Hello once again fantasy owners, its time yet again for another “Reality of Fantasy.” Today I’m going to talk some trade theory and give a more abbreviated version of the best and worst matchups.

If you read yesterday’s “No Huddle” then you already know how I felt about Week 6. For those of you who didn’t read it I’ll briefly sum up the rant. Last week was an incredibly weird week for fantasy football, and the NFL in general. It happens, and there is no way to predict it. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and deal with it.

Mark Ingram owners have to be livid that he got vultured on the goal line by Coby Fleener. Then there are the Jamaal Charles owners who watched him get stopped on the one-yard line, only to have defensive tackle Dontari Poe score on a screen pass the very next play. That’s fantasy football guys and girls, these types of things will happen.

So now that we’ve addressed the elephant in the room, let’s talk trades. I’m sure every week you get a few offers here and there from a guy looking to shake things up. Every league has those guys. Personally, I’m a little more conservative when it comes to wheeling and dealing in fantasy.

In any situation, trading is all about timing and most of all research. You have to know the guy you are targeting like he is already one of your players. Otherwise you end up on the wrong end of a trade where you’re left with nothing but regrets when your newly acquired player flops.

Due to the injuries that have occurred so far this season, running back is the position of need. This makes the value at this position much higher than usual. Now I’m not saying that you should be offering Jaquizz Rodgers for Antonio Brown. You’ll get laughed right out of the building and end up the butt end of a few jokes that day.

Be reasonable but leave yourself the ability to strike a deal that you can ultimately win. Obviously if someone offers you a lopsided deal where you can get good players at a bargain, accept it and don’t think twice about it. It’s not your fault that the other owner made a mistake. No one will think less of you for it.

I believe timing is the most important aspect in the art of the deal. Buy low, sell high are terms you see every week in fantasy advice columns. Those are words to live by. However, you need to understand just exactly what buying low means. Obviously you are targeting someone who is struggling, and what we need to decipher is whether or not better days are ahead.

This brings the research back into the equation. “Player X” could have just played the most difficult stretch of the schedule, or there were injuries around him that affected his production. There are a ton of factors that are at play in football since this is such a team sport. The key is to look for the signs of a breakout.

Usually when I’m looking for a breakout candidate I look for two things. The first is opportunities for production. That could mean carries/targets for running backs, targets for receivers and tight ends. A more in-depth indicator is snap-share (the percentage of plays a player is on the field relative to the rest of the depth chart). Seeing an uptick in any of those areas is a good first sign.

Once you see the uptick in opportunities and production, then you have to look at the schedule. We’re looking at two distinct areas of the schedule: the next few games and the playoff schedule (Weeks 14-16). You want to give yourself the best possible opportunity to clean up if you make it to the big dance.

**While we’re talking about playoff schedules, no team has it better than Tampa Bay. They play New Orleans twice in the playoff weeks and a matchup against Dallas sandwiched in between.**

The final thing I will say about trading is don’t be the person in the league that “cold calls.” By that I mean don’t just throw random offers out there and hope to strike gold. In my experience either the trade just isn’t what the other owner wants or in more casual leagues, the trade offer just sits there until it expires.

Send a text or email to the other owner. Negotiation is the only way to get something done. It won’t always be easy, trust me. Talking out a trade is the real way to make a deal.

Another side note here about vetoes. The rule of thumb is that a trade should only get vetoed if there is a clear instance of collusion, where one side is overwhelmingly dominating a trade. If you see Odell Beckham getting traded for someone like Derrick Henry, something is seriously wrong there. But if there is a deal involving multiple players where one side gets the best player in the deal and some okay pieces and the other gets a few mid-level guys, just let it happen. You can’t control someone else doing something stupid. However, always be alert to someone being handed a stud on a silver platter and if see it then you get the league involved for a vote.

That should about do it for trade theory, if you have any individual questions about your own team, don’t hesitate to send me a message on the Facebook page or my Twitter account (@thereal_jmooney). I’ll do my best to answer in a timely fashion.

Okay, lets take a quick look at the best and worst matchups for Week 7.

Best Matchup: Tampa Bay (vs. San Francisco)

The Niners are in free-fall mode and just don’t have the same edge without Navarro Bowman manning the middle of the defense. Tampa Bay had two weeks to prepare for this matchup and should be poised for a good fantasy day. Jameis Winston has been up and down all year but this is a game where he can shine.

Worst Matchup: Philadelphia (vs. Minnesota)

Shocker, right? Minnesota is the rare defense that is not only the best in the NFL but also the overwhelmingly top rated fantasy defense. Philadelphia allowed a season-high five sacks to Washington last week in the first game without right tackle Lane Johnson. The Vikings have shut down every team it has faced, and the Eagles offense is nothing special. Avoid the Eagles at all costs this week.

Good Matchups: Green Bay (vs. Chicago), Kansas City (vs. New Orleans), Tennessee (vs. Indianapolis), Washington (vs. Detroit), Oakland (vs. Jacksonville)

Tough Matchups: New Orleans (vs. Kansas City), Houston (vs. Denver), Pittsburgh (vs. New England), Miami (vs. Buffalo), Seattle (vs. Arizona), Arizona (vs. Seattle)

 Good luck to everyone this week in your fantasy matchups, I hope this strategy chat was informative. I’ll be back tomorrow with a “No Huddle” to preview Week 7. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook