Tip Drill: Auction like a champion today
I wish every fantasy league were run auction style; that’s been my story for 20 years and I’m sticking to it. But with a better format comes more responsibility; auctions are far more challenging than basic snake drafts, and they open up different levels of strategy. Let’s discuss a few key elements here.
The best fantasy auction players are flexible in all areas
Show me someone rigid with his prices or his strategy and I’ll show you someone who’s probably a yearly donator. You need to be willing to adjust to the nuance of the auction as it unfolds: the unexpected flow, the unique nature of the current assignment. Be flexible with your strategy, and for the love of all that’s holy, please be flexible with your prices. Just because it says $20 on your page in black ink doesn’t mean you can’t bid well into the 20s in the right scenario. Everything is relative.
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Beware of the “last good thing” at a position or in a category class
All it takes is two owners with the same silly feeling on a player and voila, bidding war. And an up-the-ladder bidding war is just about guaranteed when we’re talking about the last valuable piece of something - the last good shortstop, the last power outfielder, the last clear closer, etc. Hopefully you'll be filled in these pockets before they show themselves at the table; if so, sit back and enjoy. If you're stuck in the must-get mode for the last good thing, at least understand the inflation at play and revalue the commodity appropriately.
If you have to go far past your price on a player, make it for someone you really like or something you really need
Nothing feels emptier than making “just take it all” bids late on lousy players because you have to spend your money somewhere. Because you’ll likely get a few players at surprising discounts, it’s perfectly reasonable to go past market on a player or two, provided it’s a purchase you ultimately want.
Auction prices are about timing
Two points to pivot off here: don’t trip yourself up comparing your middle and late-game prices to what players cost early; it’s almost irrelevant to hold them up against one another. And you can also throw someone else’s auction results in the shredder - they’re probably irrelevant to you unless that previous league contains several owners you’re about to compete against.
In most inexperienced leagues, the best buying pocket comes in the midgame or endgame. In many experienced leagues, the buying pocket often comes early - sometimes immediately
If you want to annoy your league mates, keep bidding with :01 left and don’t be ready with your nominations
These are two scourges of any auction, and a reason why they often take longer than they should. The one-second guys sometimes get bitten, though, if they encounter any internet lag (make sure you’re working off your most reliable connection).
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Nominate from strength or disinterest
One of your consistent goals in the auction is forcing the other owners to spend money, so any nomination of a player you don’t want or don’t need (say, a big shortstop after you just bought one) makes sense. Just be sure to vary your nomination strategy, so you’re not easy to read.
Try to keep your opponents off balance
Throw out a prospect or bullpen handcuff (talk about a sucker play) after a run of stars, just to see how the room adjusts. Aggressively jump (or even open) a bid at a lofty number so your opponents have to think quicker than usual. Nominate expediently when it’s your turn. The best players can think quickly on their feet; the mediocre players might be thrown a bit by the pace.
If the early spending seems crazy, you still might want to buy a player or two
I know what you might be thinking “if everyone else is spending like mad early, won’t I get all the bargains I want later?” It’s possible you could rule the middle of the day, but it’s also possible (a) your pricing structure is out of whack, or (b) at least one other team is saving too, and he’s going to get in your way on the expected bargains. The more owners laying back in the weeds, the less successful that strategy is likely to be.
Don’t bail out the owner who’s just about to screw up
When you’re in the late chase on a player, you should constantly be asking yourself “what happens to his roster structure and financial situation if I release the bid now?” Sometimes the prudent move is to let the opponent “win” the bid, recognizing it will put him in a bad financial spot or stuck with an undesired roster problem.
Try to have extra money for the endgame
Being stuck with all singleton bids in the late stages is a case in frustration; you’re still saddled with the burden of nomination. Toss out a player who’s good and your bid will be trampled by those who still have leverage; try a mediocre player and you’ll probably hear crickets after your nomination. I like to have some overbid leverage for the endgame.
When things are especially late, I’ll start to mess around with possible dollar constructions. Say I need four players and have $8 left: I could go $5 on one jumbo player and accept three singles, or cobble together four $2 options, or maybe a 3-2-2-1 structure would make sense. Obviously it’s dependent on what’s left in the room and who’s in my way. Consider what your options are at all times.
As you get down to limited overbid power, keep in mind it’s important to act decisively. Often times a player will be worth $2 to several teams, it’s just a matter of who registers the bid first. There will be times in the endgame where a $2 opener is more logical than the $1 opener, depending on what leverage the other guys have.
(One argument for $1 players: they have some extra cachet in keeper leagues, where they could become the most intriguing trading chips later on. To be clear, this article is aimed at auction players competing in one-and-done leagues.)
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The organized owner is the winning owner
Knowing the shape of the player pool in an auction - the pockets of talent, where drop-offs occur - is critical. You also need to know where the buried treasure hides in your draft applet. Your favorite pitching or rookie sleeper might be buried in the rankings. Make sure you’re constantly filling, sorting, and readjusting your queue.
Beware the plus-one button
You’re just one crazy opponent bid away from an unintended number you’ll regret. If you have the time, it’s best to manually put in your number.
I've had my say, now it's your turn. How do you turn your March auction into an October parade? Get the gavels going in the comments.
