So you just had an amazing fantasy football season and love your team? Oh well too bad and good luck next year where you can start all over. I swear this made me feel like shedding some man tears like Vern Davis. This was the story year after year of playing fantasy football, that was until I found a new format that allows you to keep and control your team year after year which made me want to smile wider than Joe Flacco after that elite payday. The dynasty format is becoming increasingly more popular as general players become true enthusiasts or addicts of fantasy football. This year Razzball will be covering everything dynasty to cover your needs in start up drafts, rookie drafts, trades and weekly rankings. For now lets go over the basics of dynasty formats including strategy and how it differs from redraft formats.
Consider the age of the players: In your standard redraft league an aging player is low risk due to the short duration (16 weeks) he is on your team. In dynasty formats players that are older hold less value due to the risk of retirement or injury, the few ways that you can lose a player for good.
Consider the position: In redraft, running backs are heavily favored as the top position during draft time, in dynasty a team owner needs to consider the positions like wide receiver or quarterback where players have substantially longer careers than a punishing position like running back.
Consider your trades: Trading in dynasty can be a lot more productive and entertaining considering that you have the entire year to negotiate using off season rumors to your advantage to build the best roster you can. Trading can be a little more difficult at times though because owners who have stuck with a player since their rookie year may have some sentimental attachment to these players making it nearly impossible to negotiate a trade.
Pay attention during the offseason: Following free agent moves can help you determine a players rise or fall in value, for instance Steven Jackson moving to Atlanta boots his value quite a bit as compared to if he stayed on the Rams, or Percy Harvin catching passes from Russell Wilson instead of Christian Ponder. Following the NFL draft is another way to stay ahead of the competition, knowing the skill level and the landing spots of the upcoming stars or busts in the league gives you a huge advantage entering into the next season.
Stay Committed: Dynasty formats unlike redraft formats require a lot of attention so an owner really needs to join knowing the time requirements and the work it takes to stay competitive in their league. The great thing about dynasty format is that even the last place teams have something to work toward even if it means completely rebuilding for the future seasons.
Mock Draft Often: This sounds cray to be drafting this far in advance but by participating in multiple start up or rookie mock drafts you can get a feel of where players are going and the best way to build the perfect team.
If all this looks appealing to you and something you would like to try I encourage you to take the leap of faith for the 2013 season and give a dynasty format league a chance.
