I think that a lot of fantasy football players put way too much onus on the draft, Drafting great players is obviously important but the draft IS ONLY ONE DAY. In season team management is the difference between a winning and losing fantasy season.
I am that guy in every league that claws and scrapes the waiver wire. I recycle defenses, I'm (fairly) quick to admit when I was wrong on a draft pick and cut bait when the story points to player continuing to bust (I'm talking to you Dwayne Bowe), and I am a very active trader.
My team this year is a perfect example:
Standard scoring league. This was my team after the draft:
Peyton Manning, Alex Smith
AP, Miller, Vereen, Ingram
Bowe, James Jones, Tavon Austin, V. Brown, Hartline, Streater, Fleener, Thompkins
Gronk, Finley
Balt D
After the draft I traded gronk for VJAX.
This team came out of the gates firing on all cylinders (thanks to payton manning, AP, and Vereen). I lost Vereen to injury, and after several games mark ingram was a total and complete bust as was tavon austin, V. Brown, Streater, and Thompkins (I pulled the trigger too early on cutting thompkins, admittedly. Sometimes my strategy works and sometimes I lose out).
Here is the same team after week 5:
Peyton Manning
AP, Miller, Ellington, Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham, Vereen
Vjax, James Jones, Blackmon, Hartline, Keenan Allen, Kris Durham
Julius Thomas, Finley
KC D.
I have had a low waiver priority all season, so what I've been doing is using the free agent period b/w waivers and sundays to pre-emptively pick up players that I think are about to explode onto the scene. I picked up KC D and Julius Thomas just before week 1. Those 2 grabs have been absolutely tremendous for my team. The #2 TE and the #1 defense (by a mile) paired up with the #1 QB and #1 RB.
I picked up Ellington, Stacy, Blackmon, Allen all before they hit the "mainstream" trendy waiver wire adds list in most leagues. If you wait until they blow up you will never get these players. I had to make tough decisions like dropping bowe, tavon austin, thompkins, and trading away gronk.
This team looks VASTLY different. In fact, out of 18 roster spots Only 7 (SEVEN) of the players that I drafted remain on my team today. This team is sitting at 4-1, in second place, with most total points. Had I stayed put my team would certainly not have the record it has and the total points it has.
I'm not saying this to brag...I'm saying this to emphasize the importance of working it throughout the season if you want to win championships. I know that this method works because I have successfully used this method in getting to super bowl after super bowl over the last 5-6 years. I've been playing FF for over 14 years but I sucked until I started using this strategy. I am nearly always the most active team owner in all of my leagues. I'm that guy that other owners curse at on the league message board when they go to add a player and see that I've already grabbed him. I'm that guy that reaches out to every bottom feeder team every week to assess their willingness to trade away studs for depth. LOL
wheelin and dealin baby!
Anyone else find success in this type of strategy? I don't think I've ever seen an owner draft a great team and get straight to the championship without savvy trades, waiver wire adds, and pre-emptive pick ups.
I am that guy in every league that claws and scrapes the waiver wire. I recycle defenses, I'm (fairly) quick to admit when I was wrong on a draft pick and cut bait when the story points to player continuing to bust (I'm talking to you Dwayne Bowe), and I am a very active trader.
My team this year is a perfect example:
Standard scoring league. This was my team after the draft:
Peyton Manning, Alex Smith
AP, Miller, Vereen, Ingram
Bowe, James Jones, Tavon Austin, V. Brown, Hartline, Streater, Fleener, Thompkins
Gronk, Finley
Balt D
After the draft I traded gronk for VJAX.
This team came out of the gates firing on all cylinders (thanks to payton manning, AP, and Vereen). I lost Vereen to injury, and after several games mark ingram was a total and complete bust as was tavon austin, V. Brown, Streater, and Thompkins (I pulled the trigger too early on cutting thompkins, admittedly. Sometimes my strategy works and sometimes I lose out).
Here is the same team after week 5:
Peyton Manning
AP, Miller, Ellington, Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham, Vereen
Vjax, James Jones, Blackmon, Hartline, Keenan Allen, Kris Durham
Julius Thomas, Finley
KC D.
I have had a low waiver priority all season, so what I've been doing is using the free agent period b/w waivers and sundays to pre-emptively pick up players that I think are about to explode onto the scene. I picked up KC D and Julius Thomas just before week 1. Those 2 grabs have been absolutely tremendous for my team. The #2 TE and the #1 defense (by a mile) paired up with the #1 QB and #1 RB.
I picked up Ellington, Stacy, Blackmon, Allen all before they hit the "mainstream" trendy waiver wire adds list in most leagues. If you wait until they blow up you will never get these players. I had to make tough decisions like dropping bowe, tavon austin, thompkins, and trading away gronk.
This team looks VASTLY different. In fact, out of 18 roster spots Only 7 (SEVEN) of the players that I drafted remain on my team today. This team is sitting at 4-1, in second place, with most total points. Had I stayed put my team would certainly not have the record it has and the total points it has.
I'm not saying this to brag...I'm saying this to emphasize the importance of working it throughout the season if you want to win championships. I know that this method works because I have successfully used this method in getting to super bowl after super bowl over the last 5-6 years. I've been playing FF for over 14 years but I sucked until I started using this strategy. I am nearly always the most active team owner in all of my leagues. I'm that guy that other owners curse at on the league message board when they go to add a player and see that I've already grabbed him. I'm that guy that reaches out to every bottom feeder team every week to assess their willingness to trade away studs for depth. LOL
wheelin and dealin baby!
Anyone else find success in this type of strategy? I don't think I've ever seen an owner draft a great team and get straight to the championship without savvy trades, waiver wire adds, and pre-emptive pick ups.
