0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Get started at ChatGPT.com by selecting Work Mode.
0:05Available on Plus and Pro Plans. Hello everybody, welcome to the FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast brought to you by League Tycoon, the Dynasty First Fantasy Football Platform.
0:14I'm Ryan Warmly joined by Pat Fitzmaurice and by Scott Bogman.
0:17We are talking some Dynasty Contenders vs. Rebuilders today, giving you a sense of evaluating your team and then also what should
0:24you be doing if you're in the Contender bucket or in the Rebuilder bucket.
0:29Bogman, how are you doing? I'm doing pretty good.
0:31I mean, the Longhorns lost this weekend, so pretty upset about that.
0:35But the Steelers won and the offense looked good.
0:38Like a Steelers win without six sacks and four turnovers is a rarity in recent times for me.
0:44So that was decent too. Kind of in the middle on my Dynasty teams so far this season.
0:50So this is a good episode for me. Fitz?
0:52Operation Tank is going splendidly in the league that we're all in together.
0:57I am 0-5 and my team is absolute hot garbage juice.
1:00So I think I'm going to wind up with Jeremiah Smith in at least one league.
1:05So I feel great about that. Pretty good sports week too.
1:09Brewers doing well. Packers teaching Ben Johnson some manners.
1:12That was nice. I'm feeling good this week. I was trying to tank in that same league, Fitz, and I have two
1:19very unfortunate wins that I'm not thrilled about. So you are doing a much superior job than I am.
1:25It's a super flex league. Can you do better than having your three quarterbacks be Bo Nix, Justin Herbert, and Malik Willis?
1:32That's hard to top. I'll do you better by only having two quarterbacks.
1:36So I say, unfortunately, obviously I'm happy to have, I have Trevor Lawrence in that league.
1:41My other two quarterbacks are Kyler and Daniel Jones.
1:44So it's not that far off. It's just Trevor Lawrence, unfortunately, is buoying the scoring I'm getting every week.
1:50But we don't need to talk about that. We'll see who wins the race to Jeremiah Smith there.
1:55Reminder for everybody, all of our 2026 consensus rankings and tiers can be found at fantasypros.com.
2:01Slash rankings. You can navigate to our dynasty rankings from there as well.
2:05Before we jump into some specific pieces of advice from you guys for contenders and rebuilders, I want to talk about diagnosing your teams.
2:12I think, and I talked about this a lot on the show over the last year, that it is a really valuable
2:19skill in dynasty to be able to just sort of self-identify and say, I am a contender or I am a rebuilder
2:26and choose to lean into those directions. A lot of the times, my biggest frustrations in dynasty trade negotiations, Bogman, are when
2:33the person I'm talking to seems to have a very different view of their roster than I feel like is the very
2:40obvious view of you should be leaning into contending or you should be leaning into rebuilding.
2:45Is this something that you feel like you run into yourself fairly often?
2:49Or do you feel like the people in your leagues are generally pretty good about knowing when's the right time to push their chips in?
2:57Yeah, I think that for the most part, people know when to push their chips in and when they are rebuilding.
3:04But I'll say that everyone in my league, and this is constant for everyone in every league, has a different evaluation on every player than I do.
3:13And now, a lot of the times it's not different enough to make a difference and not get a trade done.
3:19But many times there are holdouts. Someone sees one of their players as having a little bit more gas left in the
3:26tank or a little bit more upside for a future player or a draft pick that's worth a little bit more than I consider.
3:34So you have to take those things into account as well.
3:38So I do think that most managers know, you know, when their team is, it's time to push the chips in or
3:44it's time to rebuild a little bit. A lot of times it's not completely rebuilding.
3:49It's just, man, I've had some bad luck this year and I've had some injuries this year.
3:55It's not going to be this year. So let's go ahead and trade off the pieces we don't need for the future.
4:02But I think everyone has a different view of players pretty much universally.
4:06What do you think, Fitz? Is this a problem that you sometimes run into yourself or do you feel like there's some
4:13pretty strong self-evaluation of people's rosters in your leagues?
4:16I think it's gotten better over time as people have gotten more familiar with Dynasty and people are now, the people who
4:23picked it up less than 10 years ago are now grizzled Dynasty veterans.
4:27But there's still some misdiagnosis that happens. And there is no better way to bust the chops of a league mates than
4:34to be talking trade with them and to find out they're not in a rebuild and say, oh, you're not in a rebuild?
4:41Your roster says otherwise, right? Exactly. Exactly. So, I mean, there are some people who and we can talk about specifics and
4:48why some people maybe get off the right track as far as diagnosing themselves.
4:53But I think for the most part, people are pretty realistic about which direction they're headed.
4:58So how do you guys go about diagnosing your own rosters and sort of evaluating, particularly if maybe you were more in
5:05the middle coming into the season, right? If you come into the season and you're like the heavy favorite to win this
5:12league, you got a really loaded roster. As long as you haven't taken so many season-ending injuries, regardless of what happens the
5:19first few weeks, you're still generally thinking of yourself in that light in all likelihood.
5:23Same thing if you're a true rebuilder, right? You in our shared league fits.
5:28We're going into the season trying to rebuild, I think, and are 0-5 so you're feeling like you're on the right path there.
5:35When you're in the middle, five, six weeks into the season, which is a stage we're at right now here in week
5:42six of the year, what are you looking at specifically?
5:45Is it something about just the record and the points scored fits?
5:49Is it about looking at the other teams around you and trying to pit yourself against them and playing out the rest of the season?
5:57Is it about the age of your team? Where are you looking when trying to determine if you yourself are a contender or a rebuilder?
6:05Pretty much just the makeup of my roster. Not so much the points scored because there are some guys who are underperforming
6:12and have a chance of turning it around. There are injuries, other factors that might be holding down your point total or artificially inflating it.
6:20But with roster evaluation, I think a real contender should have at least one or two real engines.
6:26Guys who are force multipliers, the B. John Robinson, Jameer Gibbs, JSN, Josh Allen, Brock Bowers types.
6:31Do you have one or two of those to sort of be the cornerstone of your title run?
6:37But I think the bigger one is depth. And there might be a tendency with a lot of dynasty managers to just
6:44sort of look at the optimal starting lineup that you can run out as a measure of your team strength.
6:50And I think that's a big mistake because in the NFL, guys are going to get hurt all the time, way more than we'd like.
6:58I mean, we take stock of injuries every week and it seems like one week is bloodier than the next.
7:05And more than half the weeks in an NFL regular season or I should say in a fantasy season are bye weeks.
7:12So we're about to hit a four team bye week in week six.
7:16Depth, I think, is really the true measure of team strength.
7:19And if you have three or four pretty solid players behind your ideal starting lineup, then maybe you can start to feel
7:26better about your chances to contend because you can take some hits.
7:30You can weather the storms that are inevitably going to come up during the regular season.
7:35But Bogman, do you feel like one of those pillars is more important in your opinion than the other when trying to call yourself a contender?
7:43Like, would you rather be the team that has B.
7:46John, Kenneth Walker and Tedrow McMillan, but zero bench?
7:49Or would you rather be the team that doesn't have those types of names?
7:54But, you know, you have very playable pieces all scattered throughout the bench when you're trying to decide if you're a contender that year?
8:01I think if I'm picking one, I would rather have like the elite players.
8:06I'm a starting roster than the depth. But I think Fitz is right.
8:10I don't think you can survive an entire season if you don't have some depth, right?
8:15Like if you were counting on David Montgomery to be a piece in your lineup, whether that was your RB2 or a flex or even an occasional flex.
8:24And he's been awful and nothing has worked. Do you have an Ollie Gordon, right?
8:29Somebody that, man, this guy came out of nowhere.
8:32Did you add an Ollie Gordon? You know what I mean?
8:35Something like that to make sure the starting lineup is going to be good, I think is important.
8:41And I think the comparative thing is, you know, like it's tough to say points, right?
8:46But specifically if because like I'm in a league where I have just made the wrong decision on who to start in
8:53my flex spot like three weeks in a row.
8:56And I probably would have two more wins if I had that right.
9:00So I know my team is pretty good, right?
9:03But I've been making the mistakes. So I know I'm right there.
9:07So like Fitz said, you know, you compare yourself to the other rosters that are at the top.
9:12I think that's a big one. And just give yourself a realistic like if I wasn't in this league, what I think
9:19this roster can stay with the leaders in the pack when we get down to the end.
9:25And if not, am I far enough to where there's no moves I can make to get there?
9:30Or do I have the assets to make the moves and potentially put myself within that realm as well, I think is a big thing.
9:38So I think you need to get a real realistic comparison to the top teams in your league.
9:44And if you are the top team, then how do I make this last?
9:49Do I have players that I am confident are going to last a season?
9:53And do I have the depth that I feel like I need?
9:57So I think they're all important. But I think like Fitz started with having the horses is probably the most important part.
10:04Anything else you're looking at Fitz before we move on?
10:07Just that like you think is important to keep note of when you're considering if you're a contender or not.
10:13I mean, definitely take stock of the other teams in your league.
10:17Who are the contenders? How does your team stack up against the top contenders in your league?
10:23So study those teams' rosters. And maybe there are – maybe there's one invincible team where you feel they're invincible.
10:29And, you know, sometimes there can be waves of injuries that kind of take those teams off their feet.
10:35But if there are like three really strong teams and you feel you're clearly below those three teams, it might be hard to topple one team.
10:43But if you know you're going to have to beat two of them in the playoffs, that can be tough if those teams are clearly better than yours.
10:52So know the competition and study those rosters. And that will help with the self-assessment.
10:57And I think if there's one team to beat, it makes it more realistic for you to push your chips in and
11:04get that big deal done to put yourself within, you know, reach, arms reach of that team.
11:09But if it's three, like Fitz said, is probably less options to trade with as well.
11:14And now it's not just one team that you're trading for.
11:18Now you're trading future pieces to get assets to compete with three to four teams this season.
11:23It just – it does make things more difficult.
11:26So I think comparing yourself is – and being realistic about it is a big thing.
11:31And then, you know, just knowing you have the depth to survive a bump, right?
11:36Like no one can survive a bump if Bichon or Gibbs goes down.
11:40But if your wide receiver two, your tight end, whatever it may be, goes down, do you have a decent backup?
11:47And if not, is that acquirable at a cost-efficient rate?
11:50So I think you just – there's a lot of things to break down to know if you're there.
11:56But I think most of the time you can do a quick scan of your roster and the top rosters and know if you're close or not.
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12:57Bogman, give me your first move if you are a contender.
13:00Yeah, I think if you're a contender, I think your first move specifically now is to float some of your picks for
13:072027 and see what you can get back. I wouldn't say go out and immediately offer them up because I think the
13:14fervor for the 2027 draft class within the dynasty community is getting a little higher every single day, right?
13:20Specifically now that we're seeing college football highlights and guys kind of jump up out of nowhere.
13:25There's been some moving and shaking within, you know, our thoughts on who is going to go at the top of this,
13:32but it remains a very deep class. So I think if you float those picks right now, see what kind of offers you're getting back.
13:40Because I do think that people are willing to pay a little bit too much for the mystery box.
13:46And we've talked about this a little bit ad nauseum on this show and on this channel that, look, you know, people want the mystery.
13:54They want the pick. They think the pick is going to solve all of the problems of their team.
14:00Sometimes it does, right? And with this class, it definitely can.
14:04But I do think that the overpays are starting to happen.
14:07So I think if you're a contender, you think you're a top two team, maybe you're a number one team and you want to keep that.
14:16I would at least float and offer my picks out and say, hey, look, I'm looking to I'm looking for a move
14:23that I think is going to push my team over the top.
14:27If you're rebuilding, I have picks to trade. And, you know, as Fitz always points out to us, the better your team
14:34is that the worse that pick that you trade is going to be.
14:38So if it's a move that you think can put you over the top, I would say go and do it.
14:44So at least float your picks because people are overpaying for them right now.
14:49Doesn't mean you have to trade them. Doesn't mean you have to move them.
14:53We all want to stay in this. But flags fly forever.
14:57And, you know, the bigger your pot, the more I'm willing to move on from my 2027 draft picks.
15:03It's almost for me sometimes trading picks, particularly in a class like this.
15:07It's less that, oh, I need to be convinced that it's actually the smart value play or that it's smart to, you
15:14know, try and push all in for a title.
15:17The flags fly forever. Like you just said, it's less that and more just the emotional of like, I will have so
15:24much FOMO if I don't have a first round pick this year.
15:28I'm like anticipating being pissed at myself in May.
15:30Even if I win the title, I'll be like, man, sure would have been nice to have a pick in this really fun class.
15:38That's sometimes in the back of my mind. You have a whole lead up from January to the draft where you can trade back in.
15:46You know, it doesn't have to be the end all.
15:49So you can get back in. But if you're if you're offering me money now, I'm taking that money now.
15:56Fitz, what do you think about floating your picks, particularly in this class, given obviously you have been as excited as anybody about the 2027 class?
16:04Are you interested in floating your picks as a contender this year and try to take advantage of some of the enthusiasm around this class?
16:12Yeah, it's an interesting idea because I know a lot of times we decide we want to target a certain player from another team.
16:19And maybe that player just isn't for sale. And to just let people know that your picks are available.
16:25I mean, that's going and let it be known publicly.
16:29So people know they have to bid against other people.
16:32Right. Like that, that can generate some market interest rather than just specifically going.
16:36I mean, that's generally how I like to work.
16:39Go after specific people with trades that I think are fair.
16:43After I've asked myself, like, are they going to say yes to this deal?
16:47And when I think the answer is yes, that they will take it, that it benefits them, then I'm ready to take that deal around.
16:55But sometimes I'm wrong in that calculation and some guys just aren't for sale.
16:59But yeah, I like Bogman's idea of basically putting those picks up for a very public auction.
17:05You say picks, both of you, but Bogman, is there like, do you try to say, hey, let's see what I can
17:12do with my second rounder here before you move to the first?
17:16Or is your mindset in this conversation, hey, the first is where I'm going to get the most value back.
17:22So let's throw that right on the table right now as opposed to trying to thread the needle with maybe giving up a second instead.
17:30No, I just say my picks overall. Right. Like I'm include your first.
17:34I would say. And you can work backwards from there.
17:37But I do think that if you if you put a cap on it, it's almost I think people roll their eyes
17:44immediately when they're like, OK, guys, one of the greatest picks, but not as first.
17:49I mean, what are we even doing here? Do you want to push those ships in or not?
17:55So I think, you know, you can work backwards from the first.
17:59I think if you take the first off the table, it takes people away immediately.
18:03So I would just float all my picks if I could.
18:07But of course, when we get to the negotiating table, I'm trying to save that first as hard as I can.
18:14But if it has to go and I think it's worth it, then it was worth offering it for.
18:20And just because you offer something doesn't mean you have to trade.
18:23If you get a bunch of terrible offers, don't make them move.
18:27So but like Fitzy said, we're making it public.
18:30We're loud. We're telling everyone, not just one person.
18:33So everyone knows our picks are on the table and it's, you know, the best deal is going to win if I decide to trade them.
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21:07JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA. Member FDIC. Fitz, what's your first contender move?
21:11It is to try to acquire one or more of the players with significant 2026 value, but limited long-term value.
21:17And I've got half a dozen of those guys.
21:20Specifically in mind, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Devontae Adams, Mike Evans, George Kittle, Travis Kelsey.
21:25These are the useful geezers. Derrick Henry, 32. Christian McCaffrey, 30.
21:28Devontae Adams and Mike Evans, both 33. As is George Kittle.
21:32Travis Kelsey, 37. But these guys still have a lot of value.
21:35And for Derrick Henry and CMC, I think I would be willing to trade a late first.
21:41And presumably, because I'm a contender, my pick will be a late first.
21:45And for CMC and his pass catching ability, I might even be able to be willing to throw in a little more,
21:52like my late third, maybe a young player with some minimal 2026 value, but possibly value down the line.
21:58I think for Devontae Adams and Mike Evans, those guys are maybe worth late seconds.
22:03And for Adams, you might have to throw in a young player with some upside for the future.
22:09And I think Kittle and Kelsey are also sort of in that late second category.
22:13And you might have to grease the skids a little bit on Kittle, especially, because Kittle's a pretty important cog still for
22:20the 49ers and might have a little bit of run out after this year.
22:25But, I mean, some of these guys might not be around by 2028.
22:29And that's the thing. I mean, people are going to say, well, look, Derrick Henry hasn't ever talked about retirement.
22:35He's still going to be around next year. That's why you've got to give up the first for him and for Christian McCaffrey.
22:43But really, I think Kelsey is the only one whose retirement seems totally imminent.
22:47So you're going to have to pay up a little bit for these guys.
22:51I think I'm willing to. Bob, what do you think?
22:55I love this idea. And I think this is a pillar of a move that you do when you're a contender, specifically if you've had an injury.
23:03You go after the veterans, specifically on the teams that are rebuilding and don't really need their Kittle or their CMC is
23:10the only good player that they have left. You know what I mean?
23:14I mean, specifically with those teams, I feel like it's almost easier to get them because they know time is running out on the value of these players.
23:23And if there's one more big injury, like I think a lot of people in the offseason thought Kittle was maybe done.
23:30Right. Because torn Achilles, old veteran team, they had a bunch of new targets and everything.
23:35And then all of the targets go down and Kittle recovers much faster than anybody thought.
23:40And then he's leading the league in touchdowns for tight ends.
23:44So, you know, some of the some of the times those guys can last a little bit longer than we think as well.
23:51And I think it's a good move to go and trade for a vet.
23:56The cheaper you can get it, get them the better, obviously.
23:59Are these values that fits throughout Bogman about aligned with what you're thinking, like a late first for Henry or CMC?
24:06You know, some of these second rounders that Fitz gave examples of?
24:10That's probably about the going rate. I don't think I have much argument with those top end guys.
24:15Fitz, when you are making a trade and you're throwing out like, oh, I'm expecting to be a contender.
24:21So I think this is a late first. You mentioned earlier in this episode that, you know, sometimes it just takes a
24:28couple of injuries and all of a sudden that pick is not where you maybe expected it to be.
24:35That team is maybe not the contender you expected.
24:37Does that make you nervous at all in trades?
24:40I know it makes me nervous whenever I'm trading away a first thinking like, oh, I might contend because it just takes
24:47a couple of, you know, twists of an ankle or the bounces of the ball.
24:52And all of a sudden, well, now that's like the seventh overall pick in a great draft instead of the 11th or 12th.
24:59Makes me less nervous if I'm 5-0 or a really good 4-1 and everyone's pretty healthy.
25:04Maybe a little more nervous if I'm 3-3 and feel like my team is underachieved.
25:09Or I'm 5-1 and I've got a wave of injuries that I'm trying to battle with.
25:14And rather than adding these guys as extra ammunition, it feels more like they're patching holes than adding to the arsenal.
25:21Then I get a little more nervous about it.
25:24Bogman, your next contender move is sort of along these lines.
25:27Yeah, it's pretty much the same. It's just the way to buy these players.
25:32And I think if you're buying a veteran, I think if you add, we talked about the draft picks being the mystery box.
25:39If you add some of the players that aren't doing much for you right now, specifically in leagues where you have deeper rosters, right?
25:47And I think like Fitz has pointed out to us many times, most dynasty leagues have deep rosters.
25:52So you probably have some upside guys on your bench, even as a contender, that aren't doing anything to help your team right now.
26:00Ricky Pearsall, who's injured. Omar Cooper, who's injured. Tesla, who's buried.
26:04Chris Bell hasn't gotten anything straight yet. Nick Singleton is probably going to have a role should the Titans trade Tony Pollard.
26:11And we'll see what he has, right? So I think you can take some of these guys that aren't doing a lot
26:18right now, but have that are youthful and have room to grow in the future.
26:22And you can take them and maybe trade a lower pick, a third or a fourth to get a veteran that you want.
26:30It's not going to be those top end guys that Fitzy talked about, but maybe, you know, a mid range depth piece, something like that.
26:38So I think that, and this is something I've just suggested and I've done in almost every league that I possibly can,
26:45is when someone asks for a second, if you say, hey, look, I can't give you that second.
26:50I just think it's too valuable. I don't know where my team is going to end up 100%.
26:56Can I give you a third and Chris Bell?
26:59You know what I mean? That gives you now two shots at replacing the guy that you're trading.
27:05You have the pick in a deep class, so that third is going to be worth more than it should.
27:11And you have a guy that's in the NFL right now and on an ascension.
27:16So I think, you know, trading some of those pieces that are doing nothing for you now, but hold value plus a
27:23pick often works out better in your favor than just trading that second and trying to hold on to that guy.
27:29That is more of a mystery box. So, and I think a lot of people specifically the bottom feeders of your league,
27:36they need as many shots as they can get.
27:39So it probably works better if their roster is really thin, but it can work on, you know, it can work with
27:46whoever wants two shots instead of one. Fitz, would you rather as the person acquiring somebody to help you contend, give up
27:53the slightly higher pick or one round lower, but then also a lottery ticket on, you know, whether it's Chris Bell or
28:00some other example that sort of fits the bill.
28:03Would you rather be giving up two bites at the apple or the more valuable individual asset?
28:09Probably would prefer to give up the two bites at the apple, the lower pick and the young unproven player.
28:15And keep as much of that draft capital as I can.
28:18Okay. I will say those are the trades that sometimes when you see them being made, there are some of the worst
28:25ones because, you know, you trade Mike Washington and a third and you get a veteran that you need.
28:31Right. And Ashton Jensen gets hurt and Mike Washington takes off and is one of the best running backs in the league.
28:38You know, those are the trades sometimes that will look the worst, but I can tell you from experience, every five you
28:45do, you're going to get maybe one of those that is completely lopsided towards that other person.
28:51So it's a risk, but trading picks are risks too.
28:54These are the ones that can look lopsided, but again, who cares if it's lopsided, if you won the pot, you know, in, in the current season.
29:03Yeah, you can get burned on those. I tried to patch a hole at quarterback one year and basically traded away Trey
29:10McBride for a bag of potato chips when McBride was having a red shirt year, more or less with the Cardinals.
29:16And yeah, that trade does not look so good in hindsight.
29:20Just quickly, Fitz, is your interest in rather doing the two assets as opposed to the more valuable draft capital?
29:26Is that specific to this year because like the 2027 class is so good or is that like an every year mindset?
29:33Is that specifically because 2027 and 2028 are looking pretty good?
29:37I mean, more so now than usually, but that's also kind of a general policy.
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30:20Fitz, you've got one more contender move for us.
30:23Yeah, and this is just kind of a variation on my earlier thing about targeting old veterans, but this is super flex specific.
30:31Go out and get the elderly quarterbacks who still have something to offer.
30:35And namely, I'm thinking of Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers.
30:38And we know it's the last ride for Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford this year and next year.
30:44Basically, he's signed a two-year extension. He's going to play two more years, and that's probably it.
30:49So Stafford's going to be a little pricier because he's more valuable and has another year on top of this year.
30:56Rodgers should be pretty gettable right now if he is on a non-contending team.
31:00Like, that's a move you should definitely make if you don't have much for a third quarterback, don't have a third quarterback
31:07perhaps, or if you've got kind of a sketchy QB2 situation.
31:11Bogman, do you have a preference like spending up, quote unquote, for Stafford versus seeing how little you can give up for a guy like Rodgers?
31:19I mean, I'd rather have Stafford just because he has two years and he's, you know, more viable fantasy-wise than Aaron Rodgers is.
31:26But if it's a second-round pick for Stafford versus a fourth-round pick for Aaron Rodgers, give me A-Rod.
31:32You know, like the whole point is to get a guy for insurance, injury, maybe, you know, one of your quarterbacks is
31:39playing in a really tough matchup one week or weather or something late in the season.
31:44So I think that in that specific situation, a quarterback in a super flex league, specifically an older one, it's whatever the cost makes more sense on.
31:53If I can get, if I can trade, you know, Tesla in a fourth to get Stafford or it's just a fourth
32:00for A-Rod, then I'm going to go Stafford. But like we said, if we have to bump that pickup or start adding
32:07pieces, then I'm just going to take the cheaper asset, which would most likely in most scenarios be A-Rod.
32:13I think we're also just like kind of assuming Stafford's having two more years, but like there were some like serious back questions a year ago.
32:21There are under 500 this year. If this year just like weighs on everybody, if they fall short of their immense expectations,
32:28like I think it's possible this is Stafford's last year.
32:31Same thing for A-Rod too, though. He says he's going to be done, but he said that last year.
32:37So I don't know if we can ever believe him either.
32:41This feels like the most definitively he's said it, but it's a good point.
32:45Pretty definitive last year and now it wasn't. You know, I just, I don't really trust what A-Rod says, but I would
32:52assume he's done after this year because he looks pretty done.
32:56Let's go to the rebuilder moves here. Bogman, sticking with you.
32:59What's your first one? Yeah, I think if you're rebuilding, the first thing I want to do is, you know, just make
33:06sure that you don't trade to trade just because you're rebuilding.
33:10You know, you have assets. They hold a certain amount of value.
33:13And in any scenario where you are the bad team trading to the good team, you hold the leverage.
33:20Now, the better the player, the more leverage you hold.
33:23So I'm not going to hold out and squeeze if I'm trading a guy that, you know, is just a depth piece for the person I'm trading with.
33:32But if it's one of my top assets, like if I'm holding CMC, right, and he's my last good player, I really
33:39don't have much behind him at all. I'm holding and I'm squeezing every bit of life I can get out of that
33:46deal until I feel like I'm being overpaid, not really fairly compensated.
33:49You don't need to be fairly compensated. If you are a bottom feeder in a dynasty league, you should be making that
33:56top person overpay and they should be feeling that and be willing to overpay in most scenarios because it is tough to
34:03stay healthy, stay on top and push everybody to the side.
34:07So I think you just need to realize making moves to make moves to get low picks isn't always the way to do it.
34:15Sometimes it's holding out. Now, like we said, the higher the player, the bigger the package that you're moving, the more leverage you have.
34:22So the longer you should hold. So don't hold out on those bottom feeder pieces or pieces that really aren't going to do anything.
34:30Like if you're holding J.K. Dobbins now, trade him for a song.
34:34You know what I mean? Like we don't think he's long for this job in Denver.
34:39He's got a pretty nice role right now, specifically with Coleman out.
34:42And when Coleman comes back, he may have a different role.
34:46So get rid of him. You know, that's that's a one scenario.
34:50But if you're holding Derek Henry, you're holding CMC.
34:53Hold. Hold the line. Squeeze. Get a couple offers.
34:56Play them off of each other. Do what you can to maximize your deals.
35:00What if those offers don't come, though? And it's and it's a guy like Derek Henry or Mike Evans or Travis Kelsey
35:07where you really are not expecting much beyond this year.
35:10Realistically, just given the ages and the offers aren't coming in.
35:14Like eventually, is there a point where you say, like, listen, it would be malpractice to get nothing for him?
35:20Or do you say, hey, on principle, I'm not going to give him up for less than, you know, something close to an overpay?
35:28I mean, I've been a jerk and gone the on principle way probably too many times.
35:33So I've let that burn me a couple of times.
35:36But I'll say, you know, the deeper we get into the season, also the less value those guys hold.
35:42Right. Because now we currently, you know, we're five weeks in.
35:45We're a third of the way through the season, basically.
35:49So those assets are worth less than they would have been week one.
35:53So you have to take these things into account as well.
35:56But if, you know, if the best I'm getting offered is a third round pick and a couple of players for Derek
36:03Henry, I'll roll them in the next year and just see what he's worth.
36:08He's a freak. So not every player is a freak like that.
36:12So I understand the malpractice side. But if I'm not getting fairly compensated at all, I'll just hold out unless I know
36:19the guy is absolutely retiring, which is very rare.
36:21What do you make of this fits? Yeah, I mean, that's fair if you're not getting the price you want.
36:28I'm willing to do that. But there is a risk to playing chicken with these guys.
36:33And there's some guys I won't do this for, like in my earlier example, Mike Evans and Devonta Adams.
36:39Like, I don't want to mess with that. But if Adams, he's already dealing with a rib issue.
36:45What if his hamstring goes next week? Like, this is your window right now.
36:49Right. Well, your window is actually closed. You should have done it the two games that Puka was out.
36:55Well, coming off the big game against Seattle, though.
36:58Yeah. That's going to be appealing to a lot of people.
37:01Fitz, what's your first rebuilder move? So, yeah, I was going to obviously mention the corollary of what I said for the
37:08contender move to trade away these old valuable guys over 30.
37:12The Mike Evans class, the Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Travis Kelsey, those guys.
37:17So that's kind of obvious. I just, if you're rebuilding, I think you owe it to yourself to move those guys now
37:24while they're all performing really well and are easy sells to contenders.
37:28But I'll throw in as kind of a bonus, sort of a don't for rebuilders.
37:32Don't trade away your mid guys who are players in their mid primes.
37:36Don't sell those useful players for picks. Like someone on our Discord was asking me the other day about selling, I think
37:43it was Garrett Wilson for like a first and a third.
37:47And I'm like, no, don't do that. Garrett Wilson is 26.
37:50He's going to have several other good years for you.
37:54And he's reminding us this year what a good player he is.
37:57He is more valuable to you, even as a rebuilder, than a late first plus a late third.
38:03So don't make moves like that. Try to focus on the older players.
38:07And maybe if you can get a blockbuster for a guy like Garrett Wilson.
38:12But I'm not just doing it for two picks that do not equate to the value of Garrett Wilson.
38:18Yeah. Bogman, are you so like obviously selling veterans is kind of something that makes a lot of sense.
38:24Do you have this sort of same approach in terms of the guys that are still in their primes?
38:30Yeah, I would say if you're trading a guy in their prime like that, you're holding out for the Godfather deal.
38:37It's not a first and you're not holding out for fair market value.
38:41I think a first and a third might be fair market value for Garrett Wilson.
38:45That's not what we want, especially for a bottom feeder.
38:49And we have a bunch of holes in our roster, right?
38:52Like what we want is we want the two firsts for Garrett Wilson, the first and 27, the first and 28, and maybe a piece on their bench.
39:01They're not doing anything with and you flip them back, you know, a mid tier piece that's on your roster that is better than what's on the wire.
39:10You know what I mean? Like those are the deals that you're making if you're trading guys that are in their prime
39:17or close to it or, you know, even got like.
39:20I'd say Jonathan Taylor might be a guy like that as well, right?
39:24Fitzy, like a guy that is so good. He's been good for years for running back.
39:29This might be the peak year. And then we're on the back end after that, just as far as touches go and usage.
39:37So but that guy, you hold out for everything when you trade a top five at their position right now.
39:43So it's kind of like what I was saying initially.
39:46You don't trade to trade, right? You trade when the good trade comes to you.
39:51We're waiting for that. We're holding out. We're squeezing.
39:54So like Fitzy said, you don't want to play chicken with the old, old guys like Devante and Mike Evans.
40:00But you do definitely want to play chicken with guys that are going to have at least a couple more seasons.
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41:09Bogman, give me another Rebuilder move. First of all, I thought Pizza Machine was what the Ninja Turtles drove around.
41:15Is that not right? I want to know if it's someone who puts away a lot of pizza or someone who maybe spins pizzas professionally at a pizzeria.
41:24Sells pizza, owns a pizza place. Yeah, could be a lot of different options here for us.
41:30So we like pizza, though. We know that. Who doesn't?
41:33I would say, and this matters more the deeper your rosters are, but at the end of the season, just stay on top of the waiver wire, right?
41:42I think a lot of people, after the trade deadline, you know your team sucks.
41:46It's really tough to keep watching this, right? You want to move on and wait for next year.
41:52But you stay on top of that waiver wire because the contenders will start dropping players with future value to get a
41:59handcuff, to get a backup, to get a one-week piece, right?
42:03So really, you need to pay attention the whole season specifically at the end, the deeper your rosters are, because there will
42:10be some viable pieces dropped at the end that you can add for free or for very cheap off of FAB.
42:16And, you know, there's going to be fewer people paying attention at the end.
42:21It's just human nature. So just make sure you are staying up on the waiver wire.
42:26And when somebody drops a piece that is useful to you, scoop them up and, you know, throw off whoever is not
42:33doing anything for you or doesn't hold that kind of future value.
42:37So just make sure you're paying attention. These are the little things that can help you in the long run.
42:43Fitz, is this a strategy you employ yourself? Yeah, sometimes.
42:46Sometimes. I'm just, I was trying to think of any concrete examples and I just could not think of any.
42:53Yeah. Yeah, it's not, I don't have any like concrete and, you know, examples either.
42:57But I will say, I know off the top of my head, I've been able to grab somebody off the wire at the end of the season.
43:06And we hear a lot about this on Discord too, Fitzy.
43:09And this is kind of what made me think of it as one, I think one of our recent conversations, somebody was
43:16saying, yeah, I just grabbed RJ Harvey off the wire at the end of last year.
43:21And then going into the year, obviously RJ Harvey not been great this season, but going into the year, there were still people in the RJ Harvey camp.
43:30Right. Right. So he holds value for you at that time.
43:34And you can, maybe you can take him in a pick and move up a spot that you need in the draft
43:41to get the guy that you want. It's just little tiny things like that, that give you a little boost going into next season.
43:48That's all. So I suppose that makes sense. And there are some, and we hear from these people on Discord all the time where they're shallower dynasty leagues.
43:57Cause I think in most of our dynasty leagues, it's, it's tumbleweeds on the way for wire.
44:03I was just going to bring that up. The difference between a shallow and a deep league is pretty stark here for this example.
44:10That's why I struggled. Like I'm not, I picked up Dante Myers in a bunch of dynasty leagues a couple of weeks ago.
44:18I'm just like throwing him into any deal right now, probably isn't going to juice things that much, even though I really liked Dante Myers.
44:26I just rather sit and hatch that egg myself.
44:29But this is more, my advice is more for the end of the season when we're in the playoffs and people are, and you're right.
44:36I guess it can work both ways where it's a short roster versus a bigger roster.
44:42I just think of it for a bigger roster because there is nothing on the wire.
44:47So what people are cutting might be much better than what's on the wire at all.
44:52And there's fewer people paying attention. That's all. Fitz, any other rebuilder moves, young players to target, anything you want to highlight?
44:59Young players to target and mostly pass catchers. There are a bunch of them who are not really doing anything for their
45:06teams right now, who might be able to be pried loose for veterans who can help teams that aren't getting anything from these guys.
45:13And here's a list of some of those pass catchers.
45:17Jordan Tyson, Makai Lemon, DeJuan Stribling, Chris Bell, a lot of rookies on this list.
45:21Jacoby Lane, Caleb Douglas, but then some non-rookies, guys like Ricky Pearsall, who's hurt.
45:26Jalen Noel, who's starting to pop a little bit.
45:29Isaac Tesla, who's just so interesting because of the physical traits.
45:32Some of the tight ends, Kenyon Sadiq, Terrence Ferguson, Eli Stowers, Eli Raritan, who's starting to make noise.
45:38And I don't know if there's many running backs who fall into this category because some of these guys might have a handcuff value or whatever.
45:46But maybe whoever has Jadarian Price is willing to part with them because it doesn't look like Jadarian Price is going to be very impactful in year one.
45:55Charbonnet, not doing a lot right now. And he's a free agent.
45:59Charbonnet, maybe. Kalen Black is another one. If you're not trying to pry them away from whoever has Christian McCaffrey.
46:05Here's one. O'Marion Hampton. Totally haven't given up on O'Marion Hampton.
46:09He's just kind of a bad fit for the Mike McDaniel offense, it seems like.
46:13Pretty good time to swoop in and buy him for a more useful piece because right now there are a lot of
46:20teams that aren't even starting O'Marion Hampton. Yeah, Hampton I think is a really interesting call.
46:26On the trade show, if this is for redraft, on the trade show, Erickson and I basically every week are like, it's only getting worse.
46:34Like, we made sure to sold earlier with the way it's going again.
46:38That's for a redraft perspective. But that might kind of span out into Dynasty as well for a lot of managers out there.
46:45Yeah. I want to actually throw, before we get out of here, one more rebuilder move at you guys that I was
46:52thinking about that I didn't know if any of you would mention and you guys haven't, so I want to bring it up myself.
47:00And one of you, I think it was Fitz, sorry, I forget which one.
47:04One of you mentioned the 2028 class. I think right now is the best time to go get 2028 picks.
47:10And if you're a rebuilder especially, I think that is a really savvy move for a couple of reasons.
47:16Number one, I think it is always the best, most affordable time to get high picks in future drafts before they come up, right?
47:24So, like, even setting aside what we think of the strength of the respective classes, right now would always be the best
47:31time to go get a 2028 pick as opposed to a 27 in my opinion.
47:36But also, I think these two classes are closer than they are by reputation in terms of 27 and 28.
47:4227 is awesome. It is the better class as of right now, how we think about it.
47:48Like, I'm not saying that 28 is better, but I think the 28 class is also going to end up being pretty good.
47:55This isn't like the difference between 26 and 27, like where one of them was terrible, one of them was amazing.
48:02I think it's going to be one of them is amazing and one of them is still really darn good.
48:08And yet, because of the reputation of 2027 overshadowing these picks in any trade negotiations, I think they're attainable.
48:14I've seen so many trades go down in my leagues where it's, hey, I cannot give up the 2027 pick.
48:20Totally untouchable. 2028, sure. Just because it feels worse and, of course, is also farther away.
48:25We're seeing this at the NFL level, right? AJ Brown traded for a 28 first instead of a 27 first.
48:32Cam Juergens, you know, traded for a 28 second instead of 27.
48:36Like, these guys are looking at future picks in a way that the NFL, you know, general managers are looking at future
48:43picks in a way that I think we should be learning from as dynasty managers.
48:47Because I do think now is the right time to go get these picks.
48:52And as a rebuilder, you're always going to want to have future firsts and seconds.
48:57And again, just to kind of put the bow on this point that I'm making, the 2028 class I think is going to be very good, Fitz.
49:05I agree with you, and especially in super flex.
49:08And I'm not trying to let any air out of the 2027 balloon because I still think, regardless, that's going to be
49:15an outstanding class with a lot of good receivers and running backs and some tight ends.
49:20But a lot of quarterbacks are increasingly kicking the can further down the road.
49:25And there are a lot of really intriguing draft eligible quarterbacks for 2027.
49:29Probably a majority of those guys are not going to declare.
49:32Those guys can just make so much money in school now.
49:36It's very appealing for them to just stay in school, play it out, make a lot of money, and then come out after their senior years.
49:44So I think we might get a little bit rug pulled with the 2027 class.
49:49I think there's still going to be some really good quarterbacks, but it's not going to be the bonanza of a dozen
49:56interesting quarterbacks that we could possibly get if everyone came out when they're eligible.
50:00So I agree with you. 2028 is looking good.
50:03I don't know if Malachi Tony is going to be as exciting as Jeremiah Smith, but he's pretty exciting.
50:09He's going to be pretty up there. Yeah. So I like that thought.
50:13Malachi Tony, I like Keelan Russell at Alabama. Dude, Keelan Russell looks like he might be the next Lamar.
50:19He looks awesome. If he starts running, he could be Lamar, but he is so pocket focused right now.
50:25He's a really great passer. There's juice in there, man.
50:29There's a lot of opportunity. For sure. And then you get into the guys like Fitz is saying who might kick the kick.
50:36CJ Carr could go back to Notre Dame and say, you know what?
50:40I can make a lot of money at Notre Dame and going out in another class, right?
50:45Like, I mean, there's a lot of – Watch doesn't need the money.
50:49Totally. Totally. So you could say he doesn't look good right now.
50:53I think – I thought I heard Daniel Jeremiah – I can't remember if it was Daniel Jeremiah or one of the
51:00other big draft analysts say they thought maybe Drew Mestemaker was the best of the draft eligible, 2027 draft eligible quarterbacks.
51:07But this is Mestemaker's second year as a starter since grade school.
51:11And it's first in the P4. Yeah. He is probably not coming out this year.
51:16So that's another guy who's probably going to kick the can down the road.
51:20Yeah. And again, we're not knocking 27 generally speaking.
51:23We're saying 2028 is also very good, but it doesn't have the reputation that 2027 has had for years now building up to this point.
51:31So I think you can take advantage of that in trades, Bogman.
51:35Yeah. And I think there's a good point to make too that where Fitz has talked about how like, hey, sometimes it
51:42stinks to trade for a pick that's two years away because you do have to take into account.
51:47Like, I don't have any value for that for 2027 either.
51:51But it's an asset. Right. And if the class isn't as good as we thought, maybe this pick from 28 helps you
51:58move to where you need or to get that veteran in the, you know, during the 2026 draft or the 2027.
52:05Sorry, during the 2027 draft or the 2027 offseason.
52:07Right. It's still an asset that you have in the bag that you can move to get the piece that you need.
52:14So I think trading for those pieces specifically when they aren't being looked at in high regard because everyone is not thinking about that class at all.
52:23They're all thinking about 2027 is a really good point to make.
52:27So I like this point that you brought to us, Wyrm, and it is it's just it's a very smart move to
52:34try to get those picks right now because people are overlooking them.
52:38It's something I always like to do, but I think this year in particular, it makes a lot of sense given how
52:45overshadowed the class feels compared to 27 and how good I think the class could end up being.
52:50So a lot of those in this show, too, like the one where I say, you know, try to trade, you know,
52:57an upside guy that's in the league now plus a pick instead of the higher pick that applies every year.
53:04But for this year specifically, like a little bit more.
53:07So a lot of that in this show today.
53:10I want to remind everybody they can join our fantasy pros discord community chat with other fans and get access to exclusive
53:17AMAs that wind up on our podcast feed. Current schedule looks like this myself and fits at five Eastern on the first Tuesday of every month.
53:25Bogman and fits at five Eastern on the third Tuesday of every month.
53:29Welsh and Erickson at two Eastern every Thursday. Come get your questions answered and be on the show at fantasy pros dot com slash chat.
53:37We'll wrap things up there. Thanks for everybody for checking out our contenders and rebuilders advice episode for fits and Bogman.
53:44I'm Ryan warmly. We'll see you again next time.
53:47Thanks for listening to the fantasy pros dynasty football podcast.
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