Fantasy Football Trading Essentials: Tips on getting deals done with bye weeks here

The following is an excerpt from the latest edition of Yahoo’s fantasy football newsletter, Get to the Points! If you like what you see, you can subscribe for free here.

If you feel as if the fantasy football season has been unusually difficult to this point, um … BWAHAHAHA.

The opening weeks were merely prelude.

With the byes now beginning, our game’s degree-of-difficulty is about to dramatically increase. Traditionally, when the bye weeks hit, fantasy trade season is officially upon us. Waivers alone cannot possibly address all your upcoming roster needs. For those of you about to hit the trade market, here are four essential tips to help seal your deals:

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1. Take a moment to assess the actual needs of potential trade partners

It takes very little time to identify the teams that legitimately match up well with your squad, need for need. Too often, managers waste their time (and everyone else’s) spamming the entire league with offers involving a specific player they would like to flip, without respect to any other person’s immediate needs.

Yeah, we get it, you’re willing to move Anthony Richardson. Not everyone is game to take on that particular project right now, however. Read the room, and find a good fit for whatever you’re looking to unload.

2. Lead with a reasonable offer

Your first trade proposal doesn’t necessarily have to be your best and final, but it should at least get the conversation started. If your initial offer is mildly insulting, then I’m simply hitting “reject” without a counter-proposal.

I’m afraid Trevor Lawrence + Christian Kirk + the D/ST you streamed last week will not, in fact, be a sufficient return for my Justin Jefferson. Not happening. I am a serious-inquiries-only sort of fantasy manager as far as trades are concerned.

3. Keep it simple

One-for-one deals in which both parties address glaring roster needs are by far the easiest to finalize. Whenever we add another name to the proposal, it becomes a little less likely the deal will happen. At the heart of every nine-player mega-trade that ends in veto, rejection or Fantasy Court, we can usually find a good idea — a fair and reasonable exchange of two players of similar value. Again, keep it simple.

4. Remember, it’s OK if both sides consider the deal a win

Actually, that’s the ideal sort of fantasy trade. We’re all trying to deal from positions of surplus to address obvious weaknesses. If two teams can help each other, that’s good business. Let’s stay focused on winning the league, not winning some random trade in October.

If you’re looking to wheel and deal, Sal Vetri has his latest trade tips and I covered some buy-low fantasy candidates in the newsletter.