Why Auction???
No matter how much you think you know about fantasy football one thing is for sure... to win a fantasy football championship you need to have some luck. That said I think that the best way to prove fantasy football greatness amongst friends, family and co-workers is to set up a standard league and allow it to be an auction style draft.
Why does it have to be an auction style draft? Because it is a ton of fun and once you go AUCTION you will never go back! An auction style fantasy football draft offers team owners a level playing field unlike a serpentine or snake draft in which team draft positions are most likely randomly selected out of a hat. I don't know about you but to me I would rather put my faith and my investment in myself rather then having some random drawing to decide if I get a shot at the top players. Allowing everyone a chance at every guy available offers a whole new level to fantasy football and offers a new meaning to the term Fantasy Football BEASTHOUSE.
Budgets
With the auction style draft the only thing stopping you and your buddies from making that dream fantasy football roster is your budget. Your budget controls the amount of skill players you can afford making every pick and bid that much more important. With a budget there are multiple strategies and routes you can go to create a fantasy football beasthouse of a team.
Budget Options:
- Balanced Budget: Most Commonly used budget in fantasy football. Owners are looking for a consistent team that is in the mix and will most likely not have any of the Top 3 Players in the Draft. Read our in depth Balanced Budget Strategy Here.
- The Gambler: You almost always have one of these in the group. They take their budget and pick three big dogs to target i.e Arian Foster for $64, Ray Rice for $55 and Aaron Rodgers for $49 spend $168 of their $200 around 85% on three top guys and then fill their roster with lower end guys hoping they make it. Read our in depth Gambler Strategy Here.
- Going Deep: This strategy is best used when you feel that a bunch of the top 10 guys will be over bid an you think that you can strike gold by stocking up on mid to high end sleepers and guys you feel are under valued. This strategy can be very dangerous although can still be successful. Form more details on the Going Deep Strategy Click Here.
Buy on the Fly Strategy: This one is fun. Don't think about it at all just use the allotted budget to fill your roster with players that you like and worry about everything else later. Read more about this strategy here.
Keeper Options...
Don't worry you can still have a auction style draft in a keeper league. Yes it does get complex and it can mess with some people although setting up all the rules and getting everyone to understand what carries over from year to year needs to be discussed weeks before your draft. Different keeper rules can definitely effect the way you draft and target players. Looking back at the budget options above in a Keeper league where the draft values carry over you will most likely see A LOT more balanced budget team owners than the Gambler because teams are building for the future not so much one and done.
How to Perform a Auction Style Draft.
I have found that performing a actual live auction would be freaking awesome although that is a lot of work for a fantasy football auction. So we have found that the best way to do a auction style draft is to meet over at a house and all have laptops while using ESPN to manage everything such as: Budgets, time limits, roster checks and all that good stuff. It is actually awesome software and it still gives you the feel of a live auction complete with bells and an auctioneer. If you go that route keep in mind that you are putting a lot of faith in the Internet connection and that could be deadly. Remember that every pick in an auction style draft counts so if anyone looses signal for a moment it could be very costly.
General Tips for Starting an Auction Style Draft
- Use ESPN for your draft even if you switch your league after you draft.
- Study the different budget options and prepare
- Have a back up plan if you draft online
- Set up your keeper rules and settings weeks before the draft allowing players enough time to prepare
- Have a league voting system for issues that come up with keeper questions and auction draft issues
- Make sure to discuss in draft trades or money laundering during the draft
Well in summary I really hope that this article did the justice necessary for an auction style draft and you and your league will try it this next year. I promise that it is well worth the time and effort to make the switch.
REMEMBER once you go AUCTION you will not go back.
And I am not the only one who loves auctions. Check out how the Yahoo Fantasy Football Experts responded when asked about the best drafting method for fantasy football:
@BeasthouseCrew Auctions are more dynamic and interesting, reward skill more, ask players to consider more elements.
- Scott Pianowski (@scott_pianowski) Yahoo! Sports' Roto Arcade May 17, 2012
@BeasthouseCrew It's certainly more fair to the room if you auction. No one gets to complain that they didn't have a shot at a player.
- Andy Behrens (@andybehrens) Editor of Yahoo! Sports' Roto Arcade May 17, 2012
Other Helpful Fantasy Football Draft Articles:
- Snake Draft Strategy for Beginers
- Fantasy Football Auction Draft Strategy: Balanced Budget
If you have any fantasy football questions or comments find me on twitter @jakaz22 or find me on Google+ and I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
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