Trades don’t always work out

Trades don’t always work out, and sometimes they can come back to haunt you. One such trade that I made more than a month ago – right before week 1 – is an example. It happened after Le’Veon Bell decided to go on strike.

Let’s wind the clock back a month, and let me recall the dark days of early September. It really started for me when I selected Bell with the No.1 draft pick in our fantasy football draft. A fateful moment. If only I had taken Todd Gurley.

It’s been well chronicled how Bell didn’t report to the Steelers and why. He’s still sitting out as we enter week 6. When I realized Bell wasn’t coming in, I made a smart move. At that time, I just didn’t have any idea how smart.

On the Wednesday before week 1, I made the decision to pick up James Conner, Bell’s backup. He was available on the waiver wire, and I added him. I only wish I could go back in time and stop there. If only I had known.

If only I had known how good Connor was. But I didn’t know. So, the very next day, I traded him away.  The trader on the other end of the deal was my own flesh and blood, and he made it clear that the trade would be costly for me.

I just didn’t know how costly. Nathan and I knew even then that it was likely Bell would be lost for most of the season to fantasy owners. I owned a rapidly depreciating asset, and he wasn’t going to pay top dollar.

Nathan is a risk-taker by nature, and a smart trader. He would give up his RB1, but it would cost me. He would give me Christian McCaffrey for Bell, but I had to throw in Conner and Devante Adams.

There were some other players involved in the deal, but they were minor players that have since been waived by me. McCaffrey was a promising player, and I wanted him. But I hated to part with Adams.

I really didn’t mind giving up Connor because I saw him as nothing more than a handcuff for Bell. He wasn’t going to put up big numbers. I couldn’t have been more wrong, as history proves.

Conner has done nothing but put up big numbers. He’s averaging an incredible 22.4 fantasy points per game, capping it off with 34.5 points last week against the Falcons. Now, it’s Le’Veon who?