Trading can be very intimidating to new fantasy football players. The fear of losing a trade or being made fun of in the group chat can make the entire idea somewhat terrifying.

I’m here to help. Just remember that this whole game is about having fun, and you’ll be fine. Once you master the basics, trading can be the best part of fantasy football. Here are some basics that you want to keep in mind during the process.

• 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
• 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
• 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
• Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator

Trading 101 (2024 Fantasy Football)

Evaluate Your Team’s Needs

Trades almost always start from addressing a need on your team first. You need to evaluate your team to see what you need most. If your weakest position is RB, that’s what you’re going to want to target in a trade offer. To get an upgrade at one position, you’re likely going to need to downgrade at another.

This leads to the next point. You will need to evaluate where your team is strongest. If you have a lot of WRs on your roster, and feel like that’s the strongest position for you, then maybe you can send a WR in a package for an RB in return. Oftentimes, the easiest place to start is by packaging smaller assets in return for a bigger one, or vice versa.

If you’re targeting a better RB, maybe you can send a lower-valued RB along with a WR to get the deal done. On the other hand, if you’re looking to add an RB to your team, perhaps you can send a strong WR and get a strong RB and a weak WR in return.

Overall, the idea here is to find what you can afford to lose while also looking at what you want to gain. Trades are only done when both sides agree, so you’re going to need to give something to get something. The best way to work that out is to give something you have a lot of so your team can get better after the trade.

Evaluate The Other Team’s Needs

Once you have the players in mind that you want to send away, you need to switch gears to find your trade target. I like to start by looking at all of the other rosters and seeing which teams are strongest at the position I’m trying to add. They might be easier to deal with since they are deepest at that position, thus making the overall process smoother and faster.

Once again, on the other hand, you can also look for teams that are weakest at the positions that you’re trying to send away. If a team looks like they could need some WR help, they might be more willing to work with you on a deal that lands them a WR. The better the player you send, the better the player you get in return.

Another thing I look for is whether or not a team has extra roster spots. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they have empty bench spots. It could just mean that they have players on their team that they could easily cut. If a team has a lot of fringe players, they might be a good target for a package deal where they send a single asset and get more than one in return. The opposite is true too. If a team has a lot of good players, they might be looking to send a few players to make their starting lineup better.

In the end, I want to find something that my trade partner needs. I also want to find one who has something that I need. Those tend to be the best places to start. It’s not a guarantee that a trade will get done, but it doesn’t hurt.

Make Sure to Stay Flexible

Once you’ve identified the bones of a trade, you need to stay flexible in your negotiations. There’s nothing more frustrating than sending a great opening offer only to get it declined immediately. We’ve all been there. Then you get the counter that adds a big piece to your side, making it feel unbalanced to you. Don’t focus on the negative. Keep your eyes on the prize.

There’s nothing better than a trade being accepted on the first offer, but negotiating is a large part of the process. Expect to go back and forth a few times before you land on an agreement. If they counter you, counter them back. See if there is a player you want on their bench that’s being undervalued. Maybe there’s someone you can add for cheap that you think is about to see a value boost. Those marginal additions can add up over time.

In the end, you might feel like you’re giving up more than you wanted to initially. As long as you’re getting more back than you started out with, the trade might be worth doing. Ask friends for their advice, check multiple trade calculators, or post a poll on Twitter. Do whatever you need to check the pulse of the market before pulling the trigger. In some cases, this can help in adding those small additions to your roster. At the same time, it can also give you some piece of mind that the trade is more fair than you initially thought.

Be Willing to Walk Away

Last but not least, if the trade doesn’t work out, don’t be afraid to walk away. In my experience, some of the best deals I ever did were the ones that I never accepted. Whether it was someone asking for a player that I knew was going to blow up or being sent an offer for someone who I thought was past their prime. In those cases when it ended up being that I was right, not making those trades helped my team.

The other thing to keep in mind is that you rarely have a ticking clock on making a deal. Outside of lineup decisions and bye weeks, you usually have plenty of time to think things over. If you turn down a trade today, that doesn’t mean you can’t revisit it down the road. At the very least, you have information about who the other team may find valuable.

One thing to always remember in this game is that valuations can change quickly sometimes. A player might be worthless in the offseason, but after blowing up in Week 1, his value goes up. Waiting can sometimes make a deal look good or bad in hindsight. Therefore it’s best to do whatever you can to make the deal look good when you finally click accept.

Making trades is all about fun, but even if you feel like you lost a trade, just make another one to make up for it. The more frequently you can add value to your roster, the better your chances are to win the title. Waivers can be fun, but in many cases, trades are what can make the biggest impact. As long as you keep your wits about you, your team will thank you.

Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn

Andrew Hall is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his profile and follow him @AndrewHallFF.