Dynasty Trading Post: Early-Season Team Needs

Photo: USA Today Sports

Welcome to the dynasty trading post, where optimizing strategy, roster construction, format, and player value oscillations are examined weekly with real-world completed dynasty trades.

This week, the focus will be the dynasty team mindset entering the regular season.

All trades are Superflex unless stated otherwise.

The offseason is dynasty-focused on team building and profile accrual. With Week 1 squarely in the crosshairs, otherwise known as lineup season for dynasty leagues, results begin counting this week. All that work with drafting, the waiver wire, and trading over the past seven or eight months comes to a head.

Team Weaknesses

The main mistake this time of year (late preseason into the initial week or two of the regular season) is assuming a roster weakness is an actual weakness. A dynasty GM has had all offseason to address a weak spot in a lineup or upgrade a certain position. At this point, let the season begin. There is a chance, even if you are feeling behind the league at a certain position, that the oblong ball bounces your way in the opening weeks.

One example in my portfolio of teams is a stock 1QB PPR league with 24 roster spots. Overall, I love my roster. However, tight end is my glaring weak spot. I had Darren Waller, but he retired. My lone rostered tight end is Cade Otton. I attempted in many ways to upgrade the position in the offseason. None of them developed into a trade or strong waiver wire option. Now that the season is here, it is time to see how Cade Otton performs. He has been solid but unspectacular as an NFL starter but more of a 2TE option for fantasy than front-line play. Finding tight end upside is about touchdowns or volume. Touchdowns can spike at any time to fuel strong fantasy outcomes, while volume is typically significantly more expensive and predictive year over year at the position. Cade Otton is more in the "root for a touchdown spike" camp where if he finds the end zone twice in the opening month, I will be just fine at tight end...for now.

This does not preclude me from continuing my journey towards an auto-start and strong-producing tight end this season. The charge is to let the incumbent option declare himself. The commitment factor is low as my investment in Cade Otton is minimal - literally from the waiver wire within the last 12 months. Another exemplary rule, in this case, is not to commit too many roster spots to the fix. With 24 roster spots (including kicker and defense), having multiple tight ends, especially three or more, creates more problems than it fixes. While throwing significant roster spots at a weak spot can make sense in particular cases (deep rosters, Superflex quarterback, running back), this one is the opposite and a perfect example for this dynasty lesson.

The play is to let Cade Otton declare himself early in the season and monitor his route share and ability to collect targets and produce. The waiver wire is always an option at this depth and format as 1A options on depth charts will regularly be available, even if the sub-optimal ones. Recycling options, like Otton, to the waiver wire, is key instead of taking away more roster spots from running back in-season. The primary method of fixing the position is the trade market, ideally an older veteran like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, or Evan Engram. All are at an age point where if their dynasty team starts 0-3 or 1-3, they could be running for the exits on older production by October.

The overarching lesson here, independent of whether your weak spot is tight end or not and regardless of the dynasty league format, is to be patient in the opening weeks with your offseason plan. Cade Otton was not my plan in January, May, or even July. Without securing a dynasty trade upgrade, he became my de facto plan by late August. We are close enough to the season start where your final offseason landing at a position is the result, for better or status quo, of the offseason.