It's kinda hard to determine who'll be active and who won't be. Since where in League V we end up getting alot of people who sign up for the game and never come back. If you stay active, It shouldn't be extremely hard to at least make the playoffs.
As far as your first season, I recommend finding a solid prospect and start training him to be the star of the future for your team. Here's a good thread to give you the run-down on training. http://www.buzzerbeater.com/community/forum/read.aspx?thread=144856&m=1
I also recommend that you stay active on the community forums. It's a good place to pick up some valuable tips.
Good luck this season,
Tom