This guest contribution comes from Australian with UTH Superfan Matt Caldow. Here is Part 2 to his dynasty rebuilding story:
I wanted to share my experience rebuilding using the ‘UTH method’ after taking over a team in a 16 team 0.5 ppr league – 25 man rosters in 2015.
This was my 2015 end of season squad and the method they were acquired:
QB: Gabbert (waivers), Manziel (trade)
RB: Gurley (2015 1.02), Akeem Hunt (waivers), Polk (trade), Josh Robinson (2015 2.15), Chris Thompson (waviers), Zenner (2015 3.04)
WR: Perriman (2015 1.06), Abbrederis (trade), Kenny Bell (trade), Ryan Grant (waivers), Holmes (trade), Huff (trade), McBride (waivers), Pryor (waivers), Roberts (waviers), Royal (waivers), Sanu (dispersal), Walters (trade)
TE: Bell (waivers), Griffin (trade), Williams (2015 2.04)
DST: Packers (dispersal), Jaguars (dispersal)
2016 Trades
- Gave: 2.12
- Got: Kenny Bell, 2016 3rd
- Gave: 2.01, Perriman
- Got: pick 1.02, Tyler Kroft
During the offseason the hype on the 2017 class had grown and the hype on the 2016 class dropped, which didn’t help the value of my picks. A clear tier of Treadwell, Doctson and Coleman emerged behind Elliott. We moved a WR who missed the season last year and now had a more crowded depth chart (Baltimore signed and drafted a few WRs) for the 1.02. Tyler Kroft was a throw in which turned out well with the recent Eifert injury news.
I entered the draft wanting to secure some 2017 picks. This wasn’t as easy as it first seemed as the 2017 hype had begun.
2016 Draft
Pick 1.01 – Ezekel Elliott – easy 1.01 pick. I would have preferred a WR here but the value was too much to pass up and no one was offering enough value to trade out.
Pick 1.02 – Treadwell – liked the landing spot and value long term
- Gave: 1.04, Jags DST, 3.14
- Got: 2017 1st, Kenny Britt, 3.02
I traded 1.04 for a 2017 1st because I wasn’t a Doctson fan. I had been hoping Coleman would drop but he went at 1.03. Britt has starter value in this deep league and I also got a full round bump in the third.
Pick 1.05 – Sterling Shepard – picked up the highly rated Giants WR with a great opportunity.
Pick 1.08 – Will Fulller – I ignored the bad press and took the ‘drop prone’ but highly drafted Texans WR – using the UTH trade calculator to compare the value of the players available.
- Gave: 1.10, 3.10
- Got: 1.16, 2.01
I didn’t like the value available at 10, with Kenneth Dixon the best available player according to my board. I didn’t want to take another RB. I was tempted by Carroo but decided to trade down and take a punt that Carroo would drop. He did… but only to 1.14… On the plus side the trade down gave me the ability to work the board through the draft, pick up extra value where I could and move up or down. I viewed the early second to late third as comparable so trading back helped to pick up some good players in the mid-late second for a lower price.
Pick: 1.16 – Keith Marshall – I had identified Marshall as a target player based on a couple of opinions I trusted. This was potentially a bit early but he represented good value as other RBs flew off the board (Prosise (1.12), Howard (1.13), Drake (1.15) and Perkins (1.17) were all in this range.
- Gave: 2.05
- Got: 2.12, 3.05, 3.10
I had pick 2.05 and 2.06 and three players target players were available. I traded out of 2.05 for more picks, which ended up working well in some later trades.
- Gave: Pick 2.01, 3.05
- Got: 2.09, 2017 2nd
Picked up a 2017 2nd for one of the thirds I had picked up in the 2.05 trade and an 8 spot drop.
- Gave: Mo Sanu
- Got: 2.07
Pick 2.06 – Jonathon Williams BUF RB – I had been hoping Hooper would drop but he went at 2.02. Instead I took the best available RB. A crowded depth chart but I can afford to have patience.
Pick 2.07 – DeAndre Washington – my third target player. I was able to trade back to get more picks earlier in the draft and then trade Sanu for this pick. The value of always being on the board.
Pick 2.09 – Carson Wentz – with only Gabbert at QB I took a shot at the no. 2 QB in the draft
Pick 2.12 – Braxton Miller – I am not a fan but best player available and at pick 28 why not shoot for upside.
Pick 3.01 – Wendell Smallwood – yet another shot at an upside back, with the hype growing by the minute as Sproles some contract noise and with Ryan Mathews made of glass this was a good value pick.
Pick 3.02 – Jordan Payton – a cheap ticket in the lottery that is the Cleveland Browns WRs. The odds shortened when Hartline was cut the next week.
Current Squad
QB: Gabbert (waivers), Wentz (2016 2.09)
RB: Gurley (2015 1.02), Ezekiel Elliott (2016 1.01), Keith Marshall (2016 1.16), Smallwood (2016 3rd), DeAndre Washington (2016 2.07), Jonathon Williams (2016 2.06), Zach Zenner (2015 3rd)
WR: Britt (trade), Kenny Bell (trade), Will Fuller (2016 1.07), Rashad Greene (waivers) Mitch Mathews (waivers), Braxton Miller (2016 2.12), Marquez North (waivers), Jordan Payton (2016 3.02), Sterling Shepard (2016 1.05), Laquon Treadwell (2016 1.02)
TE: Bell (waivers), Kroft (trade), Williams (2015 2.04)
DST: Packers (dispersal), Chargers (waivers)
Lessons
- Use your roster spots when rebuilding – trawl the waiver wire and sell on value, use your roster spots for marginal upgrades and to help other teams reduce roster crunch (even more so in a salary cap league).
- Be active – cultivate relationships so you are ready when the opportunity arises for trades and people know what you are trying to do and why.
- Make reasonable offers so people will negotiate/engage, try to offer counters if you get interest in your players BUT don’t sell for peanuts.
- Let people know if their offers are poor rather than rejecting them outright or making snide comments.
- When rebuilding sell marginal starters/players earlier rather than late. You may miss out on the odd big payday when they become a premier stud but that is highly unlikely. By doing this you will cash in on the value when it is available and you can get a more premium asset by cashing in multiple little pieces in a number of smaller deals. It also helps you to ‘compete’ for higher picks.
