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by Ken C.

How to Build a Dynasty

May 16, 2012 in Dynasty Advise

dy·nas·ty

[dahy-nuh-stee; Brit. also din-uh-stee]

noun, plural dy·nas·ties.

1. a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group:the Ming dynasty.
2.the rule of such a sequence.
3.a series of members of a family who are distinguished fortheir success, wealth, etc.

Building a fantasy football dynasty is a process.  Whether you are inheriting a team or building one from scratch, building a team that can both compete year in and year out AND build for the future requires constant vigilance.

The goal for this series of articles is to provide you a framework to think about as you build your championship team.  We will  begin by discussing how to choose the best league and end by providing strategies to acquire and keep the best players you can get your hands on.  In between I hope to provide some nuggets that can help you maintain the strength of your team for years.

So, you want to build a dynasty?  First you need a league.  Not all dynasty leagues are equal.  Simply put, there are very simple and very complicated leagues.  Make sure you choose the right one.  There are leagues that require a lot of money and year round effort and include player contracts and salaries, offseason trading and drafting periods and league rules that look like legislation that came from the US Senate.  I’m not fond of these leagues but they are great for someone who really wants to feel like a GM.  For some, this level of complication is what makes the league fun and that is great.  Other leagues are very simple.  Basically, you  draft rookies each year and keep all of your players and that’s pretty much it.

Whichever one is for you, make sure you choose the one that fits your taste.  Getting into a complicated league that requires constant attention when you just want to focus on it during the season is a recipe for disaster as is getting into a simple league when you want that real GM experience.  There are too many variations of dynasty leagues to discuss here, but let’s go through some basic tenets of all dynasty leagues:

Initial draft – The one draft at the beginning of the league where you choose rookies.  Every dynasty league starts with this draft, getting it wrong can set you back for years.
Annual rookie draft – The annual draft that allows you to choose rookies.  This can be as simple as choosing rookies and as complicated as auctioning rookies or incorporating a developmental draft (where each year you choose a college kid and when he graduates you have his rights).  Either way, it’s a critical component for building your team.
Keeping your roster – The tenet of dynasty play is that you keep your players from year to year.
Playoffs – What would any league be without this?  some leagues have everyone in the playoffs, some have only a few.  You can’t have a dynasty without doing well during this period and doing well during this period requires 3 things…depth, producing players and a little luck.
Roster size – Roster size is usually pretty large in dynasty because you have the opportunity to have some developmental players on your roster.

Other options:
Contracts – This is where you have a limit to the amount of years you can keep a player.  Depending on the league, your player can go straight to free agency or you may have the ability to re-up through a salary system.
Salary cap – A salary cap system prevents one team from hogging all of the good players and also forces you to play only certain combinations of players.  A salary cap can be on your entire roster, only active players each week or some combination of both
Performance scoring – Just like redraft leagues, scoring in dynasty can be elaborate and include extra points for big plays, PPR and so forth.
IDP – Individual defensive players is a great way to simply make your dynasty league tougher.  Anyone who has played redraft leagues understands the value of offensive players but not everyone gets individual defensive players.  I LOVE my dynasy IDP league!

Here’s a quick list of upcoming segments of this series:

Initial draft – balancing win now vs building for the future.  If you get it wrong, it’s tough to recover.
Inheriting a team – making chicken soup out of…
Rookie draft strategies
Free agency – finding gems, fill ins and sleepers (pick up talent even in a bad situation)
Trading strategies
Positional Strategies – I’ll write an article on each position and how to maximize the value of each of them.

Tying it all together – winning now, winning later, the art of annoying everyone in your league!

So, next up is a discussion of the initial draft, keep an eye out for it.

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by Ken C.

2012 Post Draft Rookie Fantasy Rankings

April 29, 2012 in NFL Draft

Editor’s Note:  I will be updating the rankings on the site soon, but wanted to get this out ASAP.

Ok, the NFL draft is over, the real rookie fantasy evaluations can now begin! I wanted to get this out quick because I know a lot of drafts kick in right after the NFL draft is over, so here is my quick list of rookie fantasy rankings post NFL draft.

 

 

  1. Trent Richardson, RB CLE – No brainer, will be number 1 pick in all rookie drafts unless someone is brain dead!
  2. Doug Martin, RB TB – When I look at the RB class this year, there are just not a ton of 3 down, carry the load backs.  Martin is one of them and that pushes him up to #2 on the board
  3. Andrew Luck, QB IND – Will shoot the lights out someday, worth it at this point.
  4. Justin Blackmon, WR JAX – I don’t like his situation in Jax to start off with, but he’s the only WR there so in PPR leagues he will light it up and even without PPR he stands to carry a heavy workload.
  5. Robert Griffen III, QB WAS – Those who think he’s the second coming of Cam Newton will have him higher.  I don’t, but he’s still top tier
  6. David Wilson, RB NYG – Some won’t like his situation in NY but I love it.  After this point, the RB pool thins dramatically.
  7. Michael Floyd, WR ARI – Fitz gets all the attention, Floyd has a lovely rookie season!
  8. Kendall Wright, WR TEN – Surprised the Titans took him but they will use him, especially good if Kenny Britt is also on the field.
  9. Ryan Tannehill, QB MIA – Some may feel this is early but he really falls into a plum situation here.  Only thing is poor receiver corp, which will take a couple of years to sort out.
  10. Coby Fleener, TE IND – Has the makings of a TE fantasy stud and has his college QB throwing the ball to him.  He will shine as a rookie and is worth a late first round pick.
  11. Brian Quick, WR STL – Will take some time to develop but has potential to be the best WR currently on the Rams roster.
  12. Alshon Jeffery, WR CHI – Again, Brandon Marshall will draw the attention leaving Jeffery open to make plays, with Cutler at QB, I am starting to like the offenses prospects in Chicago.
  13. Isaiah Pead, RB STL – Could eventually be a Lesean McCoy type back but it will take a while.  St. Louis will run a similar offense as Philly.
  14. LaMichael James, RB SF – Stuck behind a slew of backs, hence the mid 2nd round ranking, but has the skill to be a Darren Sproles level of fantasy producer eventually.
  15. Brandon Weeden, QB CLE – Apparently the Weeden era in Cleveland has begun.  Could be this year’s Andy Dalton, hence the ranking here.
  16. Bernard Pierce, RB BAL – Not in a good situation but I like his talent level.  Will sit behind Ray Rice but could emerge as a Michael Turner type gem in a few years.
  17. Robert Turbin, RB SEA – See Bernard Pierce.  PS, I’m not a Lamar Miller fan as he hesitates too much and has poor vision.  He could develop but I’m not high on him, hence he’s not in my rankings!
  18. Stephen Hill, WR NYJ – Another guy that is super raw and in an aweful situation in NY.  He’s on this list only because of his potential.
  19. Ladarius Green, TE SD – I love where this guy landed.  Great QB, history of team using TE, Gates getting old and cronically injured.  Green has potential to be a top 5 TE in San Diego.
  20. Mohamad Sanu, WR CIN/Greg Childs, WR MIN – There are a lot of WRs that could hit this spot but I chose these two because of the combination of physical talent, success in college and situation they’ve fallen into.  Both will play right away and while Sanu will not be the #1 receiver in Cincy he will not get a lot of double coverage.  Meanwhile, I think Childs could develop into the main man in Minnesota within 3 years.

Happy Hunting!

 

 

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by Ken C.

Second Tier Wide Receivers

April 7, 2012 in Fantasy Advise

Something interesting happened at the NFL Combine this year.  There was a vast array of big, fast wide receivers there that really surprised a lot of people.  We know that guys like Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd are going to go in the first round of the NFL draft and most likely in your rookie draft too, but what about this vast array of talent below the surface?  Let’s face it, not all WRs have the potential to be a #1 WR on an NFL team.  To be “the guy” you need three things that most humans don’t have in abundance… size, speed and agility (SSA).  If you have SSA and you had a great college career, then there is no doubt that you will be a first round pick (notice I didn’t say you’d be successful in the NFL).  If you have SSA but you didn’t have a stellar college career, you’re what we like to call a sleeper.

In this rookie pool, there is more sleeper WRs with the potential to be a #1 receiver in the NFL than I’ve ever seen in my 35 years of following the NFL.  This is a very deep pool to choose from which can lead you in two directions from a strategy perspective.  You can try to get the best of the best, Blackmon or Floyd, figuring it’s better to be safe and take a guy that stands out in a great pool.  Or, you can roll the dice, get a RB or QB in the first round and wait for one of the guys below to just fall into your lap.  Of course, if you’re really WR starved, you might want to just combine both strategies and take a bunch of these guys!  Any of these strategies have their risks.  Highly-touted college players sometimes bomb and guys with good potential (and short resumes) don’t always live up to the potential that their SSA seems to indicate.  So how do we separate the wheat from the chafe?  Well, I will at least give you my opinions here so that you can make an informed decision come this fall.  Mind you, the list below isn’t every 2nd tier WR on the market, these are just the guys who I feel stand out as having the possibility of developing into a #1 WR down the road.  I’ve listed these guys in order of potential, as I see it.

Keep in mind, nobody on this list is shorter than 6’3”, weighs less than 210 lbs and ran slower than a 4.55 forty.  These are 8 WRs that have the SSA to be a #1 WR in the NFL, which ones will you be choosing?

  1. Alshon Jeffery – Late in 2010 Alshon Jeffery was being looked at as a top 10 NFL draft pick.  At 6’3” and 216 lbs he has dominated SEC competition ever since he stepped on the college football field.  Fast forward to March 2011 and Alshon Jeffery is an also ran.  He’s no longer being considered a first round pick and questions have arisen about his weight and speed.  All of this befuddles me because he never has had any character problems, he just had poor quarterbacking and a run heavy offense (I can’t believe I said that about Steve Spurrier) his junior year.  He came to the combine weighing 216 lbs but is still dismissed because he didn’t do any position drills. There is still some question of his speed, but he certainly has looked fast enough on the field to be a playmaker.  So, here we are, looking at a “second tier” WR with first tier credentials and a bad rap built up by the media with no evidence to support.  This is what I call a “value proposition”.  If you can get him late in the first round or early second in your rookie draft, take him and don’t look back.  You’ll be glad you did.
  2. Nick Toon – The beef with Nick Toon is his speed.  At 6’2” and 215 lbs he certainly has the build of a #1 receiver.  Toon played at Wisconsin which is a run heavy program so he didn’t put up gaudy stats, finishing with 822 yards and 9 TDs his senior year.  He did well at the combine with a 40 time of 4.54 and beat that at his pro-day, running a 4.43 with a 39” vertical leap.  His father was NFL receiver Al Toon so there is a bloodline there too.  He projects to be a third round pick and while I believe he will take some time to develop, he has all of the tools to be a successful WR in the NFL.  If he gets drafted by a good passing team, look for him to contribute and possibly develop into the #1 guy eventually.
  3. Brian Quick – Here’s the small school WR that will not get noticed on draft day by most fantasy drafters.  First, he has an awesome name for a WR!  Second, at 6’4” and 220 lbs he is an imposing presence.  He ran a 4.55 40 at the combine which is not blazing but it’s also plenty fast enough to create separation.  He dominated the FCS and clearly was the best receiver at that level of play last year.  He accounted well for himself at the Senior Bowl and may need some time to develop, but he certainly has the potential to be a #1 guy some day.
  4. Tommy Streeter – Now we’re into the guys that played at respectable schools but didn’t have standout careers, yet have the SSA to succeed.  Tommy Streeter was overshadowed at the combine by Stephen Hill, but for those paying attention, Streeter also put on a show.  At 6’5” and 219 lbs Streeter ran a ridiculous 4.40 forty, bench pressed 17 times at 225 (the best for a WR was 22) and a 125” broad jump.  He is a terrific athlete that really had only one decent year at the University of Miami but has a ton of upside.  His kind of size and speed does not come around often, if he gets into the right hands in the NFL, he could turn into a monster.
  5. Greg Childs – Here’s an interesting case.  Greg Childs was having phenomenal junior campaign where in 8 games he had 48 receptions, 894 yards and 7 TDs.  Then he blew out his knee and never regained his college glory as Joe Adams and Jarius Wright became the go to guys.  Here’s the thing, Childs came back only 6 months after his injury to participate in spring practice, without a brace even.  He was lauded for his toughness but he was clearly not himself and he had a very poor senior season.  Flash forward to his pro-day and Childs is back to his old self running a 4.40 and 4.39 forty at 6’3” and 212 lbs.  He stole the show at Arkansas’ pro day and many feel he moved his draft status up into the third round, which is still fertile WR ground for dynasty teams.  Keep an eye on where he goes and if he has a good pre-season, he could be a steal at draft day.
  6. Stephen Hill – Ok, here is where I know I will have some detractors.  Stephen Hill lit up the combine, blew the doors off of everyone above him on this list, how can you possibly rate him so low?  Good question; let me answer.  Hill did in fact blow the doors off the combine with a blazing 4.36 forty along with top notch shuttle scores, vertical leap and broad jump.  He’s clearly an awesome athlete and at 6’4” and 215 lbs he clearly has awesome SSA.  So why not higher, because as a Georgia Tech product he’s an underdeveloped WR.  Georgia Tech, if you don’t know, has a triple option run oriented offense that only throws the ball a few times a game.  In 3 years he caught only 48 balls and was mostly asked to run deep posts and fly patterns.  He does not come to the NFL with the ability to create separation with press coverage nor with any type of route running rhythm at all.  He is on this list, so I’m not saying he won’t or can’t succeed.  What I’m saying is that I think he will take longer to develop than the 5 guys above him on this list.  If and when he does develop, he might well be the best of the bunch.  That said, I think the hype around him could make him implode if the expectations get too high that he can never reach them.
  7. Reuben Randle – the LSU product was a top-notch recruit out of high school that really never hit his stride until last season.  LSU’s QB play the last few years has left a lot to be desired.  He’s a great athlete though, despite the lack of production in college and at 6’3” and 210 lbs with a 4.55 40 at the combine he has the SSA to be successful at the next level.  Many believe he could sneak into the first round but I believe he will be more of a low 2nd to early 3rd rounder.  Depending on where he goes, he could be another sneaky pickup in rookie dynasty league drafts.
  8. Marvin McNutt – Our final contestant measures in at 6’3” and 216 lbs and ran a 4.54 40 at the combine.  He played at Iowa, not a bastion of passing game but managed a stellar senior season with 78 catches and 1,269 yards to go with 12 TDs.  That’s an awesome season.  He’s not the shiftiest guy in the world and he’s not tremendously elusive, but he has the SSA to be a great possession receiver to start his career and in the right location, he could be

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by Ken C.

Top 10 Dynasty Defensive Backs

March 20, 2012 in Dynasty Advise

During the off-season there is a lot of time to think! What rookies to draft, who to trade for, what new teams to which your free agent players are moving. This is a great time to start a new series Top 10 Dynasty player articles. Check out our Top 10 Lists page for the rest of this collection of articles. I have not included rookies here as there is no telling what situations they will get into at this point and how any of them will react to the rigors of an NFL season. We have a separate ranking section for rookies here.

Note: If you’re a die hard dynasty player, there is no need to read this paragraph. If you are not, keep in mind this is dynasty value of current running backs in the NFL. While some of these players may be top producers next year, some will not. Dynasty value lies not only on how a player will produce next year, but how they will produce in coming years, how long they can produce over time, the quality of the team they are on, the opportunity that they currently have or potentially have in the coming few years.

  1. Morgan Burnett, SS GB – Burnett is going into his third year and he really established himself as a top DB this past season.  He flies around the field with great speed and has the size to bring people down.  He can cover from sideline to sideline and often makes plays when he seemed out of position due to his great speed.  He was injured as a rookie so 2012 will be only his second year of productivity, but he has enough years left that he make the top spot on my list.
  2. Roman Harper, SS NO – Harper is a tackling machine.  He doesn’t get a lot of extras (sacks, INTs, fumble recoveries) but he is like a 4th linebacker on the field for New Orleans.  He’s 29,  so he has some years on him now, but there is no reason for him not to be productive as a top 5 DB for the next 4 or 5 seasons.  That’s good enough for me.
  3. Eric Weddle, FS SD – Weddle got a great contract last year and then had another great fantasy year to show for it.  He’s undersized but is smart and in position, which bears fruit in his interception numbers rather than his tackling stats.  Still, he’s 27 and he has been a top performer for some time already.
  4. Kam Chancellor, SS SEA – Are you getting the vibe here?  For long term dynasty purposes, I feel safeties are much more valuable than corners.  There are only a few corners that have enough tackles consistently to be in the top 10.  There is also the “rookie corner” axiom, that says that young corners get picked on more so they have more stats.  That’s true and should be considered as strategy, but that doesn’t put someone on this list!  Now back to Kam Chancellor. He’s 23 and a second year player that really came on last season.  Much like Morgan Burnett at the top of this list, he’s a young, talented DB that will be around for a while.
  5. TJ Ward, SS CLE – His rookie year TJ was the #1 DB in most formats, he absolutely blew up.  Last year he has a sophomore slump as injuries took their toll.  He was put on IR mid-year and played hurt for most of the rest of the games he played in.  So, here we are in his third season upcoming and he’s off the radar again.  He’s only 25, he has proven himself when not injured and he plays on a bad team.  Three great reasons to put him on the list.
  6. Jarius Byrd, FS BUF – The 3rd year FS is a hard hitter and truth be told George Wilson his backfield mate is pretty good too.  Byrd is 25 and has a lot of years left, the Bills front seven is awesome so more teams might throw which could provide an uptick in production.
  7. Reggie Nelson, FS CIN – Nelson is 28 years old and despite being a high draft pick took some time to develop.  He just re-upped with Cincinnati for 4 more years where he has had his best production.  Look for it to continue.
  8. Lardarius Webb, CB BAL – Now, Webb was the #1 DB in many scoring leagues, especially if you count passes defensed, as he had 25 and 8 INTs.  I told you what I feel about CBs but Webb is 26, he’s a third year guy, not a rookie, so it looks like he can maintain high production despite being a CB. He’s worth the top 10 list.
  9. Antoine Bethea, FS IND – Bethea is an undersized FS that finished in the top 10 in most leagues last season.  He’s 27, in his prime and on a team that suddenly is not very good on offense.  What more can you ask for?
  10. Troy Polomalu, SS PIT – In the NFL, Polomalu is the best safety in the game today, in fantasy, not so much.  His range is undeniable and his playmaking skills are second to none, but he’s never been a huge tackler nor interceptor of passes which limits him in the fantasy world.  He’s still good enough to make this list, but barely.

 

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by Ken C.

Manning Mile High, Tebow in Hell! The Fantasy Impact

March 19, 2012 in Dynasty Advise

So here it is, the decision we’ve all been waiting for since free agency began in early March.  Peyton Manning has chosen the Denver Broncos as his next destination.  This decision has multiple trickle down impacts throughout the league.  Here’s my early take at the fantasy and dynasty impact of the move itself as well as all of the trickle down moves that will possibly go along with it.

Peyton Manning to Denver: So, first things first, while there is a lot of hype around this move let’s be clear, this is a risky move for Denver.  Manning’s age is a bit of a problem, he’ll be 36 in 4 days and the end is near.  Could he play till 40?  Maybe, but usually guys at this age, their careers come to an abrupt end often before they want it to, which leads to the next question, will he be healthy enough to play at consistently high level for an entire season?  Only time will tell this one, from early reports it seems that he can make the throws so the real question is can he take the hits.  If he can, he will dramatically improve the fantasy fortunes of a whole host of players on the Broncos offense.  Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker immediately become fantasy relevant.  It’s hard to say which one will be #1 and #2, but my sense is they both will benefit tremendously.  Daniel Fells is the starter at TE and he will now become a trendy pick-up at that position, as well as backup Dante Rosario. My guess with the tight ends is that they will be better fantasy wise but not elite at all. Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno will also be impacted from a better passing game and more balance and less opportunities.  My expectation here is that McGahee’s value will stay about the same and Moreno will go down with less reps, baring injury to McGahee.  Finally, the Denver defense will spend more time on the field which should also help the stats of their big play makers such as Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller and Champ Bailey.  As for Peyton himself, remember that he had one offensive system tailored to him for his entire career.  He will have to learn the Broncos offense, which he will do with no problems, but don’t expect it to be easy either.  I expect Manning to be a top 10 to 15 QB next season.  He won’t be top 3 where he usually has been.  Now, if he stays healthy and learns the offense, he can definitely be a top 3 to 5 guy once or twice more, but that’s going to be about it for him.

Alex Smith Stays in San Francisco:  As recently as yesterday Miami was said to be in contract negotiations with Alex Smith.  I bet they’re not anymore!  I don’t care how “mad” Alex Smith is at the 49ers for dissing him for Peyton Manning, it would be ridiculous to believe he would pass up going back to San Fran for Miami.  Look for the 49ers to swoop in here and snatch back their QB from the depths of free agency.  The fantasy impact of course is that Alex Smith stays a #2 QB, Vernon Davis retains his top 5 TE status and San Fran WRs are all pretty worthless at this stage.

Tebow to Miami? Due to the size of Mannings contract and Tebow’s contract, Tebow will not be retained.  I’m sure Denver will put him on the market but I can’t imagine anyone would pay for a bad QB that everyone knows will be let go soon. Unless of course you’re the Miami Dolphins.  I’ve been a Dolphin fan for 35 years now and let me tell you they have never had so much stink associated with them as they do right now.  Trading for Tebow would smell of desperation and idiocy and they would become the laughingstock of the league, if that hasn’t happened already.  Tebow’s problem isn’t mechanics and it isn’t footwork, those are bad but not impossible to overcome.  Tebow’s problem is that he cannot read defenses.  He’s a one read guy that will pull and run rather than risk an interception which leads to deceivingly good QB efficiency numbers but a bad QB.  The clammer for Tebow to start, where ever he goes, will be too much to overcome despite the fact that he need to develop another 2-3 years before he’s put back on the field.  If Miami makes the trade, everyone on the offense will go down in value except for maybe Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas.  In my opinion, Miami would be better off taking Ryan Tannehill in the draft.  It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.

Hasselbeck to Tennessee Look for Tennessee to fall back to re-signing Matt Hasselbeck and continuing to develop Jake Locker.  Tennessee pulled out all of the stops but couldn’t make this deal happen.  If Hasselbeck stays he may start he may not, most likely he will and Kenny Britt will be the main beneficiary of a veteran QB.  That being said, Locker showed some moxie at the end of last season and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Britt flourish with him too.

 

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by Ken C.

Fantasy Impact of First Week of Free Agency

March 19, 2012 in Fantasy Advise

So we’re into the first weekend of the free agency period, the time dynasty fans love to watch as their players movements either make or break their value.  This year has been particularly exciting with some high profile trades, high profile free agents and an aging superstar quarterback choosing his next Super Bowl contender to join.  Here is my take on the fantasy and dynasty impact of the major moves that occurred this week.

 

 

  1. Brandon Marshall traded to the Bears – The Dolphins gave up a 2nd round pick to get Marshall and gave him up for 2 3rd rounders, after 2 very average seasons.  Sounds pretty good on paper.  Add Marshall’s latest legal troubles and the Dolphins probably win the most in this trade.  Now, from a fantasy perspective, Marshall may be suspended for some time, but it won’t be enough to de-value his fantasy prospects.  He’s 27 and is joining Jay Cutler again.  There is no doubt from a fantasy perspective that both will benefit, as will Matt Forte from having less people at the line of scrimmage.  Moving up: Brandon Marshall, Jay Cutler and Matt Forte. Moving down: Any Miami QB
  2. Mario Williams to the Bills – From an IDP perspective, this really is a HUGE deal.  Williams, despite oft being injured, was a very productive 4-3 DE for fantasy purposes.  When Houston moved to a 3-4 last year and made him a LB, his stock plummeted and rightfully so.  I am one of those fateful players who was begging Williams to find a 4-3 defensive team to land.  Dave Wannstedt is an awful NFL head coach, college too for that matter, but he’s an awesome defensive coordinator so look for him to highlight Williams in his defense and get him back to the 15-20 sack range as a 4-3 DE.  Thank the almighty!!! Moving up: Mario Williams, Brooks Reed Moving down: nobody
  3. Vincent Jackson to the Buccaneers – I hate this move from a fantasy perspective.  Now, Greg Schiano’s offense might be much more productive than Raheem Morris’ but at this point it’s impossible to know and Jackson just took a step down for the sake of money.  Will he be a 1,000 yard receiver, yes, but he won’t be a top 5 fantasy producer like he could have been with Chicago.  Moving up: Josh Freeman Moving Down: Vincent Jackson
  4. Pierre Garcon to the Redskins – eh.  Garcon is a very good, but not great, receiver who will have a very good, but not great, rookie quarterback.  I think in time his numbers will be good, but I also would temper expectations for next season.  Moving Up: RGIII Moving Down: Andrew Luck
  5. Martellus Bennett to the Giants – This does sound like a match made in heaven but it’s important to note here that Bennett has not proven anything in his young career yet.  He’s got the size and speed to be elite and now he has the QB and WR tandem too, the question is…can he step up?  Nobody knows, but he’s got enough potential to take a flyer on, that’s for sure. Moving Up: Martellus Bennett, Eli Manning.  Moving Down:
  6. Matt Flynn to Seattle – I’ll be honest with you on this one, I don’t get the excitement around Matt Flynn.  Yes he had two great passing games, both against bottom third passing defenses in meaningless games in which nobody cared who won.  He has shown some improvement in his game and development as an NFL QB for sure.  That’s pretty much all you get with Matt Flynn.  No experience, no proof that he can do it week in and week out.  He’s got far less weapons in Seattle than Green Bay.  There are a lot of red flags for me here.  Buyer beware.  Moving up: Matt Flynn, Sidney Rice, Marshawn Lynch
  7. Robert Meachem to the Chargers – I think this is a great move for Robert Meachem.  Philip Rivers is a great QB, Norv Turner is a great offensive mind and while Meachem is kind of a one trick pony, a deep third reciever, so is Mike Wallace and look at the year he had last year.  Meachem is in good hands, get him if you can.  Moving up: Robert Meachem
  8. Carl Nicks to the Buccaneers – Fantasy footballers don’t usually pay much attention to where linemen go during free agency, but this is worth taking notice.  Nicks was considered by far and away the best free agent linemen on the market and he went to a team that was dreadful running the ball last year.  New head coach Greg Schiano loves to run the ball and I see this acquisition as a watershed event for the team.  Whomever is the #1 rusher in Tampa Bay next year, whether it’s incumbent LeGarrette Blount or rookie Trent Richardson or someone else, their path will now be a whole lot easier.  Moving up: Tampa Bay running backs
  9. Laurent Robinson to the Jaguars – Doesn’t it seem like Laurent Robinson has been around for a long time? He’s only 26 years old and for the first time in his career he’s going to be the #1 receiver.  That’s the good news, the bad news is that it’s in Jacksonville.  There is no QB to throw him balls like Tony Romo, that’s for sure.  At least in the short term I see him struggling here despite having more opportunity, but he’s young enough to make this work if Jacksonville’s QB situation turns around.  Moving down: Laurent Robinson
  10. Brandon Lloyd to the Patriots – This one is interesting.  Certainly Lloyd’s opportunity has improved but I don’t think he’ll have the same impact that Randy Moss had, or even that he had in Denver 2 seasons ago.  He’ll be 31 next season and he’s only got a couple of good seasons left.  Look for him to do better than he did in St. Louis last season but not as good as he did in Denver 2 years ago.  Moving Up: Brandon Lloyd

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by Ken C.

Top 10 Dynasty Linebackers

March 15, 2012 in Dynasty Advise

During the off-season there is a lot of time to think! What rookies to draft, who to trade for, what new teams to which your free agent players are moving. This is a great time to start a new series Top 10 Dynasty player articles. Check out our Top 10 Lists page for the rest of this collection of articles. I have not included rookies here as there is no telling what situations they will get into at this point and how any of them will react to the rigors of an NFL season. We have a separate ranking section for rookies here.

Note: If you’re a die hard dynasty player, there is no need to read this paragraph. If you are not, keep in mind this is dynasty value of current running backs in the NFL. While some of these players may be top producers next year, some will not. Dynasty value lies not only on how a player will produce next year, but how they will produce in coming years, how long they can produce over time, the quality of the team they are on, the opportunity that they currently have or potentially have in the coming few years.

  1. Patrick Willis, ILB SF – Willis is dominant and now offenses have Navarro Bowman to contend with too!  Willis was hurt 3 games last season and still finished in the top 10.  He’s 27 and fantasy gold, nothing else need be said.
  2. Desmond Bishop, ILB GB – Some would be surprised to see Bishop here but he really is a top fantasy LB right now.  He’s only 27 but he’s a tackling machine on the Green Bay defense.  He took over as starter at the beginning of the season 2 years ago and made Nick Barnett expendable.  Last season he was hurt 3 games but still finished in the top 5 in terms of average points per game.
  3. D’Qwell Jackson, ILB CLE – Let’s face it, Cleveland is not a very good team and that benefits Jackson.  He’s on the field a lot and he’s productive when he’s out there.  He’s only 28 and he was the #2 LB in most fantasy scoring last year.  You can bank on him for many more years to come.
  4. Curtis Lofton, MLB ATL – Lofton has been very productive in the MLB role in Atlanta.  Last year he finished with 96 tackles and 2 sacks, the #3 fantasy LB.  He’s only 25 and his future looks bright in ATL to continue producing for a long time.
  5. James Laurinaitus, MLB STL – This guys been a beast since his rookie season and he has yet to slow down.  He finished in the top 5 in most scoring last year and he’s only 25.  St. Louis is not very good, but i have a feeling that even if they do get good under Jeff Fisher, Laurinaitus will still be productive.
  6. Navarro Bowman, ILB SF – So, here’s the deal, Bowman finished as the top fantasy linebacker last season.  He’s only 23.  So why isn’t he in the top 5?  Because he works next to Patrick Willis.  Although he is productive now and he’s very young, I don’t think he will maintain his top position next year or the years to come due to Willis being on the field.  That said, he’ll still be a top 10 guy for many, many years.
  7. Stephen Tulloch, MLB DET – Tulloch is a free agent and his value could very well change if he moves somewhere else, but if he stays in Detroit, which seems to be the indication as of this writing, he will be a top 10 guy.  He started slow last year but came on strong at the end, finishing in the top 10.  He’s 27, so he has a lot of life still in him and I believe he will be very productive as he is now in his prime production years.
  8. Derrick Johnson, OLB KC – So DJ has been on again, off again for many years but he’s on again now and there is reason to believe he’s figured out how to keep it on.  At 29, he still has plenty of productive years ahead of him and while I do think he can hit the top 5 once or twice more, it’s likely he’ll be a top 10er only after that.
  9. Pat Angerer, MLB IND – The youth revolution has begun in Indy and Angerer is leading it.  At only 25, he took over last year as one of the only bright spots in Indy’s miserable season.  With the focus on youth going forward, Indy will not be very good for a while which should also keep Angerer on the field and productive.
  10. Rolando McClain, MLB OAK – McClain is coming into his 3rd season and he’s still only 22, the youngest guy on this list.  He did not sniff the top 10 last season, but he was out 1 game with injury and hurt a few others.  At the end of the season, the last 5 games specifically, he averaged 9.7 fantasy points which would put him in the top 5 if he can sustain that production.  He’s really coming into his own but he still hasn’t proven himself, hence he’s at the bottom of list.  I have a feeling he may not be here for long.

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by Ken C.

Top 10 Dynasty Defensive Linemen

March 5, 2012 in Dynasty Advise

During the off-season there is a lot of time to think! What rookies to draft, who to trade for, what new teams to which your free agent players are moving. This is a great time to start a new series Top 10 Dynasty player articles. Check out our Top 10 Lists page for the rest of this collection of articles. I have not included rookies here as there is no telling what situations they will get into at this point and how any of them will react to the rigors of an NFL season. We have a separate ranking section for rookies here.

Note: If you’re a die hard dynasty player, there is no need to read this paragraph. If you are not, keep in mind this is dynasty value of current running backs in the NFL. While some of these players may be top producers next year, some will not. Dynasty value lies not only on how a player will produce next year, but how they will produce in coming years, how long they can produce over time, the quality of the team they are on, the opportunity that they currently have or potentially have in the coming few years.

  1. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE NYG – He’s only 23, he is one of the best pure athletes on the field and he finished 2nd behind Jared Allen in most fantasy leagues this year.  There is no reason why he can’t to this for another 10 years, feel lucky if you have him!
  2. Jared Allen, DE MIN – Allen would be at the top of this list if it were a redraft story, but it’s not! That said, Allen is still only 29 and has a solid 4 or 5 years possible before he starts to decline out of the top 10.
  3. Cliff Avril, DE DET - Avril really picked it up last season, finishing in the top 5 in most IDP scoring and being very disruptive with 11.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 2 TDs, 4 passes defensed and an interception.  Not bad for a guy who is 25 in an aggressive young defense.
  4. Calais Campbell, DE ARI – By all accounts Campbell should not do that well in fantasy scoring.  He’s a 3-4 defensive end who is usually asked to hold up blockers at the line so linebackers can make tackles.  Despite that problem Campbell makes his share of tackles, had 8 sacks and a whopping 10 passes defensed.  He’s 25 and while I don’t think he’ll always be in the top 5, I think he’ll be in the top 10 for many more years.
  5. Julius Peppers, DE CHI – Ok, he’s 32 now so how much life does he have in him?  Well, let’s put it this way, he doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.  He had double-digit sacks again last year to go with 34 tackles. He’s disruptive, he’s dominant and if he’s available, I’d take him for a solid 2 or 3 more seasons.
  6. J.J. Watt, DE HOU – Again, like Calais Campbell, a 3-4 DE who bucks the “stat” trends and scores fantasy points with awesome disruptive play.  He’s only 22, finished in the top 5 last season and there is no reason for him not to finish top 10 for many more years.
  7. Jason Babin, DE PHI – Here’s a guy who took a while to figure it out…but he did.  His revival in Philly has been nothing short of spectacular and if you were keen enough to pick him up last season, you have a guy who is 31 but has pretty fresh legs and should go at it for another 4 or 5 years.
  8. Jabaal Sheard, DE CLE – Sheard started slow his rookie year but ended fast.  He didn’t finish in the top 10 but he had 8.5 sacks and 40 tackles and if he adds to that at all next year, he’ll sure as heck find himself in the top 10.  Don’t sleep in him!
  9. Trent Cole, DE PHI – Cole was hurt a bit this year but still finished in the top 20.  Philly’s defense is so agressive, it allows both Babin and Cole to be very productive.  Take advantage if you can.
  10. Justin Tuck, DE NYG – What is it with the Giants, they are loaded at D-Line.  Tuck was a little banged up this year but there is no reason for him not to be back in the top 10 for several more years.  He’s 28, on a great defense and will have JPP on the other side for many more years.

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by Ken C.

If You Could Only Have One

March 5, 2012 in Dynasty Advise

We write about dynasty football for many reasons.  The main reason that I enjoy writing about dynasty football is to get people talking.  I love the back and forth of sharing ideas, people agreeing, disagreeing, providing their own great ideas.  I expect this article to do just that!

Everyone has their favorite players, guys they love to watch, who they would never give up and who they admire for their ability to play the game.  I am no different.  There are certain players that I absolutely love to watch and do so regularly, even when my own team is playing on another channel! The interesting thing about a list such as this is that while some players are clearly current fantasy superstars, others I love for different reasons as I will explain below.  If you could only have one player at each position, who would that be?  I’m sure you’re list is much different than mine, so let me know in your comments who are your “Gotta have” guys. Here’s my list by position including IDP.  Some of them I have on my team, some I’ve always wanted, but all of them I’d keep if I could only have one…

Quarterback - Aaron Rodgers, QB GB – Rodgers is exactly why I love dynasty football.  You pick a guy, everyone scoffs at the draft, you hold onto him for 3 years and then watch him roll off 4 straight top 2 fantasy QB performances in a row, before the age of 30.  Unfortunately, I was the guy scoffing and a friend of mine is now laughing all the way to the bank.  At 28, Rodgers has another 8-10 years of quality production ahead of him and while it’s doubtful that all of them will be top 2 performances like the previous 4, he’ll be in the top 10 that entire time.  Man I wish I had that kind of forethought!

Running back - Adrian Peterson, RB MIN – I had my worst dynasty season ever in 2006.  It was the only year that I finished last in my league and got the first pick in the draft.  What a year for that to happen!  AP came out the next season and while I thought about choosing someone else as he was coming off injury in college, I felt he was a once in a lifetime talent and took him without hesitation.  In 2007 I won my league (from worst to first!) behind Peterson’s ridiculous rookie campaign and with some help of a couple of bounce back years with my other players.  Peterson has never been the #1 fantasy back but he’s always been in the top 10, and always in the top 3 when not injured.  His consistent top performance, angry running on the field and youth (he’s still only 26) makes him my absolute favorite player in the NFL today.  He has a good 4 seasons left in him, maybe up to 6 before he starts fading out of the top 10.  There is no doubt next year will be a down year coming off of injury but I’ll take All-Day post knee injury over just about anyone else.

Wide Receiver – Larry Fitzgerald, WR ARI – As it happens right now, I have a strong WR squad.  Currently on my roster are Fitz, Roddy White, Kenny Britt, Vincent Jackson and Victor Cruz.  Let there be no doubt though, Fitz is my favorite on this list. I picked him #1 in our rookie draft in 2003, after trading away Priest Holmes at the top of his game (fortunately for me that was Holmes’ last year of top production).  It was between Fitz and Steven Jackson and I took Fitz because he had it all.  Speed, size, vertical leap, Velcro hands, incredible TD production in college, he’s one of the best WRs to ever come out.  Now, some contend, and rightfully so, that his quarterback situation is awful and that hurts his production.  It does.  But despite the revolving door of QBs during his career he has had 5 top 5 fantasy finishes in 8 years (including last year with Kolb/Skelton) and the other 3 were still starter quality, including his rookie year.  He’s still only 28 and has a good 5 years before he starts losing his top 10 status.  That type of consistency is worth the price, so despite there being better WRs on the market today, give me Larry Fitzgerald any day of the week.

Tight End – Jimmy Graham, TE NO – I’ve already relayed my Jimmy Graham story in a previous article about rookie draft strategies.  The short story is that I took him in the 2nd round of my rookie draft and never looked back.  Once Sean Peyton got him up to speed with the offense in his rookie season, New Orleans has used him as a primary target and there doesn’t seem to be any let-up to that strategy any time soon.  Putting Graham wide within the red zone and having Brees throw him a back shoulder pass in the end zone is unstoppable, they can do it even when the other team knows it’s coming.  That along with his speed/size combination makes him an unstoppable TE.  He’s a bit older than Rob Gronkowski and did not have as good a year, but I still like Graham better, mostly just because I chose him! At only 25, he can redefine a position that everyone thought was redefined by Antonio Gates.

Kicker - Dan Bailey, K DAL – I picked Bailey up off the waiver wire last season after week 2 and he finished his rookie year in the top 10 for kickers.  While there are plenty of great kickers out there (Sebastian Janikowski is probably my favorite that is not on my team), I love Bailey for two simple reasons.  First, he’s only 24, so he could be kicking for the next 15 years if he turns out to be good enough to last that long.  Second, he’s on Dallas and they are almost always talented offensively so he should always get plenty of opportunities.  His long was 51 yards his rookie year so he’s bound to be able to kick it deep and accurate.  While kicker is never much of a priority, I think I have a keeper with this kid.

Defensive Line – Jason Pierre-Paul, DL NYG – Two seasons ago I went into my rookie draft with some extra mid-round picks (2 seconds and 2 thirds) and a need to get younger along the defensive line.  I had Jared Allen for one starting spot but Mario Williams was just moved to Linebacker and I got the shaft.  I had picks 29 and 31 and planned to take 2 defensive ends.  When pick 29 came around, I chose Brandon Graham, the #13 pick by the Eagles that year then the guy with pick 30 took Derrick Morgan, the #16 pick by the Titans.  With the 31st pick I then took JPP, the #15 pick by the Giants.  Now, I didn’t plan to take JPP necessarily, as you can tell from the order they went in, but the plan was to get 2 of those 3 guys.  Can you imagine my pain if the guy with the 30th pick took JPP and I got Graham and Morgan?  Alas, that didn’t happen and this season I had the #1 and #2 scoring IDP defensive linemen in my league.  Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good and now that he’s on my team and being that he’s only 23, I’ll take being lucky any time!

Linebacker - Patrick Willis, LB SF – Back in 2007 I was eyeing Willis to take at #21 but he was taken ahead of me at #17 so I took Paul Poslusny instead.  While I like Poslusny, I love Willis.  His lateral speed and power has wreaked havoc in the NFL.  He’s another guy that isn’t always the top LB fantasy producer (although he has been #1 twice) he’s always starter quality and out of his 5 seasons he’s been in the top 5 four times.  I wish he fell to #21 back in 2007 but if you have him, he’s only 27 and there is no reason for him to slow down anytime soon, even with Navarro Bowman vulturing some tackles.

Defensive Back - Morgan Burnett, DB GB – Burnett was taken #34 in our rookie draft in 2010 and he’s one of the only guys in recent years I was considering taking as a DB in our rookie draft.  He’s lightening quick and has a great size/speed combo.  He was injured and put on IR his rookie season but that only postponed the inevitable.  His sophomore season last year he came back and finished as a top 5 fantasy producer in most IDP scoring leagues.  He’s only 23 and there is no reason why he couldn’t keep up top 10 production for many years to come.  I only wish I didn’t wait on him back in 2010!

These are my choices, what are yours?

Editor’s Note: I also write for dynastyleaguefootball.com and this article was originally posted there.  Out of the kindness or their hearts and my desire to include my writing on this site no matter where it’s been posted, it’s been re-posted here!  

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by Ken C.

Rookie Draft Strategies

February 28, 2012 in Fantasy Advise

One of the most exciting parts of dynasty football is the rookie draft.  Once a year you get to pick players with no track record and a ton of potential who will fill some hole on your roster.  Let’s be honest though, rookie drafting is a risky proposition and in my experience, in 10 years of commissioning a dynasty league, at best you have a 50/50 chance of any particular pick making an impact on your team.  I’ve had 1st round busts and 5th round (out of 5) studs and everything in between.  So how do you stack the cards in your favor?  Here are a few tenets that I keep in mind when making my picks annually.  They are in no particular order but they have worked for me over and over again.

Just to level set:  Our league’s rookie draft is 5 rounds with 12 teams (60 picks).  We use IDPs so we draft both offense and defense.  No veterans are allowed to be chosen (we’ve done that in the past but putting the initial waiver wire order equal to the rookie draft order takes care of it for us) and there is no official time limit for choices although you start to get severely heckled if you take more than a minute!  We also do the draft within two weeks of the start of the season to allow for tracking during the NFL draft all the way through training camp.  We then have 1 week to cut our rosters to 40 players.

Tenet #1 – Two WR are Better Than One

In almost every draft in which I’ve taken a WR I’ve actually taken 2.  Here’s my rational:  WRs take longer to develop for the most part (i.e. the 3rd year WR rule) and even then there is a lot of variability around 1st and 2nd round NFL WRs.  If you take two that you like in the first 3 rounds there are only 3 scenarios that will occur and two of them are favorable.  Scenario #1, both WRs develop into productive players for you. Scenario #2, one develops and the other is a bust.  Scenario #3, both WRs are a bust.  Now, Scenario #1 is both obvious and rare but Scenario #2 is also a darn good deal.  If I told you that if you drafted 6 WRs and half would be productive for you, wouldn’t you rather do that over 3 years rather than 6?  Now, it’s also possible that Scenario #3 occurs but I’ve found that to be rare too.  In 2004 I picked Larry Fitzgerald and Reggie Williams, in 2005 it was Mark Bradley and Vincent Jackson, in 2008 it was Chad Jackson and Eddie Royal, in 2009 it was Darrius Heyward-Bey and Jeremy Maclin.  Eight WRs in 4 different years and 2 studs (Fitz & Vjax), 1 solid contributor (Maclin) and 5 duds (Heyward-Bey could still develop but…).  You’ll notice too that I took them in 2004/2005 then skipped to 2008/2009. Bunches of WRs, that’s how you do it.  I picked up Marques Colston as a rookie, Roddy White the year before he broke out and last year Victor Cruz in free agency and I’ve got myself a WR corp.  In rookie drafts, 2 WRs are simply better than 1!

Tenet #2 – Your first pick is critical, don’t overreach

This seems stupid, like you don’t even have to say it, right?  You’d be surprised how much overreach I’ve seen.  Onterrio Smith was a top 3 pick in 2003.  Kevin Jones was a top 5 pick in 2004.  Mike Bell was a top 3 pick in 2006.  It’s not confined to just RBs either.  Chad Henne was a top 5 pick in 2008.  Not that all of these players didn’t have potential, they did.  But I would argue they were all drafted well above their actual potential mostly due to a hunch or a great pre-season.  Again, for the most part drafts are a 50/50 proposition, if you miss on a few first round picks in a row, suddenly everyone around you has uber-talent and you don’t.  You have to make your first pick count.  How do you do that?  If you pick in the top half, stick to the top 5 consensus rookies after doing your research online.  Don’t pick Mike Shanahan’s rookie RB just because it’s Mike Shanahan’s rookie RB.  Don’t take a QB unless it’s Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck.  If you’re at the bottom of the first round, let the draft come to you.  Inevitably you will value 6 or 8 of the top players and one of them will fall to you.  Make sure you take that player.  After picking Marion Barber in the 4th round in 2005, DeAngelo Williams with pick #6 in 2006, Adrian Peterson with pick #1 in 2007 (Yes, even dynasty veterans have an off year) I felt really good with my RBs and didn’t plan on taking another one in 2008.  I had the 10th pick that year and low and behold Rashard Mendenhall fell into my lap.  I HAD to take him. Let the draft come to you.  You’re first pick is critical, don’t overreach.

Tenet #3 – Never Pick a DB or a Kicker

There is just no value in a rookie draft for DBs and kickers.  I’ve done both in the past and have quickly realized the folly of my ways.  In 2005 I picked Mike Nugent in the 5th round thinking I was getting the next great kicker.  Wow was I proud of myself.  Now granted Nugent is alive and kicking (pardon the pun) but he’s never been fantasy relevant and I would have been much better off with a DL or taking a chance on a 2nd tier WR.  In terms of DBs I’ve picked Ken Hamlin and Mike Doss in 2003, Bob Sanders in 2004 and Laron Landry in 2006.  None of them are on my team and none of them had any fantasy relevance whatsoever.  If you use IDPs in your league, take a look at the top 20 DBs last season and tell me how many you would have drafted as a rookie.  In my league there were two, Patrick Peterson and Morgan Burnett.  Rather than shoot for a needle in a haystack, just don’t draft a DB and pick them up as free agents.  As you can tell from above, I stopped drafting DBs in 2006 and I’ve been quite successful picking up different guys every year that fill out my IDP squad that finish in the top 20 (starter quality) for DBs.  Never pick a DB or a kicker, there are plenty out there for free.

Tenet #4 – Pick a TE sooner than anyone in the league would expect you to

This is a relatively new one, but it’s been very effective.  Let’s set the stage here…two years ago we were breaking into the second round of our rookie draft and midway through the second round is usually when the first TE goes off the board.  That year, you might recall, was the year of the TE.  Jermaine Gresham was the consensus #1, followed by Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Jimmy Graham and Tony Meoki.  Now, typically not a lot of TEs are picked in the rookie draft but this year was different.  That being said, consensus was that Gresham and Gronkowski were 2nd round material, Hernandez was 3rd round material and Graham and Meoki were guys with big upside to take a flier on in the 4th or 5th round (Remember, Graham had all of 1 season as a college TE at the University of Miami).  So, back to the story, Gresham goes at pick 13, Gronk goes at pick 15 and then at pick 19 I take Jimmy Graham.  The whole room laughed, they thought I was nuts.  Hernandez was taken late in round 3 and Meoki late in round 4.  One of the guys during round 4 even forgot that I took Graham and called for him again (which also solicited a round of laughs).  You know the rest of the story.  TEs are no longer an afterthought in the NFL and they should not be in your league either.  Following my success with Graham I took Lance Kendricks during round 2 last year.  The jury is still out on Kendricks for sure, but he has the potential to be a top 5 TE in the near future.  The point is, if you feel strong enough about a guy, take him where you feel he’s a value, not where the rest of the league values him. Pick a TE sooner than anyone in the league would expect you to and you may well be paid off handsomely in the future.

Tenet #5 – Every Position is Important, Draft Accordingly

This one slightly cuts against the grain of Tenet #3, although I would argue if you can get quality DBs and kickers outside of the draft, they are still important, just not draftable.  I’ve won multiple dynasty league championships in my 10 years of playing it.  The one thing I’ve learned is to have a well balanced team.  In 2011 I won our league again and I had the worst QB situation in the league, bar none.  I had Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jay Cutler, Sam Bradford and John Skelton.  Fitzpatrick was in the top 10 early but dropped out at the end and none of my other QBs even sniffed the top 10 all of last year.  Last year I won by being balanced everywhere else and absolutely sucking at QB.  In a league that starts 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1K, 2DL, 3LB and 2DB, although I didn’t have a starting quality QB, I had 2 top 20 RBs, 4 top 10 WRs, 3 top 10 TEs, 2 top 10 Ks, the top 2 DLs (Jared Allen and JPP), 3 top 30 LBs and 2 top 20 DBs.  Depth everywhere else carried me to the championship this season.  The lesson here, every position is important and you should draft accordingly.  Every draft has a different strategy depending on the depth at each position in the draft and your needs.  If the draft is strong at DL and you need depth there, draft early and often.  If you don’t need a RB, get depth in the first round at WR or QB.  Make sure you see what positions are deep in each draft and try to focus on how you can exploit that, either by taking early and often or waiting for quality late and using early picks at a different position of need.  The point is, every draft needs a different strategy.  Make sure you have one that will focus on your needs as well as the talent that presents itself in any given year.

I know our drafts are still months away, but these tenets are always worth talking about!

Editor’s Note: I also write for dynastyleaguefootball.com and this article was originally posted there.  Out of the kindness or their hearts and my desire to include my writing on this site no matter where it’s been posted, it’s been re-posted here!  

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