As this season has gone on, I’ve noticed a lot of dynasty managers getting burned out and putting less and less effort into the weekly grind of it all. Trust me, I get it. As someone who’s in 10+ leagues and creating content weekly, it can definitely feel like a lot. But don’t give up just yet. Let me elaborate.
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Keep grinding the waivers!
Something I’ve said over and over is to stay active in your leagues. If your trade deadline has passed you might think it’s okay to just check-out a little bit and stop focusing on things as much. I disagree entirely. Now is the time to ramp it up and grind when others slow down.
Just because you can’t make trades doesn’t mean you can’t add value to your roster. A few leagues that I’m in don’t do a lot of trading but there’s always a weekly waiver run with a lot of activity. Grinding at the edges can sometimes pay off big time too, both for a playoff push if you’re contending, and next season if you’re not.
Making moves at the margins can sometimes be the most important thing for your team all season. Drop dead weight and guys who haven’t performed. Add players who are starting to come on due to injuries to their teammates. Now is the time to pick up that diamond in the rough for practically nothing that you can trade away in January for a pick or package for something bigger.
Keep talking about trades!
Just because your trade deadline has passed doesn’t mean you have to stop talking about trades via DMs. In years past, I’ve been able to coordinate offseason trades during the season. Essentially I set it up as “I’m interested in these three guys, perhaps we can make something work when the season is over?”
The idea here is to always be communicating with your fellow managers. Just because you might not be able to make a move now, you can start to set the stage for moves in the future. Communicating about who you like and what you’re trying to do also keeps you in their mind once trades can be made again. Active managers are the best ones to trade with, so stay active!
Keep an eye on the future!
Whenever you’re doing anything in a dynasty league, it’s always a smart move to keep an eye to the future. You want to build your team to compete for years to come, so make decisions that advance that goal. Do things now to set your future self up for success as best you can.
What I mean by that is, instead of looking at who’s scoring points now, focus instead on who’s being dropped or who is on IR that might have a role next year. Look at waivers through that lens as well. Don’t always chase points, but try to speculate on who will be scoring points next year.
In Superflex leagues, this is the time of the year where I try to add some QB flyers to my bench. Guys like Jordan Love (QB – GB) and Jameis Winston (QB – NO) are likely rostered and not available, but players like Marcus Mariota (QB – LV) and Cooper Rush (QB – DAL) might not be. Neither of these players are truly a starting QB option today, but in the right situation and with the right free agency moves, both could see their value increase between now and your rookie draft.
Keep thinking about values!
Ultimately that’s what this is all about. Try to add players to your roster who you think will be worth more in a few months than they are today. Don’t worry about players on the decline or even rookies who’ve under-performed. Instead, focus on players on the rise or who could see their value go up with a change in their situation.
Running backs are always primed for this kind of bump. An injury to Dalvin Cook (RB – MIN) instantly makes rookie Kene Nwangwu (RB – MIN) more intriguing. Ameer Abdullah (RB – CAR) is now more valuable thanks to Christian McCaffrey (RB – CAR) heading to IR. There are plenty of guys like this on your waivers, I’m sure of it.
So keep grinding. Keep playing. Don’t give up. Your fantasy football team isn’t quitting, so why should you? The more effort you put in above your league-mates, the more successful your team will be for years to come.
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Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Football 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with How to Manage Early-Season Injury Problems or head to more advanced strategy – like How to Effectively Assess the Quality of Your Team – to learn more.