Mike Clay's Playbook, Part 2: Fantasy football draft tips for nontraditional formats - ESPN

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).

Create a league and customize league size, scoring and rules to play in the league you want to play in.

Create a league today!

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