It's almost impossible to find 10 people who aren't newbies and are willing to fork up the cash for fantasy football these days. I have a core of about 7 guys and like to fill at least more spots. My requirements are: Live locally, pay up front, attend the draft in person, don't let a team go idle and actually know how to play fantasy football. I can't help it if a person decides to go kamikaze and release their whole team trying to flip the league upside down.
Now, I have only been running my own league for four years and this is the only thing that has happened two years in a row. Which isn't too bad considering all the things I have dealt with in other owners leagues. As long as I have played every league I have been, usually I'm in two, there is always one joker sometimes two.
In previous leagues I've seen things, from guys working together on bye weeks by trading players so they didn't have to drop them, to owners running their friends teams, actual commissioners letting their girlfriends draft a team, seeing teams just get injured and lay idle which helps gives teams in that division a better record, also the terrible trading injured players for studs.
Those are just a few reasons I decided to create my own league. Aside from the commissioner curse of having been eliminated in the first round my first four years. The only hiccup was eliminated teams going kamikaze. I'd like to think I'm doing a pretty good job. The thing that sucks the most was this was a GOOD friend who knew it would make me mad and did it mainly to mess with me saying it would make things more fun.
Stiff restrictions. They're the reason you're having trouble filling your league with vets.