Almost beyond belief, the pro football season came to an end this past Sunday. Congratulations to the Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers! Much of the fantasy football world pretty much goes to sleep for a few months until the rookie draft and mocks begin anew. However, those involved in dynasty fantasy football do not have that option. There are plenty of invites for people to join in a dynasty league available on the internet. What is dynasty and how does it function? Many, including myself, don’t have a lot of experience in such matters. What is one to do? Never fear, because Belly Up is here! Join with me as we pierce the veil with this introduction to dynasty fantasy football.

First Question: Is Dynasty Right for Me?

Before making a decision to commit to anything involving dynasty, there are some questions that need answering. First and foremost, are you ready to commit to a league and a fantasy roster for more than one year and probably more? If the answer is no, then dynasty is not the place to spend your time. Just know that dynasty is not re-draft and can’t be managed like one. The very idea is to be a manager of a team both short and long term.

Second, will you commit to being a manager outside the traditional football months of September to January? The NFL is a year around league and dynasty managers must be just as active. Attention must be paid to the combine, free agency and the rookie draft, among many other NFL activities.

Once a yes answer is made, we are ready to move on to getting a team set up. Congratulations! You are now involved in the wonderful world of fantasy football dynasty!    

Second Question: How Does a Dynasty Draft Work?

The next step is to set up a league startup draft. The key word to know before a draft begins is preparation. The draft will function the same as a re-draft, but the strategy used must be different. Decisions have to be reached with the short and long term in mind. When drafting, a manager will have to take into account a player’s value and risks such as injury history and age of every player for the coming year and beyond.

The reason for this is once the first draft is finished, that will be the only time when an entire roster will be selected from scratch. Because of this, each and every selection needs careful consideration. Think of the mission as an NFL general manager would. This is to say, make sure you evaluate and gather players for the coming season and also look down the road into the future.

Question Three: How Many Players on a Dynasty Roster?

The next important aspect to know regarding dynasty football is that the roster size is significantly larger than re-draft. In most dynasty leagues, the first draft will consist of 25 to 30 rounds. Because of this, the waiver wire in dynasty is much thinner during the season. That increases the value of each and every draft selection. It is important to keep this in mind when drafting. In addition, trades are much more common in dynasty than other formats. Thus, keeping an eye on your opponent’s rosters for a potential trade partner is also critical.     

Question Four: How Important is a Player’s Age?

Far more than in re-draft, a player’s age is an important consideration when drafting in dynasty. In this setting, using a high pick on someone like Drew Brees coming into this season would not have been a sound strategy. As he announced his retirement after their loss to Tampa, Brees has no value in dynasty and would have to be replaced.

However, keep in mind that youth is not the only value in dynasty. If a roster only has youth and upside, a team may not be competitive for quite some time. A blend of experienced and youthful players is definitely recommended when composing a dynasty squad.

Question Five: How Do I Determine a Player’s Value?

Next on the journey through an introduction to fantasy dynasty is to make a determination on a player’s value. As pointed out above, age is an important consideration, but it is not the only one. A player’s contract, history of injury and consistent production are also vital factors. Making such calls takes patience as one season may not define a player’s worth the next.

Without a doubt, patience is certainly critical when a player is injured during a season. Coming off of the 2020 season, we all saw how many star players missed significant time due to injuries. If a player has been an all-pro in previous years, it stands to reason that he will return to that level when healthy. This would mean that releasing such a player would most likely be a bad decision. He will absolutely be on another manager’s roster once the new season begins.  

Question Six: How Important are Trades?

As mentioned above, trades are frequent in dynasty and can be made any time of the year. A trade can include players and draft picks and often combine the two. When assessing a potential trade, a short and long term view must be used. The question of whether improving a team for the current season is worth sacrificing future season value must be asked. There are trade calculators that can be used to help determine if a trade makes sense. However, keep in mind that the final decision will be yours to make.

Question Seven: What are Taxi Squads?

Another major difference in redraft and dynasty leagues is the use of taxi squads. These are very similar to the use of practice squads in the NFL. These allow dynasty managers the ability to stash players without them being on the active roster. Typically, however, is that only players with less than two seasons of experience in the NFL can be placed on a taxi squad. Additionally, the squads vary in size in many leagues. Check the league’s rule on how many slots are allowed.

Additional Resources:

ESPN Dynasty Leagues Dynasty League Football.com Bleacher Report: Five Steps to a Dynasty League

Sleeper: What is a Dynasty League and How to Create a Dynasty League?

Final Thought: Taking the Dynasty Plunge

So, with the above in mind, are you ready to take the plunge into the world of dynasty fantasy football? If you are, get ready for all of the competition, fun and excitement you can stand! Learn all that is possible about dynasty football, join a league and take the first step to building a team that only you can call your own for years to come. Hopefully, this introduction to fantasy dynasty will make that possible. Best to each and everyone that begins this journey!

Thanks all for joining me for this introduction to fantasy dynasty! As always, I welcome input, suggestions or questions from all of my readers. Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea, and be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports and Picks for all the latest NFL and sports news!