Dynasty Fantasy Football Glossary: Every Term You Need to Know
Dynasty fantasy football has its own language. If you’re new to the format, terms like “taxi squad,” “devy,” “FAAB,” and “startup draft” get used without explanation and can leave you confused in your first few trades.
This glossary covers every term you need to know — organized alphabetically and linked to deeper guides where relevant.
A
ADP (Average Draft Position)
The average pick number at which a player is selected across all recent drafts in a given format. ADP is the market consensus on a player’s draft value. If you take a player before his ADP, you’re paying above market; after, you’re getting value.
Age-adjusted value
The idea that a 24-year-old and a 29-year-old with the same current stats don’t have the same dynasty value, because the 24-year-old has more productive years ahead. Age-adjusted thinking is the foundation of dynasty roster management.
Asset
Any player, pick, or right that has trade value. “Asset management” means building a collection of assets and deploying them at the right time.
B
Buy
To acquire a player via trade. “He’s a buy” = the player is worth acquiring because current market pricing undervalues him.
Buy low
Acquiring a player when market perception is temporarily depressed — after a bad game, during injury recovery, or mid-season when teams are selling. Related guide: Buy Low, Sell High.
C
Carry cost (or Contract cost)
In salary cap / contract leagues, the cap charge a player’s contract creates on your roster. A high carry cost for a declining player is called “dead weight” or “dead cap.”
Ceiling
A player’s maximum potential upside in a given week or season. Ceiling plays are boom-or-bust; floor plays are consistent but capped. Best ball drafts optimize for ceiling; redraft often values floor.
Commissioner
The league administrator who manages settings, handles disputes, and oversees the annual calendar (rookie drafts, waivers, playoffs). Commissioners in dynasty leagues have substantially more work than in redraft leagues.
Conditional pick
A trade component where a pick’s round changes based on a condition. “2026 1st (top-5 protected)” means: if the pick lands in picks 1–5, it doesn’t transfer; otherwise it does. Conditions add trade flexibility.
Contend window
The period in a dynasty team’s cycle when the roster’s age profile, depth, and trade assets position them to compete for championships. Related guide: Rebuild vs Contend.
D
Dead cap
In salary cap formats, the cap charge remaining on a released player’s contract that still counts against your cap. Dead cap creates strategic decisions around cut timing.
Devy (Developmental player)
In devy leagues, college players can be drafted before they enter the NFL. You hold the “devy rights” to the player while they develop in college. Related guide: Devy Leagues Explained.
Depth chart
The ranking of players at a position on an NFL team. In dynasty, monitoring depth charts is critical — a player moving from 2nd string to starter can transform their fantasy value.
E
Extension
In contract leagues, re-signing a player to a new deal before their current contract expires.
F
FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget)
A budget system for claiming waiver wire players. Each manager receives a season-long budget ($100 typical) and bids on players through sealed auctions. Related guide: FAAB Waiver Wire Strategy.
Fire sale
When a team in rebuild mode rapidly sells multiple veterans for picks and young players. Fire sales are often the most active period of trade negotiation in a dynasty league.
Floor
A player’s reliable weekly minimum production. Consistent floor players are valued in redraft; dynasty cares more about long-term floor (production over years, not weeks).
Future pick
A pick from an upcoming season’s rookie draft. “A 2027 first” = the first round pick from the 2027 rookie draft. Future picks are currency in dynasty trades.
G
Grade (as in “grades well”)
A player who tested well at the NFL Combine (speed, strength, athletic metrics) or received high draft grades from scouts. High-graded prospects are expected to develop better than their college production suggests.
H
Handcuff
The backup running back behind a fantasy-relevant starter on the same NFL team. In dynasty, owning both the starter and handcuff protects against injury; the handcuff takes over if the starter goes down.
I
IDP (Individual Defensive Player)
A dynasty league format that includes defensive players (linebackers, cornerbacks, pass rushers) who score individual fantasy points. IDP leagues are more complex but offer more roster depth.
IR (Injured Reserve)
Both the NFL’s injured list and a comparable roster slot in many fantasy leagues that allows managers to hold injured players without taking up active roster spots.
K
Keeper
In a keeper league (a simpler precursor to dynasty), a limited number of players are retained between seasons. Unlike dynasty where you keep everything, keeper leagues typically allow 2–5 keepers with a draft pick “cost.” Related guide: Dynasty vs Keeper Leagues.
L
Landing spot
Where a player goes in the NFL (via free agency, trade, or the draft). A great landing spot — a pass-heavy offense with a weak depth chart — can elevate a player’s dynasty value; a poor landing spot suppresses it.
M
MFL (My Fantasy League)
A fantasy platform known for deep customization, popular for complex dynasty and IDP leagues. Interface is dated but feature-rich. Often chosen for salary cap, devy, and multi-format dynasty configurations.
N
Narrow market
A trade situation with few competing buyers. If only one manager wants a player, you negotiate at a disadvantage. Reading the market before trading matters.
O
Orphan team
A team in a dynasty league that has been abandoned by its original manager. New managers often take orphans at a discount to take over a roster (good or bad). Orphan opportunities can be high-value if the previous manager was ineffective.
P
Pick equity
The total value of all future draft picks a team holds. High pick equity = flexibility and rebuild potential. Low pick equity = you’ve spent future capital, must win now.
Premium
Paying above perceived market value for a player. “Paying a premium” is justified when you have high conviction that the market is underpricing a player.
Priority waiver
A waiver wire format where the worst-record team claims players first. Dynasty leagues with FAAB have replaced priority waivers in most competitive configurations.
Protect/Protect pick
A condition on a traded future pick that prevents it from transferring if it lands in a specified range (e.g., “1st top-3 protected” = doesn’t transfer if it’s a picks 1–3). Protection reduces risk for the trading team.
R
Rebuild
A deliberate roster restructuring phase where a dynasty team trades veterans for picks and young players, accepting short-term losses for long-term assets. Related guide: How to Rebuild in Dynasty.
Restricted free agent (RFA)
In contract/salary cap dynasty formats, a player whose team can match any contract offer. Adds complexity to the trade and free agency market.
Retool
A minor rebuild — adjusting 2–3 aging roster pieces while keeping the core competitive. Less disruptive than a full teardown.
S
Salary cap
A total budget for all player contracts on a roster. In salary cap dynasty formats, teams must fit all players under the cap. Related guide: Dynasty Salary Cap Leagues.
Sell high
Trading a player at perceived peak value — before decline is priced in, or immediately after a big performance that temporarily inflates market price.
Startup draft
The foundational draft that fills all dynasty rosters when a league begins. Startups use auction or snake format and typically take several hours. Your startup positions define your dynasty team’s DNA for years.
Stash
To hold a developmental player (often on the taxi squad) without using an active roster spot, waiting for them to break out into a real role.
Superflex
A roster format that allows managers to start a second QB in a flex spot. Dramatically increases QB value. Related guide: Superflex Strategy Guide.
T
Target share
The percentage of a team’s total passing targets received by one player. The best predictor of dynasty WR production. Related guide: How to Evaluate Wide Receivers in Dynasty.
Taxi squad
A holding area for developmental players (typically 4–8 spots) separate from the active roster. Players on the taxi squad cost no active roster space. Related guide: Taxi Squad & Rookie Stashing.
TE premium
A scoring bonus applied to tight end receptions (e.g., +0.5 pts per reception for TEs). Makes elite TEs more valuable and first-round-worthy. Related guide: TE-Premium Guide.
Trade value
The perceived market value of a player in the context of trade negotiations. Affected by age, production, role, format, and league-specific preferences.
U
UDFA (Undrafted Free Agent)
An NFL player who went undrafted but signed as a free agent. In devy leagues, UDFA rules determine whether undrafted college players return to your devy roster or become free agents.
Unrestricted free agent (UFA)
In contract dynasty formats, a player whose contract has expired and can be signed or bid on by any team.
W
Window (contend window)
See: Contend window.
Workhorse
A running back who handles early-down, third-down, and goalline work for their team — the full workload. Workhorses are the most valuable dynasty RBs. Related guide: How to Evaluate Running Backs in Dynasty.
Z
Zero RB
A draft strategy that avoids taking a running back until Rounds 5–6, loading up on WRs and TEs early. Works better in PPR formats where WR volume is highly valued. Controversial in dynasty because it ignores positional scarcity.
This glossary grows as dynasty formats evolve. Key terms from this guide link to deeper strategy articles throughout the site.