The 2024 season is barely in the rearview, and this is when most fantasy football enthusiasts take a long break to … I don’t know, what is it people do when they go outside? Rub sand?

But not me. And not you! Because you play in a dynasty league and, as Tom Hanks would tell you, there’s no crying in the offseason. And there’s no offseason in dynasty.

Dynasty leagues can get a little stagnant this time of year because no one knows what the hell is going to happen over the next few months. So most managers sit on their thumbs until the NFL industrial complex starts churning again.

But now is the perfect time to scrape up extra value in your trades and improve a few of your roster’s weaknesses. The key is to anticipate how the next few months will unfold, rather than react to the events, and then go ATTACK. 

Here’s what you need to consider when trying to beat the offseason:

Free Agency

We don’t get to simply copy and paste a player’s stats or trends from one year to the next, mostly because the offensive makeup of a team rarely stays the same. Depth charts change. This year’s TE6 could become next year’s sack of wet garbage. (Metaphorically speaking.)

One of the easiest ways to spot potential shake-ups is to peek at this offseason’s top free agents.

This might be an obvious example, but let’s look at the Buccaneers. Chris Godwin is a free agent. If you feel confident Godwin lands with another team and you’re skeptical that Tampa Bay spends significant draft capital on a rookie receiver, then it’s nearly impossible Jalen McMillan doesn’t rise up the Bucs’ depth chart in 2025. 

In his last 6 games, McMillan averaged:

  • 20% Target Share
  • 19% Targets Per Route Run
  • 27% of End Zone Targets
  • 17.5 PPR Points

When pairing that with his draft profile—because in dynasty we should emphasize talent above all else, at least for young receivers—the McMillan manager should be drowning in offers. So go splash some water on their face and see what the asking price is before the free agency dominos fall and that price tag goes up.

Now could Tampa Bay re-sign Godwin? Or could they bring in a totally different free agent receiver to push McMillan for target competition? Maybe. But this is about playing the odds, and no one walks away from a blackjack table richer by holding onto all their chips.

NFL Draft

The best time to accrue rookie picks in your league is during the season, when most of your leaguemates still think they have a shot at the championship. (Even Brad, who only has one startable running back and doesn’t believe in rostering tight ends (for personal reasons). The second best time is now.

Every rookie draft class is unique, but one thing remains the same year after year: That mid-2nd round pick in your dynasty league doesn’t become real until the end of April. Before the real-life NFL Draft, every rookie pick in your league is hypothetical. It’s the old Family Guy “It could be anything, it could even be a boat” paradox:

 

But after the names are announced and the dust has settled—and Roger Goodell has shed a single tear over all the boos hurled his way on draft night—sh*t gets real.

The best thing to do right now is to familiarize yourself with the incoming rookies and their potential landing spots. Read a mock draft. Skim a few scouting reports. Dissect each NFL team’s needs. Play a little Pretend GM’ing so you’re less surprised by what happens in April.

And if you have any players on your roster that are trending in the wrong direction—let’s say literally any Packers wide receiver —GET OUT NOW. Trade them for those ambiguous picks, even if you’re not sure you’ll actually use them.

Because worst-case scenario? You turn around and re-sell those same picks once you’re closer to your league’s rookie draft, when the hype starts to reach a boil. The net result should be Value City, population YOU.

Potential NFL Trades

This is a little trickier. Unlike with free agency, there’s no official guide to which players will pack their bags, walk out that door, and never come back. All we can do is try to read the tea leaves—or in some cases, the Rapoport reports—and bake that into our decision-making. 

Some situations are more obvious than others. Davante Adams giving the (metaphorical) middle finger to Woody Johnson and relocating his personal Taco Bell is significantly more plausible than Justin Jefferson demanding a trade because he hates how Minnesotans call water fountains “bubblers.” (Even though he’d be totally justified.)

Still, deciphering trade rumors can be a risky business and I’d encourage you not to weigh that gossip too heavily in your process. Remember when A.J. Brown was most “probably” headed to the Patriots last offseason? Or when Brandon Aiyuk was headed to the Steelers?

 

Be careful, that’s all I’m saying.

And be on the lookout for more dynasty-flavored fantasy content in the near future. Now go formulate some trade offers!