-Cheat sheets are mainly composed with a 10 team league in mind. Prices are thusly based on 10 teams and $2000. Individual player values will change based on how many managers are in an auction draft. In an 8 team auction draft, the total amount of money to be spent is $1600. In a 12 team, the total is $2400 or 50% more. This matters because in a 12 team auction, the elite players will be sold for beyond their expected 10 team value. Chris Johnson’s 10 team auction value is $64 but in a 12 team auction, he will go for more like $68-72. In an 8 team, CJ2K may be sold for as little as $50 because there is less money to be spent total and less scarcity for elite players.
Be sure to use myFantasyRoids auto-adjustable cheat sheets for accurate values in all league settings.
-Just like a snake draft, the most value is found in the middle to late rounds. In the later part of your draft, after everyone is tired and the adrenaline has worn off, players with upside will be less pursued and come to you for less money. Actually, in an auction draft you can lose your league in the early rounds if you overspend. You can buy AP and MoJo but it’s going to cost you well over half your budget. Having less than $100 to spend on 7 starters and 7 bench players won’t cut it. And if either AP or MoJo misses time due to injury, you are destined for a losing record.
-Just as with any other types of drafts or leagues, you need to know the scoring settings, opposing managers’ tendencies and the league’s sleepers. Be aware that scoring settings will impact who you need to draft, who other managers are going to target and who the sleepers are. In an auction draft, knowing what players are considered sleepers is vital because if you want them, you need them to last in the player pool as long as possible. If you know that other owners want certain sleepers, then nominate them early hoping to drive their prices up.
-Don’t spend over $80 on any 2 players. This $79 maximum should be the combined value of your top 2 RB or RB and QB. Once again, your top WR should not cost more than $30 and therefore not one of your 2 most expensive players.
Remember, every bid you make cost you at least $2, or 1% of your budget. If you bid $10 for rookie running back CJ Spiller and someone else bids $11, your next bid will have to be $12. That’s a $2 jump from your last bid. If someone else beats you to $12, now you have to go to $13, or a $3 jump. Bidding wars are treacherous so use caution when you find yourself in one, especially ones involving with 2 other managers.
-If your league allows for 3 starting RBs via either a flex or 3rd starting position, spend nearly $100 on 4-5 good ones. If your league scoring settings are RB heavy, go ahead and spend more (up to $110) as long as you fill out the rest of your roster with serviceable players.
-A completely different draft approach to auction drafts is to acquire your players in reverse. Meaning, draft your bench players, Kickers and Tight Ends first in an attempt to get them at a reduced price and define your budget for starters and top talent.
-When targeting and bidding for a QB, it’s better to spend around $18-30 on a top 8 QB and $1 on back up versus going after 2 QBs in 6-14 range and spending $12-20 each. With bye weeks and with QBs usually not running into huge matchup issues, you are better off to have one QB you can stick with. Just as in the NFL, if you have 2 quarterbacks, then you don’t have one. Get yourself a good one and then watch the waiver wire in the weeks preceding your QB’s bye week and pick one up if they are out producing your $1 backup.
-Knowing your budget is important and managing it is even more so, but be careful not to define it too clearly. If it becomes obvious to you what players you are going after and how much you have to spend, then it will also obvious to your competition if they are paying attention to your team. You need to maintain a certain level of deception during the draft. At the same time, you should try to figure out what your opponents’ strategies are and who they may target, especially if they are likely to be after the same players that you are.
-With a $200 budget, the most important thing to do is to spend all of your money. The worst thing you can do is leave your money on the table. It’s the equivalent of starting a snake draft and forfeiting your 5th pick because you think you didn’t need it. Spend all of your money, try not to waste it and do what you can to get the most value.
-Brian Bermingham
bbermingham@myfantasyroids.com
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