Dynasty Football Fan

Here’s a harsh reality all fantasy football fans, especially dynasty format fans have to face…the lockout is impacting development.  It’s not only rookies either, although that’s the obvious result.  Veteran free agents won’t have a chance to learn their new team’s systems.  Teams with new coordinators and new systems don’t have the opportunity to learn them.  If we have a season at all, it will be a work in progress for almost all teams but the season will favor teams that have not changed systems and have few free agents at impact skill positions (QB, RB, LB).  Yes, many quarterbacks and players in general are organizing team activities.  Yes, with the brief time that the lockout was lifted coaches and players were able to exchange play books, ideas for development and so forth.

It helped, I’m sure, but one day of contact does not replace May and June filled with OTAs, a July of training camp and August full of pre-season games.  Usually, players that have those 4 months of development still have trouble in September on the field.  Imagine the whole league not having those 4 months and replacing them with player-led voluntary workouts.  eh!

When (and if) the season does start this year, those 4 months of development will be crammed into 3 to 6 weeks of preparation for what is now likely to be a  strike-shortened season.  Don’t fool yourself, this will impact all players and especially rookies, veteran free agents and teams with new coordinators.  Plan accordingly!