Dynasty Fantasy Football Notebook: The 5 Personality Traits Of Your Leaguemates
Jake Trowbridge identifies the five different personality traits of dynasty fantasy football managers.
The thing about dynasty leagues is they are all wonderfully and chaotically unique, but they’re also kind of identical. I know … oxymoron. But if you play in multiple leagues for long enough, you’ll start to notice familiar tropes pop up all over the place.
You’ll find yourself thinking, “Didn’t I just get this exact same insultingly bad trade offer a few days ago?” Only this time it’s Todd sending the offer in your 12-team, superhero-themed Superflex league. Last time it was Marla in the 10-team startup league you threw together for your birding crew (shoutout to the Toucan Play That Game squad).
Because although the names may change, every league has the same archetypes.
The Different Personalities Who Play in Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues
#1 The Perpetual Rebuilder
They haven’t fielded a competitive roster in nearly a decade because they’re always in the process of “rebuilding” their team. Any time a player threatens to actually score points, they’re shipped off to another team in return for future rookie picks or a player who hasn’t yet broken out and probably never will.
Rather than risk failure, the Perpetual Rebuilder stopped trying to win altogether. Because if you never try, never can you fail. I’m pretty sure Yoda said that.
Their greatest victory comes from lording over the rest of the league on rookie draft day. They currently have 14 future first-round rookie picks and not one of them is going to help them win a championship.
How they benefit the league: Not only do they increase your odds of making the playoffs, but if you ever want a depth piece that happens to be older than 26, all you have to do is ask.
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#2 The Relentless Trader
Whereas the Perpetual Rebuilder is always trading for rookie picks and unproven assets, the Relentless Trader is just … always trading. Period. You know that old expression “an apple a day keeps the doctor away?” This manager has applied that philosophy to fantasy trades. And apparently they’ve adjusted the number for inflation.
This mf’er would’ve spent their last moments on the sinking Titanic trying to work out a deal with the captain to acquire running back depth. They celebrate wedding anniversaries with red wine, lobster bisque and a quick QB upgrade. They swapped third-string tight ends at their grandma’s funeral. While their grandpa was watching.
In other words, the day you don’t get a trade offer from them is the day you need to get a search party together.
How they benefit the league: The main reason we even play dynasty leagues is for the year-round engagement, and the Relentless Trader ensures there’s never a dull moment. You might not like all the trade offers they send, but you’d miss them if they stopped.
#3 The Ghost
The Relentless Trader’s mortal enemy. This person is technically in your dynasty league and presumably has a pulse, but neither can be verified at any given moment.
They’re juuuuust active enough that you can’t kick them out of the league. They set their lineups during the season, they make their picks on rookie draft day, but they haven’t sent a trade offer or made a waiver transaction since Adrian Peterson was in the league.
That means two things: 1) The players on their roster will never, ever be yours. So stop fantasizing about it. And 2) You’ve probably forgotten this person’s name.
How they benefit the league: It’s one less person to fight with for that waiver wire darling in Week 5. Oh, and on those ultra-rare occasions the Ghost does pop into the league chat? Hoo boy. It’s like Christmas and Mardi Gras rolled into one.
#4 The Overreactor
Did a random football player show up in the last paragraph of a news blurb? Were they mentioned in a social media post by an account with 20 followers? This person saw it, they have a hot take about it and they will transact accordingly.
I’m serious. If the WR5 on a team’s depth chart catches a fluky touchdown pass, this manager has added them to their waiver wire queue before you’ve even seen the replay. Unless the Overreactor already had that player on their bench, in which case they’re definitely on the trade block now.
And no, you probably can’t afford them.
How they benefit the league: In all their haste to catch the next big thing, the Overreactor sometimes overlooks the steady production of boring players who stay out of the headlines. Use that to your advantage. And if they want to unload a player based on a totally unsubstantiated rumor they heard from a friend of a friend of an ex-roommate? Well, feel free to unburden them.
#5 The Narcissist
Let’s get one thing straight: All of their players are amazing and all of yours are trash. Got it?
What, you thought Justin Jefferson was worth MORE than Jerry Jeudy? What are you, some kind of idiot? Because that sounds like something an idiot would say.
Every trade they’re not involved in is either lopsided or unnecessary. And if they are involved in a trade, they must “win” it. So just know that if you send them a trade offer, it’s automatically bad. And if they send you a trade offer and you don’t accept, you’re making the biggest mistake of your life and are, once again, a pretty big idiot.
How they benefit the league: Oh they don’t. If this were a redraft league they would’ve been booted seasons ago, but you really needed a 12th person when you started the league and now you’re kinda stuck with them.
…Which dynasty personality are you? Hit me up on Bluesky and let me know.
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