As the season nears its final stretch, it’s easy to get lost in the excitement of the playoffs & championship week. Still, if you’re a dynasty fantasy football manager, December offers a unique opportunity to shape your team for long-term success. Whether you’ve made the playoffs, are fighting for a consolation prize, or have already been eliminated, your offseason planning in December can set you up for dynasty dominance.
Here we’ll discuss how to embrace a championship mindset while simultaneously building your dynasty football team for the future. We’ll walk through key steps to take during this pivotal time and lay the foundation for your offseason plans. If you’re looking to become a dynasty fantasy football powerhouse, here’s your guide to dominating the final stretch of the year and preparing for a prosperous 2024 and beyond.
Embrace the Championship Mindset
December is the final stretch of the NFL season, but it’s also the most important month of the year for dynasty fantasy managers. By now, you’ve likely made your assessment of your roster, and whether you’re in contention or rebuilding, you need to stay focused on long-term success. Let’s break down how you can maintain a championship mindset during December.
Evaluate Your Team’s Needs Whether you're in a playoff hunt or outside looking in, it’s essential to take a step back and assess where your team stands. This goes beyond looking at your fantasy football standings—dig deep into your roster's strengths and weaknesses, as this will be crucial for making strategic moves for the future.
What to Evaluate:
Positional Needs: Are there areas of weakness on your team that need addressing? Do you need a new starting quarterback or running back? Are your wide receivers aging or underperforming?
Age & Future Production: Look at your aging veterans. How much longer will they provide top-tier production? Conversely, are you holding too many younger, unproven players? You want to maintain a balance with a mix of immediate contributors and future stars.
Trade Block: Before deciding whether to contend or rebuild, determine who on your roster has trade value. If you're in contention, you may want to acquire win-now pieces; if you're rebuilding, trade aging stars for future draft picks or younger assets.
Understand Your League's Playoff Format This might seem obvious, but knowing your league’s rules and playoff format can have a significant impact on your decision-making. Some leagues have a "consolation" bracket where even non-playoff teams can earn future picks. Whether your league allows keepers, is redraft style, or dynasty, understanding the exact layout of your playoff system is crucial in determining what kind of moves you need to make.
Focus on Depth and Long-Term Success If you are in contention for a championship, don’t get greedy—don’t sacrifice your future for one fleeting moment of victory. Consider your roster’s long-term potential while making any trade or lineup decision. Dynasty fantasy football is about sustainability. Keep that in mind as you target players who offer both short-term upside and long-term viability. If you need to make a move to win now, try to ensure you’re not mortgaging too much of your future in doing so. Something to keep in mind here is that every year, any team that makes the fantasy playoffs has at best a 30% chance of winning the championship. This should help remind you to keep the long-term view in mind and remember that the key to success in dynasty fantasy football is building a team for the long haul that is competitive every year.
Stay Flexible and Adapt In dynasty leagues, you must stay flexible. Roster management is key as you finalize decisions for the year. Injuries and breakouts during the final weeks of the season can impact a player’s value, so be ready to pivot. Don’t get attached to players who have lost their value, but also be willing to take a calculated risk on players with high upside—especially in dynasty formats. Injured players, or rookies with upside that haven't performed well are excellent players to take a chance on, especially if they are on the roster of a playoff-caliber team.
Prepare for Offseason Planning
As December rolls around, you must shift focus to the upcoming offseason. The key to dominating in dynasty leagues is not just about how you perform in-season, but how well you can manage your roster to set up future success.
Make Strategic Trades
The offseason is where the bulk of dynasty activity happens. Players who are injured or underperforming late in the year can often be acquired at a discount during the offseason. The time to strike is now, while other owners are reflecting on their current rosters and may overvalue aging stars or fall for the hype of a late-season breakout player. Look to make trades that benefit you in the future, such as acquiring 2025 draft picks or young, talented players with high ceilings.
Here Are Some Trade Ideas To Consider:
Selling High on Aging Veterans: If you have players who have performed well but are aging or entering a decline phase (e.g., 29-30 years old for running backs, mid-30s for quarterbacks), you should be looking to sell them to contenders who need one final push.
Buying Low on Young Players: On the flip side, if you’re rebuilding, target younger players who may have flashed potential but haven't seen consistent playing time. Their value will likely rise next season.
Draft Picks and Roster Depth: Trading for future draft picks can be highly advantageous. Keep an eye on the potential 2025 rookie class and target owners who are desperate for immediate success but lack patience.
Editor's Tip: One of my favorite strategies this time of year is to attempt to acquire picks for the upcoming rookie draft because the closer the draft gets, the more valuable those picks become. Anytime you can trade players for picks in the upcoming year, those are trades you need to consider making, and it doesn't matter what round. The key is to acquire as many picks as you can as quickly as possible, and to have at least double the number of picks for the number of rounds of your rookie draft (e.g. if your rookie draft is 4 rounds, you want to have at least 8 picks).
Roster Evaluation: Keep, Trade, or Drop? Before the new league year begins, take stock of each player on your roster. Are you holding onto players who are stuck in a depth chart logjam or are underperforming? If so, it may be time to cut ties. But don't drop players simply because they didn't perform this year—sometimes, players need more time to develop. Evaluate every player for their long-term upside, and if there’s any doubt, hold on to them until the offseason to see if their value increases.
If you're in a rebuilding situation, consider dropping older players who don’t have a long-term upside for younger players who could develop into consistent starters.
Analyze the Upcoming Rookie Class The 2025 rookie class will be crucial for shaping the future of your dynasty team. Make sure to spend time in December watching college football and studying draft prospects. Understanding the rookies coming into the league gives you an edge when making trades or preparing for your rookie draft. Some key things to focus on:
Top Positions to Target: Does your team have positional weaknesses? If so, research the depth of talent in that position group. Is the running back class deep, or is there more talent at wide receiver?
Draft Strategy: How many picks do you have, and how can you maximize them? If you have multiple first-rounders, you might consider packaging them to move up the board. If you have a late-round pick, you may need to rely more on scouting for sleepers and high-upside players.
Plan for Future Seasons
Don’t just think about the next year—think about the next three to five years. Dynasty football success comes from building a sustainable roster that can compete year after year. Some ways to plan for future seasons include:
Roster Construction: Ensure you’re balanced with younger players who are in their prime and veterans who still have something to offer.
Contract and Salary Cap Leagues: If your league uses a salary cap or contract system, keep track of your cap space and upcoming contract years. Use December to plan for extensions or trades of players with expiring contracts.
Depth and Flexibility: Ensure your bench is full of high-upside players and depth pieces to weather the ups and downs of an NFL season. Don’t overload on aging players who have no value beyond the current season.
Consider Coaching and Scheme Changes
Coaching changes and scheme shifts in the NFL can dramatically impact player performance. Monitor news on potential coaching changes and be prepared to react. Sometimes, a new head coach or offensive coordinator can bring a new system that might unlock the potential of previously underperforming players.
For instance, a new offensive coordinator might prefer a run-heavy offense, giving more value to a running back who wasn’t utilized previously. Or a new quarterback coach might improve a young QB’s mechanics, leading to a breakout season.
Set Yourself Up for Dynasty Success
December is your opportunity to evaluate, trade, and plan for long-term success in dynasty fantasy football. Whether you’re making a run for a championship or setting yourself up for future dominance, the key is to stay disciplined, be strategic, and focus on roster management. Keep your eyes on the future and continue to build a roster that can thrive for years to come.
In a dynasty league, success is measured over the long haul, not just one season. So, while December might be the final month of the current year, it’s just the beginning of your journey toward greatness. Take these steps now to set up your team for success in 2025 and beyond, and by the time the offseason rolls around, you’ll be one step ahead of your competition, poised for domination both now and in the future.
