The Dynasty Trading Post: Season Recap, Trading Rules

Photo: Peter van den Berg, USA Today Sports

Welcome to the dynasty trading post, where optimizing strategy, roster construction, format, and player value oscillations are examined weekly in example and completed dynasty trades.

This is the final installment of the 2023 season, covering a recap of the series plus discussing some dynasty trading settings and rules to examine for the offseason.

Week 1

• Sell Jonathan Taylor+ for Bijan Robinson or Dak Prescott
• Sell Dalvin Cook

DYNASTY TRADING RULES

Paying Deposits

One key decision for dynasty leagues is whether to pay deposits for future seasons at the beginning of the league or once a team trades a rookie pick (or of a certain level). From experience, having the pay-to-trade setup where if you trade any future pick (or specifically a Round 1 pick, etc.), it triggers a future deposit to be paid at that time, inhibiting trading activity overall. If someone does not want to pay at the time, a deal can die on the operating table. The easiest time to free up trading is before the startup draft. Simply having everyone pay a deposit on file and then have free trading for future picks. If a manager leaves the league in the future, the deposit is returned if the team is filled by a new manager paying in full. If a discount is needed to fill the opening, the difference is taken from the deposit to keep the prize pool full. The risk of having no deposit on file and no deposit paid when trading away (at a minimum 1st round) future picks makes it difficult to fill the opening if a manager leaves the league after trading away a trove of picks with minimal results.

No Trade Deadline

Covered last week, the stigma that having no trade deadline destroys a dynasty league with teams buying a championship is largely false. No deadline can aid non-contending teams substantially to extend the window to sell older producers or flashing streamers late in the season. If holding those players into the offseason, the sell market can devolve to zero until, possibly, close to the next regular season. Also, many dynasty leagues do not open up trading right after the season is complete in January; instead, they are dormant until March or even rookie draft time. One key is to have teams pay for the following season before trading rights are activated for the specific team. This encourages teams to pay to be involved in the trading market.

Taxi Squad Stealing

If your league has a taxi squad for dynasty rosters, which could be for rookies only, or longer-term holds on a non-active roster, then rules for stealing by other teams can promote trading and activity. One simple setting is any team can steal a player on another team's taxi squad by offering the same round (or possibly one round higher) future draft pick. The taxi squad team would then have to activate the player to the active roster to protect them to block the trade or accept the pick and the trade. This setting opens up a constant young-player trading marketplace and a passive avenue for teams to trade away players without sending offers. If a rookie receiver flashes one week, there could be a taxi squad offer for a second-round pick the following week, even without shopping the player around the league. If looking to promote player value and trade discussions, this is a simple addition to existing leagues or new startups.

Mandatory Trade Thresholds

While not common, a mandatory trade threshold can be part of the rules in dynasty leagues. This promotes activity, but it would also be in place to require a certain level of sending offers or making deals. On one hand, it sounds unnecessary as the league should be filled with like-minded managers, and if one or two specific teams never trade or do not like to trade, that particular dynasty league may not be for them. However, it can be another fun wrinkle to promote discussions and, ultimately, activity in a league. This could be as simple as every team has to send one offer to every other team at least once a month or at specific times of the year. Teams could have to send offers to a team when their trade bait is updated. Teams could have to execute a deal at least once per year. The possibilities for low-level or high-level thresholds for activity are limitless.

Check out all of Chad Parsons' content at Footballguys.

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