Collusion?

[Cojo 2020]

We just completed our rookie draft. Immediately afterward, two owners...who are friends outside the league (the one owner brought the other in last year...and none of the rest of us have met him in person)...completed a trade that was immediately questioned by several other owners.

The trade details:

Team A gets:
D'Andre Swift (just taken in this draft at 1.2)

Team B gets:
PK J. Rohrwasser/NE (taken at pick 4.8 in this draft)
RB Brian Hill/ATL
Pick 6.8 in this draft (turned into WR John Hightower/PHI)

The Team B owners was off of the video call at that point. The Team A owner said that his friend is a Patriots Superfan and therefore really wanted their new kicker. He said he proposed the deal, assuming he would counter...but it was accepted instead.

Many owners (including myself) immediately suspected collusion. One owner who wasn't involved in the trade said "a trade is a trade." Several others protested the trade. We don't have rules on how to deal with this clearly defined in our league charter, and in 14 years only one other trade was even questioned...and it was allowed to stand (I don't recall the exact details of it at the time).

I reached out to both owners privately and the Team A owner said that he would probably be ok with adding something to the deal (no details were given) but was upset at the accusation of collusion. I don't want my league to blow up over this issue. I'm curious how other leagues would deal with this.

On a related note, a previous trade in this league (which is superflex) was done where the 1.1 and a 2021 3rd rounder was traded for Kyler Murray. This seems to establish a baseline value of the 1.1 and 1.2 picks, for comparison.

Thanks!

[moishetreats]

There are really three possibilities here:

1) It is an imbalanced trade, but do nothing.
2) Collusion.
3) Just a horrific trade, and you can implement a best-interest-of-the-league process.

I am almost always in favor of the first. The second, for me, must be blatant.

This is a case where you might be warranted intervening. I like that you emailed the two owners, and I would simply take up Owner A's offer to add something to his side. I can't really insist on collusion here, and it seems like the resolution is easy, acceptable, and straight-forward.

[Jigga94]

This is such a bad trade. I'm all for no vetos but wow. Figure it out team B

[Bronco Billy]

I reached out to both owners privately and the Team A owner said that he would probably be ok with adding something to the deal (no details were given) but was upset at the accusation of collusion. I don't want my league to blow up over this issue. I'm curious how other leagues would deal with this.

What did the Team B owner say? I’d be curious to hear his rationale, and I’m pretty certain the rest of your league would be also.

[FiremanEd]

I mean, there is no rationale for that trade. If he wanted the kicker then trade in by 4.08. I see no issue with reversing the deal and kicking both owners. If it isn’t collusion then at a minimum Owner A should be ashamed for sending that (and is annoying for the league) and Owner B is unfit for dynasty and/or doesn’t care about his team. It’s a waste of your time to have to deal with stupidity.

[Kurt G.O.A.T.]

i would leave the league if that trade stood.

[Cojo 2020]

What did the Team B owner say? I’d be curious to hear his rationale, and I’m pretty certain the rest of your league would be also.

He hasn't responded yet. In the past, I have heard him say that he is a Patriots superfan. Not that it is a good reason to tank your team.

[FiremanEd]

What did the Team B owner say? I’d be curious to hear his rationale, and I’m pretty certain the rest of your league would be also.

He hasn't responded yet. In the past, I have heard him say that he is a Patriots superfan. Not that it is a good reason to tank your team.

What does that have to do with anything though? Super fan can’t trade in for someone by the 4.08 to get a guy he apparently valued as a 1st round pick?

There are a lot of ‘let it slide’ scenarios in dynasty. Frankly, they almost all are. This is not one of those judgement of player value situations where the right team first mentality was had. This was collusion or stupidity you don’t want around. Letting something like this slide loses those owners not in on the deal, which are the ones you should be looking out for (I.e. the league as a whole), not a crook who offers atrocious trades and a deadbeat who accepts anything.

[Cowboysfan33]

Horrendous trade. I’m not a veto owner necessarily but that trade should be reversed.

[Ray Finkle]

I can’t wait until that kicker outscores the other 31 kickers by 5 ppg this season.

[Mjvb5]

The circumstances around this just reek of collusion. Two friends, no ones met one of them, guy even paid for the others league. Yeah that to me sounds like collusion

[QB Browns]

Agree with what's being said here. There are bad trades and then there's this. The biggest thing to me is that it's wildly unfair to the rest of your league. This is either an instance of team b colluding or not caring enough about the league where he's willing to take terrible trades. That kind of thing will ruin a league, even if it wasn't intended as collusion.

Also team a shouldn't be sending trades that awful. That's a less egregious issue and something I wouldn't advocate further action with, but that's the type of thing that would have me ignoring future offers from that player.

[killer_of_giants]

two owners...who are friends outside the league (the one owner brought the other in last year...and none of the rest of us have met him in person)

yeah right!

kick him out.

[FantasyFreak]

What did the Team B owner say? I’d be curious to hear his rationale, and I’m pretty certain the rest of your league would be also.

He hasn't responded yet. In the past, I have heard him say that he is a Patriots superfan. Not that it is a good reason to tank your team.

What does that have to do with anything though? Super fan can’t trade in for someone by the 4.08 to get a guy he apparently valued as a 1st round pick?

There are a lot of ‘let it slide’ scenarios in dynasty. Frankly, they almost all are. This is not one of those judgement of player value situations where the right team first mentality was had. This was collusion or stupidity you don’t want around. Letting something like this slide loses those owners not in on the deal, which are the ones you should be looking out for (I.e. the league as a whole), not a crook who offers atrocious trades and a deadbeat who accepts anything.

Yeah, I agree with Ed here.

[Prison_Mike]

1. I generally am a NO-VETO guy. But this is ridiculous and should be reversed because these type of trades can ruin leagues

2. How on earth is he upset at the accusation of collusion....did he see the trade? How would anyone not question that?

3. Reverse the trade unless he's willing to offer something significant to it. He doesn't get to add another 3rd string RB and say it's fine