Fantasy files: Trader Zach

Follow the Zealots 34 rookie draft.

Trader Zach is back. While I think that the main reason I'm pushing so many trades in my dynasty league is to improve my squad, part of the reason is that trades dried up in this league and I'm trying to get a little intrigue going.

I started with the pre-draft deal for Mike Vick that netted me a late first and second-round pick. I wanted those picks because of the depth at RB in this year's draft. Last year owners took LaGarrette Blount in the fourth round since such a small number of RBs were drafted. This year is different. There were 24 drafted running backs and at least half a dozen are still around by the fourth.

My next trade offers were failures. I offered Peyton Hillis for the 1.01. The counter was Ray Rice and Rice is one of those guys I'm not going to think about trading for at least two years. I offered Hillis for the 1.02. In an unfortunate turn of events, the owner of the 1.02 called while I was at the mall trying to update my wardrobe. It was an extended call during which my wife steered me to the underwear section and mouthed "can we leave yet?", which is normally my line. He counted with 1.06, 3.06 and Michael Bush for the pick. Since the owner of the 1.01 told me that he needed to get a RB with that pick, I knew that A.J. Green would be the guy. I thought the price too steep and countered with 1.06 and 3.06. He made the pick, which meant no deal and I wondered if, for the price of Michael Bush, I turned down a ten-year All Pro. Those are trade regrets for you.

I had the 1.06 and didn't know what to do with it. The predicted top five went (Ingram, Green, Thomas, Jones) went, although not in the predicted order. I sat at 1.06 with the obvious pick of Mikel Leshoure and the thought that one of the guys I might want at 1.12 would not make it to the end of the round. Because I don't like to quit, I made a trade offer to the Chargers for the pick. The Chargers have Jahvid Best. The Chargers' owner lives in Germany. When I made the offer it was the middle of the night over there. I picked Leshoure and figured that if he wanted to deal for a player instead of a pick, he'd still be interested.

That's a strangeness of trading rookie picks. Oftentimes you can trade a pick, but if you select the player the other owner wants, he's reluctant to deal. It's like the mystique of having the pick is worth something extra. Funny thing is the offer I made him was Marques Colston and his 2.10 pick for Leshoure. The counter-offer was Colston, the 2.10, and the 5.10. I took the deal.

I now have three second-round picks. Considering that our rosters are set at 60 but we have to pare down to 53 on opening day, I'm going to have to make some decisions regarding my veterans. I may have to pull a Belichick and trade for some 2012 picks.

My two trades did make my team older, so having the infusion of rookies will help. I finished third in my division but fourth in overall points. I do have three solid RB starters and with Colston my wideouts are good to great. With Romo and Vick at QB, I should be protected from injury at the position.