Vox Talks: What do you do with Non-Playoff Teams?
Welcome back to another edition of Vox Talks; the series that peels back the curtain on the private DLF writer Voxer chat.
I’m stepping in for Matt for the next couple of weeks. I’m fairly certain he made the playoffs in every league, so he’s too busy setting lineups to get to much else right now. Either that, or he’s busy…you know…keeping zoos.
Anyhow, it’s that time of year again, the fantasy playoffs. And I don’t know about you guys, but I did NOT make the playoffs with every team I own. (In fact my success rate is about 20% – ugh.) Since I have to take a close look at the other 80% of my teams that did not make that cut, I thought it would be interesting to ask the team this:
Now that the playoffs are here, what’s one of the things you focus on for those teams of yours that did NOT make the cut?
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The first thing I like to do is evaluate the situation.
Was it really injuries that robbed team A this year, or was it a lack of depth? Am I one or two players away on team B, or is that team due for another slog next year? Is my rebuild of team C ready to start contending, or do I need another year of seasoning first?
Before I start making my decisions, I like to have a good idea of where I think each team stands for next year. That will inform all the decisions I make around my rookie picks, my veterans, and so on. (And hey, if you want to get into evaluation of a keeper team, I have a piece here that could help – it could help you evaluate any team really.)
I focus on waiver wire stashes who could be relevant next year. I try to figure out who might leave as a free agent, then see who that opens up an opportunity for. I.e. Jarvis Landry might leave the Dolphins, so I want to add Leonte Carroo anywhere he is on waivers.
The first thing I do, if my league allows for it, is to drop my defense and kicker heading into the off-season. I try to focus on adding guys with somewhat predictable future roles that might have trade value in the off-season. An example for me this year is grabbing AJ McCarron as a QB3/4 off waivers. He’ll likely be starting somewhere next year, and even if he turns into Mike Glennon, he’ll still have value for a short period of time that I can use to move up spots in rookie drafts. If not, no harm done.
One thing is to put more priority on established players who aren’t ‘sexy on the waiver wire. I sieve all season looking to stuff my roster with the Josh Malones of the world but during the off-season, as the draft talk heats up, they are easier to find as people wrongly drop “busts”. However, the Brandon LaFells of the world aren’t as fun to hold for most people, but are much easier to project as a potential value – as Michael said.
In other words, try to focus on the opposite type of value depending on the time of the year
I’m making a list of players that the dynasty community is down on or players whose value is down for whatever reason (poor production, injury, suspension etc). I then look at the list and pull from it players who I am still high on or was high on in the past. That lets me create list of players I want to target in trades during the early part of the off-season while they are still cheap and before their value comes back.
On my non-playoff squads, I’m running a fine-tooth comb through the waiver wire to see what kind of upside stashes I can find, while cutting any end of bench “floor” kind of guys. Also, if the league doesn’t have a trade deadline (or it hasn’t passed yet), I’m looking to move any of my geriatrics to contenders for picks or youth. Relatively simple, honestly. The other thing I’ll do is assess my team and see what the next step is for the off-season and what moves I need to make or types of players I need to add to become competitive sooner rather than later.
Once my teams are eliminated, I like to do a really cynical evaluation for IDPs specifically. Generally my rule is “sell whoever I can” because I think I can restock for cheap/free in the off-season. People tend to A) overvalue IDPs in the off-season and B) start trying to work out their starting weekly lineups many months too early. I’ll sell them players they think will be sure things and pick up the Matthias Farleys and Joe Schoberts of the world.
So basically, I work out who I can sell for whatever I can get then have a fire sale.
Besides all the waiver stuff, I start looking at the draft. I’ll see what my teams’ needs are and where my picks fall. If I need to start greasing hands to move for quality or quantity. Obviously if trade deadlines are rightly not a thing, move whoever I can for players with value swings coming in the off-season. Look for some IR guys as well and send offers for them.
On the teams I have that are no longer in playoff contention, I look to move any veterans I can for value, if the trade deadline hasn’t passed. But probably most importantly, I get rid of guys who I think are safe and have high floors, for guys that I think are risky and have huge ceilings. The hope is that those players hit in the off-season with a roster move, a free agent signing, a change in scheme or change in their role on the team.
So there you have it. I hope some of these ideas get your offseason juices flowing. Like I used to say ALL the time as a Cubs fan, “wait till next year”. What are some of the things you do at this time of year?
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- Sunday Six Pack: Week Seven - October 25, 2020
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