The league is a 14-team non-PPR, start 1-2-2-1-1Flex-K-DST with shallow 20-man rosters and no taxi or injured reserve. I have finished in the top-3 all three years of the league. 2015 was my worst finish with a 7-6 record in the regular season thanks to Andrew Luck and LeVeon Bell injuries. Despite the injuries, I limped into the playoffs and would have won the title if not for a poor week 15 showing in the semifinals.
During the 2015 rookie draft, I sent Jimmy Graham and LeGarrette Blount for Breshad Perriman and a 2016 1st round rookie pick. This team’s core included Peyton Manning, Dez Bryant, Alfred Morris and Jimmy Graham and ended the season 3-10. This gave me the 1.01 rookie pick, along with my 1.12 pick and four picks later in the draft.
The Strategy
When I analyzed my roster, I saw only two players I could easily cut, leaving no room for my draft picks. My goal for the offseason was to package up and gain roster spots. In addition, I saw my team full of second tier players outside of a few elite talents. I also viewed Andrew Luck as expendable in a start-1QB format.
The Moves
Much to my surprise, I was able to free roster space in one large trade, sending Lamar Miller, Michael Floyd, Karlos Williams, Matt Jones, DeVante Parker, two 4th round picks and a future 2nd and 3rd for Todd Gurley, Sammy Watkins, Clive Walford, 1.09, and a 2017 1st and 5th round pick. This trade freed up three roster spots including the 2016 picks and boosted my projected starting lineup.
Soon after freeing up the roster space, I was able to move Andrew Luck for a package including Jameis Winston and some picks. I felt this deal was important to gain back some running back depth through the draft after trading three away in the earlier deal.
The Draft
- 1.01Ezekiel Elliott
- 1.09 Derrick Henry
- 1.10 Kenneth Dixon
- 1.12 Will Fuller
- 2.12 (Traded)
- 5.09 Terrell Pryor
- 5.12 Dwayne Washington
Current Roster
Jameis Winston, Kirk Cousins
Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry, Kenneth Dixon
Odell Beckham Jr., Sammy Watkins, Kevin White, Jordan Matthews, Devin Funchess, Will Fuller, Sammie Coates, Breshad Perriman
Travis Kelce, Clive Walford, Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Cut Players
Tim Hightower, Terrelle Pryor, Dwayne Washington, Albert Wilson, Quincy Enunwa
To-Do List
This team is stacked from top to bottom but has no room to churn in-season. Of the five players I have to cut before the regular season, I only feel comfortable cutting two (Wilson and Enunwa). Ideally, I will be able to free up two or three additional roster spots with trades before cut day so I can have room to add any early season breakouts.
Takeaways
This offseason, I have learned to be even more aware of the final cut line throughout the offseason. I will likely be selling players under their market value to gain roster spots, or I will be cutting talented players. The easiest time to consolidate roster spots is when they are first expanded.
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