Episode 1 - Where Are You Going?
Before you can fix your dynasty roster, you have to know where it’s headed. In the debut episode of Dynasty Compass, Jeff Blaylock introduces the compass metaphor, the four strategic directions, and the biggest mistake dynasty managers make: making moves without a strategy.
Every journey needs a destination. In this first full episode of Dynasty Compass, host Jeff Blaylock (The Other Jeff B from Footballguys) lays the groundwork for the entire series by answering a simple but powerful question: “Where are you going?”
After a brief “getting our bearings” news segment on James Cook, the Colts’ quarterback situation, and the crowded Browns QB room, Jeff explains why this show is built around a compass instead of a GPS. A compass gives you orientation and direction; a GPS gives you turn-by-turn orders. Most dynasty managers chase GPS-style answers—“make this trade,” “start that guy”—without ever defining a strategy.
Jeff then introduces the four cardinal directions for dynasty teams:
North – Perennial contender
West – Win now, all-in
South – Rebuild / tear-down
East – Middling “chip and a chair” purgatory
Using a real-life turnaround of a disastrous orphan roster, he shows how he pivoted from a planned rebuild (South) to a temporary East run that ended in a championship—but still within a clear strategic framework. The episode closes with three key questions to ask of any roster: Where is it pointed right now? Where do you want it to go? And what’s standing in the way?
Key Takeaways / Highlights
“The biggest mistake dynasty managers make is making moves without a strategy.”
A compass tells you direction; a GPS tells you what to do. Dynasty needs the first more than the second.
Four directions:
North: Perennial contender with elite starters, strong depth, and future draft capital.
West: Win now with aging but productive vets and future sacrifices.
South: Rebuild/tear-down, chasing future picks and youth.
East: Middling purgatory—good enough to chase playoffs, not good enough to dominate.
Sometimes a temporary East pivot makes sense (e.g., surprise early wins during a planned rebuild).
Ask three questions about any roster:
If I did nothing, what would likely happen this year?
What direction do I actually want to go?
What’s stopping me from getting there?
Fantasy success is about progress, not perfection—using the compass to guide intentional moves.
Chapter Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Dynasty Compass & episode overview
00:39 – Getting our bearings: training camp news & context
04:30 – Why a compass, not a GPS (show’s core metaphor)
06:01 – The four directions on the Dynasty Compass
12:16 – Orphan team case study: pivoting directions midseason
14:56 – Lesson: none of the moves were made without strategy
15:37 – Crisis management analogy: tactics vs strategy
17:10 – Three questions to ask about your current roster
21:26 – Progress, not perfection: why direction matters more than orders
22:38 – Closing thoughts & preview of next week’s “Expo-sode”
Related Links / Mentions
Watch this episode on YouTube
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
