T-Rock 3/30/25 T-Rock 3/30/25

The Trade Chart

The Startup Draft sets the tone for the league. From the onset, those with a champion mindset want to pursue every advantage they can. Trading during the Startup is one way contenders separate themselves from the rest of the league. Trading up at a value for a cornerstone player or trading back to accumulate assets are great paths toward imposing your will on the league. All juggernaut teams are conceived during the Startup Draft. This article will explain how you can navigate through the frenzy of the draft and position your team for future success.

Part II - Take It or Leave It

Things to Remember

The best trades are often the ones you don't make - There are so many trades we wish we could take back, and there are many other deals we look back on that we're grateful never came to fruition. Unless you love the trade, don't go through with it.

Prep - To get the most out of this article, it is essential to do some prep beforehand. A great place to start is with Part I of this series, Snake Draft Checklist. But at the very least, it is pivotal that you map out your favorite and least favorite rounds of the draft based on consensus ADP. There is no point to a Trade Back Chart if you don't know what rounds you want to capitalize on and which you want to avoid.

Let It Be Known - Right before the draft kicks off, declare in the chat, “If anyone wants to trade during the draft, come to me first!” You want to communicate that you’re open to trading and have come prepared to make the deal as painless as possible.

KEYNOTE—The following charts are a starting place for your trading considerations. You want to use these as a framework based on the rounds you’re targeting to avoid being exploited through improper compensation.

KEYNOTE—About the Startup Values Chart, it is important to remember that these values are an approximation. When you trade a pick away, you are also trading away the “player” that could have been selected at that spot (e.g., if you trade away the 1.01, you are trading away Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, or Jayden Daniels). So make sure that your compensation for the pick you are trading away is equal to the value of that player.

When Trading…

The first four rounds are the most important of the Startup Draft. If you trade in these rounds, be sure to have at least two rounds of selections at your disposal before you decide to trade away another pick (e.g., if you trade away your 1st, do not trade away your 2nd or 3rd).
Do not trade away any picks in consecutive rounds through rounds 5-8 (e.g., if you trade away your 5th, do not trade away your 6th).
After round 8, feel free to trade in consecutive rounds (e.g., if you trade away your 9th, you may also trade away your 10th).
Do not ever trade back more than 2 consecutive rounds (e.g., if you trade away your 11th, DO NOT trade away your 12th and 13th as well).

Do not trade away more picks than what you receive back in compensation (i.e., do not send away 3 picks to get only 2 picks back).
Pay attention to what part of the round the picks are located (i.e., is their selection in the beginning with slots 1-4, the middle with 5-8, or at the end with 9-12).

If the pick you are sending away is early (slots 1-4), then ask if the last pick in your compensation package can be moved up (e.g., if you trade away the 1.01, instead of asking for their 2nd, 4th, and 8th in return, ask for their 2nd, 4th, and 7th as compensation).

The Dossier

Image created by DK

T-Rock 3/19/25 T-Rock 3/19/25

Snake Draft Checklist

Keep in mind that your drafted team isn’t your FINAL team. Your roster could look significantly different by the end of the season if you’re active in free agency and trading for players.

But at the end of the day, this is your team and the one you’re taking into battle. So draft the players you’re willing to get in a bunker with and Unleash Hell!

Part I - Unleashing Hell

Brothers, what we do in life... echoes in eternity.

Maximus - Gladiator

Before The Draft

Portfolios

Diversification is Key when you Play in Multiple Leagues

Keep track of your players’ exposure rate across all leagues.

Would not recommend rostering a player worth a 2nd+ on more than 40% of your leagues in case of possible injury.

Create a List of your Favorite Players

List the top players in the draft in tiers ranging from your Favorite to Least Favorite.

Track the number of shares you have of each player. Aim to acquire more of your favorite players and avoid your least favorite.

Resources

Create your Rankings for 13-15 Rounds

Rank your players within tiers to aid with possible trade-back scenarios.

Do not go nuts putting players in tiers that differ widely from consensus.

This may become an issue during a trade where the compensation you seek doesn’t align with your trade partner’s value of the player.

Create a roadmap, knowing ahead of time:

Each tier's location on the Draft Board
Where the best rounds are
Where the worst rounds are
Where the gaps are at each position

Have the Consensus ADP Rankings Open

Most people draft based on consensus ADP.

Have it open to anticipate your league mates’ moves.

Consult Roster Construction and WoRP

Create a checklist based on your league’s recommended Roster Construction
Prioritize the positions with the highest WoRP advantage in your league

In The Draft

ADP

Respect the ADP Market

Don’t be too high or too low on players.

Do not select a player more than a few spots ahead or behind ADP in the First Round

This ADP gap will increase as the draft progresses - By the Fourth Round, you may be willing to take someone a whole round earlier or later than ADP recommends.

Pick A Direction

After Round 4, Decide if your Team is Primed to Compete in Year 1 or Later

Choose the path of least resistance

If more than half of your league is constructed to Win-Now, prioritize acquiring younger assets with upside and trading back to amass draft capital (or vice versa).

Draft a Healthy Mixture of Players

Drafting all rookies is a risky venture considering their hit rates.
Drafting all older players for the sake of winning now is also very risky if they underperform or get hurt.
The best strategy is to draft a mix of players with high upside and/or a track record of high production.

Tie-Breakers

Consider Both Player’s Market Sentiment

Who will be easier to trade?

You take on a lot of risk if you are higher on a player no one else is.

You may not be able to trade them away if the player underperforms.

Do Not Buy Into Players Whose Value Has Increased Based Upon Hype

Do not draft players at their peak ADP.

It’s better to wait and see if the player can be acquired for cheaper later on than pay a premium.

Players Who Fall

These players can be a massive value or a falling knife you want to avoid.

It is more difficult to trade away players your leaguemates skip over in the draft.

Diversification

If you are debating between two players in the same tier, draft the player you have lower exposure to.

Do not draft players in a lower tier for the sake of your portfolio.

Do Not Chase After Rookies

Rookie Hype can cloud your judgment to the point you overextend your resources to acquire more shares of them.

About 3/4 of all rookies will lose value after their first year; acquire them in year 2.

Risky Players

Avoid players on a downward trajectory following a disappointing season.
Avoid players close to the end or past their peak years of production.

Keep in mind that your drafted team isn’t your FINAL team. Your roster could look significantly different by the end of the season if you’re active in free agency and trading for players.

But at the end of the day, this is your team and the one you’re taking into battle. So draft the players you’re willing to get in a bunker with and Unleash Hell!

The Dossier

Image created by DK