remains of their FAAB and their sanity.

## 2021 Draft Time & Order

### **Draft Time:**

* Sunday, August 22nd, 8:30PM Eastern. Coach, I think this should be fine since the Family League usually runs pretty fast.

* I know what you're thinking, it's way too early. I understand and I'm sorry. But I'm going to be away from 8/25-9/10 and kickoff is 9/9 so there's just no way we can do it any later.

### **Draft Order**

* Just like last year, I will contact each person individually to ask them which pick they would like in the draft.
* Your priority is based on when you were eliminated last season. Nick, AKA Butt Buttington, AKA Steve Blackman's Nun, was the first team eliminated in 2020. Therefore, he will get first dibs.
* Since we are adding a 20th team, that team will randomly get assigned a draft spot after the bottom 10 teams from 2020 get to choose their position.

## $20 Buy-In

After a poll that was split pretty evenly between $15 and $20 votes (with KVR opting for the $10 option, which is the ultimate admittance of his fantasy ineptitude), I decided that we should play for the full $20. I know people are in a lot of leagues and this one might not be worth the money and that's totally fine. I'll contact everyone individually to discuss draft order and at that time you can feel free to opt out.

* 1st place - $300
* 2nd place - $80
* 3rd place - $20

Please pay via Venmo or work out with me another means of payment. Your team will remain locked until I get your league dues. Payment should be in by the Friday before the draft or I'll have to find a replacement manager.

## In Conclusion

This is the Headhunters guarantee: it will be fun, it will be different, it will be challenging, and it will always still ultimately be fantasy football. If you're down for the ride, let's saddle up.