I prefer drafts to auctions but when a league starts exceeding twelve teams, you really have to admire the structure an auction draft can have on the competitive balance of your fantasy football league. So why not dive into some of my thoughts on auctions, auction values and buzz around them! Read More Auction Leagues Are Better Than Draft Leagues Myth
First, I would like to tackle this myth that people have about auctions being the only REAL test of whether you are good at fantasy football. We’ve all come across the auction loyalists who stop listening to you when you tell them you signed up for a draft league. These auctioneers will not step within 50 feet of a regular serpentine draft and boast of their godly fantasy football IQ even if they finish in last place.
Okay, I might be exaggerating just a hair but the notion is ridiculous. It is perfectly fine to develop strong preferences within activities you enjoy. Whether it’s how you like your coffee or the type of shoes you wear, people know what they like. That’s cool, but you are not given a medal for wearing Nike shoes. It’s a personal choice, nothing more.
Here’s what you need to know. Fantasy auctions are tougher on beginners or those with average NFL knowledge. Why? Because you don’t simply choose a player when it’s your turn. The added strategy does make auction style formats more suited for league’s with a full complement of competent owners but it doesn’t make them the holy grail of fantasy football.
I can argue it is harder gaining an edge in a format that allows fewer opportunities to gain that edge. If anyone can truly win a draft league, then why do people win multiple fantasy titles on a regular basis? It takes skill (and a little luck) to win a fantasy football championship regardless of whether you use a snake style draft or an auction!
Auction Values
I’m not an auction hater. I soak up strategy and enjoy analyzing the best player to nominate as much as I like bidding up a player. It’s fun to get “stuck” with a player and have to swiftly shift gears in the middle of draft to compensate. It’s FUN!
However, nothing ruins a fantasy football season more than not having decent auction values for each player. Yea, you can reach for a player in a regular draft too, but you still get a pick in the next round. In auctions, you have a limited amount of dollars to spend and if you don’t use them well it could cost you a lot more than picking a player a round early. Do yourself a favor and go get some auction values before you head into a draft.
Research different strategies to get the most value out of every fantasy dollar you spend. I have not done enough fantasy auctions to offer advice into specific strategies but FFToday's Matt Waldman offers a great, detailed article on employing fantasy football auction draft strategies HERE.
The Live In-Person Auction
Being a part of a live, in-person auction is an experience in itself. Even if you don’t participate, the sheer fun of being around the splendid candor of a room full of adults playing a game that pits football knowledge against each other is a rewarding human experience.
Not only do you have to battle the wits and verbal jabs from your counterparts but several external forces can have a negative impact on your draft results. Mentally preparing for these types of hurdles is essential. Draft parties range from mild to wild but basically you have three major forces at play: scenery, food/drink, and time.
Depending on where your league likes to host such fantasy drafts, there is likely to be a few things to look at during the course of your draft. First and foremost is the ability to see and hear the bids. Knowing who made the bid is as crucial as what the bid actually is so seat yourself accordingly. Draft boards can be handy but not if you can’t see them! Of course don’t let yourself ogle so much you are unaware of what is going on for more than a minute or two. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule.
Food and drink are a must but do put some thought into what you get. Do you really want to spend 5 minutes or more in the bathroom 30 minutes into the draft? Enjoying the day is fine but if you start slurring names other than TJ…not only will you wake up with a headache, but also you now have three months to look at the team you put together.
The duration of a draft can be grueling and you have to pace yourself. Ok well you don’t have to pace yourself so that you are as spry in the end as you were at the beginning but you need to make sure you are at least better off than your peers. Also, don’t try and “squeeze” in your draft around other commitments. If you play in a league that makes the draft a true event then treat it like one.
FFToolbox offers some more auction tips HERE.
The Live Online Auction
Do yourself a favor and find time to do a mock auction draft online if you are new to auctions or fantasy football in general. The online experience presents the fantasy football owner a slightly different set of challenges as the in-person auction draft.
If you are new to fantasy football, make sure you have the right computer and Internet connection to handle the auction application. Next, make sure you have the atmosphere you need for the duration of the draft. Go to the bathroom before you start and don’t try to navigate eating your dinner and left-clicking at the same time. You might be able to but why go there?
There are a few others, but really the only other thing you need to know besides having good auction values to start from is knowing which players share names like Adrian Peterson. You don’t want to be that guy!
Just a quick note: I am planning on attending a local 16-team auction September 6th. I’m a mutual friend of several owners and offer advice and impartial commish-type of opinions when asked. Since auction values for deep leagues are often hard to come by I’ll try to post them here on the blog afterward for anyone who wants to take a peek.
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