Greats of the Game: Sigmund Bloom

Ryan McDowell Posted On June 21, 2016

Last off-season, I began this new series I called Greats of the Game, highlighting some of the best dynasty players I’ve had the fortune to compete against. While I had planned to expand the series to players outside of my leagues, I couldn’t resist the chance to get some thoughts from the always excellent Sigmund Bloom of FootballGuys and The Audible podcast. I first played against Sigmund in the HyperActive dynasty leagues nearly ten years ago and have appreciated his work since that point, if not before. Despite his responsibilities at FootballGuys, Bloom manages to stay on top of all his leagues, which we all know is a challenge.

DLF: How would you describe your general dynasty mindset or strategy?

Sigmund Bloom: Build for the long term between January and June. Switch to redraft mode and play for the title between August and December, or until you’re eliminated from playoff contention. Don’t be a slave to one approach or the other, you can balance both goals. Don’t be rigid. A few running backs are worth building around. A few older players can help you win titles. More than anything, focus on ceiling, especially player/situation combinations with a chance to be “special”. Replacement level production is the most overrated commodity in fantasy football.

DLF: What is your typical plan of attack in a dynasty startup draft?

SB: Build a running back/wide receiver core early and break ties against quarterback. Take players on the upslope of their career or at peak in the first few rounds, but around the seventh-eight be willing to take players past their peak, but still very useful instead of forcing picks on youth. Use end game picks for high upside fliers instead of “depth”.

DLF: What advice would you give to other dynasty players when it comes to making trades in dynasty leagues?

SB: Learn each owner’s style of trading. Some like the best offer right away. Some like to tango with counter offers. Some like to make the first move. Some like to be approached. There is no “one size fits all” answer. Be willing to make win-win trades.

DLF: What is unique about how you manage the “day to day” operations of your dynasty teams?

SB: I love when I have a roster spot to fill from a two for one trade or a player to drop/IR. I think of it like running a tryout. I make a preliminary list of five-ten players. I watch NFL and college highlights of the players and search for the latest news and deliberate on the top two-three candidates. It is maybe my favorite part of having a dynasty team.

DLF: What is a strategy you use in any aspect of dynasty fantasy leagues that you would recommend to all dynasty players?

SB: Always have a few roster spots that you can cycle through with aggressive waiver wire play. If you are too attached to the players at the tail end of your roster you will always miss opportunities. Don’t carry “depth” players who have no growth opportunity but have stable roles to plug in in case of bye/injury. Those kinds of players are always available on the waiver wire. Focus on youth with temporary opportunity to show their stuff, or at least that haven’t affirmatively shown (yet) that they can’t really hang, even if its a player you don’t personally believe in.

DLF: What is the one thing that has set you apart and led to your level of success in dynasty leagues?

SB: Being right about important ahead of the curve player evaluations, especially players in the mid-late rounds of rookie drafts, starting with Brandon Marshall in 2006 and most recently Thomas Rawls in the late rounds last year. Getting one or two of these right every year, players with highest confidence in rookie draft rankings compared to the consensus, is key to staying a step ahead.

My Takeaways

I love Sigmund’s way of explaining his mindset change once the season begins. That’s something I’ve often thought about but have never done a good job of explaining. The off-season talk of sleepers, rookies and youth all goes away once the ball is kicked off and our strategies change as a result.

Next, Sigmund’s explanation of how he handles an open roster spot is a bit embarrassing for me and shows why he truly is one of the greats in this game. While I simply scroll through the available player list and settle on a guy to take a shot on, Mr. Bloom is returning to college film. That’s impressive!

On that same note, the reminder about the value of end of bench roster spots is a lesson I can’t hear enough. While it’s nice to build a stacked team from top to bottom, that can sometimes call for tough decisions. Making some consolidation moves and opening room for stashes could improve dynasty teams.

Finally, Sigmund’s point about hitting on just one or two players per year strikes a chord. Often times, there is a pressure to always be right, especially for those of us who share our writing and rankings with others. Obviously, no one will ever get every call right, but hitting on a couple each season can turn your team into a contender.

Thanks to Sigmund for taking the time to share a little insight into his dynasty strategy. I hope you found some value in this, just as I did.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.