Another week has passed, which likely means another batch of dynasty teams is done for the year. With each passing week, as more and more teams are eliminated from the playoffs, the competition for rebuilding teams goes up. I mentioned before how it’s best to pick a direction early, but even if you’re starting to decide it’s over, there are some things you can do to help your team in the future.
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The first step is finding roster cloggers
I discussed waivers briefly last week, but I want to dig deeper this week. Before we do that, let’s first address players you can drop. There may be players on your team that no one else in the league wants.
These are guys like N’Keal Harry (WR – NEP) or Jamal Agnew (WR – JAX). Harry hasn’t done much all year but was likely a high rookie draft pick, but Agnew is the opposite. Agnew came from relative obscurity to fantasy relevance and then got hurt. He might be occupying an IR spot right now, and hey, why not?
But here’s the thing. If you dropped either of these guys, would someone else scramble to the waiver wire to pick them up? Outside of deeper leagues, I bet not. These are the kinds of players that win-now teams avoid and rebuilding teams want very little to do with. This is the definition of a roster clogger to me.
Unclog your roster with upside picks instead
Once you’ve identified a player or two that you feel are clogging your roster, look at the waivers in your league. Are there guys left in that group that maybe had an early injury or just vastly underperformed this year? Are there players who could see new life on a new team next year?
Guys like Trey Sermon (RB – SF) and Tarik Cohen (RB – CHI) come to mind. Sermon was in the doghouse early and often this year, and while it’s unlikely that he is on waivers, it’s worth a look. On the other hand, Cohen has missed the entire 2021 season due to injury but could be worth something next season, whether he’s on the Bears or not.
Now you may be screaming “not in my league!” at your phone or laptop right now, and I get it. I’m using these two players as representatives for the larger group. Look for rookies that just struggled to adapt to the NFL and for injured vets who might still have something in the tank for next year.
Wide receivers might be better options over running backs
I know I just mentioned two running backs, but there are tons of wide receivers out there that might be worth stashing if you can. Quintez Cephus (WR – DET) is a great IR stash if he’s not already taken. I also like Tylan Wallace (WR – BAL) and KJ Hamler (WR – DEN) more than most and would love to put them at the end of my bench over guys I just don’t have faith in.
Everyone values players differently, so find someone deep in the rankings that you think can explode next year. Read a lot of opinions, watch as much as tape as you can, and start to plant a flag on the deeper guys if you haven’t already. Honestly, this is one of the more fun aspects of dynasty fantasy football that redraft just doesn’t provide.
Going all-in on someone early and being right is such a great feeling. On the flip side, if you’re wrong, the cost usually is so low that it’s easy to move on. Also, no one remembers how many bad picks you made if you make one good one. That alone makes it fun to keep trying.
Stay active, your team needs you
This is the underlying point to this entire series: stay active. I know it can be tough to keep playing when your team disappointed and missed the playoffs, but you’ll have a lot more fun if you keep playing. Trust me. And if you have any questions or want some advice, just shoot me a DM. I respond to almost all of them and will do so throughout the offseason. Never give up. Your team needs you!
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Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Football 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with How to Manage Early-Season Injury Problems or head to more advanced strategy – like How to Effectively Assess the Quality of Your Team – to learn more.
