The 2020 season is officially underway. Week 1 is complete, and we finally got to see OUR guys in action. Now if you’re anything like me, you are already trying to find weaknesses in your team. I’m a tinkerer. Why have one top ten RB when you can have two? Besides skimming the waiver wire for talent, the other obvious way to improve your team is to wheel and deal with one of your league mates. A lot of your success in completing a trade depends on league size and the type of league you’re in.
Look for weaknesses on both teams
If for some reason you have a tendency to draft eight wide receivers (guilty), it’s likely that you’re lacking depth at other positions. Likewise, one of your league mates might have three quarterbacks and 6 running backs. This is a perfect opportunity to send a trade that works out for both parties. Before sending an offer, I check out teams in my league and identify which ones could use a position player that I don’t need on my team.
Understanding a players value to that owner
Before making a trade offer, understand that you will have differing opinions on players. You may be higher on a guy that your league mate sees as a bum. It’s important to consider this when sending offers (and receiving them.) However, there is always that guy that thinks EVERY player on his team is a stud, despite his 2-6 record. Those are the one’s labeled under “untradeable owners.” Which leads me to my next point…
Don’t get too attached to “round value”
It’s week four and your 2nd round RB is not producing. You put him up on the trading block to see what’s out there. You reject a few offers because he’s your 2nd rounder and you won’t settle for anything less than a top five player at that position. I’ve seen this way too many times. A player gets drafted high and the owner thinks that he will hold that value the entire season. Unfortunately, that’s not how fantasy football works. Some guys get hot, while others get reduced roles. Draft value is great for predictions but when the season starts, the stats and market determine their value.
The 2 for 1 trade
This is one of my favorite tactics and it usually works out for both parties. It works particularly well if you have a deep bench. If you’re trying to get top tier talent you can package a few guys together to make a trade offer. In a PPR home league I recently did this. I put a list of a few different RB’s and WR’s together and asked if my league mate would be interested in any of them. I traded Tyler Lockett and Jonathan Taylor for Dalvin Cook. This is a perfect example of a trade that works out for both parties. Losing Lockett kind of hurts, but I have plenty of WR depth to make up for it.
Buying low, selling high
I will try to keep this as short as I can because I could talk about this all day. First, knowing your league tendencies plays a key role in buying low/selling high. The most active time of the year for trades is in the first six weeks while everyone is still hanging on to a sliver of hope.
Buying Low
- I keep an eye on elite level players with lots of targets early in the season that haven’t scored like they should. Whether they score TD’s or not, if they continue to get targets/ rushing attempts they will eventually break through with touchdowns.
- Injuries play a factor in how many snaps a player will get at a certain position. If a WR1 sustains an injury that will sideline them 2-4 weeks, that would be a good time to try and pick up the WR2 on that team.
Selling high-
- Knowing when to let go of a player can be hard. In order to maximize trade value, it’s essential to get rid of guys that have “overproduced.” Translation “non-sustainable production.” Could be the back-up RB getting a few garbage time TD’s. Or it could be a WR that scored 15 of his 20 points on a 80 yard touchdown reception. I’m always checking my lineups to see who has no business scoring as much as they should, and then trading them away before they fizzle.
Shop Around
Put seem feelers out, see what your league mates are shopping for. Most leagues are brutally honest, so they will let you know what they like and don’t like. Don’t waste each other’s time low balling. Send fair offers that benefit both parties. Don’t be offended by offers you receive, and don’t get offended if you got shot down. Most importantly establish trade partners and build trust among league mates.
