Here’s a run down on my three key dynasty leagues in the FFPC. With one week to go in the regular season, my teams in the $750#2 and $750#4 leagues have now clinched the #1 seed, a bye in Week 14 and the league total points title. I can rest easy for the next two weeks until we get to the final 4 in Week 15. At that point, it will be a two-week total points playoff among the 4 teams where I think I’ll have a good chance to win it all (particularly if Rob Gronkowski, whom I have on both teams, can make it back by Week 15).

Unfortunately, the road to the final 4 will not be as easy for my team in the $1250 league. The good news is that my team there is currently sitting in the sixth playoff spot with a 3 VP lead over the next team (and a 90 point lead for tiebreaker purposes). I “only” need either to secure 1 VP myself or hope the next team does not get 4 VP. Simple enough? Not exactly. My team is hurting right now with McCoy down, Austin and Stew (emphasis on ewe) gimpy and Mike Wallace without a QB – getting that 1 VP this week is not all that likely. Accordingly, I can only hope that the other team does not get those 4 VP. If I manage to squeak into the playoffs and if McCoy manages to make it back by Week 14 (which is looking bleaker by the day), I think my team has potential to do some damage.

Big Trade - $750#4

In the $750#4, I pulled off a monster trade at the trade deadline of Vernon Davis, Matt Ryan and 3 1st rounders (including the likely 1.3 and what appears to be two in the 1.7-1.12 range) for Rob Gronkowski. Not looking so great right now with Gronk going down, but it could be huge in the short run if he comes back for Weeks 15 and 16 and very good in the long run with Gronk in my top 5 overall in this format.

The limited roster slots in this league (both in the offseason and in season) played a factor in my decision. The availability (or lack thereof) of top 8 players (partly due to 4 others already being on my team) in this league played another. No other top 8 player was available at this price or less. Basically, it was Gronk or nothing if I wanted to add another elite piece (and I desperately did at TE in particular with Vernon Davis’ inconsistency).

That said, at this premium price, the trade has potential to backfire on me in a big way, and odds are I’ll end up regretting at least to some extent the trade down the road, but right now, I feel ok about the trade.

The lineup, with Gronk, is now RGIII, Trent Richardson, CJ Spiller, Calvin Johnson, AJ Green, Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas and Rob Gronkowski, which is as good a dynasty starting lineup that you could have with the only possible improvement being replacing RGIII with Rodgers and/or replacing Spiller with Ray Rice, but I don’t necessarily view those as definitive upgrades.

Big Trade - $750#2

I made a similar trade in the $750#2 league, this time for Ray Rice. I sent Torrey Smith, Demarco Murray, a 1st rounder (in the 1.7 – 1.12 range), Sidney Rice and Daryl Richardson for Ray Rice, Pierre Garcon and 2 2nd rounders. Hated to part with Torrey Smith in particular, but I think it was worth it to get Rice in the FFPC Dynasty format. My lineup is now Cam Newton, Ray Rice, Darren McFadden (or Reece), CJ Spiller, AJ Green, Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas and Rob Gronkowski.