There seems to be a pervasive thought echoing through the dynasty streets that we’re in some sort of a dead zone. That we’re all supposed to go into a post-Super Bowl, blissed-out hibernation until the NFL Draft arrives.

But you and I know that’s not true. We understand that this is a time to recalibrate, sure, but it’s also a golden opportunity to plan our next moves. And to strike while the iron is … cold? I guess? I’m not positive how iron temperatures translate to dynasty leagues.

THE POINT BEING I’m not going to simply sit back and let my dynasty leagues toil. Here’s what I’m doing over the next month or so.

How to Approach the Post-Super Bowl Time in Dynasty Fantasy Football

Absorbing the IMPORTANT rookie info and ignoring the rest.

First, a quick shoutout to the incredible NFL Draft articles Matthew Freedman, Coach Gene Clemons and company are supplying us with. Scouting reports, mock drafts and updates to Dwain McFarland’s legendary Rooke Super Model. All very useful. All worth absorbing.

But on the horizon, one of the biggest and brightest hype trains known to humankind is barreling toward us. And it’s looking to blow a hole right through our critical thinking skills. It’s called the NFL Combine.

That means many of your rookie draft picks are about to skyrocket in value. Which presents a great opportunity for you to sell.

Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of useful information to be gleaned from this event. Knowing exactly how fast these rookies can run and how high they can jump provides drafters with useful tiebreaking information when we’re staring two otherwise similar prospects in the face. When two guys have very comparable profiles and college production, sometimes a dazzling three-cone drill is all that separates them.

But the combine can very easily create cautionary tales about overdrafting players based on one single piece of information. Players who have otherwise flown under the radar can make a name for themselves and soar up draft boards. Sometimes it’s warranted. But occasionally it leads to trouble.

If he hadn’t set the 40-yard dash record at the 2024 NFL Combine, would folks have been so comfortable drafting Xavier Worthy above Brian Thomas Jr or Ladd McConkey? A year earlier, was Anthony Richardson cemented as the class’ dynasty QB1 without one of the best combine performances of all time? My heart says no.

My point here is not to sit here all smug with the benefit of hindsight and say “tsk tsk.” My point—which I’m going to put in all caps, so please don’t take it as me yelling at you—is to LEVERAGE ANY EXCESS COMBINE HYPE IN YOUR ROOKIE DRAFTS.

Do you have a pick in the back half of the first round? Then you should be actively rooting for someone to break the combine. Because when a player who’s initially projected to go off the board on Day 3 crushes the shuttle drill and ends up all over social media, that pick of yours suddenly becomes much more valuable. Be ready to move on from it.

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Preparing for free agency chaos

The biggest swings in veteran player values will also occur during the next couple of months. The deadline for teams to franchise tag a player is March 3. Shortly after that, free agency opens up. Before you know it, our happy little faces will be aglow with the NFL Draft on our televisions.

My advice here is simple: Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. Although we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen to a player yet, we can formulate a pretty solid guess based on the information we have. If you wait until the moves are finalized, you can miss out on a lot of good value.

Let’s use George Pickens as an example. We know that Pickens is a candidate for the franchise tag and that Jerry Jones hasn’t been bashful about using those tags in the past. In the last decade or so, Dallas has tagged Dez Bryant, Demarcus Lawrence (twice), Dak Prescott (twice), Dalton Schultz and Tony Pollard.

But if he’s tagged, would Pickens go about business as usual? He happens to share the same agent as Micah Parsons, who wound up on the Packers roster at the very last minute this past offseason due to a breakdown in negotiations. Is that possibility on the table for Pickens? Or might he opt to hold out like Bryant did, which ultimately secured him a long-term contract. Depending on how long they last, holdouts can negatively affect short-term production, as we were reminded last year with Terry McLaurin.

I’m not calling Pickens a walking red flag, and none of those question marks alone are enough to overreact in dynasty. But consider them along with:

• A projected regression in the number of plays the Dallas offense runs. (They ranked first in the league, mostly because they had to make up for their putrid defense.)
• Jones’ long history of turning diamonds back into coal through contract negotiations.
• Pickens’ rise from WR29 to WR10 over the last few months on KTC.

All of that mooshed together pushes me toward getting out while the getting is good. Going through the scenarios for these types of players can put you ahead of the curve.

Sending specific trades to keep the league engaged

You want your league to be more fun and more active this time of year? Then do something about it!

I was recently on the Trade Addicts podcast talking about how to wake up a dormant league from its slumber. And the most obvious solution is to be the change you want to see. That means firing off some (well-researched and thoughtful) trade offers to your drowsy leaguemates.

This month I’m trying to clear bench space to make room for last year’s IR spots and this year’s rookies. Rather than dropping all my fringe/high-upside players to waivers, I prefer to send some 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 trade offers. This lets me upgrade a position while clearing the necessary bench spots. Is there an elite player you can get in exchange for Michael Wilson, Woody Marks or Rhamondre Stevenson? Now is the time to find out.

But again I must emphasize sending THOUGHTFUL trades only. Boredom trading is a real thing and it’s more likely to happen during this big lull in NFL activity. And the worst thing you can do in your league right now is ruin your reputation.

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