Is knowing too much intimidating to other owners? (1 Viewer)

[baronson]

i've found recently that owners get intimidated right out of doing a deal with me when i exhibit that i know more than they do. for example, in my keep 3 league, when i offer musa smith in a deal and people inevitably say "why would i want that guy" and i mention his contract status and the Balt RB situation, they immediately clam up and assume i know something they don't about who i'm trying to acquire. this seems to happen rather often.

in other words, is playing dumb sometimes a better strategy? clearly, if someone offers you the world for a guy, its the right play. but when you're offering a fair deal based on what a shark knows, then the guppy oftentimes thinks its a bunk offer. who do you circumvent this?

 

[Bri]

i've found recently that owners get intimidated right out of doing a deal with me when i exhibit that i know more than they do. for example, in my keep 3 league, when i offer musa smith in a deal and people inevitably say "why would i want that guy" and i mention his contract status and the Balt RB situation, they immediately clam up and assume i know something they don't about who i'm trying to acquire. this seems to happen rather often. in other words, is playing dumb sometimes a better strategy? clearly, if someone offers you the world for a guy, its the right play. but when you're offering a fair deal based on what a shark knows, then the guppy oftentimes thinks its a bunk offer. who do you circumvent this?

I don't think it's knowing too much, I think you miss the point they've never heard of him or only in passing. Casual FF guy is still passionate but, naturally, only about what he knows. You might try hitting him with a few links and then offerring a trade a few weeks later, maybe he gets hooked on a player's potential. Give that passion time to swirl

 

[pinequick]

i've found recently that owners get intimidated right out of doing a deal with me when i exhibit that i know more than they do. for example, in my keep 3 league, when i offer musa smith in a deal and people inevitably say "why would i want that guy" and i mention his contract status and the Balt RB situation, they immediately clam up and assume i know something they don't about who i'm trying to acquire. this seems to happen rather often. in other words, is playing dumb sometimes a better strategy? clearly, if someone offers you the world for a guy, its the right play. but when you're offering a fair deal based on what a shark knows, then the guppy oftentimes thinks its a bunk offer. who do you circumvent this?

I have guys all the time who won't trade me, probably for the same reason. They know that I pay more attention to league news than they do, and feel at a disadvantage. I don't even contact them anymore.

 

[Ned]

its like advertising that youre putting lj on the blocks. people assume you know something is up and dont want to risk it...

 

[Snotbubbles]

Why would you divulge information about a player you are trying to acquire? All that will do is raise that players value. You might think you know alot about fantasy football, but it's obvious you have no clue how to negotiate a trade.

 

[KoolKat]

Same happens to me, I try to explain to them in my offer why I believe the offer is fair. Some I don't contact anymore.

 

[baronson]

Why would you divulge information about a player you are trying to acquire? All that will do is raise that players value. You might think you know alot about fantasy football, but it's obvious you have no clue how to negotiate a trade.

get down off your high horse and reread my original post. when you're done, feel free to add value.

 

[AnonymousBob]

Alas, we're too smart for our own good.

 

[baronson]

Same happens to me, I try to explain to them in my offer why I believe the offer is fair. Some I don't contact anymore.

why am i getting the feeling that this is the "solution" most often sought? there must be a way to massage an ill-informed owner in such a way as to provide him the illusion the two of you are on level playing fields....

 

[turnit643]

The problem is probably just in the presentation.

You have a feel for who the gups are in your league, when approaching them, offer it more like this: "Hey I was looking at this ... this is what I know about his guy, this is where I read it, this is how a deal could help both of us, check it out and let me know what you think." Let them read up on the guy themself, it's empowering and makes them feel like they're discovering the info right along with you and not just being fed.

I've found people are much more willing to deal when they feel like they've been a part of the work and not just receiving an offer out of thin air. It's a natural reaction to resist, especially when there's a threat of being swindled. Getting past that instinctual skepticism is easier when they're invited to be on the "inside" of the deal instead of just being the tool to get you what you want.

 

[KoolKat]

Same happens to me, I try to explain to them in my offer why I believe the offer is fair. Some I don't contact anymore.

why am i getting the feeling that this is the "solution" most often sought? there must be a way to massage an ill-informed owner in such a way as to provide him the illusion the two of you are on level playing fields....

Also, I try to make several trade offers to all owners during the season, even if I know they will not be accepted. The other owners then tend to believe you are trade happy, and they think they can take advantage, but if you know whats up you can't be taken advantage of. I also believe that by offering many trades, it makes the other owner, at least in my league, more trade happy.

 

[thayman]

The problem is probably just in the presentation. You have a feel for who the gups are in your league, when approaching them, offer it more like this: "Hey I was looking at this ... this is what I know about his guy, this is where I read it, this is how a deal could help both of us, check it out and let me know what you think." Let them read up on the guy themself, it's empowering and makes them feel like they're discovering the info right along with you and not just being fed.I've found people are much more willing to deal when they feel like they've been a part of the work and not just receiving an offer out of thin air. It's a natural reaction to resist, especially when there's a threat of being swindled. Getting past that instinctual skepticism is easier when they're invited to be on the "inside" of the deal instead of just being the tool to get you what you want.

 

[Phurfur]

i've found recently that owners get intimidated right out of doing a deal with me when i exhibit that i know more than they do. for example, in my keep 3 league, when i offer musa smith in a deal and people inevitably say "why would i want that guy" and i mention his contract status and the Balt RB situation, they immediately clam up and assume i know something they don't about who i'm trying to acquire. this seems to happen rather often. in other words, is playing dumb sometimes a better strategy? clearly, if someone offers you the world for a guy, its the right play. but when you're offering a fair deal based on what a shark knows, then the guppy oftentimes thinks its a bunk offer. who do you circumvent this?

If a salesman gets to pushy with me I back off and don't make the purchase, I would say this same thing is happening here. If you try to talk me into a trade I'm not buying. I would ask all of you, if you consider yourself a shark, why are you playing with guppies? Is it because in the shark pool you are only a small shark?

 

[coolnerd]

i've found recently that owners get intimidated right out of doing a deal with me when i exhibit that i know more than they do. for example, in my keep 3 league, when i offer musa smith in a deal and people inevitably say "why would i want that guy" and i mention his contract status and the Balt RB situation, they immediately clam up and assume i know something they don't about who i'm trying to acquire. this seems to happen rather often. in other words, is playing dumb sometimes a better strategy? clearly, if someone offers you the world for a guy, its the right play. but when you're offering a fair deal based on what a shark knows, then the guppy oftentimes thinks its a bunk offer. who do you circumvent this?

I would argue that you may not being givng the "guppies" enough credit. even with the additional knowledge of the contract situation Musa Smith is still a high risk proposition, especially in league where you are only keeping three players. Attempting to paint a high risk player as anything else smacks of a reason not to trust your motivation, not that you have more information than they do.

 

[Whizzinator]

I think you miss the point they've never heard of him or only in passing. Casual FF guy is still passionate but, naturally, only about what he knows.

I think this is often part of it----assuming that the other guy knows and believes the same things you do is often inaccurate.The other thing is that different people have different approaches to 'potential replacements' like Smith. Some people value them a great deal, and of course some of them pan out. But others figure that, basically, looking out nearly a full season requires a discount rate so high that there's virtually zero present value to the player. I think if you looked at a list of "running backs in waiting" from last year you'd find that while some of them have become LJ, the percentage of guys who actually get the job and produce isn't that high. So, not playing the game at all isn't a horrible resource allocation choice, espeically if you know your own level of knowledge well enough to recognize you won't be 'the first' to see most of the situations develop.

 

[StuntMonkee]

People like to nego. trades. . . .sometimes it helps to low ball you offer slightly, and then adjust. . . .if you offer your final deal first off then the other might think they can get more.

 

[cws3030]

i've found that emailing and inquirying about a player and trying to find out if the owner is willing to move him can be help ful and a good way to open up trade talks.