A lot of the questions that we get in the comments section ask us something along the lines of this:

“I’m really good in this one category, but I’m really bad in another.  I’m thinking of trading Player A for Player B, because even though Player A is better overall, Player B helps in the categories I need help in.  What do you think?”

Almost always, my answer is no for this kind of question.  But there are situations where it’s warranted and when the stars are aligned correctly, this move can really help your squad.  I’ve tried to organize this column into factors or lists but sometimes it’s best to just ramble, so here goes:

Now, we talk a lot around draft time about the “best player available” strategy, and considering trades like these is like having that discussion all over again.  The difference is that now, players value is more solidified, you’ve got standings to look at, and every day that goes by is one less day for you to gain or lose in the standings.  So as the year progresses, it becomes more and more worthwhile to trade down in overall value for a gain in a specific category.
 
Let’s take an example to paint a better picture.  Let’s say you’re really desperate for rebounds, and you’ve got your eye on Tyson Chandler.  In return, the other guy wants, say, Tayshaun Prince.  Now, at the beginning of the year this is a no-brainer.  Prince is way more valuable than Chandler from an overall standpoint value and if the draft were today he’d go first every time.  But come the trading deadline at the beginning of March?  You’ve got to take into account the standings and it may be the case that Chandler is more valuable to your team.

The farther along in the season, the less you have to worry about things like injuries or PT shakeups that can really change a guy’s value and really skew your standings.  At this point, to me at least, there’s still way too much time left in the year to start sacrificing overall value for a category-stuffer.  Think about it this way.  Two weeks ago I was really solidified in my spot in three pointers.  Now that Rashard Lewis is out for two months, I’m in a totally different spot.  Imagine if I had traded away Joe Johnson thinking that I had threes wrapped up?

Still, some of you will want to sacrifice one category for help in another and as I mentioned, the later we get in the season, the better this strategy gets.  So let’s talk about another key in going after this kinda trade - a diversified strength.  Again, let’s use an example.  Just for the heck of it, let’s use my team again, and I’ll point out one category where I’m diversified and one where I’m not.  In blocks, I’m not at all diversified.  Despite being 2nd in my league, I’ve got only two guys who are big-time contributors in blocks, Elton Brand and Emeka Okafor.  Another, Nazr Mohammed, struggles to stay in my lineup, and other than than not a single guy averages over one block a game.  This makes it really difficult to trade away blocks, even though it’s one of my strengths.  If I trade away Brand or Okafor, I’m probably looking at being middle of the pack at best in this category, and should the other get hurt (always a possibility), I’m pretty much screwed. 

Now to contrast, let’s look at another one of my strengths, steals (yeah, it looks like I drafted for defense this year).  In this category I’ve got eight different guys averaging over a steal a game, let by Caron Butler with 1.9.  I’ve got four other guys averaging over 0.7 a game.  In this situation, I can very easily trade a good steals guy while not worrying much about my overall standing in that category, even if I lose another guy to injury.  This is a very diversified category for me and should I choose to deal one of my strengths, it will be in steals, not blocks.

OK, so we’ve discussed trading away a strength.  Let’s close up by talking about which needs you have to target.  Keep in mind that when considering injury risks, you’re not just considering your team, you’re considering every team in the league.  Because another team’s injury can be just as important to you in a category as an injury to your own guy.  So diversified strengths, etc. on the part of other teams is something to keep an eye on.  I think that people get too concerned with specific standings too early in the season because they’re not considering these things.  Remember, we’re not even halfway through the season at this point!  There are still so many things that can happen that can drastically change the shape of your team.  Having the best overall team value is the best way to defend your spot in the standings, and sacrificing that value for the sake of one or two categories at this point, to me, is still WAY too risky.

The key is to stay competitive in every category.  If you’re really so far back in a category that you can’t foresee catching up to anyone unless you do something drastic, then sure, go for this kind of deal, though punting might be a better option.  But as long as you’re competitive, whether it’s at the bottom of the category or at the top, you’re going to want to wait until probably after the All-Star break before considering this kind of deal.

OK, how’s that for a rambling response?  I’m sure we’ll get a bunch of differing opinions, but that’s where I stand.