Dynasty Diaries: The Separation Is In the Preparation

James Simpson

In this series, I give you an inside look at all of my teams, their history and my plans for the future. I’d like to provide some insight into struggles I’ve faced, and reveal weekly thoughts and feelings on anything and everything football. Join me as I succeed or crash and burn. For more information on the leagues, check out the introduction. If there is anything more you’d like to see or any questions you have, please let me know in the comments section.

Most fantasy seasons are over when the NFL ends. But for us, they are only just beginning. Were you a league-winner with the best team, the most points scored and a dominating championship week victory? Or were you the loser, falling at every hurdle with disappointing veteran seasons, all-hype-and-no-production youngsters and injuries galore?

Whichever you were, it doesn’t matter now. Because we’re already moving on. Before we know it, NFL free agents will be finding new teams and the dynasty landscape will drastically change. Values will rise and fall. Rookies will fit into perfect systems or replace those vets who we thought had clear chances at starting roles. The off-season is when it all happens, and you need to be prepared. In this post, I’ll take a look at a number of off-season dynasty events and how best to get yourself ready.

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The Leagues

International Dynasty League (0-0)

Events I’m preparing for:

  • Setting keepers – keep 20 of 25
  • Rookie/free agent snake draft

On FleaFlicker, draft picks are given based on available roster spaces. For example on our 25-man rosters, if an owner keeps only 15 players, he’ll receive ten picks to fill those spaces. Keeping 16 would leave them with nine, and so on. Since we can only keep 20 players, we will have a minimum of five picks in the rookie/free agent draft (the first for me being the 1.08).

Unfortunately in this case, I’ll have to release three players who could be high-reward players, unless I can move them for picks first. Alongside a kicker and defense, right now it will be Christine Michael, Robby Anderson and Sammie Coates. But, there is a lot of work to be done.

Twitter Invitational (0-0)

Events I’m preparing for:

  • Setting keepers – keep up to 20
  • Rookie/free agent snake draft

Like the International Dynasty League, we play on FleaFlicker and that requires setting keepers. Unlike IDL, you can decide to keep every player and simply skip the draft. Since it’s a 16-team league, later picks hold less value, but it’s still important to stock up on first second rounders. I don’t have a second round pick, but again hold the 1.08. I’ll certainly be looking to move around at the end of the first.

Kitchen Sink 3 (0-0)

Events I’m preparing for:

  • Deciding franchise and transition players, and restricted free agents
  • Restricted free agent auction draft
  • Rookie auction draft
  • Unrestricted free agent auction draft
  • Developmental player auction draft
  • Contract allocations

There will be a ton going on here, and I’ll be sure to share it all with you. We’ve already removed all players from the injured reserve, and that prompted me to prepare for the decisions on who to elect as franchise player, transition players and restricted free agents. I have some tough decisions, with expiring contracts for Ryan Mathews, Jalen Richard, Terrance West, James White, Robby Anderson, Adam Thielen and Jordan Reed. I’ll be at the lower end of both the rookie and devy auctions in terms of bidding dollars, but again if I can move around a few players and picks, I can add some youth to a strong core.

Groundhog’s Dynasty (0-0)

Events I’m preparing for:

  • Rookie snake draft

Sometimes a rebuild can be quick, and other times it takes a while. I hold two first round picks here, and will take any help I can get at running back or receiver. Although I need a quarterback, it’s more likely I’ll attempt to acquire a cheaper veteran than use a pick in this class on one.

New League: Kitchen Cinco (0-0)

Events I’m preparing for:

  • Owner draft
  • Restricted free agent auction draft
  • Rookie auction draft
  • Unrestricted free agent auction draft
  • Developmental player auction draft
  • Contract allocations

Similarly to Kitchen Sink 3, there is bound to be mayhem in this league. Soon, the owner draft will kick off and I honestly have no idea of what to expect. It’s a quirky addition to the league, where the four league captains (Ryan, Eric Dickens, Dan Meylor and Jeff Tefertiller) will bid on the 44 owners for the 11 who they want in their league.

Off-Season Events and How To Prepare For Them

Deciding Keepers

The off-season kicks off with a real dressing down of your own rosters. There’s no other way to evaluate what you need to achieve without looking in the mirror first. Take an honest look at every component.

  • Where are you strong?
  • Where are you weak?
  • How do you stack up against the league-winner? The top-scorers?
  • Are you young or old?
  • Are you built on potential or production?
  • How much value does your team hold?
  • If in a contract league, who has expiring contracts?

Once you’ve answered all of these, you can begin to understand the moves you need to make (or the things that need to stay the same) in order for success in 2017 and beyond.

For me, the cut-downs begin with kickers and defenses. Then I’m looking at backup quarterbacks and handcuffs or weekly plug-in pickups who I held for 2016. Consider age. Consider if the player may be a free agent in the off-season, and if their value will rise or fall. Can your older vets provide on more year of usable play? Take everything into account, and best choose your keeps and cuts, remembering the ideal use for the end of our rosters in the summer is to store high-reward players.

Rookie Snake Draft

This is obviously the main attraction over the summer for all dynasty owners. There a few key things to first consider:

  • How does this class stack up to past and future rookie groups?
  • In particular, which positions are strong or weak compared to each other and past/future classes?
  • How are the tiers separated within this particular class?

If you begin with these questions, you can understand how best to approach draft day. Last year, the idea was “stockpile 2017 picks” and now we are here. Do we feel the same way? Yes, but there’s also a lot of hope for the top of the 2018 class. If you can add firsts for next year, do it, but this year’s group seems to have better depth.

Landing spots are particularly important this year, as a large portion of the exciting prospects are running backs. The tiers will chop and change a lot from now until your rookie drafts, but make sure you have a clear idea of who are the ‘superstars’ and at what point we get to the long shots and unlikely prospects.

Rookie Auction Draft

Auction drafts are by far my preference over snake drafts, because of the freedom they allow. What happens if you’re stuck with a snake pick just outside one of your tiers? What if you hold the 1.01 but don’t like the prospect who should be taken there? Sure, you can trade out, but who knows what you’ll receive in return. Auction drafts mean that if you like the depth of the class, you can spread your draft capital out, and if there’s simply one star you want to go after; you can go all-in. While we’ll still have an established set of tiers to work with, an auction will allow us to draft players based on value.

Mixed Rookie/Free Agent Draftfitzgerald

Often, rookie drafts can include free agents in leagues. If this also means defenses and kickers, then whether or not you should draft them depends on the time of the year. If you’re holding this soon after the NFL Draft (which 99% of leagues will do), then please do not waste these summer roster spots on defenses or kickers. Take the upside gambles on youngsters or recently-acquired free agents.

Restricted and Unrestricted Free Agent Auction Drafts

Last year, this is where I gained the advantage that led to the highest point total during the season. As I discussed in a previous diary entry, Larry Fitzgerald was the most expensive free agent in the KS3 auction ($441 of $1000). When I realized I’d used hardly any of those funds during the previous year, I had no problem with kicking off 2016 spending big on veterans. I’d advise you all to do the same – there’s no way a player of Fitzgerald’s skill would become available any time during the year, so get in there early. With more contracts expiring in our league this year, I’m sure there will be another big FA pool.

Developmental Player Auction Draft

This, for me, has been the most exciting aspect of the Kitchen Sink leagues. Devy players still feel rare in dynasty leagues, and although a ton of dynasty players dive deep into rookies, I don’t know if a lot actually include college players in their leagues. Building up a strong taxi squad is an essential part of success down the road in these leagues, otherwise you’ll find yourself on the outside looking in. For the KS leagues in particular, it also helps to hold a full taxi squad that overflows into the active roster, because taxi squad players don’t count against the salary cap.

Like all dynasty leagues, I’d advise approach the devy auction with a view to balance in your rosters. If you have an older team, it’s important to balance by building up a devy squad. If your main roster is young, does it help to keep acquiring youth? When will you actually begin to compete? For my KS3 team, I need to invest as I have some main roster players in their prime. For Kitchen Cinco, who knows? But I’ll be sure to share with you.

What events are you preparing for this off-season?

How are you preparing for them?

What do your leagues do to make them unique?

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james simpson