Trading Team Tactics Nov 7, 2008 | More

For most of you, the trade deadline in your fantasy league(s) is quickly approaching. Whether you are at the top of the standings or you are in the middle of the pack, the trade deadline is the last opportunity to make a big splash and prepare your team for the fantasy playoffs. Here are 10 tips to bolster your team and improve your chances of winning a coveted fantasy football championship.

1. Be Aggressive

 Don’t wait for other fantasy team owners to seek you out. Get the ball rolling by initiating contact and inquiring which players may be available and letting owners know which players you are willing to give up. Speed the process up by making an informal, unofficial offer for any players offered that would improve your lineup.

2. Do Your Homework (And Theirs)

Before offering a trade, take some time to look at the other teams and determine what their needs are. Don’t waste time offering players to a team that are stacked in that particular position.

3. Keep It Simple Stupid

Avoid sales talk and present offers that are simple and to the point. If you are too pushy with a team in need of a panic move, you may scare off (and irritate) an owner in need of a deal.

4. Buy Low, Sell High

For maximum value, anticipate when a player’s value has reached his peak and then unload him while he is a hot commodity. Conversely, push hard for guys who are due for resurgence. These gambles won’t always pay off, but they will help you strike it rich when they do.

5. Offer A Fair Deal (But Make Sure It’s Not Too Good)

The worst thing you can do is propose an offer so ridiculously one-sided, you insult other owners to a point that future deals aren’t even considered. Don’t be “that guy.” You never know if you could have gotten a player you desired for less than you offered. Furthermore, give yourself enough wiggle room to adjust the trade, so the other owner can feel he squeezed a bit more out of you.

6. Plan Ahead

Don’t overestimate the importance of the schedule during the fantasy playoffs, but don’t underestimate it either. While it is difficult to a sit a stud regardless of the matchup, the effectiveness of most players can be greatly influenced by their current matchup.

7. Shop Around

Even if you have a good deal in place, you’ll never know if you can get an even better deal from someone else unless you investigate. If you are certain that you have a player in high demand you might even be able to get owners in a bidding war, which will result in an even more valuable return.

8. Target Some Teams, Stay Away From Others

If you are team contending to win it all, avoid making deals with others who you may face in the post-season. The last thing you want to do is a help a team who can beat you when it counts most. Alternatively, if you are a team battling just to make the playoffs, the top teams would make better trading partners than a team who can kick you out for a final playoff spot.

9. Be Gracious

If an offer is not to your liking or one of yours is shot down, thank the other owner for their time and kindly move on. Resist the temptation to ridicule, threaten, or laugh in their face because you may scare off a favorable deal for the future.

10. Don’t Settle

After ten weeks if you are still in the playoff hunt, your team has overcome a lot of adversity. In an odd way, your team has become sort of a second family for you, and as a result, you may feel uncomfortable trading away one of “your own.” You may also feel that trading away a key player could mess with your team’s chemistry. Both of these ideas are obviously ludicrous, and they can hold teams back from reaching greatness. Because no team is perfect, owners should either be looking to upgrade their teams are to ensure they are good enough to win or overvaluing their team for that last ditch push for a playoff berth. Which category do you fit in?