With the August 1st trade deadline approaching, it’s time for those last-minute acquisitions and deals to better your team for the future or to solidify your spot in the money. There are a few different things I tend to do around the trade deadline that have worked for me, and I think might help other fantasy owners such as yourself.
The first thing that is important to understand is what type of league you’re in. If you’re in a single season league, you will handle the deadline differently than a keeper or a dynasty league. I’m going to go over my tips for a single season league, then transition into keeper/dynasty territory.
Single Season:
In my single-season leagues, I am always doing whatever I can to win now. In my opinion, even if some of your draft picks don’t work out, you can find yourself somewhere within striking distance at this point in the season.
My first tip for single-season leagues is to look at who is cold. I know it sounds weird, but hear me out. Looking at who is cold is important because those are the guys you can acquire for cheap. Some interesting names that I am looking at are Rougned Odor, Daniel Murphy, and J.T Realmuto. If I were you, I would target these guys as they’ve had success in the past, and late-season production could propel you up in the standings.
My second tip is to look at the waiver wire for free agents. The deadline is close to September call-ups, and September call-ups allow for minor leaguers to get playing time late in the season. At the trade deadline, look at teams that are selling in real life, and by doing so it makes way for prospects to play those positions and possibly make an immediate impact. Finding those prospects that make that immediate impact isn’t the be-all-end-all for your team, but if you find those guys, they can propel your team up the standings.
My final tip for single-season leagues is to not be scared to give up multiple players. A lot of the time, fantasy owners get attached to the players that they drafted, in hope that they turn any bad season around. It is beneficial, as a fantasy owner, to trade multiple players for that one player that will push your team in a category that a team would otherwise be lacking. In addition to this, as well as my previous tip, there are always players on the waiver wire that hit well for one to two weeks or can give you good starts before finding the next guy to pick up.
These tips are what I try to do every year in these single-season leagues, and more often than not they are very successful. Dynasty and keeper leagues, on the other hand, I use different strategies at this time of year that put me in the best positions to win now or in the future (depending on my place in the standings).
Dynasty
My first tip for dynasty leagues is one that may seem basic and self-explanatory but is needed to be said nonetheless. Take it from me, who is in the bottom third of all of my dynasty leagues, it’s okay not to win now. Even the worst teams have assets that can be traded to a team in win-now for young, valuable assets. Sometimes, it is better to be set up for the future than set up to win now, especially if you’re low in the standings already.
My second tip for dynasty leagues might be the most important, in my opinion. Make sure that it is the offer you want, not the offer that someone is forcing you to accept. When I am trading, I have my valuation for the players that I am looking to deal, and rarely do I move a whole lot from that valuation. If that means I keep the player until the following season, that is okay, because next season there is a better chance of you receiving a better deal for the players you’re shopping. One player that I am really looking into holding until next season is Noah Syndergaard. Owning multiple shares of him, I was more than disappointed with his performance in the first half. He is turning it around in the second half, but if I were to trade him now, I would be selling myself short and not getting what I believe would be a fair return for an ace such as Syndergaard. This can be said for multiple names, but I believe it is important to hold still on studs that are having down years.
My third and final tip for dynasty leagues is more for those teams in the top half of the standings, looking to make that push for the playoffs. In my opinion, from my past experiences with dynasty leagues, selling off all of your valuable young assets to win now isn’t the best move. Like I said before, there are always guys on the waiver wire to fill loose holes in your roster, but when it comes to these young, valuable assets, I would try to hold onto some, but understand that a mid-tier prospect isn’t going to stop a deal from happening.
Always be looking for the best deal in your eyes. Every time you make a trade, make it for the best interest of your team. For every trade you make, there will more than likely be remarks from other teams in your league, but let them talk. Every trade has a purpose every owner has a direction. Don’t let that discourage you from making trades to better your team in attempts to win now or to rebuild.
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