I don’t know if it’s adrenaline, dopamine, or whatever chemical, but I’ll tell you what: there are few feelings better than winning in a dynasty league.
An approximate power ranking would put this feeling on a list of safe-for-work experiences just a few notches behind having a robust plate of barbeque placed in front of me and a touch ahead of remembering an event you didn’t want to attend got canceled.
Too specific? Oh, well, regardless, I think you know what I’m getting at.
If you’re sitting pretty with a record of 7-3, 8-2, or what have you on up, your league’s title is well within your grasp. Your team posts gaudy numbers weekly, dominates the competition, and you look at the roster and think, “Maybe I’m a piece or two away…”
Go for it. Take a swing. Make some deals and find that missing piece to the puzzle!
But before you do so, consider what it means to go “all-in” for a title. You’ll be wide open to future ramifications if you overleverage your hand and ultimately fall short. Being on the wrong end of that equation is what must be avoided.
Let’s take the opportunity to discuss a few items to keep in mind as you consider shifting toward being an aggressive buyer in your dynasty league.
Keep The Future In Perspective
Trying to weigh the long-term consequences of a win-now attitude is antithetical on the surface. Why bother caring what happens later if you’re going for this year’s title?
The best argument I can make here is to remind you that dynasty leagues have no defined endpoint by nature. Unlike a redraft league, you don’t get to just restart annually.
As such, you need to protect your assets that hold the most value. In the case of a contender, the highest-value assets (aside from the players who score you points) are first-round rookie picks. A rookie draft's 10th or 12th pick is low, but those picks are still much higher than anything you’re getting in the second round (obviously).
By moving your first-round pick in a deal, you sacrifice a significant piece of your team’s future. Keeping with that mindset, your greatest interest as a contender is to add points, not necessarily players with massive upside on a multi-year scale.
Plainly, the first tip in this guide is to advise against dealing a first-round pick unless you’re going to get a player in return who both scores points now and has a viable path to continued success moving forward.
It is true, however, that you may have to give up a slight long-term value loss by including a younger player as part of a deal to acquire a veteran, and that’s okay as long as it supports your primary goal of winning right now. Don’t sell just anyone to bring in points, but as my friend and fellow contributor Thomas Tipple says, “A value loss today is a value gained tomorrow.”
But as far as the first-rounders are concerned, the only way this type of deal is advisable is if you have multiple firsts to work with, and even then, you’ve got to be careful. If you strike out for any reason, losing your first that you thought would be the last pick of that round can suddenly be the 1.07 or so — you don’t want to live in that world.
Fundamentally, the concept of going “all-in” is somewhat of a lie and too dangerous to be even remotely viable as a suggestion.
Search For A “Hired Gun” Type
Speaking of striking out, anyone who reads my work here knows I love making analogies to Major League Baseball.
At the MLB trade deadline, you rarely see teams move big-name players unless there’s enough time left on said player’s contract to net a major return of prospects (or rookie picks in our situation as dynasty managers).
Most players who get dealt are on expiring deals and, frankly, only hold rest-of-season value for the acquiring team. You should focus on bringing these equivalent players into the fold as a dynasty manager.
Take Russell Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Tennessee Titans wideout Calvin Ridley, for example. They’re both aging yet effective, and even though their futures beyond 2024 are murky, both are scoring points in reasonably efficient offenses right now.
These “hired gun” types are bringing points to your team and likely won’t cost you much more than a second-round pick+ at present. Who cares what their future is if you’re not giving up a major piece of yours to bring them in?
All trades can look bad in hindsight, depending on what those draft picks turn into, but the proverbial banner or potentially very real trophy you end up with by winning your league are items that last forever.
So, instead of shooting for the stars and looking for a cornerstone from an in-season trade, leave those deals for the off-season and zero in cheaper veterans who contribute to you in the present. It’ll be both more affordable and more significant to you to act in this way.
Don’t Be Afraid To Sell, Too
The final point I’ll make before getting out of your hair is that even as a buyer, you should be open to selling pieces to others as well.
Obviously, any sort of stout point-scoring player on your roster should be off-limits, but what about the guys on your bench?
What types of players have you stashed away for the future? Do you roster handcuff running backs like Blake Corum or Trey Benson? Is a young, up-and-coming wideout like Keon Coleman or Xavier Worthy just sitting around collecting dust?
While it would be somewhat of a strange idea to trade away these pieces in a vacuum, consider looking for deals in which you can package these assets with lesser draft capital to tier up to a veteran contributor who’s scoring points now.
Using the powers of KeepTradeCut, you could consider moving Coleman and your projected late-2024 second-rounder for DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks or dealing Corum and a third for Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran Mike Evans.
Trade calculators are a troubling piece of the equation that warrants discussion, but the point still stands. Even though you may shorten your broad contention window by making these deals, these are the types of swaps that enable you to go “all-in” without sacrificing cornerstones of your own.
The ultimate lesson is that you can have your cake and eat it, too, but only if you deliberately understand your goal.
