There is no way I can get that trade done…
One of the most common things you hear from dynasty gamers is, “wow I wish I was in your league” or “no way I get a deal like that done”. And yes, the person holding Ja’Marr Chase may not accept the haul you heard about on your favorite dynasty trade show, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find deals and value throughout your leagues
In this article I hope to give you a few tips to help you execute more trades in your leagues and ultimately improve your roster through finding values. I am not here to tell you to downtier, uptier, pick swap or who to target, but instead give you the insight on how to exploit trade opportunities.
Know your settings!
This might seem fairly straight forward, yet I often find small ways to take advantage of value differences by finding uniquities in the scoring systems in each league. One example would be a player like Mark Andrews.. If you are in a TEP league Mark Andrews has significantly more value than he would in a non TEP league…Well this is kind of true. I often find the premium for tight ends varies from league to league. So you could be in a 1.25 or 1.5 TEP league or up to a 1.75 or even full 2.0 premium. This being said, not all Mark Andrews should be valued equally.
Other scoring changes that can create value:
4 vs 6 pt passing TD
PPC (point per carry)
PPR (point per reception)
PPFD (Point per first down)
Can be rushing, receiving or passing make sure to be certain
Completion Bonuses
Rec/Rush Yard bonuses
Finding a Trade Partner
This is where I feel most fantasy miss the mark. When I wake up feeling like getting some deals done I don’t immediately search my leagues for my favorite buy low targets or all important STUDS at the position. I am looking first at who has what picks. This is going to tell me more about my league than anything. It will tell you who the buyer, sellers and indecisive people in the middle are. If I am team rebuild I am looking first at those midtier teams that are 1-2 pieces away from making a playoff run. These teams often have their picks and are willing to move them for the right “young player” they have their eyes on. Also in turn I am going to create deals for the teams that have the most picks on my contending teams to add the additional veteran depth I need and the occasional post age apex stud, since these teams are often more interested in the “what’s in the box” item vs the 29yr old post apex producer. I often stay away from dealing with contenders as a rebuilding team because often they have sold their picks off already and they most likely ”feel” like a contender and are more likely to hold on to some of their younger prospects to start the early in the year, but contenders can be a great team to sell to in the mid to late season when they making their final push.
The main takeback is not focusing on the players you want, instead focusing on deals with teams that make the most sense in your leagues. Rebuild teams don’t want to buy you Derrick Henry. And contenders probably aren’t into your camp hype prospect.
Negotiating and locking in the deal
This is where it gets fun! It’s important to know here that even if you get a counter offer or trade discussion with the other league mate, odds are you still won’t get a deal done at that time. But one big thing you do in every deal and conversation is gain bits of information that you can use in your favor.
What players did they remove or add?
Did they want picks?
Did they remove the player you wanted but add something else?
*All 3 of these can give you information you can use to craft a deal to the other manager’s liking.
It’s also important to remember that even if the trade offer is pretty far off from what you have valued, DON’T JUST INSULT THEM AND WALK AWAY. It’s ok to have different values on players. Maybe there is someone else on that roster you think you could get a little easier, or just simply say “that is a little more than I am willing to pay right now” and maybe we can work something else out later. Often burning bridges or having negative interactions with leaguemates closes trade doors. So the moral of the story here is: “Be Patient, Be Loving, Be Kind, Be Gentle”… or something like that.
Takeaways
Know your setting before you go into your trades and find values in areas that trade and value calculators don’t consider
Target teams, NOT players in crafting trades
Every trade offer you receive has information you can use to your advantage
Be a respectful and kind individual while making deals
BE A SAVAGE THROUGH THE SEASON
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