On our free advice Discord, we’re getting a lot of questions about trades from owners who are in a “win now” situation. Should you make a trade if you’re 0-3?
The answer to that question is always dependent on your team and the exact trade you make. However, there are some key things you need to keep in mind to make sure you maximize your potential for making the playoffs:
Should I Make a Trade if I’m 0-3?
- You are being targeted by the savvy traders in your league because they know you’re desperate, and are therefore more likely to accept a lopsided trade that hurts you.
- You are probably going to want to trade your under-performing studs, as those are the players that put you in this hole. However, these are the types of players you should be trading FOR: Get value by buying low on great guys who had a rough 3-game stretch: Davante Adams, Devonta Freeman, Robert Woods. Think of all the owners who got Mike Evans last week, they played the “buy low, sell high” game right. Note: You want to avoid high-ranked players that are doing poorly for a reason that’s not likely to change: David Johnson is in an offense that doesn’t use the running back much, Stefon Diggs is suffering from Minnesota’s committing to leaning on the run, Todd Gurley has bad knees that will never heal.
- You want to trade the players you have that are doing suspiciously well. Buy low, sell high. Nothing’s worse than seeing your slow starters take off and still lose because you stuck with guys who came back down to Earth. Guys like Sammy Watkins, Mark Ingram, Rex Burkhead, and Tony Pollard (to the Ezekiel Elliott owner). Consider those who traded John Ross last week, when he was the #1 fantasy receiver but had a dismal week 3 with 2 catches and a fumble. That was predictable, smart owners took advantage of Ross’ temporary ascension to the top of fantasy leaderboards.
- You are in win now mode: Trade away guys who are injured, like Tyreek Hill. You can’t afford to play the waiting game, any more.
Keep in mind those 4 rules, and you should end up happy with the trades you make. Best of luck, 0-3 teams regularly turn it around and make the fantasy playoffs.
