Trading with the top team and with-in your division (1 Viewer)

This came up in a couple leagues that I'm in.

The 1st was a guy who liked the offer but didn't want to trade with a "division" rival. Since he liked the trade too I was surprised. I figure if it helps me thats good. If it helps a "division" rival, so what my team is better to and there is always a wildcard spot.

Then in a dynasty a guy won't deal with me unless he feels its lopsided in his favor because I have won twice and came in 2nd in the past 3 years. So do you avoid possible strengthening an already good team?

Although I always try to not trade within my division, I'll trade with whoever as long as I can get better. I definately look elsewhere first though so it is a concern but it wont stop me if there's guys I really want, or want to ship out..

I know there are more than 10 people on this board today.......

Dynasty - I often trade with good teams because they usually have the good players. I do think twice when they're in my division though.

Tried to answer it and my browser said NEIN

So here I go again.

If I am on the fence about a trade within the division, the fact that it is a rival (especially a good one) might push me over. More in redraft than dynasty, where longer term impact applies.

I won't dissmiss anything out of hand though - imo you never should. But it weighs into my final decision.

There are anywhere between 7 to 13 other teams in most leagues. Even if a trade helps your rival more than it helps you... it still helps you (or else you wouldn't do it). I'd gladly trade a relative advantage over 6-12 teams for a relative disadvantage against 1 team... and that's assuming the trade helps him more than you. It could easily wind up helping you far more than him, in which case it's a home run. And if you think it won't help you, then don't do the trade- not because it's against a rival, but because it's not helping you.

I'll trade with anyone. The desire is an improvement to my team. I don't care about other people's teams as long as I'm getting better.

Also, we just had a thread on this, you might look in it for further opinions.

lyon812 said:

Also, we just had a thread on this, you might look in it for further opinions.

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missed it and with the season starting it seems a day old thread is pages deep by now

Zoomanji said:

lyon812 said:

Also, we just had a thread on this, you might look in it for further opinions.

Click to expand...

missed it and with the season starting it seems a day old thread is pages deep by now

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Yeah, I wasn't saying that in a snotty way, just letting you know.

lyon812 said:

Zoomanji said:

lyon812 said:

Also, we just had a thread on this, you might look in it for further opinions.

Click to expand...

missed it and with the season starting it seems a day old thread is pages deep by now

Click to expand...

Yeah, I wasn't saying that in a snotty way, just letting you know.

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I know, I just missed it last time.But I bet I have better poll options

Another key point to remember... top teams don't stay top teams forever, but owners will definitely remember that you refused to trade with them when they were on top. Cultivating good trading relationships is every bit as important as making good trades.

SSOG said:

Another key point to remember... top teams don't stay top teams forever, but owners will definitely remember that you refused to trade with them when they were on top. Cultivating good trading relationships is every bit as important as making good trades.

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That is a very good point. One year, I traded with the guy I was neck-and-neck with for first place in my division. We both made the playoffs, and I made it to the championship. It was win-win for us both. At some point, the top guy might be in last place, but willing to trade you a player that you need for a draft pick or prospect.

Yay!

I found the 1 guy out of 40 to deal with!

I think if the trade is good for your team you make the deal regardless of who it is.

but if you are trading with the top team, they are probably there for a reason, so I'd scrutinize the deal a little more than I would if trading with a team at the bottom or in the middle of the standings.

I can't answer this one becasue I AM THE TOP TEAM.

FavreCo said:

I can't answer this one becasue I AM THE TOP TEAM.

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but, I'll make a deal with anyone if it makes my team better.

In my dynasty league, my division has the best team in it, and he's also been quite dynastic - every division title since I've been in the league - 5-6 years, and 2-3 titles, including the two consecutive years before last year. I stopped the streak last year as a wild card, and I make the playoffs roughly every other year recently, so I'm no slouch, but it's tough.

I really don't have a lot of trade chips to get guys from him, and he's a very good owner. I also don't have great depth where I'm strong, or my storng depth is IDP's with lesser value. He gets one or two doozy trades in every year, and it's tough to keep up. I don't trade with him, mostly due to no good fits, and when we do have fits it hasn't worked out for one reason or another.

Redraft, no problem dealing with anyone. I'm often a top team if not the top team, though.

FavreCo said:

I can't answer this one becasue I AM THE TOP TEAM.

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nobody stays on top forever.I was the top team in mine for 2 years prior to last year, and have always been near the top of the standings.ditto for my dynasty hockey team although it started out low in the standings as it was mismanaged prior to my taking the team over.either way, everyone faces this fact sooner or later. (preferably later)

I don't think there is a hard and fast answer to this topic that is a good answer. It depends heavily on the situation.

I'd say it's short sighted and self-harmful to never consider a trade with the top team or a division rival. But it's also self-harmful to not factor that fact into your decision of how much it helps or hurts you.

Here's a real example. In my dynasty league, my team and one other are probably the two favorites to win it. I'm very balanced throughout my lineup. The other team is overwhelmingly strong in a few places and is pathetically weak in one particular position.

For trades that don't involve that position he's pathetically weak at, I'd make a trade with him that is similar to what I'd make to other teams who probably aren't contenders. We both improve about the same and if I'm better in all of my other games, I have a better shot at a 1st round playoff bye, etc.

However, he'll never get a player from me at the position he's weak at, even though I have enough depth there to make a trade. Not unless I can ruin one of his other positions in doing the trade. His team would probably pull ahead of mine if he could plug that hole without having to give up major assets at other positions. There's no way I'm going to make a trade that gives him that much advantage, even if it's the best trade I could find in the league for my backup.

Now if it was the cellar dweller that was equally weak at that position, I'd make such a trade with them. So yes, sometimes it should matter, but other times it shouldn't. It just depends on the exact situation, how much of a threat they are to you, how much you improve and how much they improve.

I would PREFER to trade to a lower team and not make a strong team stronger but if it makes my team stronger I will trade with anyone.

Sometimes the trades aren't even either. By the end of the year I am almost always the guy who has the most depth due to both drafting style and waiver wire work. I will often trade a pretty good player in a position I dont need at the end of the year for a minor bump up at another position. In that case I am pretty careful in the trading partner. It amazes me how many trades I have that get turned down (alot of times lopsided in THEIR favor) because people are afraid to make my team better. And its not like I have dominated the league either. Always competitive, but no where near dominant.

One year I had 3 absolute STUDS at rb and tried to trade a team with excess above average wr's, basically a wr 3 for me versus a rb 1 for them. They turned it down and subsequently lost in the playoffs due to lousy rb's. Cant even remember where I ended up but I remember them getting crushed round 1 of the playoffs.

I'll trade with anyone as long as it helps my team

GregR said:

I don't think there is a hard and fast answer to this topic that is a good answer. It depends heavily on the situation. I'd say it's short sighted and self-harmful to never consider a trade with the top team or a division rival. But it's also self-harmful to not factor that fact into your decision of how much it helps or hurts you.Here's a real example. In my dynasty league, my team and one other are probably the two favorites to win it. I'm very balanced throughout my lineup. The other team is overwhelmingly strong in a few places and is pathetically weak in one particular position.For trades that don't involve that position he's pathetically weak at, I'd make a trade with him that is similar to what I'd make to other teams who probably aren't contenders. We both improve about the same and if I'm better in all of my other games, I have a better shot at a 1st round playoff bye, etc.However, he'll never get a player from me at the position he's weak at, even though I have enough depth there to make a trade. Not unless I can ruin one of his other positions in doing the trade. His team would probably pull ahead of mine if he could plug that hole without having to give up major assets at other positions. There's no way I'm going to make a trade that gives him that much advantage, even if it's the best trade I could find in the league for my backup.Now if it was the cellar dweller that was equally weak at that position, I'd make such a trade with them. So yes, sometimes it should matter, but other times it shouldn't. It just depends on the exact situation, how much of a threat they are to you, how much you improve and how much they improve.

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If you don't trade with him to plug that hole, then I guarantee you someone else will, and then you get doubly screwed- his weakness is shored up, and you miss out on a chance to improve your team in the process.