A Different Dynasty Strategy - "Year 2"

  Posted 8/6 by Colin Dowling, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

When joining a dynasty league - whether it be a new league or one with a long history - I almost always utilize a strategy for my team that is startling in its effectiveness but decidedly rare in its implementation. Frankly, I've not encountered anyone else doing it, at least not in the same, focused way that I do. (That's not to say I'm the only person building a team this way, just that I haven't seen other folks trying it.)

My strategy is simple: Build for next year. Not "build for the future" or "acquire young players" or "try to win this season." My strategy is to build for the very next season. Thus is born the "Year 2" strategy.

The advantages in this strategy are ample.

Advantage #1 - Since next season isn't really that far off, it is fairly easy to make assumptions about players. By targeting players who will be more valuable next year then this year, you are working in a market where the players you are pursuing are all "buy low" candidates. It's pretty easy to surmise that players like Michael Turner and Jason Campbell are likely to cost you much less right now then they will in 2008. You're not trying to gauge Trent Edwards' future prospects or the chance of Chris Henry turning in to Travis Henry. Rather, you are evaluating guys that are on the cusp of being full-time, top-tier performers. In 2005, Larry Johnson was available in the late 4th round of startup dynasty leagues. Last season, Cedric Benson was available just as late.

Advantage #2 - Since you are building specifically for next season, you are significantly more focused than people who continually stockpile young players "for the future." I often see teams interested in acquiring young talent without giving any real thought to how, when, and if that player is ever going to really have a chance to shine. This is what leads to players like Marcus Tuiasosopo and Najeh Davenport remaining on rosters for years at a time in the hope that one day they'll turn in to a productive player. Trying to guess who will be the starting quarterback or starting running back of a certain team three years from now is a waste of time. However, if you are thinking about next year and next year alone, you'll find that who to keep and who to cut becomes a much easier decision.

Advantage #3 - Your team probably won't be very good this year, meaning you're likely to pick early in the draft preceding the season you're gunning for. Imagine if you traded some older, useful veterans right now for players like the two I mentioned earlier AND ended up with a top selection in the 2008 draft. Not only would you already have a potent roster, you are also in a position to improve it even more without giving up any players in a trade.

Advantage #4 - The really good teams will overpay for marginal players. Every dynasty league has a handful of teams that look loaded, some more than others. These teams likely have assets that fit your strategy just as you have assets that they covet. As such, trading an older, starting player with lots of miles on him like Jamal Lewis for a younger player Vernon Davis might not be all that bad of an idea. The other guy, thinking only about the immediate future, may think he fleeced you. And next year when he's trolling for a starting running back again, you'll be sitting pretty with a young, solid tight end.

As a note, one of the cardinal rules of fantasy football is that you shouldn't tank games to improve draft position. In a way, this strategy creeps very close to that line, but never over it. If you go in to this season with Drew Stanton and John Beck as the only quarterbacks on your new dynasty roster, so be it. If you want to trade Ahman Green for LenDale White, go for it. If you think that passing on Shaun Alexander for Laurence Maroney makes you stronger for year two, then do it. As long as you field the best lineup possible from your roster each week, you should have a clear conscience. Every league has team's that are bad; yours is simply bad because you're incubating players who should be very good next year. And when your strategy pays off in about 18 months as you hoist the trophy, you can rest easy.

Dynasty leagues are fun precisely because you get to build something, tinker with it, tear it down and rebuild it. My experience has been that many dynasty owners think that "rebuilding" is a process without specific goals. (Maybe that's why they always seem to be rebuilding.) Other owners fail to properly value younger players that can be acquired because they are too enamored with squeezing one more good season out of Ahman Green. By following the "Year 2" strategy, you can have the best of both worlds and the worst of neither.