Smart trades can improve your team

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, October 18, 2006

With six weeks down and 10 or 11 to go, fantasy football players have a pretty good idea of where their teams stand.

One or two early wins or losses can easily get chalked up to a fluke here and there.

But six weeks is more than one-third of the way into the 2006 campaign and if you don’t know your team by now, that’s a bad sign.

This is the time when you should start to see the second wave of trading action in your league, and it’s a good time to see which holes on your roster need filling as you prepare to make a run for the title.

By now, you know if that late-round flier is going to work or not. And you’ve probably already replaced a couple of draft picks with waivers.

But what’s the best way to approach a trade in fantasy football? Here are three basic rules that should help make your trading experience successful:

1. Don’t target specific players. It will only cause you to overpay.

You’re always trying to get the most value out of the players you’re giving up. It’s a classic old-time bartering situation: You’re giving up a good (say, a second running back) for another good (say, a quarterback upgrade).

Instead of targeting a particular player, approach a trade much like you approach the draft: Look for a specific type of player. If you need a second wide receiver, make a list of guys who could fill the spot and then see which teams they’re on and figure out whether you can offer anything for them.

2. No one is sacred. There’s a guy in one of my leagues who has Carson Palmer and LaDanian Tomlinson. That’s it. He’s 2-4.

Despite Palmer’s struggles, he’s unwilling to give him up. And don’t even think about asking him for Tomlinson. Here’s one guarantee: That stubbornness and unwillingness to deal his big-time players will ensure him a spot in the bottom half of the league’s standings.

The moral of this cautionary tale is that you have to evaluate all offers and possibilities and always remember that a team is made of more than one player.

Some fantasy football folks will tell you that a trade involving a “marquee” player must be balanced by another marquee player. It’s simply not true and will only lead to a status quo situation in your league.

The best that player could do for himself is shop Tomlinson around and see if he can land a handful of players that can help diversify his roster and get him some points from other parts of his lineup.

With the exception of an occasional four-touchdown outburst like last week, even Tomlinson will rarely carry the load of three players.

3. Keep it fair. While you’re always trying to get as much value as possible, there’s a fine line between making a great deal and taking advantage.

There are probably some inexperienced players in your league who are ripe for being devoured in a trade negotiation, but there’s no need for that in fantasy football.

Always remember the best deal is good for both players involved and should prove to be a positive turning point all the way around.

Columnist Victor Balta: balta@heraldnet.com.