Fantasy football leagues come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, I know this better than most, as none of the dozen or so teams I manage (not to mention countless best ball and mock drafts) are exactly the same, with a steady mix of seasonlong, dynasty, keeper, IDP, super-deep lineups and/or very creative scoring.
One of my past leagues even had punters and head coaches. Yes, you can use both in the ESPN game... and there are projections!
I often get asked about how to adjust strategy based on these leagues, so without getting too into the weeds, here are ways I do just that.
As much as I enjoy a good seasonlong draft, there is nothing I love more than dynasty leagues. It's the closest you can get to playing GM, as you retain your assets year to year and can make moves at nearly any point on the calendar. There are few better feelings in fantasy than hitting a home run on a rookie pick (just ask those who spent a late first-rounder on Justin Jefferson in 2020 or took a late flier on Puka Nacua in 2023) or watching one of your sleeper/bench stashes emerge (take a bow, stashers of Jalen Hurts, Chase Brown and Harold Fannin Jr. in years past).
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Oh, and the season never ends. Sure, it stinks to have a bad team, but if you fall out of contention in dynasty, the offseason begins -- at least for you -- and you can immediately begin making trades and waiver moves to set yourself up for future success. As odd as it sounds, sometimes that can be a more enjoyable ride than a stressful playoff run. And when it eventually leads to a title? There are few better feelings in this game.
The best advice I can give as it pertains to dynasty is to consider perceived value. Dynasty managers love unproven youngsters and first-round draft picks much more than they like established veterans, excluding obvious superstars in their early prime. We get bored with guys who just get the job done year after year, and we are easily distracted by the shiny new toy.
You can and should take advantage of this, and one way to do that in a startup draft is to go extremely young at the expense of winning in the short term. That might seem counterintuitive to what I just said, but bear with me. Aim for 20- to 24-year-old players (adjusting slightly by position) and do your best to fade everyone else. Not everyone you pick will pan out, but enough will, and within a year or two, your roster should be peaking, while the lineups of managers who drafted depreciating assets will be fading. Odds are, your slow start will also allow you to add another potential superstar via an early pick in the Year 2 rookie draft.