Welcome back, and thanks for taking the time to read my article! Before I get started, I want to give a quick shout-out to the Dynasty Sports Empire’s Dynasty Leagues. I’m in multiple leagues for football, baseball, and basketball. They are a lot of fun, and the owners who play are amiable and active. At the bottom of this article, there will be links to get you started on an orphan team or a brand new league. I hope to see you at my next dynasty!
Through the first couple of weeks of the season, there will be a roller coaster of emotions towards your players. You mustn’t jump ship on any of your players. There will be many reasons to slow starts as there are every year. And this year, teams are coming off a much shorter offseason than others. In my previous article, I explained the 4 categories of the draft. The only players you need to drop for any waiver wire picks will be from the “Waiver Rounds.” You came into the draft with a gameplan, don’t let a slow start blow that plans up. Especially after you drop that player, he will probably produce just as you projected.
The majority of fantasy owners in any sport get super frustrated at the beginning of the season with slow starts. We need to use this to our advantage. When you identify a good quality player that has gotten their season off on the wrong foot, you need to engage with that owner. I’m going to give you a broad example of what you’re going to look to do when offering a trade. Team A has a player they got in the 6th round that has been sluggish out of the gate. You had that player projected very nicely and would’ve taken him if you had the chance. The player you got in round 11 has started the season hot and is performing at his ceiling. You have to trust your rankings and research and get that player.
The last thing you need to do is make sure you are only dropping players from the “Waiver Wire” rounds. Once the season starts, keep a close eye on players that are off to a fast start. However, one important part of this is to see why that player is off to a quick start. Did that player play in a blowout and get an extended run? Did he get a spot start due to a player resting or an injury? Did he shoot a crazy high field goal percentage? It’s essential not to let small sample sizes ruin your draft strategy. Once we get roughly a month into the season, there will be a large enough sample size to reevaluate your roster and identify who needs to be moved.
If you have questions regarding the specifics as far as players to target, feel free to follow me on Twitter @mikealby