Fantasy Baseball Auction Draft Strategies and Tips by Nick Mariano (2024)

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We salute those of you who sign up for the superior experience that is auction drafting! Welcome to our rundown with strategies and tips to help you be the sharpest drafter in the room. This is not a 101-level "how-to" guide, you'll need to know how to click "Bid" and not close the draft client in the middle of the draft.

Now it's time to discuss helpful steps to take leading up to the draft itself, as well as walk you through 10 tips to gain value and avoid landmines. Whether you've been playing this game for decades or are new on the block, we can always learn more. Get those spreadsheets open and let's dive in!

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Fantasy Baseball Auction Draft Strategy Guide

Step 0: Know Your League Settings and Leaguemate Tendencies as Intimately as Possible

There is a sizable edge in realizing your league counts K/BB as a stat compared to the standard 5x5 categories, or that batting average was dropped in favor of on-base percentage. Or maybe your league employs an extra UTIL slot or has no SP/RP designations and instead leans on a bunch of “P” slots. Don’t fall behind before you’ve even begun! If you can’t rattle off your league’s settings, then you aren’t ready to draft.

If possible, scrape historic auction data from your league (assuming repeat owners) to identify leaguewide or specific owner tendencies re: hitter/pitcher $ splits. If you have league history then you can also analyze your performance. Have you had more success with a certain hitter/pitcher spending split? How did your league react to the first year of more stolen bases?

Step 1: Use Our Staff Rankings to Create $$ Valuations

We’d love for you to trust our foundation as a starting point, but no matter whether you grab ours or make them yourself, be sure that you have a tiered ranking system that has dollar values for each player. Be aware of how these relate across different positions given the multi-position eligibility that so many players carry. Get a sense of how big a drop exists between tiers and don’t lose sight of positional scarcity.

Some have said that tiers don’t help and can obstruct one’s ability to be fluid during a draft, so you’re going to want to test out mock drafts with and without tiered rankings. I am firmly in the tiered ranks camp, but I recognize the myriad mindsets that are at work in the fantasy universe. I’d recommend denoting a general maximum and minimum value for each tier in case you need to reevaluate in a pinch.

The general rule of thumb for splitting your hard-earned cash between hitters and pitchers was 70/30 in favor of hitters for a long time, though the recent trend in fewer workhorse aces has pushed this towards 65/35 now. You can have favorite players, but please remain calm when bidding wars occur!

You'll note that it isn't necessary to pre-assign salary ceilings to particular positions ($32 for OF, $23 for 1B, etc.) I’d discourage that, as you run the risk of tying your own hands when a potentially excellent bargain comes up at the table - bidding dies out on Christian Walker at $15, whom you have down as a $20 value, but you don't have a $20 spot open. Go for it early. Value is value. Ending your $260 auction with $260 worth of value makes you an average contender.

While most thinking relates to how one gets your targets, don’t lose sight of plus value even on players you don’t necessarily like. I understand avoiding high-tier players who would still cost $25+ but that $8-12 range could yield trophies. If you believe Jazz Chisholm Jr. is destined for another injury-shortened season and have him at $18, but the entire room does as well and he’s sitting at $14 then you should strongly consider pouncing. Especially if speed has been pushed up so far.

Here are some hitter templates to go into drafts with, but I’d urge you to use the second:

Step 1A: Decide if you want to pony up for Ronald Acuna Jr.

There's no denying the game-breaking talent that Acuna provides. In case you missed it, the 26-year-old hit .337 with 41 home runs and 73 steals last year. His production netted roughly $70 worth of value in standard 5x5 formats while the next players were around $45, regardless of which analyzer you utilize. Will you commit in '24 or not? Everything else flows from that.

Our next $150 Online Auction is tonight at 7 ET. Here are the Top 10 player prices the past 2 weeks. https://t.co/r5ZJmmn71M

1. Acuna Jr. $65
2. Julio $49
3. Witt Jr. $47
4. Strider $45
5. Carroll $45
6. Betts $45
7. Tatis $44
8. Tucker $43
9. Ohtani $41
10. Freeman $41 pic.twitter.com/c6YgiUS4tv

— The NFC (@TheReal_NFC) February 8, 2024

Step 2: "Mock" Draft 

There’s no way to fully mimic an auction draft as there are simply so many permutations to account for, but you can test out tons of strategies and see if spending big early on studs leaves you satisfied more often, or if you like to wait and then pounce on a plethora of mid-range picks. Adjust your dollar values as you mock and read up on expert auction drafts (such as the NFBC or Tout Wars) to bounce your budget off of others.

This is all with the general aim of becoming flexible and prepared. The drafter who walks to the auction block with several plans ready to go is the victorious one. Nothing is set in stone. Juan Soto might be bid up to $60 or somehow hover around $35, and you need to be ready.

Step 3: You Need to Track Your Spending...and Everyone Else’s

One can feel overwhelmed by having to take care of your wallet and continuously refresh your resource allocation, but it will be necessary...for you and everyone else. This is where draft software is paramount, though paper-pen warriors can certainly pull it off at a live draft.

You need to know whether Steve’s team is still without a 1B/3B/CI and there are only two options you consider startworthy in a 12-teamer at CI left. You need to know whether Linda has six roster spots left to fill and only $6 left to do so, which leaves her at a max bid of $1 per player. Be aware of folks who started like this:

Doing an auction draft and I’m spending my budget like an 8yo at the scholastic book fair with a $100 bill.

— Bo McBrayer 👑 of 🌶 (@Bo_McBigTime) February 9, 2022

Step 4: Dominate! (And Use The Following 10 Tips)

Tip 1: Never Stop Re-Assessing

The player pool is constantly changing and you always need to stay abreast of how many players are left in the highest tier, or perhaps one player is hanging around at Tier 3 while Tier 4 is also being drained. Suddenly, that third-tier player is two tiers better than your next-best option, not just one. 

This starts well before draft day, as projections constantly change throughout the offseason as players sign, trades are made and playing time is won or lost, especially in the spring. Is the auction room heating up and steaming players, or have values started to sink? Know how to recognize when to strike.

Tip 2: League Size Informs Roster Construction

Playing in shallower leagues (fewer teams) means you should typically spend more money at the top. Those in 10-team leagues will have better options on the waiver wire to replace mid-tier players than owners in 14-teamers, so spending up on top-50 players works since your free-agent maneuverability is heightened with a more talented player pool.

If you could pick up a Eugenio Suarez-type -- a bat that plays nearly every day but is ranked around 200 by most sites -- then you can be bullish at the top and know your CI slot has flexibility should Spencer Torkelson’s season not go to plan. Whereas if you price yourself out of later bidding rounds and get stuck banking on Noelvi Marte getting consistent PT then you could have trouble. Spend appropriately.

Tip 3: Vary Your Bids

Don’t be a Predictable Patty in the war room! You don’t have to want each player that you nominate. Especially when you don’t want to signal your intent/love for a player just by putting them on the auction block, because then others will catch on and bid you up, knowing your desires. 

Mix it up between guys you want and others that represent pressure points for others. The latter pool of players becomes identifiable through tracking other’s teams and spending, as well as realizing that every top-25 starting pitcher is gone except for Freddy Peralta -- you can damn well bet that Peralta will command a hefty price tag.

Side note: Don’t wait until you’re on the 30-second nomination clock to select a player to put up. Nothing chaps me or the room more than someone collectively wasting over five minutes in the draft room due to being unprepared. Don’t give them more time to re-collect their thoughts.

Tip 4: Manually Input Your Bids

It’s so tempting to fire off that +$1 click because it’s easy, or perhaps you just don’t have time to click and type. I get it, we’ve all been there and it usually isn’t a big deal. But when this misfires, it can be catastrophic. I’ll mix in a side-tip to illustrate my point.

You’ve probably been in an auction draft where the top 25 players are initially nominated for $1. Let’s say we’ve seen Julio Rodriguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Corbin Burnes, Gerrit Cole, etc. all go for $40-50, but then Mookie Betts is nominated for $1. In general, don’t be that person who lowballs clear high-round players. It’s a waste of time as it’ll slowly grow to true value, instead of starting at $30 and saving a minute.

Anyway, so Betts is out for $1, or $10, something too low. Someone (me) likely rolls their eyes and manually types in $40 to drive the action. You don’t really want Betts, but he was only at $10 and you’re surely in for $11! I click $40 and hit enter, and now your +$1 click goes from $11 to $41 before you can react. Now you have a player you didn’t want and a big chunk of your budget committed.

Tip 5: Controlled Aggression

So we just hit on how it’s best to vary your attacks, but let’s be clear: You want to be the attacker. Whether it’s in your bidding choice to begin the round or pushing the dollars, you want others reacting to you. Make them return your shots, and don’t be afraid to drive the action according to your values. Don’t go crazy and don’t bid on players you don’t want, of course, but you need to be an alpha presence.

Stay involved so you don’t miss out on any avenues to value. The first-mover advantage is a real thing. Reacting will always add a dollar in the war room. And if you nominate/bid quickly, it is simply less time on the table for folks to orient themselves and react. Preparation pays off and can separate you from the pack.

In an auction league, especially a keeper auction league, be ready for those first couple of players out of the chute. Often they go cheaper as everyone gets a feel for the market. I got Trea Turner $13 cheaper than Mookie Betts in my NL home league, because he was the 2nd bid.

— Jeff Erickson (@Jeff_Erickson) March 29, 2023

Tip 6: It’s Okay to Overpay, But Do It Early

Stars are far less likely to bust than those $5-10 range players. Even if your $35 Rafael Devers “only” puts up a 90-30-90-.280 line then you’re alive for others to elevate your team, but putting the bulk of your faith in $15-20 players such as Ha-Seong Kim, Josh Lowe, and Cole Ragans can leave you vulnerable to a low floor.

Remain disciplined and don’t overextend. We can’t account for big injuries, such as our highest-paid player suffering a freak slip down the dugout steps, but we can guard against performance-based liabilities.

Tip 7: Play Your Game

There is an entire league around you but construct the team that you want. Bid for your team, not to screw your opponent. Yeah, you may know that Jimbo over there loves him some Tyler O'Neill and might overpay for him, but that doesn’t mean you go beyond your means to squeeze him. If you get saddled with a player beyond your valuation then you’ve played yourself and Jimbo will beat you. Do you want that?

Tip 8: Throw a Screwball

Beyond nomination techniques, you must pay attention to general trends and lean into your opponents. This is not to go against what I just advised, where you overbid or aim to get players you don’t like, but nudging a precarious player into the bidding or trying to start a run at a scarce position such as catcher or closer can pay dividends. It bears a specific shoutout.

Tip 9: Don’t Be Afraid To Call Someone Out

This one is league-dependent, just as your table talk at a poker venue would depend on your familiarity. Hometowners shouldn’t be afraid to type out a subtle jab in the middle of a bid that deserves more activity. Here at RotoBaller, our own Real Talk Raph notoriously would exclaim that a player is going for “TOO CHEAP” in the draft chat. 

We all laugh and it’s good fun, but verbal price enforcement and signaling a bid check will unleash some psychological warfare. You don’t want to call attention to yourself in the process by making enemies, but if you sprinkle it in on critical players alongside your usual banter then you can make it count.

Tip 10: Line Up Your Final Bids Early

Yes, we’ve had a plan and ideally, it’s been executed. You came into this draft with plenty of end-draft targets and now you should hone in on a final attack plan. That’s not to say which specific players you will win, but how you’re going to use the remaining funds. Imagine this scenario:

The draft is winding down and you have $10 left with five roster spots to go. Most people are in similar straits and the bulk of nominations start at $1 as every dollar matters. But if you initially bid $2 on players you want then suddenly you’ve made it $3 for someone to swoop in on players you’re putting up. Identify your remaining targets and be ready to hit the $2 trigger if they’re nominated. Always be ready!

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