Redraft Trade Calculator

Q: Can a fantasy football trade be vetoed?

Yes, in many leagues. There are two common setups: League vote: other managers vote, and enough no votes cancel the deal. Commissioner review: one person checks for cheating or dumping. A veto should only stop collusion, not a bad trade. A lopsided deal is still a legal deal.

Updated Sep 9, 2026 By Jehan Wadia

Introduction

The Redraft Trade Calculator tells you if a fantasy football trade is fair. Pick the players you give, pick the players you get, and press Evaluate Trade. You get a grade, a fairness score out of 100, and a clear winner.

It is built for redraft leagues, so it only counts value for this season. It also matches your league. Set your scoring format, league size, QB format, and TE premium, and every player value shifts to match. You can also name the position you need most, and players at that spot get a boost when they come to your team.

The results show you why the numbers landed where they did. You get each player's value, a small trend line, bye weeks, injury tags, and age. The math is laid out step by step. If one side is light, the calculator names players who could be added to even things out. Want it in plain words? Click Get AI Breakdown for a short written review of your trade.

How to use our Redraft Trade Calculator

Pick your league settings, add the players you would send and the players you would get, and the calculator shows a trade grade, a fairness score, each player's value, and tips to make the deal even.

Scoring Format: Choose Standard, Half-PPR, or Full PPR. This changes how much pass catchers are worth.

League Size: Pick 8, 10, 12, or 14 teams. Players are worth more in bigger leagues because talent is thinner.

QB Format: Choose 1 QB or 2 QB/Superflex. Superflex makes quarterbacks worth much more.

TE Premium: Pick the extra points your league gives tight ends per catch. More premium means higher tight end value.

Positional Need: Pick the spot your roster is weak at. Players at that spot on the You Receive side get a 12% value boost.

You Give: Type a player name and pick him from the list. Click "Add Player" to send up to 5 players.

You Receive: Do the same for the players coming to your team, up to 5 players.

Popular Trades: Click any trade chip to load a common deal fast, then change it if you want.

Evaluate Trade: Click this to see your grade, fairness score, value split, charts, math steps, and insights. Use "Clear Trade" to start over, or "Get AI Breakdown" for a written expert take.

Redraft Fantasy Football Trades Explained

A redraft league is a fantasy football league that starts over every year. You draft a brand new team each August, and when the season ends, all players go back into the pool. That means only this season matters. Rookies, draft picks, and next year's breakouts have no trade value. You are trading for points you can score right now.

What Gives a Player Trade Value?

Trade value is a number that shows how much a player is worth in a trade. It comes from how many fantasy points he is expected to score for the rest of the season, plus how hard he is to replace. A top wide receiver scores a lot more than the next guy on the waiver wire, so he is worth a lot. A backup running back scores about the same as a free agent, so he is worth very little.

These things push a player's value up or down:

Role and touches: Players who get the ball a lot are safer bets.
Health: An injury tag like Out or Questionable lowers value fast.
Team and schedule: A good offense means more scoring chances.
Recent trend: Hot players cost more. Cold players can be bought cheap.
Bye week: A bye that is coming up soon hurts your lineup for one week.

League Settings Change Everything

The same player is not worth the same in every league. Settings matter a lot:

Scoring: In PPR (point per reception), pass catchers gain value. In Standard, running backs and touchdown scorers gain value.
League size: In a 14-team league, good players are harder to replace, so they cost more. In an 8-team league, the waiver wire is full of useful guys, so stars cost less.
Superflex or 2QB: You can start a second quarterback, so QBs jump way up in price.
TE premium: Tight ends get extra points per catch, which makes elite tight ends much more valuable.

The Fairness Score

A fair trade is one where both sides get close to the same total value. A quick way to check is to divide the smaller side's total by the bigger side's total. If you get 85% or higher, the trade is close to even. Below 70%, one team is clearly winning. Most managers will not accept a deal that is badly one-sided, so it helps to know the gap before you hit send.

Smart Trading Tips

Take the best player. In trades that swap two-for-one, the team that gets the single best player usually wins. You can only start so many players.
Trade for your holes. A great third running back on your bench scores zero points. Turn extra depth into a starter at a weak spot.
Buy low, sell high. A star with two bad games is cheaper than he should be. A backup with one huge game is worth more than he should be.
Watch your roster spots. If you take back more players than you send, you need open bench room.
Check bye weeks. Do not end up with three starters all sitting out on the same Sunday.
Think about your record. If you are winning, pay a little extra for the top player. If you are losing, take the volume side and hope for hits.

Why Trade Value Numbers Help

Fantasy trades often turn into arguments because both managers only look at their own team. Value numbers give both sides a shared starting point. They will not be perfect, since no one can predict injuries or breakouts, but they stop you from giving away a top-15 player for a bench piece. Use the number as a guide, then trust what you know about your league, your lineup, and the rest of your schedule.

Formulas used

Adjusted player trade value

V_{adj} = V_{base} \times M_{scoring} \times M_{size} \times M_{QB} \times M_{TE} \times M_{need}

TE premium multiplier

M_{TE} = 1 + 0.10 \times P_{TE}

Side totals

T_{give} = \sum_i V_{adj,i}^{give}, \qquad T_{recv} = \sum_j V_{adj,j}^{recv}

Fairness score

F = \frac{\min(T_{give},\, T_{recv})}{\max(T_{give},\, T_{recv})} \times 100

Value split percentages

\%_{give} = \frac{T_{give}}{T_{give} + T_{recv}} \times 100, \qquad \%_{recv} = 100 - \%_{give}

Value gap between sides

\Delta = \left| T_{give} - T_{recv} \right|

Player trend percentage (last 4 checkpoints)

\text{Trend}\% = \frac{h_{n} - h_{n-3}}{h_{n-3}} \times 100

Fairness after adding a candidate player

F' = \frac{\min(T_{low} + V_{adj},\, T_{high})}{\max(T_{low} + V_{adj},\, T_{high})} \times 100

Frequently asked questions

When is the fantasy football trade deadline?

Most leagues lock trades between Week 10 and Week 12. ESPN and Yahoo default to around Week 11, and Sleeper often uses Week 12. Check your league settings early, because once the deadline passes you can only add players off waivers.

If you plan a big move, do it a week or two before the cutoff. Late offers often sit unread while managers set lineups.

Can a fantasy football trade be vetoed?

Yes, in many leagues. There are two common setups:

League vote: other managers vote, and enough no votes cancel the deal.
Commissioner review: one person checks for cheating or dumping.

A veto should only stop collusion, not a bad trade. A lopsided deal is still a legal deal.

Is it better to trade two good players for one great player?

Usually yes, if you have bench depth. You can only start so many players, so points sitting on your bench are worth nothing. Turning two flex-level guys into one weekly stud raises your ceiling.

One catch: you need a real replacement for the roster spot you empty. If your next man up is a waiver dart, the gap can cost you a win.

Should I trade for a player right before his bye week?

It can be a smart buy. Managers often sell a player cheap when his bye is coming, because they need a body for that Sunday. You give up one week of points and get the rest of the season at a discount.

Only do it if your lineup can survive that week without him.

Should I trade an injured fantasy player?

It depends on how long he is out and where you sit in the standings.

Winning now: trade the injured star for a healthy starter you can play every week.
Losing and need upside: buy the injured star cheap and wait for his return.

Never trade based on a rumor. Wait for the official tag: Questionable, Doubtful, or Out.

How do I get someone to accept my fantasy trade offer?

Send a message with the offer. Explain how it helps their team, not yours. Point at a real hole on their roster.

Offer two options instead of one.
Do not lowball, it kills future talks.
Target teams with a clear weak spot or a bye week crunch.

Offers with no note get ignored most often.

Do kickers and defenses have trade value in fantasy football?

Almost none. Kickers and defenses score close to the same as whoever is free on waivers, so they should never be the main piece in a deal. Use them only as a small throw-in.

If a manager asks for a defense to close a gap, it is a cheap way to say yes.

Why are redraft trade values different from dynasty values?

Redraft only counts this season. Dynasty counts every season after it too.

Redraft: a 32-year-old star having a big year is worth a lot.
Dynasty: that same player drops in value because his career is short.

Rookie picks and young stashes carry big dynasty value and zero redraft value.

Does a player's playoff schedule matter in a fantasy trade?

Yes, but only a little. Fantasy playoffs are usually Weeks 15 through 17. A player facing weak defenses in those weeks gets a small bump.

Do not overvalue it. Defenses change a lot over a season, and volume and talent still matter more than matchups.

Is it worth trading a top quarterback in a one-QB league?

Often yes. In a 1QB league only 12 starters are needed, so decent quarterbacks sit on waivers. The points gap between QB1 and QB12 is smaller than the gap at running back or wide receiver.

In Superflex or 2QB, do the opposite. There quarterbacks are scarce and cost far more.

Do backup and handcuff running backs have trade value?

Only if the starter ahead of them is hurt or shaky. A true handcuff on a good offense can be worth a mid-level starter once the lead back goes down.

Before that happens, he is bench filler. If someone offers real value for your handcuff, take it.

How often do fantasy trade values change during the season?

Every week. One big game, a new injury, or a coaching change can move a player up or down fast. Values swing most in the first four weeks, when roles are still being sorted out.

Recheck a deal before you send it. A price from two weeks ago is often stale.

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