{"id":898,"date":"2025-08-01T10:35:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T17:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dataforceff.com\/blog\/?p=898"},"modified":"2026-04-13T09:42:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:42:20","slug":"2025-fantasy-draft-thoughts-and-steals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dataforceff.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/01\/2025-fantasy-draft-thoughts-and-steals\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Fireworks: Trade Bait Drama, Draft Day Gems & Bold 2025 Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Can you feel the excitement? Yes, you can!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re getting close, folks. If you haven\u2019t drafted a bunch of teams, it\u2019s time to go. I promised myself I\u2019d cut back this season, but I\u2019m going to wind up with about 20 teams, most of them through DataForce, but I also commish three private leagues. I had like 15 teams last season. So much for cutting back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s just too much fun to be had, so we grow, and we go, and we grind. Let\u2019s do this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Let\u2019s scattershot some ideas as the season draws closer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trade Bait<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What does it really mean? Trade bait seems to mean different things to many people. To some folks, trade bait seems to mean that you\u2019re willing to get rid of a player for a pittance. Some of the trade offers I get for guys I list as trade bait are clearly of the \u201care you kidding me\u201d variety. To me, trade bait means these are guys I\u2019m willing to trade \u2013 at a fair price. Emphasis on fair. Am I willing to deal a trade bait player at a slight discount? Maybe. Depends on who it is. Depends on the value. But am I going to essentially give away a guy I\u2019ve listed as trade bait? Nope. That is not what trade bait means to me. Still, I always decline nicely when I get a ridiculous offer. I pride myself on being a nice guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, there are fantasy managers who list players on their trade bait, but when you make a fair offer for that player, it\u2019s immediately rejected. No comment. No negotiation. No counteroffer. When that happens, that tells me that manager is only willing to trade that guy if he gets an arm and a leg for him. That\u2019s not trade bait. That\u2019s putting a player up for ransom. Managers who list players as trade bait but are only willing to trade that a player at way above value shouldn\u2019t do that. What\u2019s the point? That guy isn\u2019t trade bait \u2013 that\u2019s I want to steal your socks and your underwear if you want this guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dynasty Rookie\/Free Agent Drafts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As of July 31, I had completed 12 dynasty rookie\/free agents drafts \u2013 none were superflex. Ashton Jeanty went 1.01 in every single one of them. Surprise, surprise. This is a list of the best undrafted rookies, in my opinion, in each of those drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 1: Ravens kicker Tyler Loop<\/strong>. This is an extremely deep league \u2013 30 roster spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 2: Colts RB DJ Giddens<\/strong> \u2013 the only draft I did where he was undrafted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 3: Bears RB Kyle Monangai<\/strong> \u2013 undrafted in 5 of 12 drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 4: Raiders WR Dont\u2019e Thornton<\/strong> \u2013 undrafted in 6 of 12 drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 5: Bengals RB Tahj Brooks<\/strong> \u2013 undrafted in just 2 of 12 drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 6: Monangai<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 7: Browns TE Harold Fannin<\/strong> \u2013 undrafted in 3 of 12 drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 8: 49ers RB Jordan James<\/strong> \u2013 the only draft I did where he was undrafted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 9: Thornton<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 10: Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa<\/strong> \u2013 undrafted in 5 of 12 drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 11: Titans WR Elic Ayomanor<\/strong> \u2013 the only draft I did where he was undrafted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft 12: Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe<\/strong> \u2013 undrafted in just 2 of 12 drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My All-Halloween Team \u2013 10 guys on my dynasty rosters who scare me:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Packers WR Jayden Reed: Is he really the WR1 in Green Bay, or is he just part of an increasingly crowded WR room?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Saints WR Rashid Shaheed: Can he come back from his knee injury, or was he just a short-lived Mardi Gras mirage?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Commanders WR Deebo Samuel: Will he find some magic with QB Jayden Daniels, or are his best days mere San Francisco memories?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Colts WR Adonai Mitchell: Talk about a guy who came into the NFL with a bunch of hullaballoo. Was it all a bunch of hot air?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Texans WR Christian Kirk: I really like this guy. Always have. But he has sort of turned into a bouncing ball \u2013 from Arizona to Jacksonville to Houston. Is he done? As in burnt toast?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Chiefs WR Rashee Rice: Has he really learned his lesson? Doesn\u2019t look like he\u2019ll  avoid a suspension. Will Patrick Mahomes really get him the ball? I mean, like, a lot.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson: Is he about to lose his job to rookie TreVeyon Henderson, or does he genuinely have something to prove, and will he do so?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd: As a rookie, he was the invisible injured man in 2024. Is he more than that? Is he essentially still a rookie? Will he disappear in 2025?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Saints RB Kendre Miller: Can this guy finally stay healthy? Can he finally steal touches from Alvin Kamara? Or will rookie Devin Neal zoom past Miller?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Texans RB Joe Mixon: Is there still juice left in his tank, or is he nearing the end in Houston? And now he has a foot injury that is slow to heal. Seems pretty dicey.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    My No-Thank-You Team \u2013 10 guys I\u2019m out on this season:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers: I can\u2019t stand this guy. Please just go away. And I\u2019m a Steelers fan. Maybe not this season, though. Did I say I can\u2019t stand this guy?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Jaguars WR\/CB Travis Hunter: I\u2019m not buying that he\u2019s going to get a ton of reps at WR. Sure, he\u2019ll get some. But this playing-both-ways stuff won\u2019t work in the NFL. If the Jags\u2019 coaches push this too hard, Hunter could be a rookie who is on the questionable list every dang week. Having said all that, I did take him in one rookie draft where he fell to the back half of the first round, and that particular team of mine is amid a massive rebuild, so I was like, what the heck, let\u2019s give it a shot.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey: I\u2019ve won leagues with him in his healthy years, and I\u2019ve finished dead last in leagues with him when he\u2019s out. I\u2019ll pass in 2025 and probably forevermore.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill: Too much drama for me. Is he still fast? Like real fast? Sure, he is. And I\u2019ll skip right past him in drafts real fast.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Rams WR Davante Adams: Dude has a Taco Bell in his house. Does he really want to be a primo WR anymore? I\u2019m not convinced that\u2019s a yes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Panthers WR Chuba Hubbard: I just have trouble believing in this guy. There\u2019s certainly no way I\u2019ll take him at his fourth-round ADP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    7. Saints WR Chris Olave: I\u2019ve drafted him a ton in recent years. I ought to be smacked upside the head for doing that. Go ahead. Rattle my brain against my skull.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    8. Lions WR Jameson Williams: I\u2019ve never been able to get past the fact that this guy was suspended for gambling before he barely even entered the NFL. So, I just can\u2019t put my money on him unless he falls in a draft to a point where I can\u2019t help but ante up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    9. Browns WR Jerry Jeudy: In 2023, Jeudy went off on former star WR\/current NFL analyst Steve Smith. It was crazy. Steve Smith can be very outspoken, but he sure seems like a good guy with a good heart. Jeudy reminded me too much of Antonio Brown or some other whacked-out WR. I don\u2019t care about his talent. I\u2019ll pass.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    10. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray: Sorry, but I\u2019ve been burned by him too many times. Having him as your QB is like riding in a dragster with an engine that likely will blow halfway down the strip.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      My I\u2019m-Counting-On-You Team \u2013 10 guys I have multiple shares of:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts: How can you go wrong with Mr. Tush Push who is now a Super Bowl champion?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Jets QB Justin Fields: The Steelers screwed up in letting him go.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Titans RB Tony Pollard: I need a career year out of him even if he does split time with Tyjae Spears, whom I also have as a trusty handcuff on some teams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Broncos WR Courtland Sutton: For some reason, I seem to wind up with him a lot. Hopefully Bo Nix finds him a lot.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Bills RB Ray Davis: As far as I\u2019m concerned, James Cook can keep on pouting about his contract \u2013 and Josh Allen can just give the ball to my man Ray.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      6. Cardinals WR Michael Wilson: His wife is the former Sophia Smith, an incredible soccer player, and they\u2019re about to have a baby. Wilson ends up on a lot of my teams, and it would be nice if he became as much of a star as his wife.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      7. Seahawks WR Tory Horton: I keep grabbing him in dynasty rookie drafts, and I won\u2019t stop. I have him on eight teams at this point. Won\u2019t surprise me if he\u2019s WR2 in Seattle by season\u2019s end.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      8. Giants RB Cam Skattebo: Before dynasty rookie drafts began, I wasn\u2019t a big fan. But drafting late in the first round or very early in the second, I keep finding myself taking him if my roster is RB needy. Now it\u2019s time for him to help take my teams to the promised land.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      9. Broncos QB Bo Nix: I picked him up late in several dynasty rookie drafts last year. As the saying goes, sometimes it\u2019s better to be lucky than good.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      10. Browns WR Cedric Tillman: Every time someone cut him the last year or so, I snapped him up with FAAB. Maybe he\u2019ll be the winning lottery ticket in 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Good luck this season!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        \ud83c\udfc8 Leagues Forming Now at DataForce Fantasy Football!\u00a0<\/strong>\ud83c\udfc8
        <\/em>Ready to draft? We offer the widest variety<\/a> with the best prize payouts<\/a> anywhere!
        Come check out what we have available         in our lobby<\/a> and Orphan Marketplace<\/a>.
        Join the fun and draft your winning team today at         DataForceFF.com<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
        \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
        \n

        Fantasy Granddaddy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Fantasy Sports Writer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Can you feel the excitement? Yes, you can! We\u2019re getting close, folks. If you haven\u2019t drafted a bunch of teams, it\u2019s time to go. I promised myself I\u2019d cut back this season, but I\u2019m going to wind up with about 20 teams, most of them through DataForce, but I also…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[340,352,294,356,354,355,358,353,351],"class_list":["post-898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-player-advice","tag-dataforce-fantasy-football","tag-dynasty-fantasy-football-advice","tag-fantasy-football-draft-tips","tag-fantasy-football-opinions","tag-fantasy-football-sleepers-2025","tag-fantasy-player-fades-2025","tag-preseason-fantasy-football-guide","tag-rookie-draft-steals-2025","tag-trade-bait-strategy"],"yoast_head":"\n2025 Fantasy Football Strategy, Rookie Draft Steals, and Player Takes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From trade bait etiquette to rookie draft 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