Episode 13 - Going West: Boosting Your Win-now Lineup
Looking to add firepower for your playoff push? Jeff explains how win-now dynasty teams can turn future value into points today—and when to pull back before mortgaging the future.
In this episode, Jeff heads West to explore the mindset and mechanics of going all in. The West represents teams chasing a championship right now, even if it means sacrificing future competitiveness.
Jeff introduces the concept of the Starter Boost—a measure of how many points a trade should add to your starting lineup each week—and explains how to calculate full, half, and quarter boosts in any league format. He also breaks down Bench Boosts as insurance for playoff depth and outlines what win-now teams can sell (draft picks, broken toys, developing talents, or surplus players) and what they should buy (rentals and certainty).
But winning now doesn’t mean reckless aggression. Jeff warns against overpaying for small gains, highlights the danger of mortgaging future drafts, and shows when to pivot North (reload for sustained contention) or East (seek a safe harbor). Controlled aggression—not desperation—wins championships.
Key Takeaways / Highlights
“Win Now = Controlled Aggression.”
Starter Boost: A unit of lineup improvement that translates assets into weekly points.
Bench Boost: Depth that matters only when injuries strike.
Sell: Picks, broken toys, prospects, surplus players.
Buy: Proven veterans and short-term rentals—the certainty of points.
When the cost of “winning now” exceeds the return, pivot North (reload) or East (hold steady).
“Every asset has one job: to generate points.”
Chapter Timestamps
00:00 — Intro: Welcome to the West
01:47 — What “all-in” really means
03:07 — Starter Boost defined
06:15 — Calculating full/half/quarter boosts
07:46 — What West teams can sell
10:49 — What West teams should buy
13:44 — What draft picks should buy, ideally
16:18 — Overcoming market friction
17:47 — When to pull back (currency mismatch, injury spiral)
19:34 — The cost of mortgaging future years
20:11 — Pivot North (reload) or East (safe harbor)
21:42 — Why “stand pat” can still win
22:03 — Next week’s teaser (Trade Deadline episode)
Related Links & Tools
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Ep. 14: Trade Deadline Strategies
Ep. 11: Midseason Review: Are They Who We Thought They Were?
Ep. 1: Where Are You Going?
