RSO 2017 Off-Season Schedule

By Stephen Wendell

Updated: July 16th 2017

Welcome to the RSO off-season, where things can get even more interesting and exciting than during the season. Congrats to all of our 2016 league champions! Remember, it is never too early to start strategizing for 2017, and to help you better prepare for the upcoming season, please find some important dates and off-season rules/info below:

February 9th, 2017

February 9th, 2017 is the official start of the 2016-17 RSO off-season. Last season, the NFL announced the 2016 salary cap in late February, and we expect them to do so again this year around the same time. The 2017 NFL salary cap is expected to be anywhere from $160 mm to $165 mm. Since we have opened the site before the NFL has announced the 2017 salary cap, we will leave the cap at the 2016 level until the NFL announces the new salary cap for 2017. However, existing leagues will be able to commence the RSO off-season, meaning teams can make off-season trades and cuts. Additionally, new league creation will be available at this time.

April 27th, 2017 to April 29th, 2017

These are the dates of the actual NFL Draft. Once the NFL Draft is completed, leagues will be able to conduct their RSO Rookie Drafts and Free Agent Auctions. The NFL Draft is set to end on Saturday, April 29th, 2017, and we expect to have all rookie information updated on the site by Monday, May 1st, 2017.

February 9th, 2017 to Three (3) Days Before Your League’s 2017 RSO Rookie Draft

Different for every league depending on the date set for your 2017 RSO Rookie Draft, this is the “franchise tag designation period”. During this period, team owners must decide whether to place a franchise tag on a player whose contract expired in 2016 (the tagged salary for each player can be found by clicking the “Tag” button on the Team-Contracts tab). At the end of this period, players on expiring contracts will be removed from your Team Roster (unless you franchise tag a player). Additionally, at the conclusion of this period, team owners must have enough salary cap space to fill their respective rosters through the Rookie Draft and Free Agency in order to avoid having players automatically dropped from their rosters to create cap space. A Salary Cap Health Overview feature located on the Team-Overview tab contains all the information team owners need to ensure they have enough salary cap space. Note: no trades will be allowed during the three-day period between the end of the franchise tag designation period and your 2017 Rookie Draft. Trading will resume after the conclusion of your Rookie Draft. *Lastly, a new feature will be released this off-season which will allow you to finalize your franchise tag if you desire before the conclusion of the franchise tag designation period, which will in turn allow you to trade the tagged player if you want before your league’s 2017 Rookie Draft.

February 9th, 2017 to Three (3) Days Before Your League’s 2017 RSO Free Agent Auction

This period is the official duration of the RSO off-season for each league. The length of the off-season is important because of the rules surrounding off-season vs. in-season cuts. This is best explained by example. Assume you have Tony Romo under contract for $15mm in 2017 and $18mm in 2018. If you cut Romo during the 2016-17 off-season (i.e. up and until 3 days before your Free Agent Auction), you will only owe him $7.5mm in 2017 and then $9mm in 2018. If you wait until the off-season concludes before cutting Romo, you will owe him his full $15mm in 2017 in addition to the $9mm in 2018. Therefore, it is important to assess your roster and make desired cuts before your off-season concludes three days before your league’s 2017 Free Agent Auction.

September 7th, 2017

The first game of the NFL season will be held in Foxborough…it will be here before you know it!

More Analysis by Stephen Wendell

2023 Post-Draft Rookie Rankings

Thanks to Nick Andrews and Jake Kohlhagen for their hard work and in depth analysis of this year’s 2023 Rookie […]

Big 3 IDP Offensive Player Rankings & Contract Recommendations

Rank Name Pos Rank Team Age Contract Length Rec Max Contract Cap per Year DOB 001 Christian McCaffrey RB001 Carolina […]

Big 3 IDP Defensive Player Rankings & Contract Recommendations

Player Pos Rank Team Age DOB Contract Length Recommended Contract Per Year Devin White LB001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23.5 02/17/1998 […]

RSO Inaugural High Stakes League Playoff Update

Hello RSO GMs! Many of you probably remember the emails from this summer in search for some hardcore GMs ready […]

RSO Staff Picks 2020: Week 15

Stephen’s Picks Matt’s Picks Kyle’s Picks

RSO Staff Picks 2020: Week 14

Stephen’s Picks Matt’s Picks Kyle’s Picks

RSO Staff Picks 2020: Week 13

Stephen’s Picks Matt’s Picks Kyle’s Picks

RSO Staff Picks 2020: Week 12

Stephen’s Picks Matt’s Picks Kyle’s Picks

Open the Wallet: Players to Buy

Reply

By Dave Sanders

Updated: December 4th 2016

Though many leagues’ trade deadlines are fast approaching or may have already passed, now’s a great time to get a head start on your plans for the 2017 season. Each year, I spend time during the last few weeks of the season to evaluate my team’s outlook for the next season to determine my off-season strategy and am ready to act as soon as league trading opens. Strategically, I prefer off-season to in-season trading because trades often revolve around filling needs and replacing injured players during a particular season. Off-season deals are instead often based on differing opinions on specific players’ values and/or the long-term plans of the two teams involved. In this late season edition of Open the Wallet, I’ll explain which players I’m actively looking to buy before the 2017 season.

Spencer Ware RB KC – Jamaal Charles‘ days as the lead RB in Kansas City are long gone and Ware appears ready to carry the torch. His impressive combination of speed with the power to punish defenders renders him nearly match-up proof on a conservative offense, centered around the running game. This year he’s also proved to be a weapon in the passing game, best exemplified by ranking second in yards per route run (2.35) through Week 8 per Pro Football Focus.

o DLF Nov ADP: 55th
o Advice: Trade a mid-2017 1st round pick to acquire in standard dynasty; Good value at $15 million per season in RSO.

CJ Prosise RB SEA – In just a few games, Prosise has already carved out a role in one of the league’s best offenses. Though he’s out for the remainder of 2016, CJ has shown that his natural pass catching skills have translated from his days at Notre Dame. He’s a top 20 PPR RB entering 2017, with a chance at reaching the top 10 by season’s end.

o DLF Nov ADP: 99th
o Advice: Trade a mid/late 2017 1st round pick to acquire in standard dynasty; Good value at $8 million per year in RSO.

Donte Moncrief WR IND – One of the 20 best dynasty assets, all Moncrief does is score touchdowns – 9TDs in his last 12 games with Andrew Luck, per Matthew Berry. Expected to play much of his career with Andrew Luck, the yardage will come and he should inch closer to the tier of elite WRs. The price to acquire him will be high, but this is the last chance to buy before he becomes untouchable.

o DLF Nov ADP: 22nd
o Advice: Trade two 1st round picks to acquire in standard dynasty; Good value at $15 million per year in RSO.

Carson Wentz QB PHI – The Eagles offense and Wentz faltering the past few weeks creates a buying opportunity. Carson Wentz likely never will have worse skill position talent than he does right now. Improving the offense should be the first off-season priority of aggressive GM Howie Roseman as the Eagles severely lack reliable targets, let alone skilled playmakers.

o DLF Nov ADP: 148th
o Advice: Trade late 2017 1st round pick to acquire in standard dynasty; Good value at $4 million per on multi-year deal in a 1QB RSO league; $12 million per year on a multi-year in a Superflex or 2qb RSO league.

Kenneth Dixon RB BAL – If you’ve read much of my work this year, you’ve likely noticed that I favor RBs that are involved in the passing game. Less of their value is reliant on weekly TD scoring and their usage is likely to be more consistent as they don’t get lose playing time during games with negative game flow. Dixon was one of my favorite RBs draft in 2016. A MCL injury slowed his NFL debut, but it only appears a matter of time before he takes over the Baltimore backfield. In Week 11, Dixon nearly saw the field as much as Terrance West (West 24 snaps, Dixon 21 snaps per Nathan Jahnke of PFF).

o DLF Nov ADP: 96th
o Advice: Trade late 2017 1st to acquire in standard dynasty; Good value at $8 million per year for multiple years in RSO.

Sammy Watkins WR BUF – If you’re willing to stomach the risk of injuries throughout his career, the payoff could be huge. I bought low two months ago in a standard dynasty league, trading Julio Jones for Watkins and 2 late 1st round picks. Like everyone else I’ve made plenty of trades that didn’t work out as planned this year, but I’ll certainly consider this a success should Watkins return to his 2015 form later this year. Tyrod Taylor has put together a solid season for the second year in a row, likely establishing himself as the long-term solution at QB in Buffalo. I’ll bet on Watkins undeniable talent, hope he stays healthy, and watch as their offense opens up with their best player back on the field.

o DLF Nov ADP: 17th
o Advice: Trade two 1st round picks to acquire in standard dynasty; Good value at $14 million per season.

Tyler Lockett WR SEA – Trust the talent. With the ball in his hands, Tyler Lockett‘s elusive reputation has followed him from Kansas State to the NFL. Largely considered a disappointment in 2016, Lockett‘s talent should lead to more opportunities in 2017 and 2018. Over the past two weeks, he’s had two of his three best games on the season as a healthy Russell Wilson has regained late-2015 form. It’s also important to keep in mind that while we never root for injuries, the loss of either Doug Baldwin or Jimmy Graham for an extended period of time would clear the path for increased usage. I’d consider him a good buy if his owner is less optimistic about his future.

o DLF Nov ADP: 73rd
o Advice: Trade a 2nd round pick to acquire in standard dynasty; Good value at $5 million per year if signed for multiple years in RSO.

Ladarius Green TE PIT – Likely an afterthought after missing the Steelers’ first 8 games, Green has a chance to emerge as a reliable target for Pittsburgh in 2017. Martavis Bryant is expected to return next year, though that’s far from guaranteed as Karlos Williams reminded us last week. If Green puts it all together – a question fantasy players have been asking for years now – he has the top 5 TE potential. If he doesn’t, the cost to acquire him likely wasn’t enough to severely set you back.

o DLF Nov ADP: 170th
o Advice: Trade an early 3rd round pick to acquire in standard dynasty; Good value at $1.5 million for 2017.

Which of these players are you also targeting in trades? Let me know @DaveSanders_RSO on Twitter!

Bio: An avid fan of all things NFL, Dave has been playing fantasy football since 1999. Though Dave participates in all types of fantasy football including redraft and daily, he prefers keeper and dynasty leagues as talent evaluation and scouting are integral components of each. Follow him on Twitter @DaveSanders_RSO

More Analysis by Dave Sanders

Auction Recap

Inside Access to the RSO Experts/Writers League War Rooms While I haven’t been writing as regularly as in the past, […]

Slicing ’17 Rookie Class into 12 Tiers

According to a recent poll on our RSO Twitter feed, about 50% of RSO leagues have not yet conducted their […]

2017 Top 25s: WRs and TEs

Since RSO has rolled over to 2017, now’s the perfect time to revisit your rosters and start planning for the […]

2017 Top 25s: QBs and RBs

Since RSO has rolled over to 2017, now’s the perfect time to revisit your rosters and start planning for the […]

5 Overlooked 2016 Performances

While 2016 produced more fantasy football content than ever, I believe these 5 players performances flew under the radar. This […]

Cash Out: Players to Sell

Though many leagues’ trade deadlines are fast approaching or may have already passed, now’s a great time to get a […]

Pressing the Reset Button

2015 was my first season playing at Reality Sports Online. I’ve played fantasy football for nearly 20 years – redraft, […]

Redrafting the 2016 Rookie Draft

As we’re about a quarter of the way into the 2016 season, plenty has changed since our rookie drafts this […]

Pressing the Reset Button

Reply

By Dave Sanders

Updated: November 3rd 2016

2015 was my first season playing at Reality Sports Online. I’ve played fantasy football for nearly 20 years – redraft, keeper, and dynasty leagues, but never have played in a format that reflects the life of an NFL GM so accurately through the complex, nuanced decisions that are required to be made throughout the live free agency auction and in-season management. Towards the end of year one, I began evaluating my off-season plans and the first thought that came to mind was…I “HATE THIS ROSTER!”

My roster was littered with overpaid players. I believed in Randall Cobb as a top WR, especially without Jordy Nelson on the field – wrong. Martavis Bryant’s contract ran through 2017 and was an excellent value when he was on the field. Suspended with his future in doubt – I wanted out of that contract with his return far from guaranteed. There were other players signed to multi-year deals that I didn’t want anymore even at affordable salaries, including Sam Bradford, David Cobb, and Andrew Hawkins.

My goal was to rid my roster of every player except for LeVeon Bell (signed through 2019), Kevin White (through 2018), and Maxx Williams (through 2019). I attached several good players on 1-year deals (Jarvis Landry and Travis Kelce) to the contracts I viewed as poor and immediately targeted cap room and draft picks in trades.

Through four trades, I netted the following picks:

1.10 – 2016
1st – 2018
2.04 – 2016
2nd – 2017
2nd – 2018

I left the 2016 rookie draft with Sterling Shepard and 3 RB projects (CJ Prosise, Paul Perkins, and DeAndre Washington).

Before the auction, I put together a list of players that I wanted to sign and was willing to overpay a bit to land since I had well over $100 million in 2016 cap room. The list: Drew Brees, Marvin Jones, Spencer Ware, and Doug Baldwin. After signing each of these players and adding a few breakout free agents – most notably Terrelle Pryor and Cam Meredith, my team has rebounded better than I could have ever expected when I started this process last December. Currently undefeated, I made several trades, featured in #RSOEpicTrade, to help supplement my roster and go for the title this year. After all, championships are what we are playing for, right?

I’m not writing this article to brag about how good this team – that’s not the point. In 12 leagues, I have several teams that have been disappointments and aren’t playoff contenders due to poor management, inaccurate player projections, and, of course, injuries.

I want to highlight that rebuilding in RSO leagues isn’t as daunting of a task as you may expect.

You may not have to go through years of struggling to right the ship. Assess your roster – both for this year and future years, determine if you can compete, and plan accordingly. By Week 8 or 9, I’ll decide if I realistically think I can compete in each of my RSO leagues. I rarely ever stand pat as I’ll aggressively buy or sell depending on my expectations for the rest of the season. If I’d need a miracle and know there are several rosters that are clearly better than mine, I’ll sell all 1-year deals to contenders and look towards the next year or two.

Reminder: When discussing trades, I often hear that owners are afraid making a move and having it backfire in the long term. My strategy is a bit different as I’m unafraid to make an aggressive move if I believe I’m getting more value at the time of the trade. If you accept that you will lose in some trades but believe you will win out more than 50% of the time, be as aggressive as possible. Right or wrong, I do not just consider deals made to be potential wins or losses. I also think this way about trade talks that were close, but never materialized for whatever reason. Take chances, trust your strategy, and most of all – have some fun!

More Analysis by Dave Sanders