10 Ways to Make Your Dynasty Fantasy Football Teams Better
Today, I will discuss 10 ways to make your dynasty fantasy football teams better. The topics are related to both team and roster building as well as the psychological side of fantasy football. Overall, both parts are integral to a successful dynasty franchise. Continue reading for 10 Ways to Make Your Dynasty Team Better.
Embrace Roster Construction and Stick With It
Many analysts stress the importance of building a winning dynasty team around a specific roster construction. Whether you’re in a 1QB, 2QB, Superflex, TE Premium, and/or IDP league. Or if start 9, 10, or 11 players, picking a roster construction is often the best place to start building your team.
Doing this forces you to focus on the players you draft and trade for and the underlying assets you’re acquiring. In a 1.75 Tight End-Premium league having a top-10 tight end is important. However, rostering multiple tight ends in the top 24 can also be advantageous. Regardless, choose your roster construction and stick with it throughout the startup draft and into future seasons.
Take Chances: Buy Low, Sell High
You can’t time the stock market. Anyone who says you can is trying to sell something. Likewise, in dynasty fantasy football leagues, and the NFL in general, you can’t time injuries, trades, or players going into the doghouse. With that, the important thing is to recognize opportunity when it presents itself. A good example of this is Javonte Williams. Some are still high on him while others want him off their rosters as soon as possible. Those who can recognize the opportunity will jump on it and either sell for assets to someone high on him or buy on the cheap from someone looking to dump him.
This goes for any player. Recognize these highs and lows in player values and take advantage of them. Being able to buy players low and sell them high at the right time can be a massive advantage in dynasty leagues, regardless of the league format.
Understand the Scoring and Settings of Your League
It’s unfortunate to have to put this one list. However, please check the scoring makeup of your league before you draft or start making moves. Please. There are so many different scoring formats out there, and it seems like new ones are popping up every year. Superflex, TE-Premium, Tiered PPR, Half PPR, Full PPR, Standard, Point-Per-Carry, 1QB, 2QB non-Superflex, start 9, start 10, start 11, 2 TE Premium, and that isn’t even a full list. Give it a few years and there will be even more types of leagues.
On top of that, there is no faster way to ruin a team and your chances of even competing than to load up on players that serve no purpose in your scoring system. Like taking 5 or 6 tight ends in a non-TE-Premium league. Or four quarterbacks in a 1QB setup. Sure, you might be able to trade them to league mates who need them. Or maybe your league will just let you sink your team each week while desperately sending trade offers. Finally, just don’t put yourself at the mercy of others thinking you are smarter than anyone else in the room.
Pick a Rookie Class and Go All In
I’m as guilty of ignoring this one as anyone. Still, it’s a sound way to go. We cannot be constantly wrapped up in the rookie fever. Right now, it’s all about the 2023 rookie class and soon after the 2023 NFL Draft, it’ll be all about the 2024 rookie class. Eventually, we need to pick a class we believe in and go all in.
With that, trade for as many picks in the class as you can get and go for it. You can try to cherry-pick and hit on one or two guys every year. However, the issue with that is eventually the guys you were building around will get old and you must start over. Pick a class, it could be the same one everyone else is looking at and maybe you’re just willing to pay more to buy in or perhaps it’s a class like 2022, and you decide that is your year. Once you have your class, go for it and build. Finally, if you’re wrong, you’re wrong. But that’s fantasy football.
Don’t Draft to Trade
Let me be clear… Drafting a player you aren’t necessarily high on, but you know others in your league are is not what I am talking about. What I am talking about is ever popular tactic of drafting a Christian McCaffrey-esque player in round one of a start-up. Then, expecting to flip him for a younger stud running back and draft picks. Unless you planned to draft McCaffrey anyway and the side thought of trading him sounds attractive, don’t take him.
The main issue with this strategy was briefly mentioned at the end of Topic 3, Understand the Scoring and Settings of Your League. Drafting to trade puts you and your team at the mercy of your league mates. Some may want the guys you took while others may want to teach you a lesson for taking five quarterbacks in a 1QB league, for example. Don’t do this strictly for value, as it may end up hurting you in the long run.
Draft “Your Guys”
This one is very subjective as some people prefer to go only by the numbers. I’m more of a numbers and gut-feeling type of fantasy football player. However, perhaps I should be more specific in this topic and say, pay attention to the intangibles. I am not only talking about personality traits or intelligence, though those are hugely important.
I have hit on huge years and players because of seemingly unimportant details that were ignored by the dynasty community at large. On the other side, I’ve missed on plenty of players as anyone else has. Those of us who were paying attention drafted or traded for Cooper Kupp before his monster 2021 season because we read that he and Matt Stafford went to breakfast the morning he got to Los Angeles. Personally, despite all the bad press, this year I am in on Mac Jones no matter where he is playing. Why? Because he posted the name of one of my favorite poems on Twitter. Find “your guys” like this and go with it.
Paying attention to details that mean nothing to 99% of the fantasy player population has netted eagle-eyed managers extra draft capital, playoff runs, and championships. Overall, just pay attention. Don’t go crazy and reach for your favorite team’s players. However, if you’re staring at a few different options on the clock with slightly more value and your guy is there just a couple of spots lower, go get him. Having your guys like this makes a dynasty fantasy football league even more fun and keeps you invested.
Embrace Productive Struggle
One thing you need to accept before you get started is that can’t win every season. Additionally, rebuilds never go exactly to plan. However, as long as your team is moving in the right direction, or at least in the direction you want, then you’re doing well. Have patience. Unlike your redraft leagues, in dynasty leagues, you can wait a few extra weeks before making some drastic changes.
Ask for Advice
Podcasts, articles, Discord communities, league-mates, or Twitter. The list of resources is nearly endless. That being said, you do not have to be a solo act. Talk to people who have played longer than you. Additionally, you can talk to those who have insights or contacts you don’t.
You never know when you might end up talking to someone who’s a highly regarded fantasy podcaster and just having a conversation about values and trades. Fantasy football is a community sport, and you should take advantage of that community whenever you can. Finally, if you are looking for a more personal approach, take advantage of our personalized advice and consultation from our experts.
Understanding Draft Parameters and Optimal Draft Positions
This topic is specific to dynasty start-up drafts. However, all leagues have to start somewhere. With that, you may as well get started with a strong foundation. First, if you have any say in your draft position, the first three and last three are where you want to be. Drafting in the middle is fine if you are a seasoned player. However, the middle picks will leave the majority of players drafting guys they may not necessarily want at that position. You might be too afraid a player won’t make it back to you and end up reaching on players.
On the flip side, being towards the beginning or the end, allows you to build your team around the best assets that are available to you. Additionally, you can even allow yourself to dictate the direction of the upcoming round.
Also, know if you’re drafting only veterans in your start-up or if rookies are available. Personally, I just watched someone draft Jahmyr Gibbs in the 2nd round of a startup because they clicked draft on him when it was their pick to test if rookies were available. Now in the long term that selection might end up not being a bad pick, however the league chat and notes had all the draft information spelled out plainly. Had the drafter simply gone over it he wouldn’t have made that pick.
Don’t Be a Jerk or Cause Drama in Your League
Never underestimate the power of not being a jerk. Asking questions and clarifications and giving people a hard time for sitting someone who clearly should’ve been starting is part of fantasy football. With that, just don’t go overboard. We all have experienced those one or two league mates who are just awful. And guess what? We never trade with them or interact with them and sometimes leagues even die because of them. Don’t be that person.
Friendly banter is fun and has always been a part of fantasy football. However, causing unnecessary drama is a quick way to get people to leave a league. Especially if you’re not starting a league with a tightly-knit group of friends. Arguing and voting on rules and settings year after year can get old quickly. Additionally, making negative comments about trades or belittling teams over what you think are “bad trades” can turn fantasy managers off quickly as well.
Overall, the league and your team suffer because of unnecessary drama and arguments. Personally, I’ve even seen team managers kicked out of leagues because of their behavior. It’s pretty hard to make your fantasy football teams better if you don’t have one.
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