One solution could be to say top 150 O-rank OR Rank --- since those 2 lists overlap quite a bit... and it wouldn't be impossible amount of work.
This could work - I'd say maybe add the opportunity to appeal to the league in a fluky circumstance like the ones I've mentioned. Majority vote revokes the penalty; default is the penalty stays. Ideally while the benching is still happening instead of after the fact.
I think whichever criteria is used, there can always be a weird situation where it makes sense that a competitive owner still benched the guy for a while.
An public appeal process might work --- what I'd like to avoid is having to go to a GM and say:
"Gerald Green played 75 games, but only 40 for you. why?" and have him say "I didn't think he was good enough to play". and have to have a he-said/he-said debate with that GM.
With an appeal process, He can make his case by pointing to Bkref.com game logs, etc. But I think most of that 'evidence' when presented won't meet muster and the appeal will fail --- but I agree that when i is necessary it's better to have then not.
I forgot to add that I was gonna suggest a all-star break audit just to put teams on unofficial notice (of course teams can always track their own GPs). again i'm expecting to not have to really use this --- more that the presence of the rule and the relatively harsh penalty will keep folks from sitting players.
I'll revise when i get back from lunch.