How Not to Lose Your Draft: Trading Techniques for Rookie and Startup Drafts

Brian Malone Posted On May 29, 2017

Winning a draft — rookie or startup — isn’t about drafting the right players. It’s about drafting the right players in the right spots. Picking the right players is hard, but picking them in the right spots should be easy. DLF is bursting with resources to help you figure out where any given player should be drafted. This article will help you get into position to draft your favorites.

How to announce your pick is for sale

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The biggest mistake you can make is announcing “Looking to move down or out of this pick. Send offers!” It stinks of desperation.

If anyone in your league does this, immediately send a below-market offer, even if you’re not interested. You may get a bargain. If you miss out and the owner drafts someone you like, send an offer as quickly as possible. You know the owner isn’t in love with the choice.

If you want to move your pick, announce a specific price and stick to it. But “stick to it” doesn’t mean “be inflexible.” For example, I was on the clock at 1.08 in a recent rookie draft. I updated my trade bait with the pick and explained “Willing to move 1.08 for any 1st and 2nd — future or present.” When lesser offers rolled in, I swiftly declined without comment. Ultimately, no one was interested at this price, so I traded 1.08 for 1.09 and 3.12, and I drafted the player I wanted at 1.09.

This approach is particularly important in a startup draft or a rookie draft where you have many picks. You may not get a deal done the first time you try it, but you’ll establish that you’re not going to haggle. Indeed, you should make this move as early in the draft as possible, even if you’re not anxious to trade back. That way, you set the tone for later, when you really do want to trade a pick.

How to handle unsolicited trade offers when you’re on the clock

When another owner wants to acquire your pick, it’s tempting to try to squeeze every penny out of the deal. After all, the other owner came to you, so you have all the leverage, right?

Wrong. Sure, you have some leverage, as the other owner has shown interest in your pick. But there’s a pretty close substitute for your pick: the one right after it. Rather than overpay, a savvy owner will wait, hope you pass on the player she covets, and then make a fair offer to the next owner if you do. So if you’re not in love with anyone on the board, be reasonable and make a quick deal.

That’s before you pick. After you pick, be ruthless. A freshly drafted player should cost more than the pick used to take him. Here’s why:

Finality: When you trade away a player, he’s gone. When you trade away a pick, you may still have a chance to acquire the player you would have taken.
Leverage: Now you have all the leverage. You just got someone’s guy, and the other owner can’t wait and hope to deal with the next person.
Reputation: In general, it’s easier to trade a pick than a player. Once you draft a player, you cut the number of potential buyers. So the best long-term move is to encourage people to make fair offers while you’re on the clock. If you trade a player cheaply — or even at fair value — shortly after drafting him, you’re telling the entire league, “Don’t bother sending me offers while I’m on the clock. Just wait to see if I draft your guy, and then try to get him.” That’s unacceptable. Instead, demand a premium if an owner tries to trade for a guy you just drafted. He’ll probably balk, but he’ll also know to make an offer before you pick next time.

How to acquire a pick that’s on the clock

Don’t make a habit of trading for picks on the clock. It’s too easy to get sucked into a bad deal. Plus, if you think a player has fallen too far, likely a few other owners see the same thing and are making offers too. Multiple bidders means higher prices, which can quickly erase the benefit of getting a player below his ADP. I typically trade into picks on the clock when a guy I like has fallen toward the bottom of a tier. It’s a slight bargain, but not enough of one to draw heavy competition.

As for the mechanics, there are two important rules: (1) be fast; and (2) be fair. You don’t want to wait until the owner has made a pick, as the cost will likely rise. And you should assume someone else is making an offer on the pick. If you throw the first offer, you give yourself an advantage. Indeed, the other owner may accept before anyone else has a chance to bid. Of course, a quick lowball offer does more harm than good. Don’t expect negotiations. If a good owner is on the clock and receives a bad offer, she won’t counter or wait for you to send a better offer. She’s going to reject (or maybe just let the offer sit) and move on.

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Even if you’re a top-notch player evaluator, it won’t mean much if you’re constantly reaching for your guys, overpaying to trade up, or missing out because you couldn’t swing a deal. And if you’re like me, a bottom-notch player evaluator, you need to maximize your other advantages. So memorize these techniques, use them, and make them second nature.

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