when Auctions 'turn to' drafts....Strategy for end of Auction (1 Viewer)

[Black]

I am planning my first Auction to kick off my dyansty league this summer.

I keep hearing how the 'auction turns to a draft' by the end, when the number of dollars remaining == the number of empty roster spots (I think).

In our league, we'll try to fill 21 Roster spots + 3 Taxi Squad spots. I'll allow the managers to go to the Waiver Wire after the draft to fill empty spots.

I think this changes if I 'require' them to fill their rosters.

Questions:

1. How does the auction 'go' when the money starts dwindling? Can someone give some examples? Is it just that someone will nominate a Kicker, and noone bids against him, so nominator keeps that player for $1?

2. Is there a good strategy for 'end of auction' to save some sleepers til very, very late, save some $, then be the only one with money to get them?

3. For a 24 player roster, how much would you budget for the Auction? I have read $20/roster spot. I assume people 'adjust' their values.

4. Is there a guide for Auction values that you can adjust based on total roster spots?

 

[stickboy]

I am planning my first Auction to kick off my dyansty league this summer.

I keep hearing how the 'auction turns to a draft' by the end, when the number of dollars remaining == the number of empty roster spots (I think).

In our league, we'll try to fill 21 Roster spots + 3 Taxi Squad spots. I'll allow the managers to go to the Waiver Wire after the draft to fill empty spots.

I think this changes if I 'require' them to fill their rosters.

Questions:

1. How does the auction 'go' when the money starts dwindling? Can someone give some examples? Is it just that someone will nominate a Kicker, and noone bids against him, so nominator keeps that player for $1?

2. Is there a good strategy for 'end of auction' to save some sleepers til very, very late, save some $, then be the only one with money to get them?

3. For a 24 player roster, how much would you budget for the Auction? I have read $20/roster spot. I assume people 'adjust' their values.

4. Is there a guide for Auction values that you can adjust based on total roster spots?

1. In an auction, you typically count on a small number of extended bench players and sleepers grabbed at the end for a minimum salary. Depending on the scoring system, this may also apply to kickers and/or DST where coaches are unwilling to spend more than the minimum. It is a cat and mouse game, because you need to track what slots your opponents need vs. you need, and many times you are nominating to fill out their rosters and take them out of contention for your preferred players. Of course, if no one bids on them, you end up stuck so it's a hard call on when to put out your needs vs. someone else's. The hard part is when another coach decides to spend $2 on a player rather than having $1 each for two slots, and grabs your preferred player. In the very end game, no one has enough money to spend more than the minimum so you are essentially going round the room grabbing players for $1.2. Everyone is saving money as those with the $$ control the end game. If I have $10 left and you have $6 and we both need two players, I'm going to get the better quality. For sleepers, it's more a case of roster space -- do I really need a N+1 running back when I'm kind of weak at QB? So try to hang onto your sleepers until your opponents have filled their rosters at that position, then nominate the sleeper at the minimum.

3. Auction budgets are a complex topic. Start with deciding how much you will spend on starters vs. bench vs. sleepers. Starters can easily be 80-90% of the budget if you take a stud approach. Coaches pay a premium for studs and consistent scoring so the multiplier is much higher at the top. The multipliers decline rapidly once you get to the middle of the draft, and it becomes much more linear as everyone calculates money left vs. roster spots to fill.

4. The best guide is price history, but you do not have that with your start up league. Many pay sites have predicted and average auction values available.

 

[Lehigh98]

As a general rule of thumb I try to keep $2 for each of the last few spots. It let's me snare a guy someone was hoping to get for a $1 or put someone I want up for $2 when few, if anyone, have $3 left to take him away. Depending on how deep you're going into the player pool, some of those last guys can still have good value and I don't want to get stuck on the outside looking in.

 

[scientist]

Use either the VBD app, MFL average auction values, or CBS Sportsline to get an idea of estimated auction values. You can customize the VBD app or Draft Dominator for roster size/number of teams in the league. There are a ton of players valued at $1. The idea is that very few of these players will go for more than $1, because they are not worth it, and/or because everyone has spent the majority of their funds on their starters. So when you nominate a bottom-tier WR for $1, it's very unlikely someone is going to up you to $2. Same thing with D/ST and Ks. This is especially true for leagues with deep rosters and at least 12 teams, like yours. So it comes down to who nominates a player first. While planning for the future is the best part of a dynasty league, remember that your starters should get the majority of your cap funds.

I'm entering the inaugural draft for my PPR dynasty this weekend. There is a budget of $200 to fill 22 active roster spots with 10 starters (3 WR, 1 Flex). I do not plan on saving extra dough to outbid other owners for players I have projected at $1. I'm using 80-85% of my funds on my starters, leaving $30-40 for my bench of 12. The majority of that surplus will be going towards my primary backups.

 

[scientist]

1. In an auction, you typically count on a small number of extended bench players and sleepers grabbed at the end for a minimum salary. Depending on the scoring system, this may also apply to kickers and/or DST where coaches are unwilling to spend more than the minimum. It is a cat and mouse game, because you need to track what slots your opponents need vs. you need, and many times you are nominating to fill out their rosters and take them out of contention for your preferred players. Of course, if no one bids on them, you end up stuck so it's a hard call on when to put out your needs vs. someone else's. The hard part is when another coach decides to spend $2 on a player rather than having $1 each for two slots, and grabs your preferred player. In the very end game, no one has enough money to spend more than the minimum so you are essentially going round the room grabbing players for $1.2. Everyone is saving money as those with the $$ control the end game. If I have $10 left and you have $6 and we both need two players, I'm going to get the better quality. For sleepers, it's more a case of roster space -- do I really need a N+1 running back when I'm kind of weak at QB? So try to hang onto your sleepers until your opponents have filled their rosters at that position, then nominate the sleeper at the minimum.3. Auction budgets are a complex topic. Start with deciding how much you will spend on starters vs. bench vs. sleepers. Starters can easily be 80-90% of the budget if you take a stud approach. Coaches pay a premium for studs and consistent scoring so the multiplier is much higher at the top. The multipliers decline rapidly once you get to the middle of the draft, and it becomes much more linear as everyone calculates money left vs. roster spots to fill.4. The best guide is price history, but you do not have that with your start up league. Many pay sites have predicted and average auction values available.

To add to the part about watching the needs of other teams, I'm using 2 low-tech resources (printouts) on draft day. One is of the VBD app, but I've added a column so that I have both the projected 09 FP and auction values listed. I've color-coded players as a reference for adjusting up or down based on dynasty outlook. I've fit it all on the front and back of 8.5x11 cardstock. I will cross out players as they're taken to have a clear picture of the player pool.The other printout is a simple spreadsheet with each owner's name across the top, in draft order, and then 22 roster positions in each column (QB1, QB2, QB3, RB1, RB2, RB3, RB4, etc). Each time a team takes a player, I cross that position out so that I can track what they still need. For example, when Team A takes Brees, I will mark out "QB1" under Team A. I might use red and black to signify stud players taking a position, so I can tell what type of player they will be going for next. If I mark out QB1 under Team A in red (stud), I'll know not to expect him to take another QB until very late.

 

[massraider]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

 

[Captain Hook]

"Drauctions".......really should be Aucto>Drafts.....are somewhat popular because turning into a draft after a few of the top rounds of players makes it much faster than a complete auction but still allows for some frenzied bidding for the top players...............BUT as earlier posters have correctly pointed out the hybrid takes away the strategy and skill for most auction players.

It is the most important day for your league - just take the extra time and have a full auction

 

[stickboy]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

I don't consider it lame or irresponsible. The question is what is the opportunity cost of saving the extra $$ for the final sleepers? Are you passing up winning an auction for a stud or consistent contributor in your starting lineup just to have the money advantage at the end? That is a high risk, high reward strategy that sometimes pans out. Or could you have moved up a tier at RB and gotten some more consistent points rather than a hit or miss sleeper? Which is the better way to spend the extra few bucks? I do not consider these to be lame or irresponsible decisions, rather reasonable trade offs in building a team.

This is why it turns into a draft at the end, everyone maxes out for the starters and the front of their bench, and use intangibles/luck to populate the back of the bench with minimum bid players. Roster composition and bye week match ups also play a significant role in deciding how to spend your final bucks, and an astute coach can nominate players that help others spend their money more quickly (especially at the end when needs are more predictable).

 

[stlrams]

WHY - Just hold an auction for 3 rounds then revert to serpetine type draft for the remaining rounds. This eliminates all the potnetial pitfalls and speeds up your draft. We've conduct our re-draft like this for the past 3 years and everybody loves it. It allows you to target the key players you want in rounds 1-3...

 

[massraider]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

I don't consider it lame or irresponsible. The question is what is the opportunity cost of saving the extra $$ for the final sleepers? Are you passing up winning an auction for a stud or consistent contributor in your starting lineup just to have the money advantage at the end? That is a high risk, high reward strategy that sometimes pans out. Or could you have moved up a tier at RB and gotten some more consistent points rather than a hit or miss sleeper? Which is the better way to spend the extra few bucks? I do not consider these to be lame or irresponsible decisions, rather reasonable trade offs in building a team.

This is why it turns into a draft at the end, everyone maxes out for the starters and the front of their bench, and use intangibles/luck to populate the back of the bench with minimum bid players. Roster composition and bye week match ups also play a significant role in deciding how to spend your final bucks, and an astute coach can nominate players that help others spend their money more quickly (especially at the end when needs are more predictable).

That's what I am saying, if you have one or two thrifty owners that save money, and cherry-pick value later, this format penalizes them.For me, in the beginning of the auction, I nominate players I don't want, rookie WRs, QBs I don't like, kickers. Even players from other owners favorite teams.

On other players, I bid enough so that I don't feel like anyone else is getting a steal. To answer your question about getting a stud, I will get one, but the 5th stud costs less than the 1st stud, and the 20th consistent contributor costs a lot less than the 1st one nominated.

For me, in an auction, I want to be the most disciplined owner in the league. After every auction, owners that jumped on the early auction items generally overpaid. Everyone is bidding, no one wants to be left out.

By being smart with my money, I can get the defense I want, the kicker I want, the backup QB I want, and have more depth than anyone. Those are important to me.

The great part about an auction is you can use any strategy you want. Using this auction/draft format makes money management irrelevant. It seems like it is best for a league of casual owners, that don't really care about the guys taken after a certain point. And that's fine, it's just been a while since I have been in a league like that.

If I could only do auction, and never do a draft again, I'd love it.

 

[Lord Fantasy]

Here are some strategies that I've found useful:

1. Create an Excel spreadsheet that tracks the other players by position and money. (You don't need to bother with player name.) Do this even if the czar or the auctioneer has it projected on the wall. Entering the numbers yourself helps you stay in tune with where the other players are with their budgets. You'll also get insight into their draft strategies.

2. In the early rounds only suggest big name players that you know you don't want. Part of the goal of an auction is to get your opponents to spend (and hopefully overspend). If you've ruled out Frank Gore, throw out his name and sit back while two guys tussle over him. People are all keyed up in the early rounds and they will overspend. (If they don't, you can always swoop in at the last minute and pick up a deal.)

3. In the middle rounds suggest players that you don't want in positions where you're already strong. Say you're set at WR. That's a perfect time to throw out someone like Lee Evans. Two guys are going to look at their roster and realize they only have one wide receiver. Now sit back and watch them fight for a guy that neither really wants.

4. Don't play value cop. There's always going to be steals. Let it go. I know it hurts to see a good player go for less than you projected, but if you police the market you'll end up regretting it at the end. Every pick and every dollar counts. Run your own race.

If you do these four things, then you'll find that at the end of the draft there are a surprising number of good players left and your bankroll is among the largest. Now's the time to start nominating guys you want. You'll either be going against guys who've blown their wad or guys who filled up on a position prematurely so even if they have the money they don't have the roster space. (This is going to happen at RB this year big time.)

Final note: I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this, but auctions are like poker. You play the player not the cards. Go in there with the mindset that you're going to absolutely punish the weak, the greedy and the distracted.

Good luck.

 

[roadkill1292]

"Drauctions".......really should be Aucto>Drafts.....are somewhat popular because turning into a draft after a few of the top rounds of players makes it much faster than a complete auction but still allows for some frenzied bidding for the top players...............BUT as earlier posters have correctly pointed out the hybrid takes away the strategy and skill for most auction players.It is the most important day for your league - just take the extra time and have a full auction

I think OP is asking about what happens when people run out of money save for that $1 a head for the last few roster spots, which is gonna happen at different times for different people. I think our 16-team league had about 30 one dollar players at the conclusion of last year's auction, with a few teams having one or none on their rosters and one team having about 6, with most grouped around the average.Saving enough money to dominate while there's still helpful talent left on the board is one of the most difficult skills to master in auctions. I'm not really sure that anybody really plans on it; it's more a function of how the auction naturally flows for each individual owner.I do know of a league that runs a true hybrid. They buy 8 players via bidding, then switch over to a serpentine to acquire the rest of their rosters. They like it but it's not for me.

 

[Lord Fantasy]

@massraider: Looks like you and I were thinking/writing the same thing at the same time. Cheers.

 

[Black]

WHY - Just hold an auction for 3 rounds then revert to serpetine type draft for the remaining rounds. This eliminates all the potnetial pitfalls and speeds up your draft. We've conduct our re-draft like this for the past 3 years and everybody loves it. It allows you to target the key players you want in rounds 1-3...

GREAT comments here. I am leaning towards a full on Auction, since we're all auction noobs, it should be even. I might enforce a basic rules:1. you must fill at least your starting roster

2. auction is over when all the money is gone or all roster spots filled for all teams

3. when your money is out, you wait until after teams are posted and fill from waivers

I guess if we all spend our cash and have roster spots left, we can draw for position and draft it out (instead of having a free-for-all right after I post teams).

I am still curious about this Auct-draft/Drauction. What happens if you do just 3 rounds...? You auction thru 30 players or until each team gets 3 players? I could see doing the top 30 or 50 players, in which case you could take ADP or you could take Brady, Bowe, and Jacobs in that time frame.

 

[brutha]

I keep hearing how the 'auction turns to a draft' by the end, when the number of dollars remaining == the number of empty roster spots (I think).

nope - that will be true for some but not all - some will hold extra money back to try and clean up the better of the latter picks.

Questions:

1. How does the auction 'go' when the money starts dwindling? Can someone give some examples? Is it just that someone will nominate a Kicker, and noone bids against him, so nominator keeps that player for $1?

at or near the end, yeah it more or less is like that.

2. Is there a good strategy for 'end of auction' to save some sleepers til very, very late, save some $, then be the only one with money to get them?

there is no pat answer there - I think it is but only to a point. experience will form your opinions on this.

3. For a 24 player roster, how much would you budget for the Auction? I have read $20/roster spot. I assume people 'adjust' their values.

I think X amt per player caps are kinda dumb, frankly, but for rosters that large I can see the logic. yecch that's too much math for me I like $100 or $200 because it's easy to keep in mind what % of your total cap you're spending.

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

 

[brutha]

The question is what is the opportunity cost of saving the extra $$ for the final sleepers? Are you passing up winning an auction for a stud or consistent contributor in your starting lineup just to have the money advantage at the end? That is a high risk, high reward strategy that sometimes pans out. Or could you have moved up a tier at RB and gotten some more consistent points rather than a hit or miss sleeper? Which is the better way to spend the extra few bucks?

......and most importantly, why would you take away that CHOICE by defaulting to a "snake" draft half-way through, which is what I think was asked/meant, not a snake draft "in effect" due to most people out of money. (if that's not what was meant, never mind all that lol)if the former, yes it's extremely lame. trust me we tried it one year - it bought us nothing, made it more confusing vs just auctioning the whole way, and was lame.

WHY - Just hold an auction for 3 rounds then revert to serpetine type draft for the remaining rounds. This eliminates all the potnetial pitfalls and speeds up your draft. We've conduct our re-draft like this for the past 3 years and everybody loves it. It allows you to target the key players you want in rounds 1-3...

glad it works for you but sorry to be honest that is IMO the lamest way to do a draft I have ever heard. what it eliminates is the whole reason for doing an auction in the first place ie all the strategies etc. why even bother? just have a snake draft.

 

[Sweet Love]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

I've been playing FF for 13 years and still can't convince any of my leagues to try an auction. With that said, I am always reading up on auctions and just from an observers point of view am always intrigued by what massraider is saying about the "when". Again, I have never been in one of these, so my question for you all, is when you throw the first couple of picks out there, do people tend to over or under spend. Honestly, I can see it going both ways, as everyone is trying to feel each other out in how they spend. For example, if you throw Forte out there with the first "pick" does he tend to go higher or lower than expected? Personally, if I went into one, I would throw out a typical 4-5th rounder out there first to get a gauge on the tendencies of the group...say a Grant or Edwards. If that player goes high, I would continue to throw the mid-rounders out there and be conservative as a few people may overspend leaving a lot of value out there. if they go low, I would try someone in the 2nd round range and try to get some value out of that pick. I am looking at it more "academically", but is that what you all try to do?

 

[massraider]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

I've been playing FF for 13 years and still can't convince any of my leagues to try an auction. With that said, I am always reading up on auctions and just from an observers point of view am always intrigued by what massraider is saying about the "when". Again, I have never been in one of these, so my question for you all, is when you throw the first couple of picks out there, do people tend to over or under spend. Honestly, I can see it going both ways, as everyone is trying to feel each other out in how they spend. For example, if you throw Forte out there with the first "pick" does he tend to go higher or lower than expected? Personally, if I went into one, I would throw out a typical 4-5th rounder out there first to get a gauge on the tendencies of the group...say a Grant or Edwards. If that player goes high, I would continue to throw the mid-rounders out there and be conservative as a few people may overspend leaving a lot of value out there. if they go low, I would try someone in the 2nd round range and try to get some value out of that pick. I am looking at it more "academically", but is that what you all try to do?

Honest truth: You could do the same auction with the same owners 10 different times, and have 10 different results. To answer your question, I am sure there are some leagues where owners wait on nominating studs, but I am sure the vast majority do not.

The studs go first. You can nominate whomever you like, but you are only one owner. Most times (all times, in the ones I have done) the big dogs get thrown out first. I actually do what you are thinking, I throw out defenses I don't want, 'sleepers' that everyone is hip to, and players I don't think are worth more than a buck. But I am in the minority. And it makes sense that the studs go early:

1. Easier to plan your team when you know who your stud RB is. And the more you do auctions, there's always 1 or two guys that build around two or three studs. Enough of them win to make it a valid strategy.

2. Teams that don't want to spend the A. Peterson money, nominate him right away, one less team to compete for the Forte's and Gore's. And that's rule #1, if there's a big ticket guy you don't like, that should be your first nomination. I am not crazy about Tony Romo this year, for example. I don't want him as the 9th QB nominated, I want him 1st or 2nd. Means he goes for a premium price.

3. And the biggest reason: Emotion. By the time the auction comes, everyone is so jacked up, and looking forward to the action, no one wants to say, "Stephen Gostkowski!!" The big ticket guys are the most fun, it's great watching the two guys that have to get Peterson go at it.

 

[roadkill1292]

3. And the biggest reason: Emotion. By the time the auction comes, everyone is so jacked up, and looking forward to the action, no one wants to say, "Stephen Gostkowski!!" The big ticket guys are the most fun, it's great watching the two guys that have to get Peterson go at it.

The first 40 or 50 guys bought at auction is about as much fun as you can ever have in this nutty little game of our's.That was a good answer to Sweet Love (who I support in his efforts to convert his league to the one true method). You're only one guy nominating players so your effect is limited. But I've found it generally true that the first couple of studs nominated will go for a little too much as will the guys at the end of a perceived "tier." When the last sure-thing starting RB goes up on the block, insanity often ensues. Nominating and getting players in between the panic periods is often a key to success.

Dang, I love auctions.

 

[Ray_T]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

I don't consider it lame or irresponsible. The question is what is the opportunity cost of saving the extra $$ for the final sleepers? Are you passing up winning an auction for a stud or consistent contributor in your starting lineup just to have the money advantage at the end? That is a high risk, high reward strategy that sometimes pans out. Or could you have moved up a tier at RB and gotten some more consistent points rather than a hit or miss sleeper? Which is the better way to spend the extra few bucks? I do not consider these to be lame or irresponsible decisions, rather reasonable trade offs in building a team.

This is why it turns into a draft at the end, everyone maxes out for the starters and the front of their bench, and use intangibles/luck to populate the back of the bench with minimum bid players. Roster composition and bye week match ups also play a significant role in deciding how to spend your final bucks, and an astute coach can nominate players that help others spend their money more quickly (especially at the end when needs are more predictable).

The opportunity cost will vary depending on how the draft goes.however, in my experience, provided you dont spend a ######ed amount of cash on a player who doesnt deserve it, you should have a few extra bucks left at the end.

just remember, in the middle of the draft if you have a budget of $100 and are down to $30 you dont spend $20+ on a RB4 unless for some reason you only have one or two roster spots left to fill.

 

[Captain Hook]

1. you must fill at least your starting roster

2. auction is over when all the money is gone or all roster spots filled for all teams

3. when your money is out, you wait until after teams are posted and fill from waivers

I guess if we all spend our cash and have roster spots left, we can draw for position and draft it out (instead of having a free-for-all right after I post teams).

I am still curious about this Auct-draft/Drauction. What happens if you do just 3 rounds...? You auction thru 30 players or until each team gets 3 players? I could see doing the top 30 or 50 players, in which case you could take ADP or you could take Brady, Bowe, and Jacobs in that time frame.

I think there should be tons of threads on this, but you need to change the numbers you have above.1) Everyone fills X roster spots (whatever you league has decided, Not just starters)

2) Everyone has the same amount of bidding $ - 200 is the standard (but lots of variations)

3) Each roster spot must be filled - the minimum bid is $1

So if you have filled ten spots for $150 and have 20 total, you have $50 remaining to spend on 10 - max would be $41 because you need at least $1 for the other nine

Your FA periods for any non-drafted players should not start right away - give everyone time to digest who they have and who is available.

As far as the Auction>drafts go, everyone has X roster spots to fill and Y$

($100 for five is popular) so if it is a ten team league, it would likely be the top fifty players that would be drafted)

A FULL auction is the best, fairest and most fun way to do the drafts.....at least IMO

 

[Black]

1) Everyone fills X roster spots (whatever you league has decided, Not just starters)

2) Everyone has the same amount of bidding $ - 200 is the standard (but lots of variations)

3) Each roster spot must be filled - the minimum bid is $1

So if you have filled ten spots for $150 and have 20 total, you have $50 remaining to spend on 10 - max would be $41 because you need at least $1 for the other nine

Your FA periods for any non-drafted players should not start right away - give everyone time to digest who they have and who is available.

As far as the Auction>drafts go, everyone has X roster spots to fill and Y$

($100 for five is popular) so if it is a ten team league, it would likely be the top fifty players that would be drafted)

A FULL auction is the best, fairest and most fun way to do the drafts.....at least IMO

Ok, this is starting to make more sense to me. Without these rules, guys can load up on super-starters, then punt and go to the Wire to fill backup roster spots. But having some 'minimums', esp like 3) above, makes alot more sense to me. You are even imposing a minimum on the Auction-2-Draft option.NEW QUESTION!

Do you guys include Rookies in the Auctions as well?

 

[roadkill1292]

NEW QUESTION!

Do you guys include Rookies in the Auctions as well?

Absolutely. The bidding on Stafford, Moreno, Crabtree, etc. will be some of the most intriguing because of the unknown factor.

 

[stickboy]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

I don't consider it lame or irresponsible. The question is what is the opportunity cost of saving the extra $$ for the final sleepers? Are you passing up winning an auction for a stud or consistent contributor in your starting lineup just to have the money advantage at the end? That is a high risk, high reward strategy that sometimes pans out. Or could you have moved up a tier at RB and gotten some more consistent points rather than a hit or miss sleeper? Which is the better way to spend the extra few bucks? I do not consider these to be lame or irresponsible decisions, rather reasonable trade offs in building a team.

This is why it turns into a draft at the end, everyone maxes out for the starters and the front of their bench, and use intangibles/luck to populate the back of the bench with minimum bid players. Roster composition and bye week match ups also play a significant role in deciding how to spend your final bucks, and an astute coach can nominate players that help others spend their money more quickly (especially at the end when needs are more predictable).

The opportunity cost will vary depending on how the draft goes.however, in my experience, provided you dont spend a ######ed amount of cash on a player who doesnt deserve it, you should have a few extra bucks left at the end.

just remember, in the middle of the draft if you have a budget of $100 and are down to $30 you dont spend $20+ on a RB4 unless for some reason you only have one or two roster spots left to fill.

Agreed, it depends on the dynamics of the draft and your budget approach. My personal approach is to spend more up front and not have a few extra bucks left at the end. This is because I believe the $$ spent on starters or key backups are more important than the sleepers and fill players at the end. The front end players contribute more to my wins and chances for the playoffs than the sleepers. I also usually have done my homework and know who the upside sleepers are and have no problem finding enough at minimum bids rather than targeting a few specific ones at higher $$. That is the benefit of the auction, disciplinarians can follow a disciplined strategy that targets sleepers at the end, and I can follow my strategy of choosing from lesser known sleepers with minimum bids so I have more money up front. YMMV.

 

[stlrams]

WHY - Just hold an auction for 3 rounds then revert to serpetine type draft for the remaining rounds. This eliminates all the potnetial pitfalls and speeds up your draft. We've conduct our re-draft like this for the past 3 years and everybody loves it. It allows you to target the key players you want in rounds 1-3...

GREAT comments here. I am leaning towards a full on Auction, since we're all auction noobs, it should be even. I might enforce a basic rules:1. you must fill at least your starting roster

2. auction is over when all the money is gone or all roster spots filled for all teams

3. when your money is out, you wait until after teams are posted and fill from waivers

I guess if we all spend our cash and have roster spots left, we can draw for position and draft it out (instead of having a free-for-all right after I post teams).

I am still curious about this Auct-draft/Drauction. What happens if you do just 3 rounds...? You auction thru 30 players or until each team gets 3 players? I could see doing the top 30 or 50 players, in which case you could take ADP or you could take Brady, Bowe, and Jacobs in that time frame.

Each team must buy three players. We rotate nominating players but once a franchise has filled their 3 slots they no longer nominate.

 

[Ray_T]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

I don't consider it lame or irresponsible. The question is what is the opportunity cost of saving the extra $$ for the final sleepers? Are you passing up winning an auction for a stud or consistent contributor in your starting lineup just to have the money advantage at the end? That is a high risk, high reward strategy that sometimes pans out. Or could you have moved up a tier at RB and gotten some more consistent points rather than a hit or miss sleeper? Which is the better way to spend the extra few bucks? I do not consider these to be lame or irresponsible decisions, rather reasonable trade offs in building a team.

This is why it turns into a draft at the end, everyone maxes out for the starters and the front of their bench, and use intangibles/luck to populate the back of the bench with minimum bid players. Roster composition and bye week match ups also play a significant role in deciding how to spend your final bucks, and an astute coach can nominate players that help others spend their money more quickly (especially at the end when needs are more predictable).

The opportunity cost will vary depending on how the draft goes.however, in my experience, provided you dont spend a ######ed amount of cash on a player who doesnt deserve it, you should have a few extra bucks left at the end.

just remember, in the middle of the draft if you have a budget of $100 and are down to $30 you dont spend $20+ on a RB4 unless for some reason you only have one or two roster spots left to fill.

Agreed, it depends on the dynamics of the draft and your budget approach. My personal approach is to spend more up front and not have a few extra bucks left at the end. This is because I believe the $$ spent on starters or key backups are more important than the sleepers and fill players at the end. The front end players contribute more to my wins and chances for the playoffs than the sleepers. I also usually have done my homework and know who the upside sleepers are and have no problem finding enough at minimum bids rather than targeting a few specific ones at higher $$. That is the benefit of the auction, disciplinarians can follow a disciplined strategy that targets sleepers at the end, and I can follow my strategy of choosing from lesser known sleepers with minimum bids so I have more money up front. YMMV.

True. Provided you know who those sleepers are.I got Slaton in last years draft for $1. half our pool didnt even know who he was. All I knew is that given who the starter was at that time (Ahman Green) I figured there was a decent chance he would get injured or underperform, and Slaton, drafted in the third round had a great camp, so I took a chance for a buck.

Best buck I ever spent.

 

[massraider]

Take those auction values, look at them, and throw them out the window. Because it's all about when the players are nominated.

I think 'turning' an auction into a draft is lame, and really benefits the lazy, and irresponsible owners. Money management is a big part of an auction, as is keeping an eye on what everyone else has for money.

A lot of time, there are two or three guys left, that haven't been nominated yet, that everyone is keeping an eye on. But if everyone else only has a buck or two left for their remaining roster spots, the guy that has 5 or 6 is in the driver's seat.

If it just switches to a draft, a big part of the auction strategy is gone.

I don't consider it lame or irresponsible. The question is what is the opportunity cost of saving the extra $$ for the final sleepers? Are you passing up winning an auction for a stud or consistent contributor in your starting lineup just to have the money advantage at the end? That is a high risk, high reward strategy that sometimes pans out. Or could you have moved up a tier at RB and gotten some more consistent points rather than a hit or miss sleeper? Which is the better way to spend the extra few bucks? I do not consider these to be lame or irresponsible decisions, rather reasonable trade offs in building a team.

This is why it turns into a draft at the end, everyone maxes out for the starters and the front of their bench, and use intangibles/luck to populate the back of the bench with minimum bid players. Roster composition and bye week match ups also play a significant role in deciding how to spend your final bucks, and an astute coach can nominate players that help others spend their money more quickly (especially at the end when needs are more predictable).

The opportunity cost will vary depending on how the draft goes.however, in my experience, provided you dont spend a ######ed amount of cash on a player who doesnt deserve it, you should have a few extra bucks left at the end.

just remember, in the middle of the draft if you have a budget of $100 and are down to $30 you dont spend $20+ on a RB4 unless for some reason you only have one or two roster spots left to fill.

Agreed, it depends on the dynamics of the draft and your budget approach. My personal approach is to spend more up front and not have a few extra bucks left at the end. This is because I believe the $$ spent on starters or key backups are more important than the sleepers and fill players at the end. The front end players contribute more to my wins and chances for the playoffs than the sleepers. I also usually have done my homework and know who the upside sleepers are and have no problem finding enough at minimum bids rather than targeting a few specific ones at higher $$. That is the benefit of the auction, disciplinarians can follow a disciplined strategy that targets sleepers at the end, and I can follow my strategy of choosing from lesser known sleepers with minimum bids so I have more money up front. YMMV.

Exactly, but if you go Auction/Draft combo, then only your strategy is valid. See what I meant earlier?

 

[Black]

Exactly, but if you go Auction/Draft combo, then only your strategy is valid. See what I meant earlier?

Right, you gotta blow your wad or you lose out.I would think that in the case of 10 teams, 3 players each, you'd just budget and see what you could get. Maybe you get (3) second rounders instead of a 1st and (2) 3rds? It does seem that there's more of a chance you could either end up with alot of money left over or, if you have $ left, you could steal a 3rd round type talent for very little.I am thinking of going full-on Auction, with the restriction that you must fill your roster during the draft, min bid $1. That means at least the end of the draft is a bit more predictable.