First Time Guillotine/Chopped League - FAAB Questions (2 Viewers)

[brainee]

And there's the $404 winning bid for Barkley! I'm still figuring out strategy for this format, but if you look likely to be chopped guess it's literally go big or go home.

Surprised to see Maye go for so much (despite him playing great). I felt foolish a couple of weeks ago for winning him for $57 ... only to see no one else bid on him

 

[Gally]

My $404 bid for Barkley was directly inspired by @Gally 's post from last week. Turns out the next highest bid was "just" $350, but, oh well. Could have gone a lot lower and still gotten McMillan and Lamb, but that's the way blind auctions go.

Nice. It would have mattered if you bid $354. If you look at the winning bids there are a few XX5, a few more XX1, a couple XX8, and a XX9. So it looks like your group may have their own versions. Track which teams use which ending number and you can use that to see where you need to go. Most people will fall back to the same pattern. You just gotta figure out what it is and adjust accordingly.

 

[brainee]

I'm guessing some of the premium guys on bye could be hitting the waiver wire this week. For my league, it's Bijan. If $550 was needed for Barley last, I dread to think what Bijan will go for. Though the team that won won't be bidding again (#2 high bid was $501). I'm bidding of course ... just have to think how much. For the third week in a row I finished with the second lowest score so I'm feeling very much on the chopping block. And I really need a top RB. I think Javonte Williams can be promoted to "end game" level, but my other RBs aren't there (Chuba, Etienne, Kamara, Swift). This started with only 12 teams so we're down to 7 (I have 80% FAAB left).

 

[Tackle Bag]

I'm guessing some of the premium guys on bye could be hitting the waiver wire this week. For my league, it's Bijan. If $550 was needed for Barley last, I dread to think what Bijan will go for. Though the team that won won't be bidding again (#2 high bid was $501). I'm bidding of course ... just have to think how much. For the third week in a row I finished with the second lowest score so I'm feeling very much on the chopping block. And I really need a top RB. I think Javonte Williams can be promoted to "end game" level, but my other RBs aren't there (Chuba, Etienne, Kamara, Swift). This started with only 12 teams so we're down to 7 (I have 80% FAAB left).

I'd be going after him like crazy especially if you're close to the chop

 

[brainee]

I'm guessing some of the premium guys on bye could be hitting the waiver wire this week. For my league, it's Bijan. If $550 was needed for Barley last, I dread to think what Bijan will go for. Though the team that won won't be bidding again (#2 high bid was $501). I'm bidding of course ... just have to think how much. For the third week in a row I finished with the second lowest score so I'm feeling very much on the chopping block. And I really need a top RB. I think Javonte Williams can be promoted to "end game" level, but my other RBs aren't there (Chuba, Etienne, Kamara, Swift). This started with only 12 teams so we're down to 7 (I have 80% FAAB left).

Bijan went for $506. Just couldn’t pull the trigger on a $500+ bid, and that may be a mistake with only 7 teams left (or 5 weeks of bidding). I do have the second most FAAB remaining (72%). But 4 other teams have at least $450, so I fear in the last 5 weeks people will just be throwing all their money at the top guy and if I want to upgrade I’ll have to spend at least that much (for a player not as good as Bijan). Oh well, I’m learning . It’s tough because most strategy suggestions are going off 18 team leagues.

I did get Jayden Daniels and Brock Bowers for $75 (combined). I’m hoping Daniels has the rust off and is healthy and I have an end game QB. And that with rest Brock can be end game level too.

 

[brainee]

Saquon Barkley is getting cut this week in my league. I'll bid on him for sure ... just not sure how much. The league has only had 2 bids over $300 (Achane and Jefferson) and none over $400.

We're down to 8 though. Things are getting tight and most teams have at least 50% of their FAAB left (I have 85%). My team took a huge hit this week losing Nabers, although I have Pickens to move from the bench to replace Nabers (he seems like he'll be huge at least until Lamb comes back, and even then he should be decent). But RB could be improved. I have a lot of RB2s (Kamara, Etienne, Chuba, Javonte) but no "end game" quality RB1.

Guess who's back on the block? Saquon ! Other notable names up for grabs will be: Gibbs, Chase Brown, Hurts, Scattebo, Deebo, Egbuka.

To be honest, despite advancing I feel like dead team walking (having just lost Puka, in addition to losing Nabers earlier in the season). Since we started with only 12 teams, there are only 5 more weeks of bidding left. So "end game" is coming up. I feel like I really need to get an impact player. I have the 2nd most FAAB remain (72%) but 3 other teams have at least 50% FAAB and they'll be putting in bids. In this league bidding started conservatively, but it's taken $500+ to get the top RB in the last 2 weeks.

I'm not sure how to play it though with 2 big RBs available. I still have the RBs I listed above (plus Rico Dowdle, who saved my *** ... but I can't count on him for 30 point games every week).

Anyone else posting here still alive?

 

[brainee]

I did end up bidding $510 for Gibbs and $410 for Saquon ... and lost out on both. Cam Scattebo was a much cheaper consolation prize ($65).

Well, on the bright side I'm now crushing the rest of the league for money (I have more than the next 3 teams combined). If I can survive, and despite the low projected point total I think I have at worst 50/50 odds of doing so, I can see a path to realistically win the entire league by picking up the top available player for next 3 weeks.

 

[BKZ]

This is my 3rd year playing in a 12 team guillotine and it's a fun format. In our league weekly winners accumulate additional FAB to spend so not everyone has the same amount. What I see is generally the top guys will go for over 50% of FAB for the first few weeks till teams start to spend down their FAB. Powerful teams will generally sit out bidding the first few weeks. The important thing right now is to look at the bye schedule coming up the next 4 weeks and assess what holes you are going to have.

Our first team got cut last week and Jonathan Taylor, Josh Allen and Tyler Warren are on the market. I am going to bid a little over 50% of my FAB on Taylor as I think he is a top 5 player the rest of the the year and....there are only 5 top 5 players! I'll pass on Josh as there are lots of good QBs out there. Warren is enticing, but not sure there is enough differential at the TE position. I had Gadsden this past week and he scored 30!

 

[brainee]

This is my 3rd year playing in a 12 team guillotine and it's a fun format. In our league weekly winners accumulate additional FAB to spend so not everyone has the same amount. What I see is generally the top guys will go for over 50% of FAB for the first few weeks till teams start to spend down their FAB. Powerful teams will generally sit out bidding the first few weeks. The important thing right now is to look at the bye schedule coming up the next 4 weeks and assess what holes you are going to have.

Our first team got cut last week and Jonathan Taylor, Josh Allen and Tyler Warren are on the market. I am going to bid a little over 50% of my FAB on Taylor as I think he is a top 5 player the rest of the the year and....there are only 5 top 5 players! I'll pass on Josh as there are lots of good QBs out there. Warren is enticing, but not sure there is enough differential at the TE position. I had Gadsden this past week and he scored 30!

In the other thread, you said you had $525. So yeah ... I'm good with a little more than 50%. The trouble with bidding more is that if you're playing to win, you want a whole team of top 5 guys eventually (or at the least 1st round quality). Although your league can gain FAAB ... how does that work? That would change conventional strategy.

In my own league if I could redo a move it would be going harder for JT when he hit the market early. I was listening to "conventional" strategy that said to never bid over $200, and that was a mistake. Although my biggest mistake is taking Nabers over CMC in the first round of the draft. Man, my outlook would be so different if I swapped those guys. Other "expert" strategy was to avoid high risk high reward guys in the early part of the draft, and that's CMC for sure. Of course, we're not psychic and who can predict these things.

 

[brainee]

I did end up bidding $510 for Gibbs and $410 for Saquon ... and lost out on both. Cam Scattebo was a much cheaper consolation prize ($65).

Well, on the bright side I'm now crushing the rest of the league for money (I have more than the next 3 teams combined). If I can survive, and despite the low projected point total I think I have at worst 50/50 odds of doing so, I can see a path to realistically win the entire league by picking up the top available player for next 3 weeks.

I did survive (with the second lowest score, but it wasn't close). So it's final 5 (we only started with 12). I miscalculated the money a little in my post but I'm still in good shape (I have 2.5 times FAAB the next highest team). I'll need that advantage and some luck since injuries have my team looking like by far the weakest in the league, and I'm easily the favorite to get cut next.

The team that got eliminated this week spent even less money than me, so they're not bursting with talent. Top guys are: James Cook, Jeanty, Judkins, Lamar, Hurts, Dak, Laporta, Kittle, Odunze, Metcalf, Deebo, Flowers. When there are so few teams there's no shortage of mid-level guys. Jeanty's on bye next week, so I won't spend much (if anything) on him.

On my team (PPR scoring) I'm left with:

QB: Daniels (Q, and plays MNF), Maye
WR: Puka (bye), Nico (concussed), AJB, Pickens, Olave
RB: Javonte, Scattebo, Etienne, Rico, Chuba, Kamara
TE: Bowers (hopefully back in week 8), Kelce

Wouldn't be bad early season, but not up to snuff for final 5. But if I can survive this week, get Daniels, Puka, Bowers back + the best guy on the team that just got cut (thinking Cook) and the best guy on the next team to get cut, I could have a fighting chance.

 

[BKZ]

This is my 3rd year playing in a 12 team guillotine and it's a fun format. In our league weekly winners accumulate additional FAB to spend so not everyone has the same amount. What I see is generally the top guys will go for over 50% of FAB for the first few weeks till teams start to spend down their FAB. Powerful teams will generally sit out bidding the first few weeks. The important thing right now is to look at the bye schedule coming up the next 4 weeks and assess what holes you are going to have.

Our first team got cut last week and Jonathan Taylor, Josh Allen and Tyler Warren are on the market. I am going to bid a little over 50% of my FAB on Taylor as I think he is a top 5 player the rest of the the year and....there are only 5 top 5 players! I'll pass on Josh as there are lots of good QBs out there. Warren is enticing, but not sure there is enough differential at the TE position. I had Gadsden this past week and he scored 30!

In the other thread, you said you had $525. So yeah ... I'm good with a little more than 50%. The trouble with bidding more is that if you're playing to win, you want a whole team of top 5 guys eventually (or at the least 1st round quality). Although your league can gain FAAB ... how does that work? That would change conventional strategy.

In my own league if I could redo a move it would be going harder for JT when he hit the market early. I was listening to "conventional" strategy that said to never bid over $200, and that was a mistake. Although my biggest mistake is taking Nabers over CMC in the first round of the draft. Man, my outlook would be so different if I swapped those guys. Other "expert" strategy was to avoid high risk high reward guys in the early part of the draft, and that's CMC for sure. Of course, we're not psychic and who can predict these things.

in the weeks before cuts start, the top 3 highest scoring teams that week get 50 extra FAB and teams 4 - 6 get 25 extra. The bottom 6 get nothing. so if you draft well you have a distinct advantage coming into the guillotine weeks.

 

[brainee]

I did end up bidding $510 for Gibbs and $410 for Saquon ... and lost out on both. Cam Scattebo was a much cheaper consolation prize ($65).

Well, on the bright side I'm now crushing the rest of the league for money (I have more than the next 3 teams combined). If I can survive, and despite the low projected point total I think I have at worst 50/50 odds of doing so, I can see a path to realistically win the entire league by picking up the top available player for next 3 weeks.

I did survive (with the second lowest score, but it wasn't close). So it's final 5 (we only started with 12). I miscalculated the money a little in my post but I'm still in good shape (I have 2.5 times FAAB the next highest team). I'll need that advantage and some luck since injuries have my team looking like by far the weakest in the league, and I'm easily the favorite to get cut next.

The team that got eliminated this week spent even less money than me, so they're not bursting with talent. Top guys are: James Cook, Jeanty, Judkins, Lamar, Hurts, Dak, Laporta, Kittle, Odunze, Metcalf, Deebo, Flowers. When there are so few teams there's no shortage of mid-level guys. Jeanty's on bye next week, so I won't spend much (if anything) on him.

On my team (PPR scoring) I'm left with:

QB: Daniels (Q, and plays MNF), Maye
WR: Puka (bye), Nico (concussed), AJB, Pickens, Olave
RB: Javonte, Scattebo, Etienne, Rico, Chuba, Kamara
TE: Bowers (hopefully back in week 8), Kelce

Wouldn't be bad early season, but not up to snuff for final 5. But if I can survive this week, get Daniels, Puka, Bowers back + the best guy on the team that just got cut (thinking Cook) and the best guy on the next team to get cut, I could have a fighting chance.

I got Cook, Lamar, and Jeanty. But I overbid by over $220 on Cook so feel really dumb. For the last few weeks multiple teams were throwing everything they had at the top RBs and I felt like I couldn't risk not getting Cook. Maybe they're reading my posts here and knew not to bother (since I bid $1 more than what the next highest team had in FAAB). Still extremely likely to be eliminated next anyway.