In the intricate world of fantasy football, managing a team after the draft requires skill, strategy, and a touch of luck. For Matt, a 13-year-old fantasy football neophyte, he suddenly was thrust into this perilous environment with a roster loaded with All-Pros. He drafted notable players such as Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Stephen Gostkowski, Adrian Peterson, and Kellen Winslow II. Matt has a pretty incredible roster. His inexperience and unfamiliarity with the ongoing nature of fantasy football is a bigger obstacle.
Like fantasy football, which isn’t limited to a single big draft day. It’s an entirely different practice, one that must be continually monitored and prudently managed throughout the whole season. In every season-long league, whether it be dynasty format or keeper league, managers need to be able to pivot. With each week new obstacles arise that need you to re-strategize. For Matt, who had previously only followed teams like the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, and Miami Hurricanes, the transition into fantasy football management was steeped in learning.
The Importance of Waiver Wire Management
Over the course of the 2024 season, an impressive list of players proved to be difference-makers for their respective teams. Unfortunately for Matt, it was one of the worst league-winning waiver add down years. Notable names like Jordan Mason, Bo Nix, Sam Darnold, Jauan Jennings, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Zach Ertz provided opportunities for impactful plays.
Matt was often unable to land specific, highly-coveted players off waivers. What he found was that each week presented a fresh opportunity to improve his roster. “Every single week, there is at least a player or two on waivers who is well worth adding to a roster,” he realized. This little insight went a very long way in emphasizing the need for regular and aggressive engagement with the waiver wire.
Baker Mayfield and Jonnu Smith were major contributors down the stretch to a playoff run. Mayfield was on 47.0% of playoff teams, while Smith ended up on 42.7% of those making it to the playoffs. Knowing who those difference makers are, and which players can provide the best return on investment, is essential to long-term victory in fantasy football.
Strategic Roster Management Techniques
Another area where Matt really could’ve been more strategic was in roster construction, specifically when it comes to skill position players and kickers. By refusing to cut a skill position player for a few extra days, he could have saved himself a lot of time in the search for better options. Instead, he decided to cut them for a kicker or D/ST.
The Denver Broncos D/ST has the potential to be an elite option most weeks. Don’t just go choosing them during their matchups against high-caliber opponents such as the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. Knowing when to play to your advantages could make all the difference between thriving or failing.
Taking backup players such as Will Shipley with roster spots helps a depth and flexibility standpoint. Matt quickly learned that cutting a kicker or D/ST always increases his team’s upside. This route is usually the more successful approach as it better allows him to maximize the impact of a skill position player.
The Art of Negotiating Trades
Whether in fantasy football or real life, trading will always be an integral part of the game that needs fairness with assertiveness. Through the trade negotiations, Matt discovered that being pragmatic but daring can lead to positive results.
Matthew “got lucky” with a stacked roster when the draft rolled around, but lost the league title in the end because of post-draft apathy. The lesson of this experience is for fantasy managers to stay on their toes throughout the season, even after they have drafted their teams. Strategic midseason trades can give teams flexibility and allow for replacement of injury or underperformance as the season progresses.
He understands that streaming the kicker and D/ST positions will increase his likelihood of scoring some high-value wire players during the season. By repeatedly setting the market for player performance and taking a forward-looking approach to trade talks, he hopes to put himself in a better position next time.
Leave a Reply