A Paradigm League has 20 teams with Superflex, IDP (individual defensive players), PPFD (points per first down), 2 copies of players per league, and all-play match-ups.

At the end of a season the top half of teams play the next season at a higher level while the bottom half of teams play in a lower level.

Leagues play in 5-7 year cycles, earning points based on yearly finish.  Those points accumulate and eventually one team earns enough points to win a dynasty championship.  At that point a redraft of veteran players occurs and a new league cycle begins.  Welcome to Paradigm Leagues!

Reading the NFL Rulebook wouldn’t make you want to watch football each Sunday, but it’s a much needed part of the whole.  Like playing any new game for the first time, there is a learning curve.

If you were the type of person okay with just another old school fantasy football league, you wouldn’t have been invited here to check out Paradigm Leagues.   Anybody can win in a league with their friends, classmates, or co-workers that watch the NFL on Sunday.  This is about taking fake football to the next level.  Then it’s going to the level above that.  If this is too much for you, no worries – it’s not for everyone.  However, if you embrace the challenge, you’ll be glad you did.

A total of four leagues will compete in 2025.  One Paradigm league is entering year 4 of a cycle with managers competing in lvl 01 “Evergreen United” and lvl 02 “Evergreen Echo”.  It’s 20 teams, superflex, IDP, and 2 player copies.

The newest Paradigm dynasty league is entering year 2 of a cycle with managers competing in lvl 03 “Monolith”. It’s 8 teams, superflex, IDP, with 1 player copy.  This league may someday be expanded to become a larger 20 team league.

Also, “Paradigm Legacy” has completed three successful seasons by offering managers a low commitment, redraft option.  The league is made up of managers interested in joining a full 20-team league some day and/or less experienced fantasy players.  There is no charge (or winnings) to participate in this league.  Paradigm Leagues covers all costs associated with participating in this league.  Nine teams participated in 2022, twelve in 2023, eight in 2024, and the league will again run in 2025.

Players may be rostered twice in each league, that’s it.   This allows more managers to play in each league, fosters increased trade opportunities, makes the rookie draft important each year, and opens up the waiver wire to more possibilities.   It also keeps managers sharp.  Good luck finding cheat sheets that accurately take into account all of the variables in Paradigm Leagues.

It makes the quarterback position the single most valuable asset.  Teams win big in the NFL by having an elite quarterback or by having everything else.  In Paradigm Leagues teams will almost always start two quarterbacks, so they’re highly drafted, protected in the offseason, and valued in trades.  Plan accordingly.

Every team earns points each season based on where they finish in their league.  Add those points up each season and eventually a team will earn enough cumulative points to win the whole thing (414) – a true dynasty championship.  Then teams redraft veteran players and start a new league cycle.  This is a unique dynasty league structure, which also includes elevation and demotion within a league each year and promotion for winning big and relegation for poor performance over the long-term (every 6 years or so, once multiple 20-team leagues are active).

After scoring and preventing touchdowns, the excitement of football comes down to a basic concept – moving the chains.  Rewarding these crucial 1st down plays without overcompensating receptions is more in line with NFL strategy.  Players that catch a slew of dump off passes is the single most overvalued aspect in PPR leagues, but here they must gain 1st downs in those opportunities to really reward their fantasy team.

You’ve been missing out, by about half (the players). In general, offensive players are more valuable but good defensive players are necessary to consistently win.  Don’t neglect your defense and you’ll be okay.  By the end of your first season with IDP you’ll never go back to a league with random D/ST scoring again.

Teams face each other every week, so you and your buddy/enemy will give each other a win or a loss every week of the regular season.   The same applies to every other team, each week. That’s the beauty of an all-play schedule, it rewards consistent performance and gives each team something to follow in every NFL game.  You may be surprised how many wins and losses are still being decided late into Monday Night Football.  In the postseason, two week cumulative match-ups occur to determine which teams continue their quest for a championship, which are playing to stay in the higher level of their league, or which managers are fighting to avoid Zed.

Carries are listed as a negative stat as a way to align a player’s value in Paradigm Leagues more equally to their NFL value.  Running backs have become replaceable cogs, with teams moving away from drafting them high or paying them large second contracts.  This scoring also keeps the quarterback position from being one where running signal callers are disproportionally valued.  It’s still important, just not the only thing that matters at the position.

In almost every league teams wait to draft their kicker and defense in the last few rounds (except for that one person – you know the one).   In those leagues the kicker scores a lot of points compared to other positions.  Why is one of the last picks deciding that many fantasy match-ups? It shouldn’t, and won’t here.

No.  Inaugural drafts for new leagues and annual rookie drafts occur in August and take weeks to complete.  Managers are expected to check in every day to make a pick or two to keep things going for everyone, but that can be done from your phone or laptop anytime.   We’re also be connected via Discord server to talk football and run smack throughout the season. 

Now, more than ever, people are busy.  It’s difficult to schedule a date that would work for 20 people to attend in person – even if they all lived in the same neighborhood (rather than the multiple states managers here live in).

There will be virtual meetings and other events scheduled a handful of times throughout the year.  Overall, consider Paradigm Leagues an on-line competition.

The longest journey begins with a single step.  If you’re interested in joining a league go to the Contact Us page and apply – LINK.

Good luck!