Auction Draft

[ffexpert 4]

What is your Auction Draft Strategy? Do you buy a couple studs or try to create good depth of 2nd tier guys? do you wait to buy or strike early, target players or position, set a budget for each position, nominate players you like or dislike, ect. Share your approach and what you have found most effective.

[IGotWorms 3,862]

Be flexible - it's a bad idea to go in with a rigid mindset, I.e. I'm only spending this much on a certain position or I'm going to get this player no matter what. That said you do want to have a roadmap. So maybe your plan is to put your money in the RB position and skimp elsewhere. But then as the auction unfolds you realize you can get a stud QB and WR for relatively cheap so you switch it up a bit.

 

Don't spend much on your bench - you don't have to blow most of your money on two studs, though that is one route to go. You could have a solid group of tier 2 guys rounding out most of your starting spots. But what you don't need is a whole slate of tier 3-4 guys in your starting spots and on the bench. I usually put in only just above the minimum value per player on my bench. If there's a sleeper or two I really like I want the flexibility to get them, but I won't get involved in a real bidding war for a guy who's not slated to start most weeks.

 

Keep your cool! Very important. Don't get discouraged because you're constantly being outbid, but at the same time recognize that you have to spend some money before all the top guys are gone or you'll be left bidding up mid-tier players. Don't bid up somebody too far just because you think they're getting a player too cheap, otherwise you just might get stuck with a player you didn't want basically out of spite.

[AnaheimRams 28]

Same as my poker strategy. Play the other players at the table... not the cards.

 

"Be flexible" is easily the best... and most simple... advice.

[ralphster 274]

Nominate players you don't want. Don't get into a bidding war over any player. Recognize value and be patient.

[rholio 339]

Tiers are important in an auction, as the last couple of players in a tier tend to cost more as people realize they don't have one yet.

 

The first 4-5 players tend to go cheaper as people play conservative with their bidding money... you can use this to grab a stud or two. After that, it's best to lay low and throw out names of players that will be bid up, that you don't want. Spend your opponents money to make it harder for them to fight you for a player.

 

Try to have a few extra dollars of bid money for late in the draft. You'll see most players going for the minimum bid, and you can snag a couple that you'd prefer this way.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,781]

I want to do an auction league so damn bad. I just do not have the capacity to take on another league. I will just have to wait for one of my current ones to fold.

[huskerinct 1]

I want to do an auction league so damn bad. I just do not have the capacity to take on another league. I will just have to wait for one of my current ones to fold.

I felt that way, so I finally bolted the leauge that wouldn't switch to an auction.......I started my own league. 9 yrs strong now. Right after the 1st year's auction, EVERY owner agreed that auctions were waaayyyyyyy better than snake drafts.

As for the OP question.....

I set postional budgets. Early in the auction, I nominate players I do not want. Rather, I nominate players with a similar average value as the guys I want.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,781]

I felt that way, so I finally bolted the leauge that wouldn't switch to an auction.......I started my own league. 9 yrs strong now. Right after the 1st year's auction, EVERY owner agreed that auctions were waaayyyyyyy better than snake drafts.

As for the OP question.....

I set postional budgets. Early in the auction, I nominate players I do not want. Rather, I nominate players with a similar average value as the guys I want.

Maybe next year. I do have a league that i could drop and take the guys i like to auction. I have been dominating that league so leaving would hurt my bank account.

[robocardz 14]

BeerNuts - you should just drop one of your leagues and go for it.

 

We have a keeper auction league we've been going since 1998. By FAR the BEST FF there is out there. You'll find most players that stay in the league are very knowledgable and makes for a competitive league. If your team doesn't pan out - owners are constantly looking to position themselves for following year with salary caps -- this opens a LOT of moves to be made...

 

As far as strategy goes - I try to "save" same money for end of draft to grab some rookies that may not have been bid up during draft. Since there are ONLY "x" number of roster spots - there is usually good value at end of draft ... For example 2 years ago Randall Cobb went for $2 in a crowded GB lineup. Now look where he is!! Alfred Morris went for $4 last year and he is equivalent to a late 1/ 2nd rd guy whose value should be 5X his salary ....

 

Lots of fun!!

 

RB

[cnasty 5]

Play the other players

 

I get an indescribable joy when I run up the bill on a player that I know someone is targeting really hard. Feigning the interest and the bid 'war' makes me laugh on the inside.

[Durtee 0]

VALUE VALUE VALUE!

 

I have been doing Auction drafts in my main league for 7 years and believe me when I say, you really need to get the best value you can with every pick. I try to be a value machine. Normally I will have a handful of guys that I just refuse to draft and a handful of guys I target, with the rest just being pure value. I won't draft a player I am targeting if it means I have to extremely over pay. I try to get a couple of big time players and fill the rest of my roster with great values.

 

Someone also said to nominate players that you don't want... that is a really good strategy, but change it up occassionally. A lot of times you can sneak through a player that would normally be nominated toward the end of the draft kind of early because everyone is expecting the big name. I drafted Greg Jennings his rookie year and nominated him in the middle of the draft. Most of the guys weren't that familiar with them and those that were, really weren't paying much attention to a guy like him.... I got him for a $1 and had him as a keeper for 3 years...

 

Bidding wars are something you want to stay away from, but unfortunately you will need to get into 1 or 2 in order to get guys that you want. Just keep it to a minimum and stay disciplined to the point where you don't get completely out of control.

 

Just remember if owners are overpaying for big names early, that just means they won't have the cap to bid with you on the value guys later.

[Maulers1973 117]

Nominate players you don't want. Don't get into a bidding war over any player. Recognize value and be patient.

This is the best advice. Being patient is good, but if you're guy is available don't be afraid to go after him. Auctions are the way to go.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,781]

I felt that way, so I finally bolted the leauge that wouldn't switch to an auction.......I started my own league. 9 yrs strong now. Right after the 1st year's auction, EVERY owner agreed that auctions were waaayyyyyyy better than snake drafts.

As for the OP question.....

I set postional budgets. Early in the auction, I nominate players I do not want. Rather, I nominate players with a similar average value as the guys I want.

I am a chronic last draft slot in redraft so i never get a crack at the top rbs or megatron. Having a chance at any player sounds like a lot more fun and makes the playing field 100% even.

 

Damn you over commitment to fantasy football!!!

[AnaheimRams 28]

I am a chronic last draft slot in redraft so i never get a crack at the top rbs or megatron. Having a chance at any player sounds like a lot more fun and makes the playing field 100% even.

 

Damn you over commitment to fantasy football!!!

 

That's why auctions are beautiful.

 

No biatching. You want him... buy him. There's no sitting around for an hour watching guys on your list get picked off while you wait for your 36/37 picks to come back around to you.

 

The sheer amount of shiat-talking generated by the all out competition is great as well.

[waxg 3]

The most unique part of the auction draft is the you can literally have any player you want. So ditch your normal draft sheet, it has too many players you shouldn't even consider no matter the price. Start a list from scratch and list every player you personally love and would like on your team... then research their auction ADP on line... figure out a range you want to pay for each player. And try to map it out... "As my #1 WR I want one of these 3 guys", etc. Then be prepared to be flexible on price for guys you really love or if you see prices skewing higher than you sheet.

 

If I'm drafting 18 guys, I don't need a sheet filled with 500 guys, 450 of them who I think suck. I want to love my team when I'm done drafting, you should too.

[Maroon Bells 18]

I don't want to sound cocky, but for smart players, auction drafting is the way to go. I did pretty well in snakes, but my strategy was never to take the next guy on some list. It was always to write down the team I wanted and figure out the best way to draft them all. That's hard to do in a snake, but that's exactly what you do in an auction draft.

 

Also, in snakes I always found myself wanting to trade out of the first round. If I could've I would've traded my first for a couple of thirds every time. You can achieve that in an auction draft without even trading, so it's ideally suited for my strategy and I haven't lost yet since we switched.

 

I just stay out of the top end market. I don't want Doug Martin, he's overpriced. I want THIS year's Doug Martin, whoever that is. I don't want CJ Spiller this year, he's overpriced. I want THIS year's CJ Spiller. Identify who those guys are (it isn't as hard as you think), avoid the top 15 or so players, because they're overpriced, and just stack yer team with a bunch of $25 to $35 players that will be $60 players next year.

[ffexpert 4]

I don't want to sound cocky, but for smart players, auction drafting is the way to go. I did pretty well in snakes, but my strategy was never to take the next guy on some list. It was always to write down the team I wanted and figure out the best way to draft them all. That's hard to do in a snake, but that's exactly what you do in an auction draft.

 

Also, in snakes I always found myself wanting to trade out of the first round. If I could've I would've traded my first for a couple of thirds every time. You can achieve that in an auction draft without even trading, so it's ideally suited for my strategy and I haven't lost yet since we switched.

 

I just stay out of the top end market. I don't want Doug Martin, he's overpriced. I want THIS year's Doug Martin, whoever that is. I don't want CJ Spiller this year, he's overpriced. I want THIS year's CJ Spiller. Identify who those guys are (it isn't as hard as you think), avoid the top 15 or so players, because they're overpriced, and just stack yer team with a bunch of $25 to $35 players that will be $60 players next year.

I like this approach, but usually end up splurging on one player to ensure a stud.