A couple weeks ago I shared a couple of trading strategies that are (nearly) guaranteed to improve your roster. Since we're in the thick of bye season, here are a couple more that you might employ as soon as today on some unsuspecting opponent:
(1) Bye
Suppose you're scheduled to play against "Tom" in Week 9. A few weeks earlier (i.e. today), offer him a player who has a Week 9 bye. This approach works only when your research shows that either the player is overvalued, or a suitable replacement is readily available (either via this trade or free agency). This strategy is most effective when the bye is far enough in the future that your opponent fails to make the connection.
If your prey doesn't bite, make a comparable offer to each owner. For example, if three of your players have byes in weeks 9 and 10, consider trading one or packaging two in a single offer. Before choosing which future on-bye players to shop, analyze who has the toughest schedule going forward. Which teams are more likely to rest their starters during critical fantasy weeks 16 and (when applicable) 17? And so on. Even if the players you receive in return are of equal value to those you gave away, as long as they took their bye earlier, this seemingly fair trade actually benefits you by helping you lock down a much-needed win later on.
(2) Hit Him While He’s Hurt
This strategy is useful in leagues where teams have few bench spots. Lacking sufficient reserve space to house his injured and on-bye players, "John" must start two inactive players one week. His injured players suffer from week-to-week ailments, meaning his team could return to full strength in the next week or two. Meanwhile, there are no meaningful free agent upgrades available. John doesn't know what to do. And it's your job to save him—at least for one week—while improving your roster for the long term.
Thanks to planning ahead, you have enough bench space to add a player who's on a bye. Offer John a decent replacement—someone better than any waiver option, but not quite better than the bye player he's forced to start, and which you've justifiably targeted. If desperately needing a win that week, John will be prone to cash in on the short-term gain. In return, you'll get a positional upgrade for future games, including the playoffs.
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I've used both of these techniques in fantasy competitions, almost always to huge success. The only problem is that once you use them, it's hard to use them again without your opponents catching on. So make the most of them, then wait a couple years, and then try to take advantage again.
After all, fantasy football is not about just hoping your players do well; it's about taking a proactive approach to ensuring you have the best players possible.
(1) Bye
Suppose you're scheduled to play against "Tom" in Week 9. A few weeks earlier (i.e. today), offer him a player who has a Week 9 bye. This approach works only when your research shows that either the player is overvalued, or a suitable replacement is readily available (either via this trade or free agency). This strategy is most effective when the bye is far enough in the future that your opponent fails to make the connection.
If your prey doesn't bite, make a comparable offer to each owner. For example, if three of your players have byes in weeks 9 and 10, consider trading one or packaging two in a single offer. Before choosing which future on-bye players to shop, analyze who has the toughest schedule going forward. Which teams are more likely to rest their starters during critical fantasy weeks 16 and (when applicable) 17? And so on. Even if the players you receive in return are of equal value to those you gave away, as long as they took their bye earlier, this seemingly fair trade actually benefits you by helping you lock down a much-needed win later on.
(2) Hit Him While He’s Hurt
This strategy is useful in leagues where teams have few bench spots. Lacking sufficient reserve space to house his injured and on-bye players, "John" must start two inactive players one week. His injured players suffer from week-to-week ailments, meaning his team could return to full strength in the next week or two. Meanwhile, there are no meaningful free agent upgrades available. John doesn't know what to do. And it's your job to save him—at least for one week—while improving your roster for the long term.
Thanks to planning ahead, you have enough bench space to add a player who's on a bye. Offer John a decent replacement—someone better than any waiver option, but not quite better than the bye player he's forced to start, and which you've justifiably targeted. If desperately needing a win that week, John will be prone to cash in on the short-term gain. In return, you'll get a positional upgrade for future games, including the playoffs.
- - -
I've used both of these techniques in fantasy competitions, almost always to huge success. The only problem is that once you use them, it's hard to use them again without your opponents catching on. So make the most of them, then wait a couple years, and then try to take advantage again.
After all, fantasy football is not about just hoping your players do well; it's about taking a proactive approach to ensuring you have the best players possible.