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Eliminating the suck on Dynasty League Teams (1 Viewer)

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Footballguy
I am looking at my redraft team this year, and realizing had I followed the "Eliminating the suck" redraft article FBG puts out, I might have players who score more TDs.

Anyways, it got me to thinking. How do you 'eliminate the suck' from DYNASTY teams? We can only replenish our teams with 2-3 rookies a year, maybe 1-2 filler vet free agents. How do you narrow down the players to target to try to improve your chances to get quality players in good situations? What is your criteria?

Some things I have thought, in no particular order, (Offensive skill players only):

1. Draft talent and best player avail (BPA). Can base talent on college scouting reports and/or where NFL teams drafted a player.

2. Try to get players that are key to a team's/coach's offensive philosophy. This might only really be looking out about 3 years, since coaches and philosophies change (sometimes based on their talent), but some organizations are fairly set on 'what they do'.

3. Try to find teams that have a stable/franchise QB situation. Larry Fitzgerald looked great with Warner at QB, but even then he publicly stated he was retiring within 1-2 years. You might miss out when a team goes all in on a Franchise QB that works out (RGIII?), so you have to try to anticipate.

4. Try to focus on stable organizations that have stable coaching situations. You might miss out on Spiller if you don't like BUF, and coaching changes do happen.

5. Follow the money...watch what NFL teams do to protect a player or pay to retain them.

Any thoughts are much appreciated.

 
There is a lot of luck in fantasy football so you need to accept that to start off. As a dynasty owner there are some things to maximize your luck year in and year out.

Some of my random thoughts....

1)The waiver wire is your best friend. Just like redraft you never hit on all your players in a draft and therefore you need to be active and adding guys constantly hoping that one of your picks will break out. It is rare for this to happen at QB, so add the other skill positions as much as humanly possible. There are plenty of guys that are relevant now that were probably on waiver wires at one stage in a dynasty draft: Arian Foster, Welker, Cruz, Ridley, Colston and on and on.

2)Don't be scared to make trades and take chances. Many owners refuse to make trades and end up holding onto players far too long and then they lose all their value and you are left with nothing. Know tendencies of other owners in your league. Some are more willing to trade than others so use that to your advantage.

3)Don't let feelings get in the way of a player you like. There really should be no player on your team that you would not trade away. Some it would take a huge return to give up a guy, but be open to all possibilites.

4) Know where your team is as an owner and understand when you should go after an older guy who could help you win now vs selling that player before he falls off completely. I have adopted the philosophy to be competitive now and for the future. I would rather move a guy a littler sooner rather than a little later. You won't always get that right but more often than not I like younger guys. Don't over value youth, but still value its importance.

5)Activity not only in season but in the off season as well. It is usually the most active owners who end up succeeding in dynasty drafts. The owners who like reading articles in the off season and knowing what is happening gives you an advantage. You can never read enough info about players in the league or entering the league no matter how much fluff it may have.

6) Lastly use this message board. Sure there are some posts and threads that are quite useless but there are a large number of quality posters and quality information that you can get here that you really can't get as quick or as efficient anywhere else.

 
A few things I have taken away from several years of dynasty.

1. Youth is overrated. You can get really good, proven players for pennies on the dollar (think Reggie Wayne this year).

2. Draft picks are overrated. The closer you get to draft time the more expensive draft picks become. If you can move draft picks for proven players, do it.

3. Folks are quick to give up on disappointing high draft guys. Sometimes it takes a few years for a guy to pan out (e.g. Spiller, Ingram, etc.) So, hold on to the guys you draft and try for a discounted rate on guys that others have given up on.

 
There is a lot of luck in fantasy football so you need to accept that to start off. As a dynasty owner there are some things to maximize your luck year in and year out. Some of my random thoughts....1)The waiver wire is your best friend. Just like redraft you never hit on all your players in a draft and therefore you need to be active and adding guys constantly hoping that one of your picks will break out. It is rare for this to happen at QB, so add the other skill positions as much as humanly possible. There are plenty of guys that are relevant now that were probably on waiver wires at one stage in a dynasty draft: Arian Foster, Welker, Cruz, Ridley, Colston and on and on.2)Don't be scared to make trades and take chances. Many owners refuse to make trades and end up holding onto players far too long and then they lose all their value and you are left with nothing. Know tendencies of other owners in your league. Some are more willing to trade than others so use that to your advantage.3)Don't let feelings get in the way of a player you like. There really should be no player on your team that you would not trade away. Some it would take a huge return to give up a guy, but be open to all possibilites.4) Know where your team is as an owner and understand when you should go after an older guy who could help you win now vs selling that player before he falls off completely. I have adopted the philosophy to be competitive now and for the future. I would rather move a guy a littler sooner rather than a little later. You won't always get that right but more often than not I like younger guys. Don't over value youth, but still value its importance.5)Activity not only in season but in the off season as well. It is usually the most active owners who end up succeeding in dynasty drafts. The owners who like reading articles in the off season and knowing what is happening gives you an advantage. You can never read enough info about players in the league or entering the league no matter how much fluff it may have. 6) Lastly use this message board. Sure there are some posts and threads that are quite useless but there are a large number of quality posters and quality information that you can get here that you really can't get as quick or as efficient anywhere else.
Excellent post. Especially points 1 and 2. Roddy White was a WW acquisition in our league years ago - as was M. Colston - and many others.In dynasty leagues it's also important to decide (before the trade deadline in your league) whether you are playing for this year or next - and make moves accordingly. If you are playing for this season, look at playoff schedules and then try to make a move for an aging veteran who has good matchups, as a backup RB or WR if one of your guys goes down. If you are out of the playoff mix, then make moves for younger guys with upside - and use the aging vets as trade bait. Also, NOW is the time to trade for draft picks (they increase dramatically in value/price after the season ends). Teams in the mix will gladly give up draft picks to solidify now. Use this to your advantage if you are out of the race.
 
A few things I have taken away from several years of dynasty.1. Youth is overrated. You can get really good, proven players for pennies on the dollar (think Reggie Wayne this year).2. Draft picks are overrated. The closer you get to draft time the more expensive draft picks become. If you can move draft picks for proven players, do it.3. Folks are quick to give up on disappointing high draft guys. Sometimes it takes a few years for a guy to pan out (e.g. Spiller, Ingram, etc.) So, hold on to the guys you draft and try for a discounted rate on guys that others have given up on.
:goodposting: These are three that I do as well. For example this year:#1. Was able to snag RWayne and Tony Gonzalez for Deagelo William (Stewart owner) and 2nd Round Rookie Pick ...will flip Gonzo to a playoff conteneder (I missed based on bad luck) for 2 2nd Round Picks or a young wr with promise like Josh Gordon.#2. I am not afraid to throw in 1st or a 2nd Round Rookie pick if it seals the deal to get a stud ...this offseason dealt Bradford, Lloyd and 1st round Pick in 2013 for Stafford ... not much in 2013 draft class that interests me and got a stud qb for years to come.#3. After a poor week 1 for TRich, I was able to get him for Greene and Maclin as other owner had nothing at WR.
 
I'd echo the WW and FA I look at my roster and I have many quality players that I have acquired this way (and some I flipped in trades). Some are long-term players (Graham, Rudolph and hopefully D Richardson) and others short-term (Reece and DX). The board has helped me on some (Graham) an impatient owners on others (Antonio Brown).

Edit: I've found the active owners who read/research do the best, particularly in the off season, as someone mentioned.

 
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Put simply...

- Draft well.

- Trade well.

- Make good waiver moves.

Much easier said than done though.

 
i always try to trade players 1 yr before i think they drop off. that way you still get great trade value for them. on the flip side, dont overpay for players nearing the end.

 
In IDP leagues, the off season is your friend.

Keep up to date with what's going on because depth chart changes at LB and DE can produce pure gold, or, at the very least an extremely solid back up for nil cost..

 
In IDP leagues, the off season is your friend.Keep up to date with what's going on because depth chart changes at LB and DE can produce pure gold, or, at the very least an extremely solid back up for nil cost..
I think this is key. Pick up defensive FA's, trade them for offense in-season.
 
I'll echo some of the good thoughts already said:

-If your team is too young or too old, you're dead in dynasty. Get caught up in Logan's Run syndrome and I guarantee you will not have all your guys pan out, some will hit a wall, etc. Get caught up in win now mode and you're actually probably better off than going too young (as odd as that may seem), because you might actually have a good run or two right before those stars burn out, but when you crash, it will be hard. I've always found the most competitive teams in dynasty are not the extreme young or old, its almost always a solid blend.

-Invest in "foundation" players. Every once in a while you see a player come into the league that you and everyone else knows "this guy is a legit stud and will be". In cases like that over the years, when I saw a Randy Moss, Calvin, Fitx, AJ Green, ADP, Luck,etc type of player coming in, I hold no reservation at all to go all in on that player because once you have that ype of player, you strengthen your draft for the next multiple years. instead of drafting RB or WR over and over again, panning for a keeper, you have a guy that you lock into your lineup for the next decade and use those draft resources somewhere else.

-Speaking of drafting, it is the most overrated thing in dynasty football. The value of draft picks are severely overrated and inflated the vast majority of the time in relation to what actually pans out. Unless you are looking at one of those rare studs (calvin, ADP, Luck, etc), you must realise its as true a crap=shoot as exists. You will see people in your leagues each and every year getting all excited about having multiple 1st rounders or trading up in the mid 2nd to get a Chris Childs, etc. It works sometimes. It doesn't work A LOT. but the constant is the price you WILL pay. The vast majority of the time, I have always found the better value is to move those picks for something known. Besides, people are generally so impatient in FF that even if they do draft Dez Bryant with a top 3 pick, all you have to do is sit back a year and pick him up cheap and....

-Be patient. I know, its not in our DNA but that is such a big key. Its funny; people exercise more patience in a redraft than they do a dynasty and it should be reversed. In a redraft you see these guys waiting and waiting and waiting..."this is the week Matthews shows up..i'll hold him one more week". And...its over. The season is a waste by Week 7 and that's that. But in a dynasty? Geez. You spend all off-season listening to the attributes of a guy like CJ Spiller and then a year later people unload him at red tag discounts. Patience. I personally never draft (when I do have a pick) on need and I never draft ANY player thinking he sees my starting lineup. If he does, great, but I don't pick a guy because I need to fill a hole. I subscribe to Pat Kirwin's theory of "replacing talent with talent". I draft talent, not need and I wait for the roster to fill in with good depth. yes, when I first build a team, it takes a while to get up and running unless I get lucky but once its built, it can sustain for a LONG time because as soon as one guy starts wearing down or having a bad stretch, the new guy (who is now 2-3 years into an NFL career) is ready and, more importantly, I have been able to watch the new guy long enough to know what his team does with him.

 
Being aware of roster allocation is really important. Especially in IDP leagues, guys sometimes get too caught up in short term scoring and forget its ok to hold under performing, young skill players in quantity and key their roles develop. I see so many teams carrying 4+ CBs and 6 safeties at expense of developmental skill players.

 
Don't be afraid to fold 'em. Be honest with yourself about your team and how you stack up against the rest. One should never tank, but you certainly can fold with dignity in the hopes of improving your draft slot. While others are chasing short term WW gems, start plucking the injured players and projects with good draft pedigrees along the way.

 
One thing I've noticed draft wise, don't be afraid to reach in dynasty drafts. Redrafts usually fall according to most mocks and even if you miss on one you have plenty of chances to make it up.

In dynasty rookie/FA drafts, if you see or know a player is going to be special or you want really bad, don't sit because he's supposed to or should be there next round. Rook/FA drafts are usually much smaller, the interwebs have educated everyone that much more and there is a very good chance that the player you really wanted won't be there the next round.

You can also look at others rosters and get a good idea of what they might be drafting. A lot of 1st rounders are based on need.

 
Most tips in here are great, but one mantra I always follow is to make sure I never have dead/declining weight. Every spot on my roster is constantly under evaluation and I won't hesitate to drop a guy whose value is lower than an option on the waiver wire. This has bitten me before (Arian Foster) but also been a nice infusion of value (Antonio Brown, Willie Parker).

 
'Shutout said:
I'll echo some of the good thoughts already said:

-If your team is too young or too old, you're dead in dynasty. Get caught up in Logan's Run syndrome and I guarantee you will not have all your guys pan out, some will hit a wall, etc. Get caught up in win now mode and you're actually probably better off than going too young (as odd as that may seem), because you might actually have a good run or two right before those stars burn out, but when you crash, it will be hard. I've always found the most competitive teams in dynasty are not the extreme young or old, its almost always a solid blend.

-Invest in "foundation" players. Every once in a while you see a player come into the league that you and everyone else knows "this guy is a legit stud and will be". In cases like that over the years, when I saw a Randy Moss, Calvin, Fitx, AJ Green, ADP, Luck,etc type of player coming in, I hold no reservation at all to go all in on that player because once you have that ype of player, you strengthen your draft for the next multiple years. instead of drafting RB or WR over and over again, panning for a keeper, you have a guy that you lock into your lineup for the next decade and use those draft resources somewhere else.

-Speaking of drafting, it is the most overrated thing in dynasty football. The value of draft picks are severely overrated and inflated the vast majority of the time in relation to what actually pans out. Unless you are looking at one of those rare studs (calvin, ADP, Luck, etc), you must realise its as true a crap=shoot as exists. You will see people in your leagues each and every year getting all excited about having multiple 1st rounders or trading up in the mid 2nd to get a Chris Childs, etc. It works sometimes. It doesn't work A LOT. but the constant is the price you WILL pay. The vast majority of the time, I have always found the better value is to move those picks for something known. Besides, people are generally so impatient in FF that even if they do draft Dez Bryant with a top 3 pick, all you have to do is sit back a year and pick him up cheap and....

-Be patient. I know, its not in our DNA but that is such a big key. Its funny; people exercise more patience in a redraft than they do a dynasty and it should be reversed. In a redraft you see these guys waiting and waiting and waiting..."this is the week Matthews shows up..i'll hold him one more week". And...its over. The season is a waste by Week 7 and that's that. But in a dynasty? Geez. You spend all off-season listening to the attributes of a guy like CJ Spiller and then a year later people unload him at red tag discounts. Patience. I personally never draft (when I do have a pick) on need and I never draft ANY player thinking he sees my starting lineup. If he does, great, but I don't pick a guy because I need to fill a hole. I subscribe to Pat Kirwin's theory of "replacing talent with talent". I draft talent, not need and I wait for the roster to fill in with good depth. yes, when I first build a team, it takes a while to get up and running unless I get lucky but once its built, it can sustain for a LONG time because as soon as one guy starts wearing down or having a bad stretch, the new guy (who is now 2-3 years into an NFL career) is ready and, more importantly, I have been able to watch the new guy long enough to know what his team does with him.
I like everything in this post. Lots of good stuff in here and in other posts. But I do have a question. How do you reconcile the need to get younger and the need to "go for it" sometimes to win for the year. Sure, you are, to some degree, trading the future for a win now in some cases. I usually build my teams slowly with a good amount of youth but some vets where I need them. But I took over one team that is pretty old and I traded what is likely a 1.10 or 1.11 or so for Reggie Wayne to hopefully get me over the top. But I am mortgaging the future a little to win now (or try to). How do most of you reconcile this because it comes up all the time in reality.
 
'Stewy said:
A few things I have taken away from several years of dynasty.

1. Youth is overrated. You can get really good, proven players for pennies on the dollar (think Reggie Wayne this year).

2. Draft picks are overrated. The closer you get to draft time the more expensive draft picks become. If you can move draft picks for proven players, do it.

3. Folks are quick to give up on disappointing high draft guys. Sometimes it takes a few years for a guy to pan out (e.g. Spiller, Ingram, etc.) So, hold on to the guys you draft and try for a discounted rate on guys that others have given up on.
'Shutout said:
-If your team is too young or too old, you're dead in dynasty. Get caught up in Logan's Run syndrome and I guarantee you will not have all your guys pan out, some will hit a wall, etc. Get caught up in win now mode and you're actually probably better off than going too young (as odd as that may seem), because you might actually have a good run or two right before those stars burn out, but when you crash, it will be hard. I've always found the most competitive teams in dynasty are not the extreme young or old, its almost always a solid blend.

-Invest in "foundation" players. Every once in a while you see a player come into the league that you and everyone else knows "this guy is a legit stud and will be". In cases like that over the years, when I saw a Randy Moss, Calvin, Fitx, AJ Green, ADP, Luck,etc type of player coming in, I hold no reservation at all to go all in on that player because once you have that ype of player, you strengthen your draft for the next multiple years. instead of drafting RB or WR over and over again, panning for a keeper, you have a guy that you lock into your lineup for the next decade and use those draft resources somewhere else.

-Speaking of drafting, it is the most overrated thing in dynasty football. The value of draft picks are severely overrated and inflated the vast majority of the time in relation to what actually pans out. Unless you are looking at one of those rare studs (calvin, ADP, Luck, etc), you must realise its as true a crap=shoot as exists. You will see people in your leagues each and every year getting all excited about having multiple 1st rounders or trading up in the mid 2nd to get a Chris Childs, etc. It works sometimes. It doesn't work A LOT. but the constant is the price you WILL pay. The vast majority of the time, I have always found the better value is to move those picks for something known. Besides, people are generally so impatient in FF that even if they do draft Dez Bryant with a top 3 pick, all you have to do is sit back a year and pick him up cheap and....
I've been successful over the past 10 years now in one league where I consistently trade picks for players in or near the prime of their careers. Give me a 28 year old foundation player (I define this slightly different than you do) over a late 1st round pick. If most of your "picks" pan out because you've traded your picks for Tom Brady and Jason Witten, you'll be further ahead than gambling on rookies. If you can trade your entire draft every year for two 25-28 year old "foundation players", you'll keep replenishing your stock without the same level of risk that rookies bring. You may never get the next RG3 or TRich, but you'll win. This tends to work better in leagues with more starters and deeper rosters. Acquire foundation / keystone players. These are the guys who aren't neccessarily "sexy" but you can count on to be productive. Guys like Vincent Jackson, Colston, Brees, Witten, and Marshall will win you championships but probably (except Brees) wouldn't have cost much more than a mid-1st during the off-season.

 
-Speaking of drafting, it is the most overrated thing in dynasty football. The value of draft picks are severely overrated and inflated the vast majority of the time in relation to what actually pans out. Unless you are looking at one of those rare studs (calvin, ADP, Luck, etc), you must realise its as true a crap=shoot as exists. You will see people in your leagues each and every year getting all excited about having multiple 1st rounders or trading up in the mid 2nd to get a Chris Childs, etc. It works sometimes. It doesn't work A LOT.
:goodposting:
 

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