1st time auction advice (1 Viewer)

[billrob]

this will be my first year using an auction type of draft.

we have a $250 cap and we need to save space to sign free agents throughout the year. my question is how much of my $250 should i spend at the draft? i was thinking in the neighbourhood of $230-240ish.

any advice is appreciated.

 

[Ack88]

1. Auctions are like poker- Switch gears frequently. Sometimes nominate a player you have interest in. Other times, nominate a player you could care less about. Conventional auction advice says you should always nominate players you don't want. This allows savvy owners to get a read on you. Always be coy.

2. Kickers are cheap- Never spend more than the minimum on a kicker. Their scoring variance from year to year is very small.

3. Spend 80%-90% on your starting lineup. Stars dominate auctions and you will have to overpay for one or two. It has been my experience that owners who try and build balanced, deep teams end up with a bunch of mediocre players and out of the playoffs. For your league, if you plan on spending $235 on auction day, spend about $210 on a starting lineup and $25 on reserves. Of that $210, spend about 50% on a starting backfield, 30% on WRs, 15% on a QB, and 4% on a TE, unless you love a guy like Gates. No more than 1% on K.

4. Be strong out of the gate- Many owners hoard their dollars, searching for values later. Similiar to what I posted above, hoarders end up with lots of money to spend on second tier players. You can also get a star for a value if you do this, as many people are hesitant to be the first guy to invest a large chunk of change. The owner who gets the first big RB will usually pay less than the owner who gets the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... RB.

5. Don't be afraid of change- If you have a set strategy but the players are coming off in a way that is not working for you, adapt and adjust. Remember, auctions are like poker. Change gears to keep other owners off balance.

 

[Beaumont]

this will be my first year using an auction type of draft.we have a $250 cap and we need to save space to sign free agents throughout the year. my question is how much of my $250 should i spend at the draft? i was thinking in the neighbourhood of $230-240ish.any advice is appreciated.

Depends on how many in the league and how deep the rosters are (which in turn dictates the likely value of waiver wire bids).

 

[billrob]

12 teams.

16-18 players/roster.

 

[GregR_2]

4. Be strong out of the gate- Many owners hoard their dollars, searching for values later. Similiar to what I posted above, hoarders end up with lots of money to spend on second tier players. You can also get a star for a value if you do this, as many people are hesitant to be the first guy to invest a large chunk of change. The owner who gets the first big RB will usually pay less than the owner who gets the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... RB.

Wanted to comment on this one. I agree with the heart of it though I would state it a different way.The key to doing well in an auction is to define the values of all the players in advance, and be willing to bid up to that value. But as Ack88 said, you do need to get your money into play in a time when it will get you worthwhile starters. But I would clarify "be strong out of the gate". You should be involved in the bidding but that doesn't mean that you have to actually buy players early if they are going for over your value. If that is the case, you shouldn't be spending your money yet.But at the same time you do need to be aware of how many players are left at the position and how many teams have needs there, so that you get quality starters. A good rule of thumb is that it is ok to spend over your value on a player if that's the only way to land a quality player, but if so to try to get a player who is closer to your value than others are at their position. To put that into a concrete example, let's say you think a decent RB should be in the $60 range, but everyone is paying $80. If you see that the supply of RBs is going to run out before you can get a bargain, you need to get in there and be bidding up to $70 or even $75. The goal is to get a decent starter and if you have to overspend, that's ok as long as you don't overspend as much as others. You'll still come out ahead with more money to use on other positions that way. But you need to be flexible. If early players are going for less than your value, take your players early then, as there will be extra money later and so players will go for above your value for them. If early players are going for more, hang back for a bit and let some of the money clear out.On a different note... if you find yourself falling behind other teams in cap room left, STOP SPENDING. I learned this lesson in my first auction from watching David Dodds. He got stuck with a player he was bidding up the price on and put in bad cap situation. He stopped spending and waited for people to catch back up to him, leaving him with more money later in the draft which he used to control it and force people to pay extra for players they really wanted, or get players for barely above minimum himself. I used this lesson to great effect in my own initial dynasty auction the next year.

 

[KellysHeroes]

this will be my first year using an auction type of draft.we have a $250 cap and we need to save space to sign free agents throughout the year. my question is how much of my $250 should i spend at the draft? i was thinking in the neighbourhood of $230-240ish.any advice is appreciated.

Try to keep about 50 to 40 $$ left.. the draft is only one part of winning a championship, FA picks is just as important and it would good for you to have some money left over.Get 2 too 3 solid players and then go after cheaper guys who out perform their ADP.GL

 

[Warpig]

1. Auctions are like poker- Switch gears frequently. Sometimes nominate a player you have interest in. Other times, nominate a player you could care less about. Conventional auction advice says you should always nominate players you don't want. This allows savvy owners to get a read on you. Always be coy.2. Kickers are cheap- Never spend more than the minimum on a kicker. Their scoring variance from year to year is very small. 3. Spend 80%-90% on your starting lineup. Stars dominate auctions and you will have to overpay for one or two. It has been my experience that owners who try and build balanced, deep teams end up with a bunch of mediocre players and out of the playoffs. For your league, if you plan on spending $235 on auction day, spend about $210 on a starting lineup and $25 on reserves. Of that $210, spend about 50% on a starting backfield, 30% on WRs, 15% on a QB, and 4% on a TE, unless you love a guy like Gates. No more than 1% on K.4. Be strong out of the gate- Many owners hoard their dollars, searching for values later. Similiar to what I posted above, hoarders end up with lots of money to spend on second tier players. You can also get a star for a value if you do this, as many people are hesitant to be the first guy to invest a large chunk of change. The owner who gets the first big RB will usually pay less than the owner who gets the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... RB.5. Don't be afraid of change- If you have a set strategy but the players are coming off in a way that is not working for you, adapt and adjust. Remember, auctions are like poker. Change gears to keep other owners off balance.

I've been in an auction redraft league for over 10 years now.This is an excellent posting!

 

[Billy Ball Thorton]

Don't mind overpaying for players you like to root for.

It makes it more fun

 

[taco breath]

i like that strategy.

 

[BigRed]

1. Auctions are like poker- Switch gears frequently. Sometimes nominate a player you have interest in. Other times, nominate a player you could care less about. Conventional auction advice says you should always nominate players you don't want. This allows savvy owners to get a read on you. Always be coy.2. Kickers are cheap- Never spend more than the minimum on a kicker. Their scoring variance from year to year is very small. 3. Spend 80%-90% on your starting lineup. Stars dominate auctions and you will have to overpay for one or two. It has been my experience that owners who try and build balanced, deep teams end up with a bunch of mediocre players and out of the playoffs. For your league, if you plan on spending $235 on auction day, spend about $210 on a starting lineup and $25 on reserves. Of that $210, spend about 50% on a starting backfield, 30% on WRs, 15% on a QB, and 4% on a TE, unless you love a guy like Gates. No more than 1% on K.4. Be strong out of the gate- Many owners hoard their dollars, searching for values later. Similiar to what I posted above, hoarders end up with lots of money to spend on second tier players. You can also get a star for a value if you do this, as many people are hesitant to be the first guy to invest a large chunk of change. The owner who gets the first big RB will usually pay less than the owner who gets the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... RB.5. Don't be afraid of change- If you have a set strategy but the players are coming off in a way that is not working for you, adapt and adjust. Remember, auctions are like poker. Change gears to keep other owners off balance.

1 - Generally you should nominate players you don't want - early on I don't see that it makes much diff really - but late in the draft NEVER nominate a guy you don't want because you might get "stuck" w/him if no one else bids. If you're OK w/that fine, but remember this isn't just about the cap...you only have so many roster spots, and they're valuable too.2 - yep3 - This is only one way to go about it, and hardly "the" way. I've seen success with a few studs and cheap backups just as I've seen it with a balanced team. Your percentages/position are also highly debatable (not saying wrong just debatable).4 - See #3, ie this is also debatable and not "the" way to go5 - yepGood post overall IMO.

 

[u999spf]

Also - If you do end up taking the sit back and wait approach and plan on picking up all the 2nd and 3rd tier bargains you should end up with a very deep team, except as stated above you will not have any studs.

You can hope that one or 2 of these value picks end up being studs such as Frank Gore last year or FWP or after the draft and within the first few weeks, you should look to make 2 for 1 trades or 3 for 2 type trades where you package up some of your depth to acquire a known stud that may have gotten off to a slow start.

If you end up with a team that includes no studs on it, you may still do well and even make the playoffs, but the odds of you winning your league championship will be very slim.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Sometimes working backwards helps.

If you can get a feel for what prices each player will go for, figure out what lesser value guys you are targeting and circle them. Add $1-2 to the $1-6 guys and see how many you like.

If you have a 25 man squad, say that you will take 2 cheap QBs, 3 RBs and 3 WRs and maybe a TE out of the bargain bin.

Find the ones you want and plan on spending a little more than expected.

Add in the cheap K and D, then see what you have left. Now you have a "stud budget" for about half of your team, but with 10-12 slots filled at about $3-4 each on average. You now have 10-12 guys you like AND $200-210 to go after your 13-15 bigger names.

You can repeat this exercise all the way forward to the Top RB / WR / QB / TEs you want.

Good luck.

 

[Spartans Rule]

I would listen to my advice as I've won every auction league I've ever been in (Ok, so I've been in one. And I went 8-6, snuck into the playoffs and got lucky. And I spent 1/4 of my cap on Kevan Barlow. But still, listen up.)

Before I did my first auction, I did a mock auction to get a feel for it. And I laughed as everyone spent enormous amounts of cap on the top running backs. And then I felt stupid as I had lots of cap left and ended up overspending on mediocre backs and good receivers, and my team looked hideous.

When the real thing came around, I felt like I should tie up some money to land a couple stud backs. And I did. Of course, Kevan Barlow didn't quite turn out to be the stud I was hoping for, but things still worked out. Snagging Gates for $4 out of a $200 cap helped immensely.

The point is, if you're an auction beginner, it's probably not a good idea to count on yourself to be a savvy mid-game player. Try that, and you'll start to get nervous midway through, overspend on a few guys and bam, there goes your season. But if you invest 40-45% of your cap in LT, then you've assured that 40-45% of your cap is well-spent. My advice for an auction rookie would be to go ahead and tie up most of your cap in studs, then sit back and try to pick off a couple bargains here or there later on.

 

[kwille]

3. Spend 80%-90% on your starting lineup. Stars dominate auctions and you will have to overpay for one or two.

This is especially true in a no-trade league.

 

[Warpig]

Also - If you do end up taking the sit back and wait approach and plan on picking up all the 2nd and 3rd tier bargains you should end up with a very deep team, except as stated above you will not have any studs.

You can hope that one or 2 of these value picks end up being studs such as Frank Gore last year or FWP or after the draft and within the first few weeks, you should look to make 2 for 1 trades or 3 for 2 type trades where you package up some of your depth to acquire a known stud that may have gotten off to a slow start.

If you end up with a team that includes no studs on it, you may still do well and even make the playoffs, but the odds of you winning your league championship will be very slim.

I'm of the camp that likes to sit back and get the bargain players for depth and then trade as needed. Alas, I've been in the playoffs every year...just haven't won the big one YET! However, most of the LT2 owners didn't even make it to the playoffs last year!

It helps to have a solid team...but it all comes down to luck. There's always that darkhorse that comes out of no where that turns a guys feeble team into a power house.

ie; LJ, Kurt Warner, FWP, Gore, Colston, etc. See what I mean?

 

[crnerblitz]

1. Auctions are like poker- Switch gears frequently. Sometimes nominate a player you have interest in. Other times, nominate a player you could care less about. Conventional auction advice says you should always nominate players you don't want. This allows savvy owners to get a read on you. Always be coy.

2. Kickers are cheap- Never spend more than the minimum on a kicker. Their scoring variance from year to year is very small.

3. Spend 80%-90% on your starting lineup. Stars dominate auctions and you will have to overpay for one or two. It has been my experience that owners who try and build balanced, deep teams end up with a bunch of mediocre players and out of the playoffs. For your league, if you plan on spending $235 on auction day, spend about $210 on a starting lineup and $25 on reserves. Of that $210, spend about 50% on a starting backfield, 30% on WRs, 15% on a QB, and 4% on a TE, unless you love a guy like Gates. No more than 1% on K.

4. Be strong out of the gate- Many owners hoard their dollars, searching for values later. Similiar to what I posted above, hoarders end up with lots of money to spend on second tier players. You can also get a star for a value if you do this, as many people are hesitant to be the first guy to invest a large chunk of change. The owner who gets the first big RB will usually pay less than the owner who gets the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... RB.

5. Don't be afraid of change- If you have a set strategy but the players are coming off in a way that is not working for you, adapt and adjust. Remember, auctions are like poker. Change gears to keep other owners off balance.

1 - Generally you should nominate players you don't want - early on I don't see that it makes much diff really - but late in the draft NEVER nominate a guy you don't want because you might get "stuck" w/him if no one else bids. If you're OK w/that fine, but remember this isn't just about the cap...you only have so many roster spots, and they're valuable too.2 - yep

3 - This is only one way to go about it, and hardly "the" way. I've seen success with a few studs and cheap backups just as I've seen it with a balanced team. Your percentages/position are also highly debatable (not saying wrong just debatable).

4 - See #3, ie this is also debatable and not "the" way to go

5 - yep

Good post overall IMO.

This is a good post. There isn't any magic formula in auctions and I've been in more than a few. I have won championships with all my money on 2 or 3 players and Iv'e won championships with my money evenly spread across my starting cast. Player evaluation is your stock in trade not dollars or draft picks. Thats what will determine if you are a winner or a loser. Be the ball. You have to be flexable. In my current IDP auction league I dont even bother with assigning $$$ values going into the draft because 5 minutes into it they are shot to heck! HOWEVER I do not sugest taking that approch until you feel you have mastered the format. My point is that you cannot dictate to the auction, just let it come to you. Write down a list of target players and then add 3X the names to that list. If you can make a roster out of that expanded list you should do fine.

I'm of the camp that likes to sit back and get the bargain players for depth and then trade as needed. Alas, I've been in the playoffs every year...just haven't won the big one YET!

However, most of the LT2 owners didn't even make it to the playoffs last year!

It helps to have a solid team...but it all comes down to luck. There's always that darkhorse that comes out of no where that turns a guys feeble team into a power house.

ie; LJ, Kurt Warner, FWP, Gore, Colston, etc. See what I mean?

This is also some very good information. There is also some more awsome info in this topic...Auction drafting 06, serpentine is for eunuchs

I' would like to quote my original post in that topic too

I am a pretty fair auction drafter and like to think I can impart a few tips on auction drafting. Here goes.

1. The very first 2 or 3 players nominated will most often be undervalued. The auction is just coming to life and everyone has not come to grips with the ebb and flow yet. Supply, no matter how small, will still is greater than demand. Often times we look for value later when demand dimishes, but so too does the supply of players. Remember that this holds true only for the very first couple of players nominated. Usually by the 3rd or 4th player everyone in the auction has settled in.

2. Feel free to nominate DT and PK you are targeting early. It kinda goes hand in hand with tip #1, but it also is different by itself. It is possible you can get teams to overpay for these guys. Also it is just as likely they may go very cheap, as others are 'saving their ammo or roster spots'. There is usually an opportunity to be exploited when these guys get nominated early.

3. Don’t get married to any strategy. I already have mine all laid out for the IDP league I'm in. Right down to my last dollar. I know whom I am keeping, whom I am targeting, and which positions I want to buy depth at. A Half-hour into the auction I can expect to scrap my plan and become one with the auction. I will clear my mind, concentrate and 'Be the ball."

 

[JayMan]

You have to be flexible. [...] My point is that you cannot dictate to the auction

Everyone is all pumped up going into an auction saying 'I'm going to get LT and manage the cap afterwards' or ' I'll let the others spend their cash early on and cash in on the value plays later on'... and then, 2 hours later - you have spent 70% of you cap on 3 studs... or there are 30 players picked and since everyone is overpaying, you don't have a player on your roster... exactly the opposite of what you thought would happen!Take a deep breath, don't panic and remember that you are flexible and have a plan for this - don't go overboard and spend like a madman since you need to have someone on your team - if you can analyze the rosters and cap space of every owner and adjust the value of the remaining players in real-time - everything will be fine...

 

[Ack88]

Some other points to ponder.

1. Know the other owners- What teams and players do they like? Have casual discussions with them. Toss out trial balloons, like "Randy Moss and Tom Brady should have a great year together. Imagine how good Brady will be with a true #1 WR." See how they respond. If another owner responds "Yeah. I think Brady will throw for 4,300 yards and 33 TDs, than you know he has a high value and probably will pay more than most. This kind of questioning will help you get at least some anecdotal evidence as to other owners thought processes.

2. Study the past- If this is your first auction, look at past drafts. How did they go? Chances are if RBs went with 11 or the 12 first picks than your salary structure will be the same. If you've done an auction before, look at past auctions, check the values and make a record of them.

3. Have a "window", rather than a set price for each player- Don't choose an absolute value for each player. Have a range. If you think Larry Johnson, after all your projections, has a true value of $40, don't be absolutely locked to that number. Consider the flow of the auction...is he at the beginning of the RB run? the end? You may get him at $38 if he's nominated at the beginning of the auction, but you may have to pay $43 at the end. Evaluate the situation and make your move accordingly.

4. Understand the overall personality of the other owners- There's always a cheap guy in every group, you know the one who haggles over a $1 on a shared food bill. Chances are his personality will carry over into the auction and he'll hoard his money. Conversely, there is always the guy who is a little wild and crazy, more of a risk taker. Expect that guy to spend very freely and take risks.

As I stated earlier, auctions are like poker, as much an exercise in psychology, deception, and controlled agression as in football. Use all information, both obvious and subtle, to your advantage. It will put you in the playoffs.

 

[JayMan]

3. Have a "window", rather than a set price for each player- Don't choose an absolute value for each player. Have a range. If you think Larry Johnson, after all your projections, has a true value of $40, don't be absolutely locked to that number. Consider the flow of the auction...is he at the beginning of the RB run? the end? You may get him at $38 if he's nominated at the beginning of the auction, but you may have to pay $43 at the end. Evaluate the situation and make your move accordingly.

if you can analyze the rosters and cap space of every owner and adjust the value of the remaining players in real-time - everything will be fine...

This is how I make sure players value remain valid all the way through the auction...

 

[GregR_2]

Pardon if someone mentioned it already, but the single best thing you can do to prepare yourself for your auction is to go do several mocks. The free tool at fantasyauctioneer.com can be used to do a mock with the cpu controlling the other teams. For that matter, I'll give them a plug in that I love their software over MFL, and they normally have discounted deals with MFL if you ask about them, and will then transfer your rosters over for you after the auction.

But in any event, you should go and do a few auctions. Try spending a bunch of money early and see what happens late in the draft. Try holding back more than you think you should and see what happens that way, when you end up with money but no top players to spend it on.

 

[BigRed]

Some other points to ponder. 1. Know the other owners- What teams and players do they like? Have casual discussions with them. Toss out trial balloons, like "Randy Moss and Tom Brady should have a great year together. Imagine how good Brady will be with a true #1 WR." See how they respond. If another owner responds "Yeah. I think Brady will throw for 4,300 yards and 33 TDs, than you know he has a high value and probably will pay more than most. This kind of questioning will help you get at least some anecdotal evidence as to other owners thought processes.2. Study the past- If this is your first auction, look at past drafts. How did they go? Chances are if RBs went with 11 or the 12 first picks than your salary structure will be the same. If you've done an auction before, look at past auctions, check the values and make a record of them.3. Have a "window", rather than a set price for each player- Don't choose an absolute value for each player. Have a range. If you think Larry Johnson, after all your projections, has a true value of $40, don't be absolutely locked to that number. Consider the flow of the auction...is he at the beginning of the RB run? the end? You may get him at $38 if he's nominated at the beginning of the auction, but you may have to pay $43 at the end. Evaluate the situation and make your move accordingly.4. Understand the overall personality of the other owners- There's always a cheap guy in every group, you know the one who haggles over a $1 on a shared food bill. Chances are his personality will carry over into the auction and he'll hoard his money. Conversely, there is always the guy who is a little wild and crazy, more of a risk taker. Expect that guy to spend very freely and take risks. As I stated earlier, auctions are like poker, as much an exercise in psychology, deception, and controlled agression as in football. Use all information, both obvious and subtle, to your advantage. It will put you in the playoffs.

Good post, although I disagree w/#1 if you're in a league with experienced owners (unless maybe your owners are younger eg a teenage group, who are more likely to talk it up that way). I don't even bother trying this.Also while it sounds great on paper, I've found trying to analyze owers' tendencies has very limited use also, as most have also learned to be flexible - plus the auction just moves too fast to really mess w/that much.

 

[Ack88]

My auction league is going into it's 10th season. We usually get together the night before and have a few beers. That's when some of the best discussion takes place. Owners are a little bit looser with information. I'm not suggesting you try and get other owners drunk, but if they choose to have a few adult beverages, don't be afraid to ask questions.

Also, stay stone cold sober during your auction. Have a beer or two after you've put together your team.

BigRed suggests that savvy owners don't reveal much, and he is largely correct. However, you will never know if you don't ask.

 

[crnerblitz]

bump

 

[pats]

Any recommendations for % of Cap to be saved for Free Agents. 10 Team League, 16 Rounds.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[GregR_2]

Any recommendations for % of Cap to be saved for Free Agents. 10 Team League, 16 Rounds.Thanks for any advice.

Not sure I can help there. We use a hard cap and the players you cut are freeing up the money to pick up the free agent. So I try to spend every dollar.

 

[schu]

Auctions are actually more friendly to noobs than drafts. After all, when going after studs you are only paying $1 more than any other owner values the player. People don't bluff at high values (and win much). For that reason, don't bid more than minimum to start a player. Don't overbid by more than $1.

My biggest fear in a auction is not spending my money. If a top player is going for 105% of your value, don't be afraid to pull the trigger if you like the guy. Begin to be very patient once you get 2-4 top players.

There are no sleeper picks in a auction that go for more than minimum bid, by definition. Don't obsess on studying them in preparation.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Great players at even/slightly over value >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Good players at good value

You need great players to win. You don't get points in week 8 for how much value you got on a player. I think sometimes people forget that.

 

[Ray_T]

The other thing to keep in mind with auctions is that your strategy will change very quickly as people spend money. You could go from being the guy with the least amount of money to the guy with the most very quickly (and vice versa) so you have to adjust your auction strategy in mid draft (one of the things that make people so excited about the auction)

I also like to keep track of what other owners have for money because if a guy overbids on a player at the wrong time, you can screw him over by letting him win.

I know these things seem like common sense, but a lot of people lose Auction drafts due to poor cash management and I find it to be funny how often it happens.