Living The Dynasty Fantasy Football Life With No Regrets

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Hims:

Last month, I wrote a piece on how to approach dynasty fantasy football if you're a first-timer player.

In order to do well in dynasty, I generally think you need to know:

Yourself
Your timeframe
Your league
How to trade
How to win now and later

On top of that, I believe that winning dynasty managers have the ability to move on and learn from their mistakes, and I want to explore this idea in this newsletter.

"And Bad Mistakes—I've Made a Few"

If you want to earn the right to play Queen's We Are the Champions in front of your leaguemates while you obnoxiously pour beer all over yourself, you'll need to be comfortable with the certainty that you will make some mistakes along the way, probably some really big and bad ones.

The first dynasty league I ever joined was with a bunch of buddies from high school. Years later, it's still going—and that's still the league I care about the most.

And I can still tell you all the big mistakes I made years ago.

The biggest that still stands out to me is this: At the end of the 2009 season, I needed to cut a player, and my decision came down to two guys. The first was QB Tom Brandstater, whom no one remembers now.

The second was RB Arian Foster, who led the league with 5,702 scrimmage yards and 47 all-purpose touchdowns in the next three seasons.

I kept Brandstater and cut Foster.

That decision cost me multiple championships … as did most of these other decisions.

I dropped Antonio Brown after his rookie year.

I traded away Eric Decker right before his breakout.

I claimed Dane Sanzenbacher instead of an about-to-emerge Victor Cruz.

I drafted Mark Ingram instead of Julio Jones.

I selected Breshad Perriman over David Johnson.

I released Tyreek Hill right before his rookie season started.

Even with all these mistakes … I still went on a run where I won five championships in eight years.

Granted, everyone else in my league is a moron … That's what we call "trash talking." Even so, a fistful of championships ain't nothing.

THESE PLAYERS COULD IMPACT YOUR NEXT TITLE RUN

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"But I've Come Through"

Almost exactly seven years ago, I wrote a piece when I worked at Action Network about how to fail at life and succeed as a fantasy sports writer.

Since then, I've failed more at life and work than I'd like to admit.

In that piece, here's some of what I said about dynasty.

"The dynasty format forces fantasy players to own their decisions in a very real way. The skin they have in the game lives longer and must be thicker. … I like dynasty because it's like life in miniature. Mistakes as well as successes have long tails, and what matters is not the number of one's errors but the longevity of one's triumphs."

In dynasty—as in life—it can be easy to get caught up on the mistakes you make.

But if you do that, it will be markedly harder for you to have success later.

Like a pitcher who just gave up a home run. Like a QB who just threw an INT. Like anyone in life who is dealing with a notable setback—when you make a mistake in dynasty, you still need to have the wherewithal and fortitude to move on.

Without that, it doesn't matter how smart and strategic you are—because mistakes are inevitable, and if your errors impact your ability to move forward with focus and a positive mindset, then you'll likely lose a lot more than you should. Just think about the long-range focus you have to have in Empire Leagues.

PLAYERS TO TARGET IN DRAFTS & TRADES IN EMPIRE LEAGUES

Learn Fantasy to Live Reality

It might be easy for naysayers to look at fantasy and think, "That's a waste of time. It's nothing but a stupid game based on a game intended for children but played by overpaid adults."

Maybe.

But it's not uncommon for children to learn about life through games. Why should adults playing fantasy be any different?

Above all, dynasty (in my opinion) teaches us the importance of patience, process, resilience, and resolve.

It forces the people who stick with it, in the words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Fantasy is fun—but it's also functional.

Ideally, the lessons one learns playing dynasty can lead one in life.

Win in fantasy, prosper in reality.

START WITH DYNASTY RANKINGS … WHO’S 1.01?

Ready to Believe in J.J. McCarthy

If Thor Nystrom were writing this, we all know which way this would be going. But in dynasty, we have to measure the value of a second-year quarterback in a great system, with an expert playcaller in Kevin O’Connell, and one of the best pass-catching corps in the game (hello to the other J.J.). We also have to remember the frenzy for Kenny Pickett from two short summers ago. We still have scars.

Sam Wallace and Jonathan Fuller tackle a Fantasy Life Discord member’s question about possibly trading McCarthy for Kyler Murray. It’s a valid quandary, as there are arguments to be made in favor of trading for each player. What side are you on? Check out this discussion, and a few more below. ⬇️

WOULD YOU TRADE OMARION HAMPTON FOR BREECE HALL?

Around the Watercooler

The latest NFL news and fantasy football analysis from our merry band of football nerds

🤞 Could Saquon pull a Barry Sanders? Hopefully not for a few more years.

👀 Ready to dive into a Dynasty startup? Thank us later.

💥 Drake Maye sophomore boom incoming!

🐐 Set your all-time “randomized” fantasy roster. WR3 still the GOAT.

🎞️ Advice for leagues drafting kickers and defenses. Very cool footage.

👬 Check out these RB projections. JT ready to carry a big load.