Episode 4 - The 5 Kinds of Players on Your Roster

Not every player on your roster serves the same purpose. Jeff Blaylock introduces the five kinds of dynasty players—and how understanding their roles can inform every roster decision you make.

Before you can manage your roster strategically, you have to know what every player’s purpose is. In this episode, Jeff Blaylock (The Other Jeff B from Footballguys) introduces the Five Kinds of Players framework—a simple but powerful way to classify everyone on your roster.

Every dynasty team, no matter its direction, is built from five player types: Cornerstones, Set-and-Forgets, Next Men Up, Developing Talents, and Dart Throws. By understanding which tier each player belongs to—and what it would take for them to start—you can stop making emotional decisions and start managing strategically.

Jeff explains how this structure clarifies lineup building, waiver claims, and trade decisions. He also introduces the Startability Ladder, a series of questions that help you evaluate when and why you’d ever start a player. Together, these tools simplify one of the hardest parts of dynasty: knowing who to hold, who to cut, and when to move on.

Key Takeaways / Highlights

• “The biggest mistake dynasty managers make is making moves without a strategy.”

• The Five Kinds of Players:

  1. Cornerstones — Franchise-defining, untouchable pieces.

  2. Set-and-Forgets — Reliable weekly starters.

  3. Next Men Up — Depth pieces ready to fill in.

  4. Developing Talents — Young or injured players with future upside.

  5. Dart Throws — Longshots who need luck or chaos to matter.

• If a player is none of these, you can safely cut them.

• The Startability Ladder helps determine how many conditions must be met before you’d ever start a player.

• “If I have to think too hard about why I’m keeping him, I probably shouldn’t.”

• Strategy > Emotion.

Chapter Timestamps

00:00 – Roster cuts and preseason clarity
01:09 – Dynasty Compass directions refresher
04:29 – The five kinds of players explained
10:00 – Using the classifications on a live roster
15:27 – Identifying cut candidates (below the line)
17:00 – The Startability Ladder
22:09 – Prioritizing within player types
25:42 – How to simplify future waiver and trade decisions
26:33 – Managing without emotion
27:02 – Preview: The Weekly Planner

Related Links / Mentions

• Watch this episode on YouTube

• Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify