How to Trade Fantasy Football

Week two of the 2012 NFL season will conclude tonight with Monday night football.  By now you have a feel for your team and you are either dominating or in need of a little lineup change.   Chances are you have a few key players on your bench but that might not be enough.  Being my focus is to help beginners understand how to play fantasy football I thought now would be an appropriate time to introduce you to trading.  If you’ve never played fantasy before approaching a trade can be a little overwhelming.  Depending on how your league is set up the details will vary a little.

 The actual motion of proposing a trade is pretty straight forward in most online leagues.  Generally there is a button that is dedicated to proposing a trade, after committing to creating an offer the system will guide you through a few prompts and the offer is on the way to your opponent. Accepting a trade in fantasy football is even easier.  You get a notification, review the terms, and then decide if you want to accept, decline, or counter.

Now that the essentials are covered it’s time to talk trade strategy.  Trading can be very rewarding both for your team and your entertainment.  Some team owners will really find enjoyment creating and negotiating deals.  Other teams may shy away- and if you are shy you better hope you drafted the team you’ll need to bring home the championship.  I’ve broken the art of trading down into a few simple steps.  Following these tips will assist you in navigating your first trade and ensuring you have a complete understanding of how to get the job done.

Step one when considering a trade is to fist find your team deficiency.  Make sure your needed position isn’t on your bench or on the waiver wire.  Once you’ve found your hole it’s time to plug it.

Next it’s to locate a player or players you think will add value to your team.  You will also have to find a player that you think the owner would be willing to trade.  If you opponent is a diehard Saints fan getting a player like Drew Brees in a trade will be nearly impossible. 

Once you locate a target you need to be prepared to offer some trade bait.  Simply dumping your low scoring players and replacing them with premier players is not going to happen.   Be sure to offer your opponent something of value, look for a weakness in their team so the trade makes sense to both of you.

You may experience a little back and forth.  Don’t be intimidated, this is part of the fun!  If you are approaching a league vet or fantasy football expert, expect the first offer to be countered. 

Every experience will be different and factoring in the mentality and approach from the individual you are trading with will be a key factor.  During games and other encounters listen for key words or phrases.  Figure out what they need and who they are not happy with.  A little research and reconnaissance will make trading more exhilarating and successful. 

Lastly, remember that we are here to help! The main focus of our website is to evaluate fantasy football trades.  You don’t have to be on the receiving end of an offer to use are free service. Our team of experts has seasons of experience that you can take advantage of.   Hopefully this will get you started in the right direction.  If you encounter strategies or other tricks that help you please post comments below and share the knowledge.