You know what's most frustrating about your typical snake draft? Your draft position basically guarantees there will be some players you just can't get.
Jonathan Taylor isn't lasting until Pick 9, for example. Justin Jefferson isn't reaching the 1-2 turn.
And that's just 1 of the great things about auction drafts. You get a shot at everyone.
Wanna put Christian McCaffrey and Cooper Kupp on the same roster? Go for it.
Wanna skip the 1st-round guys altogether and load up on extra 2nd-round types? You can do it.
The format offers much more room for varied strategies. But it also presents its own set of limitations. Plan appropriately, and you can leave your league mates panicking. Head in without a plan yourself, though, and you could be the one sweating and overspending.
This annual article is all about making sure that doesn't happen to you. So let's get rolling.
If you're reading this article, then you probably know the gist of the auction-draft format. But just in case you’re not familiar, here are the basics:
Start by syncing up your Draft War Room. Instead of displaying your draft position (as in a "standard" draft), the settings will have an entry for the available auction budget for each team. That will be key for setting player dollar values on your board.
You'll also select an Auction Strategy from a list we've streamlined a bit. The options (down from 5 to 3):
Focus on starters over depth
Balanced roster
Focus on depth over starters
If you're an experienced auction-drafter, I'd recommend playing with that setting a little to see which most closely aligns the prices at the top of your DWR board with the typical top winning bids in your league. Keep in mind, though, that the dollar values we display in the DWR rankings are just that: valuations.
So if our valuation on, say, McCaffrey seems a little high but the prices behind him look similar to players at that level in your particular draft, then you probably have the right strategy. In that case, consider the high valuation on McCaffrey a signal that you can reasonably go beyond what might usually be your league's top bid price.
If you are doing auctions for the first time, I'd recommend going with "starters over depth" as your board setting for a typical league size.
No matter what your specific team-building plan, you'll be filling in the bottom of your with some cheap fliers. I have learned through trial and error that it's generally better to go ahead and spend those few extra dollars on a starter than to save them in hopes of fortifying your bench.
This can differ, of course, if you play in a larger league or with more starting-lineup spots than the average fantasy league.
No matter what overall path you decide to travel, budgeting your auction spending will be crucial. Here’s my general breakdown by position (with dollar amounts for a $200 bank in parentheses):
QB = 7% ($14)
RB = 40% ($80)
WR = 45% ($90)
TE = 7% ($14)
K = $1
DST = $1
Want Josh Allen or an elite TE? Then you’ll need to adjust your cap at another position or 2. We’ll get to each position more specifically in a few minutes.
The Draft War Room will keep track of your remaining budget. Try to keep track of not only who leaves the board during your draft, but also the dollar amounts of their winning bids. Looking at average auction values (coming tomorrow) can give you some sense of the overall auction marketplace this year. But the market that you’re actually operating within is your specific league. So don’t get frozen out of a desired tier just because the whole group is costing more than you expected going in.