Trading can be one of the most fun and interesting aspects in the game. Some trades can be very unbalanced, far from even or a win/win. Which also happens in RL NFL, there are historical horrible trades, This is a short list of the basics or what should be taken into consideration when evaluating a trade proposal.
1. Who is sending you the proposal? Is it a team that is very strong, a league champion or continual division winner? Is it a team that you will have to play and/or contend with on your schedule or in the playoffs? Its a good idea to avoid making the strong teams stronger if you can.
2. Never, ever go by the trade meter values or player default ratings. They do not reflect the actual value of the players. OL value is very highly over-inflated. This is where having good custom player weights is important, PM me if you do not have you own set of weights.
3. Consider the order of value of the positions. Equal player ratings do not mean equal value. An OL rated 80 is not anywhere near as valuable as a secondary player rated 80 or more. Preferences vary some, but for me the most important positions are in order 1. CB, especially your CB1 and CB2 starting corners, and WLB 2. SS/FS 3. WR & MLB, and 4. DE
QB? performance is dependent on several other factors than a QB rating. You can take a QB from a good team that put up an 80 rating or better for the season, and he will go down dramatically on a roster that is not as strong, with a weaker receiving group, and/or play selection and use and gameplanning. Look at the season league stats for QBs, and you will see 90 rated QBs with similar stats to 70 rated QBs. If you have a question about position evaluation and need, feel free to PM me before you make a decision on a trade. .
3. Common sense, it's wise not to jump at the first offer, COUNTER OFFER !! Or shop your player on the trade block or make a proposal to another owner. Same as you would selling anything. When you see an elite level player available during Early FA, what happens? That player gets bid on and it takes a good bid to get the player. Do the same if you have an elite level player that you want to trade to get the best value for him that you can.
4. When trading picks, its very important to consider where the pick(s) is going to be in the round. Look at the teams record and anticipate where that pick will be if it is going to be in future drafts. A 1.30 pick is not anywhere near as valuable as a 1.10 or higher.
5. Look at the players statistics Probably the most overlooked factor and biggest mistake in trading. Click on the players name and view his season and career stats to help in your evaluation. Are you giving up two first round picks for a 5 year old DB who has allowed more than 50% catches? Or has zero or very few interceptions?