Welcome to the third installment of this dynasty rebuild series. In this article we will be discussing what you should be doing in-season after setting up your rebuild. The in season moves for a rebuilding team are more important than the off-season moves. Particularly if you weren’t able to move some of those veterans for good value during the Summer, now is that opportunity. As much as people value young players and talent in the off-season, points still reign king in season. This is where you might be able to get some great value from some teams desperate for a win. It’s riskier due to potential injury or poor performance, but this is when you will get the most value for your veterans.

This is why it’s important not to panic sell your players before the season. If no one is giving great value for Derrick Henry or Dalvin Cook in May that’s fine, as that’s likely to change come September. Don’t wait too long though as the door on these players can slam shut just like that with one big injury. We all know Running Back is a particularly brutal position in the NFL. A 26-27 year old Running back who suffers a season ending injury will likely lose more than half their current value. This could be catastrophic for a dynasty manager, so moving players like this should always be at the forefront of your mind in a rebuild.

Waiver pickups, backups that become starters due to injury, and out of nowhere breakouts are great players to sell during the season as well. Most of these players are likely not long term contributors, so moving them in their brief value window can be very beneficial. Think of Travis Fulgham in 2020 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He had a five game stretch where he caught 29 passes for over 400 yards, and 4 touchdowns. There were many instances of Fulgham being sold for a second round rookie pick or equivalent value.

The same thing happens with many back up running backs when a starter goes down with injury. There are instances of long term contributors being found this way, but most of the time there is a reason they were on the bench. These players not only have a brief window of value, but also add points to your lineup when you don’t need them. Don’t lower your draft position if you don’t have to. If you’re rebuilding, fully commit to the rebuild, and shoot for as high of a pick as you can get.

That’s it for the third article of this four part series. If you enjoyed this content follow me on Twitter @dynasty_analyst. Look for the final piece of this series on the 5 Yard Rush website shortly. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next time.