One of my favorite things about playing in dynasty leagues, as opposed to redraft leagues, is that every team has its own strategy at any given time. This is never more evident as the fantasy playoffs loom ever closer. Most leagues have their playoff brackets begin in weeks 14 or 15, so you should continue to see team owners continue to evaluate their teams to decide which direction they're heading and then make roster moves accordingly. Whether due to injuries, underperformance, or just a lousy roster, some teams have their annual fire sale, moving assets to good teams in exchange for draft picks or younger players as they attempt to rebuild.
On the other hand, and what we'll be focusing on here, top teams realize how close they are to a championship and start acquiring assets as a contender playing to win now. As these teams push for a playoff berth, higher seeding or a bye in the playoffs, and hopefully a championship, what kind of strategies do we see deployed that we could use ourselves if we're in that position too?
Timing is Everything
The earlier you can get your hands on good players, the more they'll benefit your team. It's not rocket science; 17 weeks of Austin Ekeler is better than three weeks of Austin Ekeler. Therefore, if you know early enough into the season that you have a strong team with a real chance at pushing for a title, it can't hurt to make moves as early as possible. Additionally, adding good players earlier will help you in your quest for a postseason berth and jockeying for seeding in the playoffs.
If you can't pull the trigger on deals early, the usual beginning window for heavy trading is around week 10 or 11. In a typical 12-team league, there are probably three or four teams locked in for the playoffs and another three or four that are eliminated while the remaining six-ish teams are trying to figure out who they are. If your league has a trade deadline, that is usually around this time as well, forcing teams to make decisions immediately. Once the deadline has passed, you'll need to rely on the boneyard that is late-season waivers to help fill any holes in the playoffs- not a great position to be in. This article is assuming you play in a league without a trade deadline, which is becoming more and more common.
