Trades can make or break your Fantasy EPL season. Fact. A successful Fantrax Draft Premier League manager needs to be active in the trade market, always sniffing out a deal to improve their roster. Be it trading in a player before they explode, or trading out a player who just isn't performing, our Gameweek 33 Trade Advice article has all of your needs covered!
Get out there and use the below advice for Fantrax trades this week. Trading is fun!
Trade In Advice
Here we're going to be recommending Fantasy EPL players to trade into your side. These may be Premier League players who are performing consistently well and are likely to continue to do so. Or they could be players who are currently underperforming but are likely to improve their points haul in the near future. These are your "buy low" players.
Paul Pogba
Position: Midfielder
Team: Manchester United
Rostered: 99%
Prospects: You know it is time to trade in Pogba when it is getting close to the transfer window opening. JK, JK...though maybe someone should look into that... The World Cup winner and former most expensive player in history is looking like an elite player again and he is taking this United team by the scruff of the neck and running the show. If you can get him in now, I am all for it as I am channeling my inner @draftgenie and projecting him to become a top 10 midfielder rest of the season.
Verdict: It is not going to be easy to get him as his manager has most likely been holding him throughout his injury. That said, I would give an arm and a leg to get him. Household names such as Matheus Pereira, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez might get you close to a deal for the Frenchman.
Adama Traore
Position: Forward
Team: Wolves
Rostered: 97%
Prospects: It's those pesky Wolves again. I have been banging the drum about their schedule for a long time now and although actually sitting through and watching their matches may result in you wanting to watch paint dry to get the adrenalin flowing, Adama usually comes through them with a decent amount of points. Skip the game, take the dog for a walk, enjoy the Adama points.
Verdict: This is gonna cost you. I'm talking Mason Mount/Jamie Vardy/Lucas Digne-territory or even more. The Chaps have him in the top 5 overall rest of the season.
Trade Out Advice
Here we're going to be recommending Fantasy EPL players to trade out of your side. These may be Premier League players who are performing badly and are likely to continue to do so. Or they could be players who are currently overperforming and are likely to decline in value of the coming weeks. These are your "sell high" players.
Bruno Fernandes
Position: Midfielder
Team: Manchester United
Rostered: 100%
Prospects: Just as Pogger's star is rising, Bruno's is fading a touch. Now, do not get me wrong, he is still a top 5 player, but he hasn't been his "in a league of his own" self lately. Theories vary, from Pogba taking over some of his attacking duties (which happened last year as well) to him just being a bit fatigued after playing 1,532,456 minutes in the last few seasons. Either way, the Bruno train seems to have slowed down a bit and it may be time to explore your options.
Verdict: You have to aim for premium. And by that, I mean 2 premiums. Examples vary for what I would consider fair value, but a combination of an elite forward and a decent midfielder, or a high-end midfielder plus a top 2 defender could do the job. Something like Raphinha + Allan Saint-Maximin, Adama + Jesse Lingard, or Trent Alexander-Arnold/Luke Shaw + James Maddison/Paul Pogba might do the trick.
Hakim Ziyech
Position: Midfielder
Team: Chelsea
Rostered: 93%
Prospects: Oh Hakim, you are so exciting! Such talent, such poise, only to offer volatile returns in fantasy. Volatile returns with high upside alone would not prompt me to put him on the naughty list though. It is the Tuchelball rotation that has sealed his fate for me. You cannot trust him for starts, and you cannot trust him for returns either. Get him out if you can.
Verdict: I am not asking much for the misfiring Moroccan, Dwight McNeil, Pepe, Reece James, or Youri Tielemans would have me clamouring for the accept button faster than I could say: "there's a reason he was playing in the Eredivisie at the age of 25".
Strategy in Focus: "It's not the destination, It's the Journey"
Not all managers are made equal. That is one of the beauties of DraftPL. Some like to play it because it gives them a way to immerse themselves deeper into the stats side of football, some love the head-to-head aspect, others love the way it provides a constant engagement. Me? I love the deeply personal side of the game. The interactions are always at their best when two managers are discussing trades. This week's strategy is more a strategy on how to enjoy less obvious aspects of DraftPL.
"Venture out of your comfort zone and try to get to know your fellow managers; I guarantee you, you will be richer for it, and last but not least, you will be more likely to actually complete a trade."
Truth be told, I was deeply moved and inspired by @JWillDraft's Love Letter to the community. It resonated with me on so many levels and spoke about real emotions in and around this fantasy game we play. This week's strategy is somewhat of an extension of those feelings and ideas. Venturing into the trade business is not easy decision, it involves thought, time, and perseverance, with the ultimate result of what? A gamble in a game we spend our free time with. I implore you to think about trades differently, not as means to get one over your rivals, but to get to know your rivals. Be it a group of close-knit friends or a bunch of people from all over the globe, talking, sharing ideas about life is a great way to get to know each other and in turn ourselves and refine our social skills. The best chats I've had in a DraftPL setting have always evolved from a trade negotiation. From 2 day extravaganza about first date locations, to discussing Hungarian literature, to sharing pictures of my new-born, these are just a few of my trade negotiation experiences.
Venture out of your comfort zone and try to get to know your fellow managers; I guarantee you, you will be richer for it, and last but not least, you will be more likely to actually complete a trade. Less a strategy and more some insight into how I approach my every day life in the Draft PL community, I hope it will inspire you to make you trade approaches more personal.
Use it wisely.
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