In my fantasy draft this year, I had three second round draft picks. Yes, you read that correctly. My friends told me that I 'schemed' the draft—I prefer to use the term ‘outfoxed’. Bear with me as I delve into the possible strategies one can use to outfox their fellow fantasy team owners.

First, before I begin, I would like to point out that a sizable fraction of leagues do not present the option to trade draft picks. If you are involved in one of those leagues, I am sorry, but I cannot do anything to help you. You can petition your league manager, but if he/she denies your request, then I am afraid you are up the creek without a paddle. Regardless of your league’s policy, stick around and take part in the discussion over the possible strategies one can use to manipulate draft picks in order to be in the best possible position once the draft rolls around.

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Strategy: Accumulate Mid-Round Picks

(Disclaimer: I am accustomed to a 17-player roster format in a 12-player league, so I will be basing my ranting on this intriguing topic on that format)

Mid-round picks (draft selections from 4th through 10th rounds) are certainly valuable, and when utilized incorrectly, they can doom a fantasy player’s season before the first game is even played. Now, I am not here to provide strategy for how you should use your draft picks, as that is a totally different story. No, I am here to help you figure out how to best conquer your draft in terms of giving you the best possible selections, of which you can make your own decisions.

Making trades for mid-round picks can actually be difficult, depending on whom you are dealing with. It is generally a rule of thumb that the ten picks between pick #20 and pick #30 in a fantasy draft are worth as much as the 100 choices between pick #100 and pick #200 (Just a rough estimation—I’m sure people could dig up hard data to support the claim if they had enough time). Some people do not understand this theorem. They insist that trading the 10th pick and 50th pick for the 20th and 40th pick is a fair deal. Shocker, it is not.

A more evenly balanced deal, in my experience, follows. I traded my 1st round pick (9th selection) and 6th round pick (64th selection) for the first pick in the 2nd round (13th selection) and the first pick in the 4th round (37th selection). The difference in four picks between the 9th and 13th is roughly worth the difference in 27 picks between the 37th and 64th pick. Yes, I missed out on Matt Forte and had to ‘settle’ for Jeremy Hill. However, on the back end of the deal, I was able to snag Justin Forsett as opposed to T.J. Yeldon. Food for thought.

If you are able to convince the other prospective trader of the sliding scale of value of different draft picks, then you can definitely become successful at trading draft picks. If not, then try the following strategy, which can be used against those team owners too hard-headed to realize your original logic.

Strategy: Trade Early-Round Picks for Mid-Round Picks

If team owners in your league understand the sliding scale of value for draft selections (which I am sure not all do), then accumulating early-round picks, which are extremely valuable, can be a challenge. If some cannot wrap their head around the logic, then you can use their denseness to your advantage.

In my experience, some team owners add up the sum of the selections in a trade (if its 15th and 160th for 30th and 145th, it might be considered even by some). Do not be afraid to accumulate a couple of very late-round picks, if it means you can obtain an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.

Below is an example of what I mean: A deal of your third round pick (let’s say 33rd selection) and 11th round pick (122nd) for an opponent’s second round (22nd) and 16th round pick (188th) would be a total win for you (by the way, these pick numbers are purely theoretical). Yes, you are losing value in the later rounds, but the value gained in trading up 11 early round picks surely recoups those later losses.

An 11th rounder may rarely leave the bench in your lineup, while an extra second rounder can be a star. Consider this: in my draft, those aforementioned 11 picks separated DeAndre Hopkins and Julio Jones, while the 66 picks between 122 and 188 separated the Broncos D/ST and Sam Bradford.

Let me reiterate: Do not be afraid to accumulate a couple of later round picks and lose some value in the late middle rounds in order to gain another pick near the top of the draft. If you can find such a deal and the right person to strike it with (one who would believe they are scheming you), then do not hesitate to make it. It can only be beneficial.

Preferred Strategy: Mix of the Two Mentioned Strategies

Accumulating all mid-round picks will most likely leave you lacking a star, while accumulating as many early round picks as possible will inevitably lead to a gaping hole right in the heart of the draft (rounds 4 through 10). Therefore, I suggest a mix of the two previously mentioned strategies when preparing for your draft.

Personally, I start with accumulating mid-round picks, and then I use those mid-round picks to accumulate high-round picks in better deals. It's important not to just replace the picks you have lost in the original deal, but to make deals that benefit you more by giving you higher value than you originally started with. Of course, it is easier said than done, but with persistence and the right mentality, improving the value of your draft picks before the draft even starts is possible.

Tips for Making Successful Trades

As goes for making deals in all aspects of life, you have to know the personality of the person you are dealing with.

If you think the person you are trying to make a trade with is someone who likes to be involved in the process and wants to feel tough and accomplished, send him/her a deal that is they would probably not accept and ask them to counteroffer. If they do, the chances are good that the deal they send back to you is one you originally wanted, and so you will accept. That is a strategy that is akin to massaging the other person’s ego.

If you know the other person may not be open to trading picks and probably will not send a counteroffer, send him/her an original offer that he/she cannot refuse. Do not try to be cute—just get to the point with the best offer for the both of you.

It is important to remember that some members of your league may not want to trade draft picks, and that is their loss. Engage with those who are open to your offers, and if you are persistent and employ a strategy that works for you, trading drat picks can give you an advantage over the other members of your league before the first ball has even been snapped in the regular season.

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