The Good and Bad: Fantasy Football Trade Etiquette

Many fantasy footballers who play in dynasty formats do so to keep the experience going year-round.  And naturally, a big part of this is making trades as an effort to improve, rebuild, or simply try to acquire those “favorite players” missing from one’s roster.  Unfortunately, there are times when trade offers leave participants feeling annoyed, frustrated, even angry that the other party would send such a ridiculous lopsided request or conversely ignore overtures sent out their way.  And on the flip side, there’s a strong sense of gratification when a trade is commenced.

Working to complete a trade can be a process.  There is some strategy involved if you know your partner, what they are working towards, players they covet or positions they’re looking to fill.  Some dynasty owners value draft picks more than others, some are playing to win now while others are building towards the future.  Typically if you’re targeting a specific player you may have to pony up to get him, whereas this same dynamic can work in your favor when someone else has eyes for a player on your roster.

Regardless of the circumstances, there are simple ways to increase the odds and better facilitate the completion of a trade (and even future trades with the same partner).  Keep these tips in mind next time you hop on the seesaw.

First things first, does your trade offer help the other team too?  It’s a simple question to ask yourself before hitting send.  Would you accept this trade if you were running the other team?  If the answer is no, don’t waste the other person’s time.  Save both yourselves a click (you ‘send’, they ‘reject’).  If the answer to this question is maybe, be prepared to send a follow-up offer restructured with some improvements to the original offer for your partner.  Maybe start with a quick text or email asking what they would want for the player you’re targeting.

Respond to an offer promptly.  Believe it or not, this matters.  My rule of thumb is 24 hours if not by end of the day, much like a voicemail or text you receive from a friend or coworker.  You may not be fully vested in the moment or the offer.  You may not even think the offer is close or fair.  But the person who sent the offer will want an answer.  And they’ll want to know you’re rejecting it so they can move on rather than have it sitting there in the trade bin rotting in the wind.  Even a quick reject without comment or explanation is a common courtesy.  It signals an interest in participating, and may even lead to follow up offers from the other owner.  And who knows, you may sooner receive one you can’t refuse because of it.

No comment necessary.  Sometimes people feel obligated to give a reason why they don’t want to accept a trade.  I’m not saying don’t explain why you’re rejecting a trade, just be careful if you do.  Remember the person who made the offer most likely thinks it’s a fair offer and one that is helping you, even if it appears they’re looking at rankers from five seasons ago.  Often times the explanation can be perceived as outlandish and insulting, leaving the one who proposed the offer less likely to want to find common ground.

Last offseason I offered a league mate Amari Cooper straight up for Kenny Golladay.  In his rejection of the trade, he mentioned he preferred Golladay because he’s the younger player.  Come again?  Cooper is a solid half-year younger.  This didn’t sit well with me because it was factually incorrect.  Point being, I would’ve been happier if he didn’t write anything or simply said he’d rather have Golladay.  Luckily, as they say, some of the best trades are the trades you don’t make.  Cooper had another stellar 1,000+ yard season while Golladay missed 11 games due to injury.

If replying with a reason why be respectful and use it as an opportunity to negotiate fairer parameters.  Resist the temptation to insult the fairness of the offer.  And don’t send an equally insulting counteroffer.  While it might feel good at the moment as a way to give the middle finger without actually using an expletive, it will not make for improved future trade relations.  I still recall receiving a counteroffer of Adam Vinatieri for Andrew Luck after sending out a trade proposal to someone I hardly knew anything about in a now-defunct public league.  Needless to say, I never sent another trade offer his way.

Here’s one last strategy you may consider implementing in future negotiations.  Assume for a moment you receive an offer that’s fair and close but you’re not ready to pull the trigger on the deal.  Send two separate counteroffers you’d be comfortable doing should one of them be accepted.  One for the player being offered, and one for the player being targeted.  For example, let’s say someone offers you, Allen Robinson, straight up for Austin Ekeler.  They see you could use an improvement at WR and you’re deep at RB.  You see the value in this offer, but you still have Ekeler ranked higher than A-Rob.  Maybe with this strategy, your two counteroffers involve offering one of your other backs for Robinson, or asking for Robinson plus another bench player if parting with Ekeler.  The former is your way of saying this is where you value A-Rob, whereas the latter is your price tag on moving Ekeler.

Keep in mind we all participate in fantasy football for fun, as well as a pleasant distraction from the day to day grind.  There’s really no reason to deviate from that even when others aren’t cooperating as we’d hope they would.  Happy hunting and good luck with any trades you make this offseason.  It’s a long eight months until the next kickoff, but it’s never a bad time to work on your roster.  Please feel free to leave comments or share additional trade strategies below.

ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.