Five Mistakes for New Dynasty Players to Avoid
It can be somewhat intimidating if you’re new to dynasty and trying to learn the format’s dos and don’ts. With that being said, I’m here to help guide you away from some of the common mistakes and errors beginners may make when joining their first few dynasty leagues. Some may be obvious, but these are traps all dynasty players fall into, so hopefully, this will help you avoid them.
Let’s get into it!
1. Over-Valuing Youth
This is a mistake that even the most experienced dynasty players make. Don’t get me wrong, youth is vital for dynasty fantasy football, but countless owners fall into the trap of flipping productive veterans for unproven youth to stay young. As every fantasy player knows, upside and potential don’t always pan out, and eventually, continually trading for youth will tank even the best teams’ chances to win.
While it’s fun to have a young up-and-coming roster, the goal is still to win. Those veterans that no one wants (i.e., Melvin Gordon/Jarvis Landry, etc.) are often the integral depth pieces on many championship rosters. If you have a roster that is a piece away from contending, then flipping that unproven potential (i.e., Gabriel Davis/Darnell Mooney, etc.) for consistent or proven players may be the way to go.
2. Over-Valuing a Trade Calculator
Nowadays, it’s relatively common to use a trade calculator in dynasty football, but far too many owners treat it as the end-all, be-all. While they certainly have value, it is important to know that each website with a trade calculator values players differently. Plus, you need to remember that value is subjective, so rather than using it as your gospel, it is better to use any trade calculator as a starting point when trying to trade.
No two people value players the same; therefore, just because the site has your trade partner “winning,” it doesn’t necessarily mean they will feel the same way about that deal. However, if there are owners in your league who make the mistake of over-valuing trade calculators, you can always use this against them to position yourself and maximize your return, regardless of whatever trade calculator they are using.
And one last note, no one has ever been swayed by a picture of a trade calculator showing that they are winning, so keep those screenshots in your phone. The second you send that screenshot of your opponent “winning,” that deal is dead in the water.
3. Not Being Active
This one is fairly straightforward; if you aren’t active in your leagues, then your league mates are improving their chances of winning while you’re standing on the sidelines. The more active you are in your leagues, the more chances you give yourself to find the next breakout players.
In addition to this, you have a better feel for player value and can potentially use this to your advantage when trying to trade. Consistently churning the end of your bench is key to finding those fantasy gems, and the most active players often give themselves the best opportunity to win.
One final thing: the appeal of dynasty football is the ability to make moves year-round, so take advantage of it!
4. Refusing to Enter a Rebuild
One of the most important things to understand in dynasty is that in reality, there are typically four-five teams with a legitimate chance to win a championship each year. At the start of each year, you need to be very honest with yourself. Are you one of those five teams? If not, you need to ask yourself, is it because your roster is full of aging vets that aren’t elite, or are you just waiting on the youth on your roster to mature?
If it’s the former, you should be looking to flip those veterans for draft picks. A rebuild may sound like you’re throwing cash away (if there’s a buy-in), but if you’re not going to compete, a rebuild is the best way to get back to the top.
The only thing worse than being stuck in competitive purgatory is having a lousy roster with no assets because you refused to sell veterans when you had the chance.
5. Trading Too Much For Draft Picks
This somewhat ties into Mistake #1, but it’s important enough to land on the list as its own topic. If you haven’t experienced your first dynasty off-season, then this may not make much sense, but I cannot stress the value of rookie picks come April and May. It is important to try and acquire high-profile rookies, but not if you need to overpay. More often than not, the return for a high rookie draft pick will well exceed any rookie’s value.
Typically, I look to flip high draft picks into multiple assets and build depth, but that’s just me. I’m not saying you should never trade for those high-level assets, but you need to make sure you go in with a plan and don’t get blinded by the shiny new rookies each season.
- Three Players to Target During a Dynasty Rebuild - May 11, 2021
- Five Mistakes for New Dynasty Players to Avoid - April 18, 2021
- The Value Index: How to Value Rookie Draft Picks - March 18, 2021
