Trade Ideas with Concrete Legs: How Our Premium Feature Works

Most options tools tell you a stock looks interesting. We tell you exactly which contract to consider, at which strike, with which expiration, and why that specific setup fits the current market conditions.

That's the difference between a stock screener and a trade idea with concrete legs.

What Free Users See vs. Premium

Free users get full access to 5-pillar scores, daily signals, score changes, and the screener. That's a lot of data, and for experienced traders who already know how to translate a bullish score into a specific trade, it's plenty.

But translating "AAPL scores 8.2 with a bullish direction signal" into "buy the May 16 $195 call at delta 0.45" requires work. You need to evaluate the options chain, check implied volatility levels, assess theta decay rates, compare strikes, and pick an expiration that balances premium cost against time for the thesis to play out.

Premium trade ideas do that work for you. Each idea includes:

• Specific strike price selected based on the scoring profile and current chain pricing
• Expiration date matched to the expected timeframe of the setup
• Delta target aligned with the strategy's risk/reward profile
• Days to expiration (DTE) optimized for the scenario type
• Fitness score measuring how well this specific stock matches this specific strategy
• "Why This Idea?" analysis explaining the reasoning behind the recommendation

You're not getting a generic "buy calls on AAPL." You're getting a specific, researched setup with the reasoning laid out.

The 19 Setup Scenarios

Not every bullish stock deserves the same trade. A stock breaking out of a technical pattern needs a different approach than a stock with massive institutional buying or one sitting at depressed volatility.

The system recognizes 19 distinct setup scenarios, each triggering a different trade structure:

Directional Setups

• Breakout: Stock clearing a key resistance level with volume confirmation. Typically structured as slightly out-of-the-money calls with moderate DTE.
• Momentum Surge: Strong trending stocks where all pillars align directionally. Often uses in-the-money options for higher delta exposure.
• Mean Reversion: Stocks that have moved too far, too fast and show signs of snapping back. Usually structured with defined-risk spreads to cap downside.
• Contrarian Value: Beaten-down names where the scoring data suggests the market has overreacted. Longer-dated options to give the thesis time to develop.

Volatility Setups

• Theta Harvest: High IV rank stocks where selling premium is the primary edge. Credit spreads or cash-secured puts targeting the elevated time value.
• IV Crush Play: Pre-earnings or pre-event setups designed to profit from the volatility collapse after the catalyst passes.
• Volatility Expansion: Low-IV names where options are cheap relative to likely future movement. Debit strategies that benefit from an IV increase.

Flow-Based Setups

• Smart Money: Unusual options activity suggests institutional positioning. Trades are structured to replicate the apparent institutional thesis.
• Dark Pool Confirmation: Block trade data aligns with scoring direction. Higher conviction setups with tighter risk management.
• Sweep Alert: Aggressive market orders sweeping across exchanges suggest urgency. Short-dated, directional trades that capture the immediate move.

Income Setups

• Wheel Entry: Cash-secured puts on high-quality names where assignment is acceptable. Strike selection targets a purchase price you'd want to own.
• Covered Call Overlay: Calls sold against existing or recommended long positions. Strike and expiry chosen to balance premium income against cap risk.
• Iron Condor Harvest: Range-bound stocks with elevated IV where selling both sides captures premium from time decay.

Event-Driven Setups

• Earnings Play: Pre-earnings positioning based on historical implied move accuracy and scoring data.
• Catalyst Anticipation: Positioning ahead of known catalysts like FDA decisions, product launches, or regulatory rulings.
• Dividend Capture: Options-enhanced dividend strategies that boost yield beyond the dividend alone.

Defensive Setups

• Hedge Overlay: Protective structures for existing positions when risk signals increase.
• Collar Protection: Simultaneous upside cap and downside floor for concentrated positions.
• Tail Risk Hedge: Low-cost protection against extreme moves using far out-of-the-money options.

Each scenario triggers different strike selection logic, different DTE preferences, and different position sizing recommendations.

Fitness Scores: Strategy-Level Precision

The overall options opportunity score tells you "this stock has something interesting happening." The fitness score goes deeper: it tells you how well this stock matches a specific strategy.

A stock might score 8.5 overall but only 6.0 for a theta harvest setup because its IV rank isn't elevated enough. That same stock might score 9.0 for a momentum trade because its directional signals are exceptional.

Fitness scores range from 0 to 10:

• 7+: Strong match. The stock's profile aligns well with this specific strategy.
• 5-7: Moderate match. The setup is workable but not ideal. Consider smaller position sizing.
• Below 5: Poor match. The strategy doesn't fit the current profile. Look elsewhere.

The fitness score pulls from the same 5-pillar scoring system but weights the pillars differently depending on the strategy. A theta harvest setup weights the Volatility pillar heavily. A momentum trade weights the Momentum and Direction pillars. A smart money trade weights the Activity pillar.

This means the fitness score isn't just a repackaged version of the overall score. It's a genuinely different evaluation for each strategy.

The "Why This Idea?" Analysis

Every premium trade idea includes an explanation of why the specific setup was chosen. This isn't filler text. It connects the scoring data to the trade structure.

A typical "Why This Idea?" might read: "MSFT scores 8.1 overall with a bullish direction signal. IV rank at the 72nd percentile makes premium elevated but not extreme. The Momentum pillar shows acceleration over the past 5 sessions. The Breakout scenario was selected because price is testing the $420 resistance level with above-average volume. The May 16 $425 call targets a delta of 0.40, giving directional exposure with limited capital at risk."

This transparency matters. You should know why a trade is recommended so you can evaluate whether the reasoning makes sense for your own thesis and risk tolerance.

From Idea to Trade

Premium trade ideas are starting points, not orders to execute blindly. Here's how to use them effectively:

1. Read the "Why This Idea?" first. If the reasoning doesn't resonate with your view of the stock or the market, skip it.
2. Check the fitness score. Prioritize ideas with fitness scores above 7.
3. Verify the chain pricing. Option prices change constantly. Confirm the strike and premium are still in the range the idea suggests.
4. Size appropriately. Never risk more than you can afford to lose on any single idea, regardless of the fitness score.
5. Set your exit before you enter. Know your profit target and your stop loss before placing the trade.

The trade ideas page also connects to backtesting data so you can see how similar setups have performed historically. Past performance doesn't guarantee future results, but it gives you a statistical baseline for what to expect.

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Start Using This

Premium trade ideas with concrete legs take the guesswork out of translating scores into trades. Each idea includes specific strikes, expirations, fitness scores, and the reasoning behind the recommendation.

Sign up free to explore the screener and daily signals. Upgrade to premium for concrete trade ideas, 19 setup scenarios, and the full "Why This Idea?" analysis.

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