That earthshaking news will mean nothing to viewers who don’t play fantasy sports, though how many of those are left at this point in the life of “The League” is unclear. For those who do, though, it’s startling, especially since determining snake-draft order — that is, who gets to choose a player first — has been a source of much absurdity in previous seasons. (One year, the gang set its draft order based on who could get through airport security screening first.)

Yet the auction draft, in which the fantasy players buy players for their teams through competitive bidding, has its own rewards. Andre (Paul Scheer), exercising his prerogative as reigning champion, decrees that the draft will have a theme, the 1890s, and everyone dresses accordingly. Which leads Rafi (Jason Mantzoukas), a fringe character who is observing the proceedings, to say in mid-draft: “This looks like a bunch of white people bidding on minorities, dressed in old-timey clothes. This is a slave auction.”

But Andre assures him: “Not everyone is going to be black. We’re going to get some kickers in here eventually.”

The show, from the husband-and-wife team of Jeff Schaffer and Jackie Marcus Schaffer, has been that caustic right from the start, and its insider feel has given it cachet in the real-life football world. The list of National Football League players, former players and coaches who have made cameos grows longer with each episode. “The League” is the “Coach” or “Arliss” of this decade.

It also has one of today’s best ensemble casts, every character well defined. That cast, which includes Jonathan Lajoie and husband-and-wife Mark Duplass and Katie Aselton, makes you believe that these characters are lifelong friends but also that they would cut one another’s throats for a chance at the Shiva, the league’s championship trophy.