Auction drafts are essentially the salary cap of fantasy football. Instead of a draft where team owners take turns selecting players, auction drafts make you spend a budget wisely to build a team. While they might seem difficult to navigate, there are ways to win the draft.
Auction Draft Guide: How to Be Successful
Set a Budget for Each Roster Spot
Setting a budget is arguably the most important part of succeeding in an auction draft. It doesn’t have to be followed dollar-for-dollar, but it should be a guide to keep you in check. Auction drafts are about being patient, and overpaying for players will look good at first but hurt in the long run.
It can be easy to fall into the trap of trying to get multiple “first-rounders” for your team. When CeeDee Lamb gets nominated followed by Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson, there may be a sense of pressure to overpay for a wide receiver. Take a deep breath and acknowledge it’s possible to win without one of those guys.
Allocate One Big Splash
This is something you’re going to want to do early in the auction draft. Players like Breece Hall or Justin Jefferson are going to have high price tags. Don’t let that be the reason they end up on someone else’s team though. Trust your gut and know who that one “ride or die” player is going to end up in your hands.
Once it’s decided who that player is, other roster spot budgets have to be adjusted accordingly. For example, if your budget for a WR1 is $45 and Amon-Ra St. Brown ends up costing $66, the difference has to come from somewhere that is up to each team owner. This difference can come from one or multiple positions, but make sure you keep track on the budget you created going in.
Nominate Players You Don’t Want
It may seem contradictory to nominate players you don’t want, but it ends up being for the better. By nominating players you don’t want for whatever reason, it guarantees your budget remains the same with one less player available. Over time, this will slowly add up as you’ll nominate at least 15 players depending upon the league’s roster size.
Let’s be honest here too. There’s nothing better than watching other people overpay for running backs or any other players set up to fail. The only thing better than getting a good player is seeing future opponents draft not-so-good ones.
There is a caveat to this trick. While nominating players you don’t want can work, there is a realism component to this as well. Nominating Justin Tucker to be the fourth player off the board isn’t going to end well. People won’t overpay for a kicker, and they’ll learn quickly what you’re trying to do.
What works for some people in an auction draft won’t work for everyone. Generally, though, balance and patience are the two biggest virtues for fantasy owners. Practicing in mock drafts is always a good way to go about it even if some teams are computer-generated. It still allows you to practice your strategy.
Main Image Courtesy of David Reginek – USA Today Sports
