Auction Strategy

In an auction draft, each manager is allocated a certain number of dollars with which to assemble his team. You need to understand that there is no other use for the money after the auction. Spend it all at the auction or lose it.

The strategy below is based upon the following auction type.
     - $200 Budget
     - 1 QB
     - 2 RB
     - 3 WR
     - 1 TE
     - 1 K
     - 1 DST

While there are many differenct approaches to an auction, the one I use as a guideline is to spend about 40%-45% of your budget on your RB1 & RB2 positions combined. For the typical $200 budget, this would mean spending between $80 and $90 on your top two running backs.

Target getting your three wide receivers for 30%-35% of your budget. Thus you would spend $60 to $70 for your receivers.

That leaves about $50 for your QB, Tight End and your bench. If you allocate about $20 to $25 for the QB, you'll have $25 or so for your TE, D, K and bench. Some managers prefer to keep money back for bargains late in the auction (and there will be bargains) while others prefer to get the top players early and just fill in around them with whomever they can get later.

The position of TE has become more important in the last couple years with the emergence of the TE as more than a blocking position. You may choose to spend a little more in that arena - maybe 5% to 7% of your budget. Just recognize you'll need to take it from somewhere else......

I personally prefer not to spend a lot on my Defense. Statistics for defenses vary greatly from year to year based upon injuries to key players. Usually a $2 or $3 investment will get you a servicable defense.

Finally, you should never spend more than $1 --- $2 at the very most --- for your kicker.

A favorite strategem is to nominate players early that you're not that interested in. Hopefully, others will bid up the price to nab them while you save your money for players you want later. It doesn't always work but it's fun to try.

Another fun strategy is to nominate players for positions which you have already filled. Watch your opponents spend their money on a position which is no longer of any value to you. If things go well, they'll have less money to bid on a player you would like to get later.

Recognize that, just like in the draft, you will not get all the players you would like. There will be players that you want who are being overbidden. Let them go. Your job is to get a team with some studs and then fill in around them --- just like the draft.

One other item: Each player is a new opportunity for you. What do I mean by that? At some point during the auction, you will probably make a mistake. Do not let that effect your confidence. Move on. Everyone else will make a mistake, too.

Again, as with the Draft Strategy, I have not included Individual Defensive Players in the discussion. The IDP aspect is a favorite of mine but it's outside the scope of this discussion.