Most leagues have a trade deadline, and it should be just a few weeks away. When trades actually do occur, it sometimes resembles negotiations between hostile nations: Distrust, misinformation, last-second breakdowns and an 11th hour deal rescue. And that’s if things go smoothly.
So even if you think you have plenty of time to get a deal done, the time to start is right now.
If you’ve ever been part of a fantasy trade (they’re pretty rare in some leagues) you know there are multiple steps in the process. You need to make offers, field counter-offers, adjust the deal over and over, and finally you either walk away or agree to terms. It’s rarely a smooth negotiation, and it’s never fast. And the initial part of the process (I call it part 0, because it comes before any of that stuff I just mentioned) is the part you need to deal with first: Finding a trading partner.
It sounds easy enough, but it could be your biggest time-waster. Because some fantasy players have no intention of trading, but absolutely love the idea of being in trade negotiations. So they’ll sound interested and maybe throw some ideas around, but they’re not serious. And every day you waste on them is a day you could spend being in productive talks with someone else, or accepting that it’s not going to happen.
Even if you’re not sure what you’re looking for specifically, finding an interested partner is the step you have to take now. Find a team (or teams) with a solid roster, but maybe some weaknesses you can help fix, and reach out. See if they’d be interested in a deal.
Obviously, the interested parties and the time-wasters will both say yes. But the difference is how long it takes to get a response. If the other fantasy manager takes a few days to respond to every facet of the discussion, it’s not a priority for them. Either they’re just playing around because the trade isn’t that important, or they’re so busy that the league isn’t that important. Either way, that’s not a good trading partner for you.
If they’re truly interested in a discussion, they’ll respond quickly. Their season is on the line, too. At that point, if you’re messaging through the league website or social media, try texting instead. It’s faster and you can speed up the process. Even if a deal doesn’t get done, it will conclude faster and allow you to focus on other options.
Then, if you can get the basics down but are getting bogged down in the details, it will be time to try something really weird: Talking to that person. Like, voice to voice. People might not realize it, but those texting/web surfing/streaming devices we carry around can make phone calls, too. And you’d be surprised how much faster things get done if you’re actually speaking to another human being.
Even if you do all of those things, negotiations can drag on and on. That’s why now is the time to start the process by finding out who might really consider a deal. Weed out the pretenders and you’ll be on your way to securing the trade you need.
Or not. The thing is, you can do everything right, and you’ll still see the trade deadline pass without any new players on your team. That’s the way it goes. This discussion isn’t about pretending you’re guaranteed to get what you want. But like the game we play, it’s about putting the odds in your favor as best you can, and hoping things break your way. May the odds be in your favor, whether you swing a trade or not. Good luck this week.
Do trades happen in your league? Do you think you’ll make one this season, or have you already made one? What are your best trade tips? Share your thoughts below.