This is more of a dynasty/keeper topic, but do you want to make trades now, or wait until closer to preseason?
With free agent season, and the draft, still ahead of us, I can’t see risking a trade now. Even if you’re trading for draft picks, the players you want could end up on the worst teams possible for them.
Sadly, many dynasty managers are unavailable during the offseason and won’t respond to trade messages. (And then there are those who introduce themselves to their new league by saying “I won’t trade any of my picks, so don’t even ask” )
If you get some trade talks going, it all depends on the value. I don’t mind loading up on draft picks. Doesn’t really matter to me where rookies will end up. This class has enough talent to offer intriguing prospects well into round 2 (especially in SFLEX), so I know the pick will offer some value, even if I don’t know which player it will net me. Dynasty rookie drafts are very hard to project anyway.
As for players, I already have a few ones I expect to do a lot better in 2023 than they did last year. So if I can get them cheap, I’m ready to take the risk and trade for them now. Of course, that can backfire, if the player gets traded or his team drafts a top talent for his position. But you gotta take your chances, and some 2023 studs may never be as cheap again as they are right now.
And of course I will try to sell players that I expect to regress. Another risk - before the 2022 season, I wanted to get rid of Ekeler and even offered him plus an early 2nd for Swift. That would have backfired badly. Thankfully, the offer was rejected and I kept Ekeler. I did sell Josh Jacobs, though, for an early 2nd and Brian Robinson. Still not the worst trade I ever made, but I certainly wish today I had kept Jacobs.
You win some, you lose some.
TL;DR: I will make trades at any time of the year. Yes, right now, there is a lot of speculation involved, and it can be hard to find another manager who’s ready to talk trading. But there’s also the chance to make trades you’d never get done closer to the season. Which can be a good thing, or a terrible one. And that makes fantasy football fun.
Don’t get me wrong, I will listen to trade offers. But I’m not going to actively make any. Now once the NFL Draft has passed, THEN I will become active again. By then, I’ll have a good idea of whose job is threatened by a rookie or a free agent signing.
I do recognize that problem, which is why I will be especially tough on trade offers this time of year. The player(s) I would be getting have to either be in especially stable situations (good team, decent head coach still there), or they have to be draft picks.