Fantasy Football Focus: The Etiquette Of Trade, Vetoes And How To Avoid Collusion When Setting Your Week 12 Lineup For Success

This week we’re going to talk about trade etiquette, specifically as it applies to usage of the veto. In most leagues, trades enter a review process upon completion where the rest of the league can approve or veto the deal. Typically, it takes a majority vote to shoot down the trade.

In my opinion, the trade veto should only be used for truly egregious trades. It’s hard to come up with a perfectly balanced deal. Often times there is a perceived winner and loser, but that’s part of the fun of trading. We’re all trying to be like the general managers running our favorite pro sports teams, and we love when those guys make deals that favor our team.

So don’t be the guy who overuses the veto. But at the same time, if you see a deal so lopsided it borders upon collusion, don’t be afraid to veto. That is exactly what the trade veto is for. In our league, we had someone out of the playoff race try sending Davonte Freeman (pre-injury) and Jimmy Graham to his brother for Emmanuel Sanders and Jason Witten. It was vetoed quickly.

Sometimes you also might have someone who really doesn’t know what he’s doing get bent over a barrel by another owner who he considers a friend. It doesn’t matter how you slice it, three reserve RBs do not equal Tyreek Hill. That happened in our league, and again, it was vetoed.

Here are two other trades that happened in our league, however, where I felt there was a clear winner, but didn’t think it was worthy of a veto:

Le’Veon Bell/Jacoby Brissett for Jordy Nelson(pre-Aaron Rodgers injury)/Buck Allen/Alex Collins

Legarrette Blount/Devante Adams (post-Aaron Rodgers injury) for Jarvis Landry

I felt the guys who got Bell and Landry won those two trades, but the deals were equal enough for me to let it go through, and with the way Adams and Collins have played since, maybe I was wrong. That’s the another point, sometimes it’s hard to tell who actually won the trade. Everyone was pretty sure Dallas got hosed in the Herschel Walker trade years ago.

In conclusion, don’t be a trade nazi. But don’t let people get crazy. It’s a delicate balance. But I’ve been in a no-trade league before where everyone veto’s everything and it was not fun at all.

And now…

ON WITH THE PICKS!!!

Quarterbacks

START: Marcus Mariota, Tennessee – Mariota hasn’t made the third-year leap some were expecting, but his highest passing yardage total of the season came week six against the same Indianapolis defense he plays this week.

The Colts are allowing the third-most passing yardage in the league, and Mariota will be a greater threat to run this time. He was coming off his hamstring injury the last time he played them, which limited him to zero rushing yards.

SIT: Dak Prescott, Dallas – I don’t know about Prescott without Ezekiel Elliott. As I stated in my preseason rankings, Prescott’s completion percentage was 13 points lower last year when Elliott was off the field compared to when he was on it, and Prescott just had two of his worst games of the season with Elliott on the sideline.

He may not be startable the rest of the season, and should definitely be left on the bench this week against the Chargers’ dangerous pass rush.

Running Backs

START: Alfred Morris, Dallas – Morris is a decent play against a Charger defense that is good at getting after the passer but struggles at clogging running lanes. The Cowboys are 0-2 without Elliot, but it’s not as if Morris isn’t still getting yardage behind that mammoth offensive line. He is averaged 5.1 yards per carry in those two losses. The Chargers are giving up 4.9 yards per carry, which is second-worst in the NFL.

SIT: Marshawn Lynch, Oakland – Lynch’s return to the NFL hasn’t gone as planned and this week he faces a Denver defense that held him to 12 yards on nine carries earlier in the year.

Wide Receivers

START: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh – Smith-Schuster has become what Martinis Bryant was supposed to be, a dangerous threat who burns defenses that pay too much attention to Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

The rookie out of USC has been targeted 25 times in his last three games and has turned those opportunities into 16 catches for 237 yards and 2 TDs. This week he goes up against a Packer defense that is allowing the fifth-most yards-per-attempt in the league.

SIT: Davante Adams, Green Bay – Adams has hung up some decent stats despite the QB struggles he’s dealing with. After no-showing in his first game with Brett Hundley, Adams has 20 catches for 279 yards and a touchdown the last three weeks.

But this Sunday’s matchup against Pittsburgh, who is allowing the third-least fantasy points to WRs, is a tough one where he could disappear without decent QB play

Tight Ends

START: Jared Cook, Oakland – Denver gives up a ton of fantasy points to TEs because offenses are so afraid to test their corners. Cook didn’t do much against Denver week four, but he’s coming off two 100-yard games in his last four outings and could blister the Broncos this time.

SIT: Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay – Brate has fallen off the map with just one catch in each of his last three games. Until he shows up again, it might be best to leave him on the bench.

Defense/Special Teams

START: Bengals-The Browns are so bad right now, I might start Westlake High School’s defense against them. Cincinnati’s D/ST could put up monster points against them this week.

SIT: Rams/Saints – These two teams are playing against each other, and it should be an offensive shootout. I don’t believe either D/ST will do well in this matchup.

Steven Ryan covers fantasy, prep and the University of Texas for TexasHSFootball. Follow him on Twitter,@StevenEphAustin, and read more of his content here. 

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