What should I do in the dynasty football off-season?

Posted by Andy Miley on 02/03/2012 | 0 Comments

Tags: fantasy football, dynasty, off-season, roster management, waiver wire, trading, roster management, rules, fun, communication

The fantasy football off-season can be a great time to relax and get re-acquainted with your wife, children, other family members, and non-football friends. Balance in life is very important; however, this could also be a time of reflection if you want to make improvements in your dynasty leagues.

First things first: how does your team look for the upcoming year and the next two years? Do you have a glaring weakness at a position? Do you have several starters coming back from injury? Is your team getting old in places without having youthful replacements? Do you have a surplus at a position that could help another team and get value in return? As in life, it is always best to plan for change than to react to it.

Take a good look at your waiver wire. Are there players on the wire that could help your team? A few years ago, Arian Foster, in his rookie season, started the last few games and was not on many teams, especially leagues that close their waiver wires when their playoffs start. There might be an Arian Foster future for a guy like Washington RB Evan Royster sitting on the wire now. Depending on your league, you might be able to snag this type of player now off waivers or draft them instead of a rookie in your rookie draft (depending on round of course).

Review your fellow league-mates rosters. Is there a team you could trade your best non-starting player to for their best non-starting player and turn both of your weaknesses into strengths? Always try to trade strength for strength. Mock the first round of your rookie draft with how you think each team will pick. You could learn a few things with how it turns out. Do yourself a favor by researching/watching the combine and college all-star games as this can give you a leg up on the competition.

Are there rules that you think should be added or subtracted from the league? Did you have some owners that abandoned their teams after the first month? Maybe you want to convert from a team defense to defensive players instead? Make some suggestions on what you would like to see changed and you might be pleasantly surprised that someone else was thinking the same thing. Is the league fee to high or low? Do you now do first come, first serve with waivers and want to switch to blind bidding or worst to first? This is your league, too.

How did your team look at this time last year? Have you made improvements or taken a step back? What did you do well and what did you not do well? Maybe you were too quick to trade away talent or held onto a declining veteran too long. Self-awareness is a good thing. If you always trade with someone who gets the best of you in every trade, maybe you shouldn’t trade with that owner any more.

Am I having fun in this league? Yes, some people play fantasy football to win money only. I left a dynasty league that I had been in for three years. I took over a team and made the team better. Each year I made the playoffs. I finished second last year and third this year, but I knew no one’s name in the league. Winning money was nice, but not being able to trade or talk with other owners made it a chore to be in that league, so I walked away from a great team. Make sure you have owners that are into fantasy football as much as you are. If you are in a casual league, you don’t want an owner like me as I will visit your site at least 3 times a week in the off-season asking questions and trying to get to know other owners.

If there is a league forum, please use it. Most people tend to not speak up, but if you at least put it out there that your thoughts about a way to make the league better you might get even better ideas. If you are looking for a trade, update your trade bait. “I am looking for a starting RB and have a top 10 QB that I can trade.” Interaction between league-mates can be the difference between a decent league and a great league. I would rather be fielding multiple offers for a player than dealing with one team.

Enjoy your time away from football, but also make sure you take an afternoon to invest some time in your league. The results may surprise.