What is Reality Sports Online (RSO)? RSO is a contract fantasy football platform that mimics the duties of an NFL general manager. Teams start with the NFL’s current salary cap. Then, players are dispersed through a rookie draft and free agent auction. League commissioners are able to fully customize roster size, positions, and scoring according to their preferences.
Salary Cap and Contracts
RSO’s salary cap matches the NFL’s (currently $188.2 million). Leagues then customize their rookie drafts by choosing between one to five rounds and contract lengths of three or four years. Current NFL players are rostered via the free agent auction. Free agent contracts range from one to four years, and the amount of extended contracts can be customized by the commissioner. Extended contracts follow the same acceleration rate the NFL uses. Each contract has a guaranteed amount (50-percent of salary each year under contract).
Example: I have A.J. Brown on a four year contract worth $7.38 million with $3.69 million guaranteed.
Rookies
The RSO season officially kicks off with the rookie draft. Commissioners set a pick duration up to 24 hours, number of rounds (max 5), and rookie contract length. The rookie contract price mimics the NFL and is for three or four years depending on league settings. Rookies hold higher value in RSO than they do in standard dynasty leagues. A player that produces at a high level on a rookie contract can save team owners a significant amount of cap space. For example, Saquon Barkley will cost just over $8 million on his rookie deal. RSO’s recommended free agent contract is $181 million for 4 years. The rookie contract saves over $37 million in cap space for 2019. Rookie draft picks are also very valuable trade assets during the draft and in season.
Free Agent Auction
The free agent auction room is what really sets RSO apart from other platforms. Free agent auction night is the most exciting part of the RSO season aside from playing for a championship. Owners nominate players from the free agent pool. Then, every owner has the option to bid on that player. Owners can bid any of their available contracts up to an amount where the remainder of the roster can be filled with the minimum $500,000 contract. RSO has recommended contract values to give new owners an idea on how much to spend , but the actual values vary based on league scoring settings. (I will be writing a more in-depth article on winning the free agent auction. Click here to see RSO recommended values.)
In-Season
RSO’s in-season distinguishing characteristic is waivers. When a player with a contract greater than one year is waived, the other teams can claim the player at the current contract price. If the player is not claimed, the original owner pays out the current year’s salary and the remaining guaranteed salary goes against next year’s cap.
Example: I decide A.J. Brown is a bust after Week Six and cut him. His entire year one salary ($1,620,000) goes against my 2019 salary cap. The remaining amount of his guaranteed money ($2,880,000) is charged against my 2020 salary cap.
Owners also have the ability to buy players off of the free agent wire. The owner bids on desired player (minimum $500,000), where the highest bid gets the player. If several owners bid the same, the player goes to the owner with the top waiver number. The contracts are prorated based on number of weeks owned. Owners should save around five million dollars to cover the costs of waiver acquisitions and/or trades.
Commissioners have the ability to allow contract extensions (up to nine). Players on expiring contracts can be extended Weeks five through 13. The algorithm calculating the extension cost is based on a league’s unique settings, and the price will fluctuate each week based on the player’s performance.
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Off-Season
Reality Sports Online has no true off-season. Like traditional dynasty, owners need to be scouting the upcoming rookie class. The franchise tag period begins after the last game and goes until three days before the rookie draft. RSO uses the same formula as the NFL to calculate franchise tag costs. Off-season is the best time to make roster changes. Cutting a contract player after the season ends eases the cap hit on the upcoming season by extending it into the next.
Example (using A.J. Brown‘s contract again): If I wait to cut Brown until the off-season only his guaranteed 2020 salary ($885,000) goes against my 2020 cap. The remaining guaranteed money ($1,995,000) goes against my 2021 cap.
Conclusion
I have been playing RSO almost as long as it has been around. I was lucky enough to play in a league with co-founder Stephen Wendell several years ago (for the record, I kicked his ass). Wendell and Matt Papson created the most fun and innovative fantasy football platform available. While the logistics may seem complicated, the interface makes it easy enough for anybody to navigate. Their top notch customer service is quick to respond to any questions and help out if there is a problem. Therefore, if you are looking for the next level in fantasy football, go to Reality Sports Online.
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