Trading is a huge part of owning a fantasy team. During the fantasy season, 90 percent of my phone calls are fantasy related. In no way is that depressing. If I am calling you and you're in my league, there is a 97 percent chance fantasy will be brought up. I love talking trades, even if I know the person I am talking too won't make a trade. I made two trades for my championship winning team last year and looking at them on paper is just plain sexy.
My first trade was Alfred Morris for Rob Gronkowski. I am trading Morris in this situation and getting Gronk. A background story is needed because on paper this deal looks like assault with a deadly weapon. The team I traded with had Jimmy Graham as well and had Willis McGahee and Jaquizz Rodgers as his running backs. Those running backs were backed up by Danny Woodhead and Rashard Mendenhall. It's safe to say that this kids team was hurting for some running backs. I had just what he needed and he wanted just what I was willing to give away. Alfred Morris was my BACKUP running back, I already had Lynch and Martin going HAM. My flex position was weak at the time. This was before my Kaepernick waiver wire pickup. Basically this deal worked out because I had an expendable piece on my team that was extremely valuable to another team. Whenever you have something in demand for another team, it is wise to talk shop with that team. This happens mostly with injuries, I offered that trade when McGahee blew out his knee. Gronk got injured a few weeks after this trade was made but I was lucky enough to pick up Kap.
When approaching someone to make a trade NEVER make the first offer, just let the other owner (owner sounds better then manager or kid) what player you have that he/she needs. Im going with he from now on. If you're a girl, sorry but it's more realistic, it's nothing personal. When he asks what player I want, I ask what he is willing to give away. The owner will try to low ball you or downplay what he is willing to give up. This is when I play hard to get. It works on 16 year old girls and their feelings just as much as it does with 22 year old guys with their fantasy teams. ALWAYS squeeze as much as you can without insulting the other team's owner. An inevitable question the other owner might ask, is why I am willing to trade the player I am offering away. This is tricky, remember knowing the intelligence of the owner is important. If you offer Antonio Gates for Rodgers, the guy will be pissed that you think he's a scrub. Tell the other owner the truth, people can sense bullshit for the most part.
The key is not to highlight why you want his players or even to make a trade in the first place. Which brings me to the second trade that I made last year. I traded Dwayne Bowe for Marcel Reese. The owner I traded with desperately needed a WR and Dwayne was having a hot start to mediocre middle type of season so his numbers were decieving. One thing about a guy like Dwayne is the target pitch. I pitched that Dwayne gets targeted among the best WR's in the game and it didn't matter Matt Cassel was throwing to him. The other team's owner agreed and did not see the value in Marcel Reese because his rushing numbers were alright and McFadden seemed as if he were coming back from his ankle injury. The thing that attracted me to Marcel the most were his receiving abilities and the dump pass crazy offense the Raiders used. Having seen what Marcel was capable of in the open field with some blockers, his fantasy value was hard to miss. It's important to speak on what you want the owner to hear and to be silent on what you want him to miss.
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