Yards Per Fantasy University: Fantasy Football Common Traps To Avoid
No matter what type of league you’re playing in or what the level of competition is, you will reach many different crossroads and face many decisions. Which decision you make and which direction you choose will differ in every fantasy football league but there are some common traps to watch for and to avoid.
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Trading away future picks (Dynasty)
This is not to say you shouldn’t or can’t trade them away, but there is a time for everything. If you are killing it in September, you might be interested in trading away a future first for a decent veteran, but you should exercise caution. Next thing you know your starting quarterback and running back go down and it’s not looking so good. Then the veteran you traded for was on a bad team and he gets traded in the NFL and he’s not producing the same anymore. Now you just finished last in the regular season and your 1.01 is in the hands of someone else for a mediocre veteran who isn’t that great anymore. It would behoove you to hold your future first until you are locked or near locked for playoffs, you may lose some value, but it is much safer. As for future picks you acquired that are not yours, you can trade them away early, but the same concept above still applies.
“Untradeable” (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
It sounds ridiculous but no one is untradeable or should be at least. If you mark one of your players as untradeable it is automatically off putting to most league mates, even when in trade relations for a different player. It can also make it increasingly difficult to trade that player later down the road should you decide to change your mind. A better way to phrase this is “I have a pretty high valuation on this player but I’m willing to listen to offers”, and if the offer isn’t what you’re looking for then simply say “I’ll hold for now, but I’ll let you know if I change my mind”. If another manager states someone is untradeable then try saying something along the lines of “Aww come on, what do you think about a 2nd round rookie pick next year?” If that was as much as you wanted to offer then at least you know he’s not acquirable by you right now, and you gave it your best shot. It’s not uncommon to hear that a player is untradeable and then two days later a trade is being processed with him in it because that other manager didn’t give up. Don’t pay more than your valuation, but attempt to send an offer. Also, be open to all offers you receive.
Trade calculators can be bad (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
Trade calculators can have negative effects in trade talks, especially when used as a tool to show another manager why they should accept or why you would deny a trade. Calculators are most useful when only you know the information, so that you can use it as a guide when you may like a trade but realize that the market value is a little off. Trade calculators are most useful when utilized with context, if some big news just dropped about a player or a team and it is going to shift values then it’s pretty obvious the calculator won’t have adjusted yet. One of the biggest mistakes someone can make when doing a trade is giving away too many assets because they really like a player and they let it cloud their judgement. Make sure that you do your research on the calculators that are available as all of them are formulated differently and can affect the value of a player adversely in some cases.
Rearview mirrors (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
Avoid paying too much attention to what a player has done in the past if situations change. This can go both ways, either a player was good but is showing signs of regression, or a player has been bad but keeps improving. Pay attention to efficiency metrics for this exact trap because they can paint a much larger picture as to why something is happening. If a player used to be good but is declining, then see if it’s due to efficiency or volume. If the issue is efficiency, then the player may be on a path of regression but if it’s solely due to volume then assess if the player will/should receive more in the future.
Disregarding talent or situation due to age (Dynasty)
There are many examples of when a player is “faded” due to age, but their efficiency or volume is still there. Try to maintain a wide lens when looking at a player and how they may regress or decline. Some positions last longer than others, and it can be very beneficial to have a high scoring veteran that someone is selling for cheap. Always account for the value you may lose by accruing an asset but remember the end goal is winning and sometimes you may have to sacrifice value for that.
Losing track of the time (Dynasty)
This is a pretty vague statement, but the main point is that there is a macro value of players at different points of the year. Peak value for a performing veteran will be mid-season when teams are pushing for playoffs, but this is also when your underperforming rookies will be worth the least. Your rookie picks will be the most valuable during or right before the rookie draft, but they will be the cheapest at the beginning of the season. Try to account for these time periods when trading for players and assets to avoid losing value on a macro scale.
Youth over everything (Dynasty)
This is dynasty football, so youth is desired, but you also have to score a lot of points during the season to be able to win. If your team is too young, then normally they will not be as developed and thus score less points than a well-developed veteran with a similar skill set. There is the idea of rebuilding in which it may behoove you to take a year or two off trying to win and accrue that youth and value, but in general you should be trying to win. This can also be referred to as competitive rebuilding, where you try to stay young and accrue assets destined to increase in value but maintain that strong core of veterans to help you win.
Draft Capital lasts forever (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
If a player has consistently been bad and they still aren’t improving, then don’t get caught up in how much Draft Capital the player has. Sammy Watkins is the best example for this scenario, a player who was projected to be great for years to come but was rather mediocre his first two years. If someone held on to him for too long, they ended up losing out on a lot of value, but if you can recognize the point at which Draft Capital won’t carry a player anymore then you’re a step ahead of everyone else. The flipside of this is that just because a player does not have great Draft Capital does not mean they can’t succeed in the NFL for a long time. It can prove to be more difficult for a player but once they’ve shown they are here to stay, don’t be afraid to buy in.
This extends to the round you drafted the player in your league. If you draft a player with your last pick and he turns in to a stud then you aren’t going to sell him for last-pick value anymore. Likewise, if your first round pick just isn’t living up to the hype then don’t expect someone to pay first round value for them.
Buying at ceiling (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
This trap is one that can easily conceal itself with rankings and ADP running rampant. It happens most often after a major situation change happens and people start accounting for things such as vacated targets or a quarterback improvement. These are things that should be accounted for but tempering the expectations will allow you to see the value in players who are consistent and have a solid floor. Zigging when they Zag is a widely known phrase and it totally applies here, it’s best to pay attention to the safe value when everyone else is buying into the hype.
Drop a player if they’re not worth anything (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
Always put a player on the trade block or send out offers with a player who is rapidly declining in value or has seen a steady decrease in value recently. Dropping a player without exploring options available can lead to an extreme loss in value and it will really hurt if that player bounces back. Try to maintain as much value as possible if you’re trying to get out from under a player. At some point you may have to make the harsh decision to drop him, but if that is what you must do, ensure you pick someone else with that empty spot. Ensure you are taking full advantage of the amount of roster spots, you never know when a player could explode onto the scene.
Looking at Season long numbers and not the consistency (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
Fantasy football is a weekly game in the most part. You win weekly matchups and you win the championship by winning enough weekly matchups to get there and then winning that week. The total points that a player scores across the whole season isn’t going to help you, it’s the individual weekly scores that will. Some players are boom or bust, where they will have a handful of huge weeks surrounding by a bunch of terrible weeks – those total numbers could look great when you’re looking back at the end of the year but you only need to have rostered one of these players to know that it’s infuriating. There is absolutely a place for these players but look at the context of what to expect and be prepared for that inconsistency.
Not Understanding ADP or Positional Value (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
This is all about the value of players. For ADP (Average Draft Position), this helps identify where players are generally getting drafted so you can understand which players you can wait for and which players you’ll need to go and get early. If you don’t take ADP in to account then you could be drafting players several rounds earlier than you need to, losing out on other top players in the meantime.
For Positional Value this is about knowing the depth of each position. Quarterbacks generally score the most points but the difference between the QB1 and the QB4 is much less than the difference between the RB1 and the RB4, so you can afford to wait on those Quarterbacks and take the Running Backs before all the good ones are gone. This is positional value and if you don’t understand it, you’ll end up with great players and positions that matter less.
Assuming other managers won’t reach / not getting your guys (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
There comes a time in drafts where you just want to get your guys, but you might decide to take the risk and wait another round. If you do this and that player goes before your next pick, you won’t forgive yourself. You don’t come out of your drafts mad about players you drafted, you come out of your drafts mad about the players you passed up. Assuming that other managers in your league aren’t looking at the same players and won’t reach up a round to get them is what usually causes this. If you like them that much, someone else probably does too.
Not understanding how your league mates think / assuming they have the same opinions as you (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
This contains similar elements to items already discussed but there’s a particular nuance that’s worth adding. Just because you value a player in a certain way, doesn’t mean everyone else will. Just because you think another team could do with your player and you think it would be a good trade, doesn’t mean they will.
Get to know your league-mates, understand what makes them tick and what their tendencies are. Does the manager above you in waiver priority tend to wait for the perfect player to become available, does another manager spend big with FAAB, are they a huge homer for a particular team and would value their running back differently to everyone else? If you can learn as much about your league-mates as possible, it will inform your decision making.
Looking too much to the future and forgetting to win now (Dynasty)
The temptation of youth is noted above, but don’t forget to win your league. Many dynasty managers are obsessed with the rookies and the rookie picks, looking 3 years down the line at what their team could look like and selling older players to pay for it. It’s ok to win now though! Looking forward is great but please don’t forget to try and win your league now if you’re able to do so.
Not utilising all roster spots (Dynasty / Redraft / Keeper)
Know your roster spots. In dynasty leagues this could mean stashing players on your taxi squad (if you have one), freeing up spots on your bench to add other players.
And the one that people miss is IR (injured reserve) spots. Understand your league rules and if a player is eligible for the IR spot, put them there and go get another player in the empty roster spot that you just opened up.
Having a Set Draft Strategy
There are lots of different views on draft strategies, whether it’s zero RB, robust RB, draft an early TE or making sure you finish round two with RB/WR. However, every draft is different and this is a game of value. You should stay flexible and draft depending on how the draft board falls, not stay stuck in a set strategy. For example, if you decide that you’re not taking running back in round one and then somehow a stud player falls to you, you aren’t going to pass up on that player.
Yes you need to keep your roster in mind and not leaving yourself short in areas but if the best running back is a reach and there is a stud wide receiver available then the wide receiver is probably the best option regardless of any pre-conceived ideas or strategies heading in. Stay flexible and play the values on the board.
Starting Thursday Night players in Flex spots
Flex spots are, by definition, flexible. But if you start a player in one of those spots on a Thursday night, that flexibility is gone and you’re locked in for the rest of the weekend. If you have, for example, a running back that’s playing on Thursday, put them in a running back spot. It doesn’t matter if that means McCaffrey is in a flex spot when Sunday rolls around, you still get the same points! And now, if said player gets injured before his game, you have more options to replace him with a wide receiver or tight end if necessary.
Every league differs and the decisions you need to make will differ, but you should now have some ideas of those fantasy football common traps to avoid.
And of course, you can always ask the Yards Per Fantasy team for help and advice any time with our Ask The Expert feature.
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