How We Grade Every Trade in Your Sleeper League: The Three-Pillar System
methodology · trades
Instead of a single "who won?" verdict, we evaluate every trade across three independent pillars that each tell a different part of the story.
Pillar 1: Trade-Day Value
Using DynastyProcess dynasty values from the exact date the trade was accepted, we calculate the total value on each side. This answers the simplest question: was the trade fair on paper?
A 10% value edge is a slight win. A 30%+ gap is a clear win. And when one side gives up twice the value they received? That's a fleece.
But trade-day value is only the beginning. A trade that looked even on paper can age in wildly different directions.
Pillar 2: Value Change Since Trade
We track how every traded asset's dynasty value has shifted from the trade date to today.
Did you acquire a running back before his breakout season? That value spike gets credited to your side. Did you trade away a receiver right before an injury tanked his value? Smart sell, and the numbers reflect it.
It highlights the managers who bought low before a breakout or sold high before a decline.
Pillar 3: Realized Fantasy Points
We track the actual starter-only fantasy points scored by each side's players in the weeks after the trade was completed. Only weeks in which the player was in a starting lineup slot count — bench production is excluded on the grounds that it didn't help you win.
A player might hold dynasty value but sit on your bench. A draft pick might have upside but produce nothing this season. Realized points show what actually happened on the fantasy scoreboard.
You can win a trade on paper but lose it on the field. You can overpay in dynasty value but get the player who carries you to a championship. Realized points tell that story — and they're particularly useful for multi-season dynasty trades where the dynasty value movement doesn't capture in-season impact at all.
Points are tracked from the week the trade was processed through to the current week, following players across seasons if your leagues are linked. If a player you received was later traded away or dropped, only the weeks they were on your roster count.
The Grade Scale
After combining all three pillars, each trade falls into one of five tiers:
- Even: Less than 500 dynasty value gap. A fair deal for both sides.
- Slight Edge: 500–1,500 gap. One side did marginally better.
- Good Win: 1,500–3,000 gap. A meaningful advantage for one manager.
- Clear Win: 3,000–5,000 gap. One side convincingly came out ahead.
- Fleece: 5,000+ gap. A lopsided deal that will live in league infamy.
Trade Partner Analysis
Individual trade grades are interesting, but patterns are more revealing. Our trade partner analysis tracks:
- Who trades most frequently in your league
- Which managers consistently win (or lose) deals
- Your personal win/loss record against each trade partner
- Which pairings produce the most lopsided swaps
Is there one owner who always seems to come out on top? Now you have the data to prove it, or to discover that the "league taco" has actually been winning trades all along.
Draft Pick Tracking
Traded draft picks don't disappear into a black hole. We follow them through to the actual draft and track which player was selected with the pick, that player's current dynasty value, and their realized fantasy points. A "future first" isn't just a concept. You can see exactly what it became.
Enter your Sleeper username above to grade every trade in your league's history.