10 Fantasy Football Trading Tips

The NFL fantasy football season is a third of the way into the books. Most leagues are seeing a definite spread between teams as those managers with more experience, skill, or just plain luck begin to pile up wins while their counterparts sink to the bottom. Now is the time in a fantasy season when trading becomes the most active and the most critical. In an effort to help both veterans and rookies, keepers and redrafts, the following are ten tips (five do’s and five don’ts) to make each and every trade conversation productive.

Rule #1: Do remember the primary goal of making a trade is to improve your overall team. Every trade must meet this criteria or it is a bad deal. It sounds like a no-brainer, but in reality a number of poor trades are made because the managers involved fail to consider the big picture. Trading away three semi-stars who have been productive for a single big name quarterback is not improving the team overall. Before pulling the trigger on what sounds like a good trade, stop and analyze how the swap impacts every position on the team. It takes an entire team of quality players to be competitive.

Rule #2: Do the homework. This rule is important no matter who initiates the trade. Before accepting a trade, check injury reports, check bye-week schedules, and check upcoming match-ups. Perform a quick Google or Yahoo! search on the players being offered and see if anything critical comes up. For example, did the running back on the table (or his favorite blocking fullback) just pick up his third DUI over the weekend? Never accept a trade without being certain of each player’s status. On the flip-side, before proposing a trade, check opposing manager’s weekly rosters. Make note of players of value that are kept on the bench every week. These are the players most likely to be traded. Make note of weaknesses in opponents’ rosters and propose trades that help fill these areas. Offering a running back to a manager with six running backs is not productive.

Rule #3: Do move quickly. In most leagues, trade offers can be cancelled by proposing managers at any time. Many managers will ship off a trade request, sweat it overnight, get cold feet, and then yank the offer come morning. When a trade offer comes in, research it quickly (see Rule #2), consider its impact on the team overall (see Rule #1) and then accept or decline it.

Rule #4: Do respect the intelligence of other managers in the league. Avoid making trade requests that are shifty or obtuse (e.g. multiple waiver wire pickups offered for a 1^st round draft pick). Most leagues require managers to view and even approve trades between managers. Making suspect trade requests will be noticed and diminish any future trade potential with other managers.

Rule #5: Do submit trade requests early in the week. Give managers time to view the request, consider it, and then respond well before weekly deadlines to lock rosters. Waiting to suggest a trade until Thursday or Friday will often leave a manager in limbo and unsure of who his starters will be. Likewise, avoid letting a trade offer grow mold. Two days is plenty of time to allow a manager to consider a trade request. If there is no response after forty-eight hours, cancel the trade request and quickly move onto another option. Inactive leagues and/or managers rarely make for good trading.

Rule #6: Don’t fall into the trap of bad fantasy football math. Four mediocre players are not worth more than one 1^st round stud. (If it helps, remember the logic that four dimes are not worth more than one dollar). Instead, try to structure trades that match talent. Review mock drafts and player power ranking resources to determine values of players and keep offers similarly weighted on both sides. For example (math always has examples), if a manager is in need of a replacement quarterback but has two 2^nd tier running backs, he should find a team with an extra 2^nd tier quarterback and propose a trade.

Rule #7: Don’t put everything on the table in the initial trade offer. Trading football players is like trading stock. The idea is to get the best value for the least cost. Even if a manager is willing to trade a 2^nd tier wide receiver and 2^nd tier running back for a 2^nd tier quarterback, making that the initial offer isn’t wise. First requests are best used to open up negotiations and see which opposing managers are interested in trading. Save the best deal offers for last.

Rule #8: Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Smart managers will propose a trade with the expectation of a counter offer (see Rule #7). Rather than decline the trade outright, always visit the other manager’s roster and see if he has alternate players that are worth pursuing. Trading can be both fun and beneficial to a manager but only if both managers engage.

Rule #9: Don’t trade a player simply because he is in a slump. Only a month ago managers were poring over research and writing down drafting strategies in an attempt to build the best possible team. Fantasy superstars were quickly drafted in the high rounds based on their potential to put up stats over the entire season. Nobody based draft strategies on predicted statistical output over the first few weeks of the season; however, lots of people are ready to throw all of the preseason research out the window because a number of superstars have not performed up to their potential. Trading a first (or sometimes even a second) round draft pick before mid-season is unwise. Star players almost always rebound and make up for their slow start.

Rule #10: Don’t trade out of desperation. This is a hard rule because 0-3 managers are willing to trade in the ranch about now if it means picking up an early season statistical machine and getting a win. Managers need to avoid panicking and recognize that trading a top tier player at this juncture for a one-week wonder will probably prove to be a mistake. There are 10 to 12 more games left to play before playoffs begin in most leagues. 0-3 is ugly but 12-3 is not. Keeping a cool head, doing sound research, and remembering the other dos and don’ts will all lead to sound trades and a better team.

Happy trading!

The only thing KC loves more than writing and sports is writing about sports. She can be found around the cafe and often in the Trade forum under the name latraffic.

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