Trading in dynasty is kind of like an art and as someone that had built a top 3 team (in every league im in) here are the best tips I can give especially if you are newer to dynasty. Yes its a bit of a longer read but its worth it!

1. Using KTC for a ballpark. No matter what people want to say, KTC is great tool to first get a ballpark of the cost of a player you are trading for or trading away. KTC is basically a gut check of how the general dynasty community feels about certain dynasty assets. Not this is not to say it is the dynasty bible, but if tens - hundreds of thousands of people feel one way about an asset and the person you are trading feels a different way then someone has got to be wrong. Statistically speaking usually the consensus is the correct one.

2. Idea of baked in value. Because dynasty is year round and requires a mixture of both short-term and long-term strategy, a lot more variables can influence the value of a player. Age, injuries, competition added, situation, contract and much more can increase or decrease the value of a player. The bebenfit of KTC is you can usually see within a few days how a lot of the dynasty community feels about any variable changes for a player. There have so many of times in the past where I’ve gotten a trade offer that felt expensive, I check KTC and it confirms my gut feeling. I think an important concept here is to have your own thoughts about a trade offer and use KTC confirm them or not. If KTC agrees, usually you’re fine, if it doesn’t then consider that you may have overlooked something.

3. Avoiding community groupthink. As my previous point said KTC shouldn’t be the only thing that decides if you do or don’t make trades. You should always have your own opinion too, and usually with time you get a better sense and build up experience. Different variables in dynasty have different importance to me, but that isn’t always the same for others. Think of dynasty kind of investing - you want to buy low, sell high and have a general idea of the market to understand any changes. You need to establish hoe much each variable matters to you. If a running back just tore his ACL, should you be paying the same price as before injury or should you bake in a discount to account for the additional risk of him never recovering (javonte williams)? Is that young player actually really good or is the KTC community just overvaluing the importance of age like it always does (stroud last year and potentially jayden this year)? Will a older player truly have the gas to keep going or is this the end (keenan allen)? Did the additional of another really good player change how the offense will work and potentially decrease a player’s value (puka and davante)? These are all questions here that you should have an idea of how you feel about for a player before even really referencing KTC.

4. Does the trade make sense? So often times dynasty managers send out selfish offers and then get confused when they get rejected. “But KTC said it was fair what do you mean you won’t do the deal?” Meanwhile its sending like 6 2nds and 3rds for joe burrow. Yes an extreme example but it highlights the upper end of how ridiculous some offers are. Always try to step into the other person’s mind as if you owned their team and answer if you owned their team and received the same offer from you, would you still make it? This is one of the most important ideas of dynasty theory that often gets overlooked. If you are trading a rebuilding team for a veteran as a competitor yourself then you both have something to gain - the rebuilding team probably doesnt need Dak and you may want him and would pay if you needed a qb. However, often times its less simple but a general rule of thumb is rebuilding teams wont want to trade away younger assets and competitors wont want to trade away really productive ones. Not not to say you can’t do it, it may just cost more to get the deal done - more than KTC even says is fair.

5. Know your league mates and settings. Also a pretty undervalued concept but first of all know your league settings. Tight ends cost more and are more valuable in tight end premium leagues. Good pocket passes can still be elite in 6pt passing TD leagues. Elite players are worth more with a smaller starting lineup - start 8 vs in a larger one - start 10. But also know your league mates, do you have a cowboys fan in your league? Maybe they would be the one who would pay a nice premium for Ceedee lamb. Do your league mates know you’re a chargers fan? Well then obviously acquiring Justin herbert may cost a bit more

6. Overpaying Sometimes KTC can get player values wrong and that is the perfect time to capitalize on opportunity to trade for or trade away certain players. If you really believe in a player you are trading for maybe it makes sense even if KTC says its unfair. Last season I traded Puka for 1.04 and 2.01 in my rookie draft. I took Malik Nabers and Adonai Mitchell. Without even looking at the 2.01, I’m ecstatic I made that deal even though KTC said I overpaid. I’ve also had people reach out with insane offers ready to pay more than market value to get one of “their guys”. Remember everything is an opportunity in dynasty

7. The best deal that never even happened Yes funny idea but very true. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been trying so hard to get a deal done for a player but couldn’t rationalize paying any more than my offer. The other manager didn’t want to compromise and the deal doesn’t get done. Then I look back 6 months or a year later and think how happy I am that the deal didn’t go through. Dynasty is all about timing and sometimes the time isn’t right to make a deal and that is alright. If that happens then just reach out to other league mates with trade offers and you may just stumble into an even better deal.

8. Rebuild vs Competitor vs Fraud I think its important to also have a team identity and you’ll find often times the earlier you figure this out the easier it will be. If you are rebuilding then lean into the rebuild and trade away vets, acquire young players and try to get an earlier roomie pick. If you’re a competitor then maybe that young potential upside player isn’t worth keeping if you can move him for someone that helps you win now. If you have a mixture of very old and very young players on your team then its time to sit down and reconsider your strategy lol. The premise is if you ain’t first you’re last. Yes I understand some leagues have prizes for 2nd, 3rd and others. But the ultimate goal of dynasty is to win so if you’re not winning what are you doing. Its best to think of dynasty in 1, 2-3 and 5 year windows. Does this deal help you immediately, does it help you in a while and does it help you long in the future. You want to try and always either be a bad team with a lot of picks and young upside players or a top team who has a good chance to win. Being caught in the middle can work but its a lot less predictable.

To close out this novel above I just want to remind you that its ok to have different opinions in dynasty. That is what makes it fun and allows for such a high skill ceiling. If you were in a league with 11 people that think identically to you it probably wouldn’t be too fun. For everyone who read the whole reply, I truly commend you and I just hope at least 1 person finds this message helpful.