Do You Ever Draft To Trade?

[cctekguy]

After reading the article "Five Keys to Dominating the draft", I learned a little bit about "Tiering" players before the draft.

The basic concept makes sense but it brought a question to mind:

If your team is set at a position and weak at another but the "best available" (by a fairly large margin, let's say) is at the position you are set at....

Will you draft the best available based on your needs or will you draft "Best Available" with the intention of trading him for a player you need?

I've been schooled that if you draft to trade that it's pretty apparent to the other owners and that you run the risk of getting stonewalled.

Have any of you been successful drafting to trade?

 

[Miller]

I have been, but you have to be careful and know your league. Especially local leagues that you know well, you may not be able to pull it off as easy. However, RB's and WR's seem to always be able to be moved. I'd be careful in ever drafting a QB or TE solely to deal them, seen it tried, never seen it work well.

But RB's and WR's, I'd have no issue drafting the better player and working deals later.

Glad you enjoyed the article.

 

[Mike]

I will make some late round grabs with trading in mind if there is someone out there that looks like he may be good trade bait.

 

[Coachnorm]

I will make some late round grabs with trading in mind if there is someone out there that looks like he may be good trade bait.

True but you have to be careful. Because if you are obviously to lopsided at say RB they may want to take advantage of that fact and screw you over. It's more a matter balance in drafting. If you end up lopsided at RB and obviously weak at WR at the same time making a deal that is useful to yourself can be hard as any owner can see through that. Now if you can find a team that is lopsided the other way then you are gold. That is why I usually keep a running list during a draft of other owners by position.

 

[Coachnorm]

I will make some late round grabs with trading in mind if there is someone out there that looks like he may be good trade bait.

This is the way to go. Trying to find a later round guy that pops. This is the sort of player that can produce a great trade. Because you have still drafted for balance and not have a team with a real/obvious weakness. This is really where great trades come from as it is risky to use important picks to select players with the intention to trade.

 

[Coachnorm]

Everything is relative though. QBs can be easier to trade generally. If you are one of those drafters that wait a bit to go QB and grab a couple of " potential" guys and they both pop you can usually find someone who got a dud or has some injury and/or bye week problems and make trade hay in that situation.

 

[Miller]

Everything is relative though. QBs can be easier to trade generally. If you are one of those drafters that wait a bit to go QB and grab a couple of " potential" guys and they both pop you can usually find someone who got a dud or has some injury and/or bye week problems and make trade hay in that situation.

You think QB's are easier to trade? I find the opposite true for me. In a 12 team league, I think QB's are very difficult to deal in redrafts.

 

[Coachnorm]

You think QB's are easier to trade? I find the opposite true for me. In a 12 team league, I think QB's are very difficult to deal in redrafts.

True, It could just be a unique thing that happens to me. Usually it is something along the line of trading QBs and trading TEs to give my team a tweak at TE. We are not talking blockbuster deals here.

 

[cctekguy]

I agree with Miller.

Last year I ended up drafting Brees (1) and Warner (12). By the 6th week, I was SICK of seeing 30+ points sitting on my bench every week while my RB's rarely combined for that much.

Best deal I could make was Warner for LJ.

I think everyone KNEW that I could only start one of them so they KNEW I was the one in a bind.

It was a poor move on my part but what do you do?

 

[Miller]

True, It could just be a unique thing that happens to me. Usually it is something along the line of trading QBs and trading TEs to give my team a tweak at TE. We are not talking blockbuster deals here.

That I agree with, second tier QB's and TE's are easier to deal that top tier guys. What I was talking about is a team taking two top QB's with the intent of dealing one. I've seen it done, just never seen it done well.

 

[Coachnorm]

I agree with Miller.


I think everyone KNEW that I could only start one of them so they KNEW I was the one in a bind.

That is what I was really trying to emphasize that drafting for balance is more important generally than drafting purposely to trade. Warner was a surprise gift last year but it didn't make for trading gold. But sometimes you have to look at your draft/roster from a defensive point of view also. You only spent a 12th round pick on Warner and that kept a 30 point a week guy from coming in twice a season to kick your butt. That makes that pick a very good one, not from a positive production point of view, but from keeping a talent like that off of anybodies roster.

 

[Coachnorm]

That I agree with, second tier QB's and TE's are easier to deal that top tier guys. What I was talking about is a team taking two top QB's with the intent of dealing one. I've seen it done, just never seen it done well.

We agree, most everything I have been saying is that it is not a good idea to draft like that. There have been times I have had 4 great RBs and couldn't move any. But it was just something that happened to turn out that way, which was fine as I didn't lopside my team during the draft to end up with those backs. That was the year Curtis Martin blew up out of nowhere, he was like 3rd on the depth chart going into week one and I grabbed him very late. So I had a herd of good RBs and the rest of the team was great too.

 

[RUBBER DUCKIE]

Last year in a 12 team seasonal league, I took Cutler and McNabb in back to back picks at the turn for my 6th and 7th pick. I will say that it's a local PA league and I wanted Cutler, but McNabb was the best player value on the board and the last of the upper QB's. I took McNabb merely to deal him for my targeted TE the Philly lover took and a bye week WR because my two studs had the same bye week. Worked well for me because I got a TE that was already off the board and a WR that went off the board the same round I took McNabb.
It can work, but you have to know your audience and how they value the player. If you think your getting a bargin and a guy doesn't get taken until well after you'd rank him... I got news for you... you aren't going to get value for him in trade because everyone already passed on him, which gave you their opinion of the guy at draft time.

 

[Arctic Dawgs]

I sort of do that every year in my main $$ league

12 team IDP Keeper League. Keep a starting lineup. Seperate 2 round Rookie draft that don't count on the roster until activated

Every trade I make sure that I move up a couple spots from the end of the draft. ie: 10th rd to 8th etc... It is very easy to get these added into a trade as throw-ins. This enables me to be picking my backups at every position a couple rounds ahead of everyone else. Last year I had Romo and Rodgers. Traded off Romo for a very nice price. This year I have already traded up out of the last 3 rounds and I'm sitting with Carlson and Witten. Everyone must protect a TE so I'll be moving Witten for a very nice haul as well

 

[Birdman]

my brother is a huge Panthers fan and made a big trade last season to acquire Steve Smith. I may reach for him knowing he'll be trade bait...

 

[Phicinfan]

To me it has to do with value, or let me say perceived value. There are a whole lot of players out there that others like more than me. Rather than reach for a player at my slot...if my targets are gone...>I will instead work a trade, or take a player I am not high on...but know others are....to get value instead. Yes it is risky. You could be wrong on the player...and they bust out...while yours does not. Or, you could get stuck with the player you hoped to trade. That though can be mitigated by how well you know the other owners of your league.