We are five weeks away from the start of the National Football League season opener. That means we are entering the final weeks of fantasy football preparations. A major aspect of the season is trades. Proceed with caution when both proposing and accepting a trade. Friendships have been lost. As petty as that seems, I’ve seen it far too many times.

Me personally, I am a fan of trades, however I am also a firm believer in if it is not broken, do not fix it. A trade is designed to help bolster both rosters. Trades should not be proposed to benefit one and bury another. So, who is to decide what is a “fair” trade? Not sure how your league is set up but most leagues are set up for a league vote. When a trade is proposed and accepted by both parties, it is then sent out to the remaining owners to vote on the pending deal. This too can be tricky. As a commissioner; I follow up with both trading parties to make sure this is what they want and I base my vote off their responses. Others in the league may automatically veto the trade as they do not want to assist anyone, and that’s their prerogative.

When I do propose a trade, I put three things in consideration before I submit the request. First; I evaluate my roster. By doing this I check my depth, my player’s health and productivity. Second, I will check the waiver wire to see if I can replace an injured player before exploring a trade. If I can land a player off the wire and not have to give up a major player in exchange, I am all about it. Finally, if the wire is empty, I will check everyone’s roster and see what they’re in need of. If I can swap out my back-up quarterback to gain depth at a position that I am running thin on I will throw it out every time. This is an effort that I put out there and message them “Help me, help you” as the title. Usually this works if it makes sense. Unfortunately, there are times where we can not strike a deal. Instead of pressing the issue, I move on and test the market.

As commissioner it is extremely important to set the trade deadline even before draft day. This way, everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect. You would be surprised how many owners are unaware of their trade deadline or even some of the rules. I always print out the league rules and pass them out at the draft. Stay clear of any unnecessary hiccups later in the season.

Dennis D. Cruz is a staff reporter for The Oakdale Leader, The Riverbank News and The Escalon Times. He may be reached at drcruz@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 847-3021.