What’s the Best Dynasty Advice You’ve Ever Received?

[DynastyDrum30]

I’m not too proud to admit that most of you who comment on these forums know more about Dynasty and football in general than me.

I like to learn and get better, and figured this may be a valuable topic to discuss and for less knowledgeable people on here to read.

What’s the best dynasty advice you’ve ever received?

I’ll start it off. Two off-seasons ago, I posted a thread on here expressing my frustration about how two owners had a “monopoly” on young rbs in the league. I got a lot of advice on that thread to help my situation. The one comment that helped the most was from bjd5211, which said:

“Being stuck in the middle of the pack is the worst place you can possibly be, you won't be good enough to win anything and you won't be bad enough to be drafting the high end studs to build around.

If you aren't very good, then go all in on being bad, trade away assets for youth and most importantly draft picks, even if you have to take slight loss initially to do so.”

After years of being stuck in the middle, and beating the dead horse that was my average team, i took that advice. Last year was my reset year. I came in 2nd to last and secured the 1.2, 1.3, and 1.5 in the 2021 draft. Got Najee, Chase, and Pitts. I made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and finished the season with the best record. This is the best my team has looked since I started dynasty in 2013 and I am stoked for the future.

Thanks for all the advice everyone who helped me out back then! This forum is excellent!

[Londondynasty]

Who was taken at 1.01 if not Najee or Chase?!

[StripesOfKC]

Who was taken at 1.01 if not Najee or Chase?!

Probably Lawrence

[Shoreline Steamers]

I think one of my favorite nuggets of fantasy wisdom is, "It's more fun to lose with players you like, than win with players you don't." Seems counterintuitive, but as the OP illustrates, things can turn around (or go south) in a hurry.

I mainly use this line of thinking during my rookie drafts, or if I'm reshaping a team. In the draft, I'll sometimes break ties by deciding which player I'd rather have on my team to root for. If I'm taking on an orphan, or rebuilding an existing team one of the first things I'll do is shop players I don't like/want (but that still have value) and flip them for other assets.

[DynastyDrum30]

Who was taken at 1.01 if not Najee or Chase?!

Our Draft went ETN, Najee, Chase, Javonte, Pitts for the first five. Most people in our league value RBs like Gollum values his Precious.

[DynastyDrum30]

I think one of my favorite nuggets of fantasy wisdom is, "It's more fun to lose with players you like, than win with players you don't." Seems counterintuitive, but as the OP illustrates, things can turn around (or go south) in a hurry.

I mainly use this line of thinking during my rookie drafts, or if I'm reshaping a team. In the draft, I'll sometimes break ties by deciding which player I'd rather have on my team to root for. If I'm taking on an orphan, or rebuilding an existing team one of the first things I'll do is shop players I don't like/want (but that still have value) and flip them for other assets.

Very true. Our league is only a $60 buy in and max payout is $285. I’m not in it for the money. Sure it would be nice, but I’m mainly in it for the fun of it.

I’ve been like that over the years with “boom” players like chase, who can take the top off the defense and get you 11-13 points in one play. Very exciting to have a guy or two like that on your team who can radically change your score quickly, as opposed to a lot of steady eddys like Landry who are productive but don’t make a lot of big plays.

[Jigga94]

If you ain't 1st, you're last

[abloom]

I forget what podcast it was, or who said it, but it really shaped how I offer trades:

You should not be trying to win every trade by as much as is possible. Every trade should improve both teams, even if just a little, then you make trades with everyone in the league, so that your team has improved significantly and every one else has improved a bit.

I really liked piece of advice and really took it. There are times where someone sends me a great offer and I just quickly smash accept, even if I could counter and get more. They sent the trade that they liked and I liked it too, no need to haggle. My goal with every trade is to piss off all the other owners who are not my trade partner, I want them to be annoyed that both teams have improved.

[ZakHH]

You should not be trying to win every trade by as much as is possible. Every trade should improve both teams, even if just a little, then you make trades with everyone in the league, so that your team has improved significantly and every one else has improved a bit.

This.

Ahead of our 2021 rookie draft, the defending champion in my SFLEX league reached out to the 1.01 and 1.02 team owners. Both teams were QB needy, so the expectation was that both would pick QBs, and Najee Harris would be picked with the 1.03. The defending champion wanted Harris. His backfield was Kamara, Henry, Dillon and then nothing. Kamara and Henry are both at an age where RBs tend to get shaky. Dillon is the #2 in an RBBC. Without help at RB, that team would have struggled to defend their title.

The offer he made to both owners, only for their pick:
2021 / 1.12
2021 / 2.01
Russell Wilson

That was a brillant offer. Wilson was only his QB3, he also had Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts. He could afford trading Wilson away. So he offered the teams a solution for their QB problem plus the option to still draft 2 strong mid-tier players. The 1.02 owner bit. He drafted Trey Sermon and Jaylen Waddle with those picks. Okay, we know now that Sermon didn't work out, but at the time of the draft, many (myself included) saw him as the #3 RB of the 2021 draft class.

Technically, the deal was heavily lopsided in favor of the team that traded the 1.02 away. But it was still a great trade for both sides. The original 1.02 team was able to fill 3 roster holes at once with their 1.02 pick. And the original Russell owner gave away a player he wouldn't have started in most weeks, and 2 picks he didn't really need, as he had no screaming roster needs outside of RB. But gained a much needed young RB. Had he kept Russell and his picks, his season would have been less successful.

[murphysxm]

For me it is about trusting your gut. You can do all the research and watch all the film, but at the end of the day it is your team and make decisions based on what you think is best for your team. I have analysts and posters on this forum I repsect quite a bit, but if I disgree with their opinions, I am not afraid to makes moves against their advice.

[dynastyninja]

Good friend who I co-own with, though, has helped me to balance dynasty value with points in your lineup. For a long time my focus was on building the best dynasty team on paper, but I've shifted recently to placing more of a priority on points in my lineup. It's a balanced win-now approach.

[Ice]

The best advice I received was decades ago.

1) Pay very close attention to how players score points over time.

Flash scores are fun but when they get 30 one week and 4 the next your team is probably 1-1. The point was how does a team best get balanced weekly scoring. Steady players matter.

2) Study the hell out of NFL defenses.

I play a ton of IDP and knowing defensive trends really help with offensive start decisions.

[Space Cowboy]

"Don't be scared to sell high"

[BradyT]

Think like a stockmarket trader.

[dondickenson]

I forget what podcast it was, or who said it, but it really shaped how I offer trades:

You should not be trying to win every trade by as much as is possible. Every trade should improve both teams, even if just a little, then you make trades with everyone in the league, so that your team has improved significantly and every one else has improved a bit.

I really liked piece of advice and really took it. There are times where someone sends me a great offer and I just quickly smash accept, even if I could counter and get more. They sent the trade that they liked and I liked it too, no need to haggle. My goal with every trade is to piss off all the other owners who are not my trade partner, I want them to be annoyed that both teams have improved.

Couldn’t agree more and what I came here to say. Also, in the same vein, if you’re trying to make a certain trade work to enact a strategy or secure an asset you believe in, then overpay to make sure you get it done. The biggest regrets I have over the years were not getting deals done that I believed in because I wanted to squeeze a little extra value out or didn’t want to “lose” the trade.

This advice is so key, and also OP’s traditional wisdom that middling teams stay middling teams forever. Rebuild or contend always, and do whichever one you choose aggressively.