Why having a trade deadline in Fantasy?

[matiuste]

Hi guys,

I was wondering why is there a trade deadline in fantasy leagues?

I'm wondering if we should remove the trade deadline in our league. Here's our Setup:

11 Teams, 25 players/Team, Keep 15, Points Only(1G,1P,2W,+1SHO,1OTL/SHL), No playoffs.
4C, 4RW, 4LW, 5D, 2G, 6Bench, 2IR Spots.

[hockeyrobot]

Well that's the beauty of having your own league. Every league can be different based on what the owners want. I guess this is a roto league which i haven't been in in a longgggggggg time.

In that kind of league I would want a deadline just to avoid people making fishy deals the last week of the season.

[Eskimo Brother]

If you are in a points only league with no playoffs, and are not worried about collusion, then I don't see why you couldn't get rid of the deadline.

[2014olympicgold]

The big thing is you get a bit more variance.

On Feb 1st, in a 12 team league with 6 going to the playoffs, 10 teams could be in the running for the playoffs.
On March 1st, only 6 teams could be left in the running.

More buyers=a sellers market. Just makes it more like actual hockey I guess. I like the deadline, and I would want our deadlines more like Feb 1st, then Feb 21st (I think that's the Yahoo! default)

[FrozenInferno]

Realism. Strategy. Excitement of a trade deadline day. Prevention of last minute collusion type deals. Take your pick.

The real life trade deadline is my favorite hockey day of the year and I enjoy having a similar day in my pool. My league isn't the most active on the trade front during the season (myself and one or two other guys do pretty much 80% of the trading) but even some of the quieter managers made at least some kind of moves at our deadline last year. Guys seem to get into the hype and buckle down to make trades when a hard deadline is approaching. We also have a discord channel this year which has increased trade chatter and should make for a more productive deadline.

[pmorrow]

I've often wondered what the deadline is for in fantasy and tbh I'm not sure I have a straight answer in my mind yet, but I do think it's important.

In most leagues I'm assuming it's to prevent there being too many sellers at deadline day. When the playoff teams aren't entirely set, you have more buyers and there's actually a bit of a market for upgrades. If you have too many sellers, the buyers can load up and totally remake their rosters simply due to the prices being low. BUT this factor varies a lot based on league size. For example in leagues where 60%+ of teams dont make it, there's always going to be a buyers market regardless of when the deadline is. If it's a buyers market, that can create a league where making trades is almost more important than the draft itself. Just stay in the playoff hunt and then make some trades with your picks to patch up the holes, because there's enough teams desperate to sell.

The only thing I can draw from that is I think the harder it is to make the playoffs, the earlier the deadline should be and vise versa.

[skinnypete88]

I like the deadline for FrozenInferno's reason, I find in my league there are a few guys that never make trades but then come deadline day they appear out of the woodwork and are talking, making moves.

Our league also tries to time some sort of February GM Meeting a couple of weeks before to drum up some chatter

[Starvin Marvin]

To create realism and excitment as the playoffs are around the corner.

Also prevents teams getting knocked out of the playoffs to conduct shady deals....though, shady deals will happen regardless...In my cap league, this trade did not get vetoed....btw, team trading Kuch can easily make the playoffs with a good win streak
Tippett, Owen
Wood, Miles
2020 Draft PickRound 3
2020 Draft PickRound 1
2020 Draft PickRound 2

For

Kucherov, Nikita

[hockeyrobot]

To create realism and excitment as the playoffs are around the corner.

Also prevents teams getting knocked out of the playoffs to conduct shady deals....though, shady deals will happen regardless...In my cap league, this trade did not get vetoed....btw, team trading Kuch can easily make the playoffs with a good win streak
Tippett, Owen
Wood, Miles
2020 Draft PickRound 3
2020 Draft PickRound 1
2020 Draft PickRound 2

For

Kucherov, Nikita

The person trading Kuch made an absolutely awful deal.