Hello Rush Nation. Welcome to my debut article! It really has been a long time coming. This… is… Dynasty Roster Management! Each week, I’ll share my thoughts on what you should be doing with your Dynasty roster. I won’t be looking at players to buy/sell or waiver pickups as we’ll have weekly articles from Dan and Rich respectively. 

If you don’t listen to the dynasty podcast, I’m Liam – the new(ish) co-host and dynasty contributor. By the way, if you have the time I highly recommend tuning in to the pod as we cover a lot of topics, some that we don’t write articles on. 

Football is back! I hope you enjoyed the week 1 slate. You know what this means though, right? It’s time for in-season articles! Each of the 5 Yard Dynasty writers will be releasing a weekly series. If you’ve read the title (I should hope so and you’re not clicking on random links) you’ll be able to guess mine. 

Before we get into it, a small bit of housekeeping. Any rankings, points or finish stats will be using 0.5 PPR scoring for all receiving positions and standard scoring for QBs.

Enough faffing. Let’s dive right in!

Week 1 Recap

Everyone went into this week thinking they knew everything that was going to happen. I can assure you, what we thought we knew was definitely wrong. Who’d have thought the Packers would crumble into a quivering mess in their first game back – especially as the reigning number 1 offence. No one was expecting the Texans to put up 37 points putting them as the 3rd highest scoring offence right now (with the Ravens vs Raiders game still to play).

From a fantasy point of view, there were plenty of scores which I would consider “obvious” or “normal”, take Kelce scoring 24 points for example. We did see a bunch more surprise performances. How about Goff, who was being drafted as the 29th QB, scoring 35 points and ended as the QB3 on the week?! Well… so far. Welcome back to the craziness which is the NFL season.

If you were on the opposite side of those performances, don’t fret. The season is long and things can change in an instant. 

Key Things to Consider

After every week has drawn to a close, you need to evaluate your roster and the entire league. In isolation, your team could be scoring 200 points which seems great, until you realise everyone else scored 250. Before you jump to any conclusions, remember the below:

• Rebuilding too early only ensures that you’ll lose this season. It removes all chance of you competing which will annoy you if you sell pieces that end up being key in someone else’s success.
• Be the first to rebuild. I know my previous point was the complete opposite to this. I’m not going crazy, I promise. There is a delicate balance between these two thought processes which you need to navigate. Don’t try to rebuild if 5 other teams have already started blowing up their teams. I mean, actually making trades – not saying they want to rebuild. Equally, and more to this point, don’t compete if you have to weave a fairytale of making the playoffs. If your path to the playoffs seems too far fetched, that’s because it is. Don’t rely on injuries to other players to get you there.

The best thing to do when evaluating your roster is to follow this 3 step plan:

1. Count the amount of players you are comfortable playing in your starting lineup. If they equal or are less than your starting lineup, you have an issue – no depth.
2. Evaluate your “iffy” starts. These are players you don’t necessarily feel comfortable starting, but have a chance to go big in any week. No, I don’t mean players that have “boomed” once in their career.
3. Evaluate your roster’s age. Younger rosters (including mostly rookies or 2nd year players) are expected to lose more than a balanced or older roster. This most likely determines your roster’s direction.

Rebuild

If you have committed to a rebuild, especially this early on, try to sell older players that you believe will fall in value compared to this time next season. You’re looking for younger players like Elijah Moore, Terrace Marshall Jr. or Nico Collins (personal favourite) who you think had a poor game but can overcome this small speed bump as the season progresses. 

Alternatively, rookie picks are the way forward. 2022 rookie draft picks will never be cheaper than they are right now. Sure, they were cheaper 5 weeks ago, but they’re never getting back to that value for you. They will only increase in value until the draft. Specifically, 1st and 2nd round picks would be great for any rebuilding roster.

Summary

I believe it’s too early to commit to rebuilding if you have spent all offseason trying to build a contending roster. Be patient. Give the season a few more weeks. Your team could surprise you. Equally, be the first to sell if you are committing to a rebuild. Either way, I believe in you. You’ve got this. 

Thanks for reading! I’m always looking for feedback whether it’s positive, or negative. I want to hear it all. Feel free to get in touch with any of the great writers here @5YardDynasty, or with me directly @theFSAtweets on Twitter should you have any questions or want any advice. Remember to check out the pod too! You can find us on your preferred podcasting platform. As always Rush Nation, keep rushing.