Dynasty players are ill. Frustratingly, stubbornly, irreparably ill. We're probably the illest, although not in a cool way like Biggie. Nope. We wear it like the stench of a Matt Millen draft pick. Like that feeling when the can't-miss prospect you draft everywhere fails so spectacularly that his career becomes a proper noun. Like the losses you can't forget and the wins you can't remember.
The illest.
This series attempts to understand how the NFL calendar impacts my dynasty rosters. Because, folks, when your friends start getting too good at this game, you must get creative to find advantages.
This is just a foundation, though. Keep it flexible and adjust it as it makes sense for you and your league. Or, to paraphrase the Good Dr. HST, "I hate to advocate roster obsession in the winter, overdosing on data in the spring, maniacal roster management in the summer and fall, or insanity all year round to anyone, but they've always worked for me."
Today, we'll look at what to do while NFL teams are moving on from roster-building season and into evaluating their rosters to determine who will stick around, who will be cut, who will be a consistent contributor, and who will be a backup.
June and July: Dynasty Preseason
It's almost June 1st. Do you hear that? Way off in the distance? Football season is coming.
For many of you, it never really stopped - especially those of you with dynasty rosters that need tending - but by the middle of next month, rookies will be reporting to training camps in many cities around the league. If that doesn't make your eyes bug out and your socks roll up and down like a cartoon, well, friend, you might be in the wrong place.
RELATED: See Part 1: Self-Evaluation Season here.
RELATED: See Part 2: Draft Season here.
Training camp is on the horizon. Hibernating fantasy managers are waking up. Those of us who haven't left are running on adrenaline and caffeine as we try to take advantage of our sleepy league mates.
What is Happening in the NFL?
The first half of June marks the end of OTAs, as teams will bring their players into the building for mandatory minicamps and other offseason workouts before releasing them for the rest of the summer. You can view a full team-by-team list of the workout dates here.
This is the first chance for dynasty managers to get a glimpse into things like how injured players are recovering, what roles coaches have in mind for rookies or new veteran additions to their teams, and what new tweaks might be coming to offenses around the league.
Be careful, though. There is a lot of alchemy going on this time of year. These offseason activities are good places for coaches to test out new schematic concepts and roles for players, but often those things don't translate to the regular season.
Similarly, this is the time of the year to be most wary of coachspeak. My general rule of thumb is to ignore platitudes unless they are coming steadily and from multiple coaches but to pay a little more attention when coaches are saying negative things about a player's health, conditioning, role, or skill level.
I guess what it comes down to for me is this: There isn't much reason for a coach to speak negatively about a player unless that coach is speaking the truth. Generally, if a coach has gotten to the point of speaking blunt, even negative, truth, it is probably because he's reached the end of his ability to motivate or get the most out of the player any other way.
Conversely, positive reinforcement generally costs nothing, so coaches will publicly pump up their players as much as they can until they have no choice but to tell the truth. So unless I am hearing the same positive things about a player consistently throughout the offseason (think: Aidan Hutchinson), or hearing the same positive things from several different coaches or front-office employees, I am taking it with a huge, giant, ridiculous grain of salt.
What You Do as a Contender
This is the first place on the calendar where I'm starting to look at my starting lineup. What are my strengths and weaknesses? Do I have suitable backups in place on teams where I am contending? Is there depth at one position that I can use as bait to cover a weakness at another position?
I'm still a little ways away from needing to actually set a lineup though, so while I'm letting it guide me a little more than I have the past few months I will not let it stop me from making a move that adds to the overall strength of my team. However, as I mentioned in the last installment of this series, I am generally not taking big swings on RBs at this point. The only thing worse than losing your workhorse RB to a training camp injury is trading for him first. If you are a contender with a need, it makes little sense to fill that need until you have to start setting lineups. Let someone else carry the risk of offseason injuries, arrests, or suspensions.
Otherwise, I am paying attention to all the team activities over the next couple of months to gain insight into how coaches might be adjusting the roles or volume of players on my roster. If I have someone rising at a position where I'm already strong, that player could be a good piece to dangle for an offseason trade. Similarly, suppose I notice that players on my bench are making strides toward more consistent playing time or better roles. In that case, it gives me an early look at where I might be able to add these risers to my starters and rotational players, adding depth to my usable roster and helping me understand where I DON'T have to look to add depth and production.
What You Do as a Rebuilder
If I am rebuilding, then even in June and July, I am not too worried about what my starting lineup is going to look like. I'm trying to get a feel for which managers think they're contending and which ones think they're rebuilding, and I'm looking for trades between our rosters that might work to advance the strategies of both managers.
Can I score some draft picks from someone looking to go all-in this year? Can I trade a player set up for volume this year to a contender for a young player I like but who is stuck behind a veteran? The bottom line, if you are in rebuild mode, should be to add value to your roster wherever you can. I think it was the great American philosopher, Proposition Joe, who said, "Buy for a dollar, sell for two." Let the fictional kingpin guide your thinking here.
Honestly, not much changes for you during these months if you are in rebuild mode. If anything, there is a window opening here for you to try to make some more trades to bolster your future. Managers who checked out after the season have checked back in for rookie drafts, and now, with training camps on the horizon, should be a little more engaged than maybe they were through the early spring. Look for the teams who have an obvious hole that you think you could help them fill and start communicating with them and making offers.
Conclusion
Memorial Day has come and gone. July 4th is on the horizon, and training camps will be opening up not long after the last fireworks have faded. More and more, the people who find the advantages in dynasty leagues are the people who have information first. Eventually, it all comes out and everyone knows everything, but as we move from the excitement of the beginning of the summer and into the dog days of July, there is a chance for you to pay attention and know some things just a little bit earlier than others in your league. The sooner you think you know where a player's fortune is headed -- whether up or down -- the better your chances of optimizing whatever deal you can make to acquire or move on from him. Sharp managers can filter through the summer's noise and find advantages as they prepare their rosters for the coming season.
Coming in August, be on the lookout for our last installment of Decoding the Dynasty Calendar. In the meantime, come and chat all things dynasty on Blue Sky @DynastyDecode.bsky.social.
