5 Things You Need to Do Immediately After Your Fantasy Football Draft Is Over

This is not the time to relax. Use the gap between your draft and the start of the season to gain a competitive advantage in your league.

Your fantasy football draft is over and your roster has been built, love it or hate it. So what should you do now? One thing you shouldn’t do is sit on your hands and be stagnant. The draft might be one of the most enjoyable parts of the fantasy road to a championship, but it’s also just the start.

With one week remaining until the NFL’s regular-season opener between the Lions and Chiefs, here are a few tips for you to follow as you head into the 2023 campaign. Because, like I said, the road to a title starts now!

The Cardinals traded for quarterback Joshua Dobbs over the summer, and there’s a good chance some fantasy managers have no idea he might be starting the team’s first four games :: Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY Network

Keep tabs on the NFL roster cuts (and adds)

The NFL cutdown was earlier this week, and several moves have implications for your fantasy team. In fact, you might even have a player on your team who isn’t worth a roster spot anymore. For example, folks in superflex leagues who drafted Colt McCoy as a stand-in for Kyler Murray should now grab Joshua Dobbs off waivers after the Cardinals cut McCoy. Arizona also cut Corey Clement, leaving Keaontay Ingram to be the main backup (and handcuff) for James Conner.

Mailk Davis didn’t make the Cowboys’ opening roster, so Rico Dowdle looks like the handcuff for starter Tony Pollard in deep leagues. Joe Burrow is looking good for Week 1, but if his calf injury flares up, the Bengals will be starting Jake Browning. He won the backup job in Cincinnati over Trevor Siemian, who was cut.

These are just a few of the moves that you need to know about heading into Week 1, so make sure to do your research and make moves accordingly.

It’s not too soon to use the waiver wire

Unless your commissioner has put a block on add/drops until the first week of the season, you should be all over the wire. Are Zack Moss, Deon Jackson or Evan Hull on the free-agent market? If so, you might want to take a chance on one of them in the wake of the Jonathan Taylor news. (If you’ve been living under a rock, he’s out at least the first four weeks of the season). Moss is probably the starter, but he’s hurt and might not be available when the Colts face the Jaguars in Week 1.

Check out the defensive matchups right now

Speaking of using the waiver wire, fantasy managers who don’t have an elite D/ST should be adding one now based on the matchups. Keep in mind, defenses that are considered good fantasy options like the Patriots (vs. Eagles), Steelers (vs. 49ers), Bills (at Jets) and the Jets (vs. Bills) all have awful matchups.

Here’s five good replacement options:

Commanders defense vs. Cardinals
Jaguars defense at Colts
Ravens defense vs. Texans
Seahawks defense vs. Rams
Vikings defense vs. Buccaneers

Search for desperate teams in your league

It is never too soon to start trading, especially if there’s a team in your league that is in trouble at a certain position. For example, if you loaded up on running backs in the draft and the team that drafted Taylor is in dire straits for the first four weeks, it makes sense to make that team an offer. You’re here to help, right? Make an initial offer and see what you can potentially negotiate to improve your roster.

Use your injured reserve spots immediately

If you’re in a league that allows players on injured reserve or the physically unable to perform (PUP) list to be put in an injured spot, do it now and add another player to your bench. Taylor, Murray and Jeff Wilson Jr. are examples of such players. If you didn’t draft a kicker or you don’t want to start the Patriots defense in Week 1, you can add one of those positions or add a deeper handcuff as a reserve.