The typical fantasy football draft proceeds with a team owner selecting the player they want on the roster within the time limit. However, their decision depends on who's left on the draft board, allowing them to pivot their strategy.
However, besides the draft process most players know, there's an auction draft in which you feel the weight of NFL general managers navigating their salary caps.
While auction drafts could go longer than the usual re-drafts, some fantasy football enthusiasts enjoy the process because they get the best team their "money" can buy.
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How Does An Auction Draft Work?
Those participating in a fantasy football league could have side bets before the season starts. That said, betting is essentially the principle behind auction drafts. You're shelling out a specific amount to get a player who could help you edge the competition.
As the name suggests, there's an auction for every player in the spotlight, and the highest bidder wins. While there's a draft order, the fantasy owner on the clock will only nominate a player up for auction.
For example, if the participant nominates Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, all league participants can bid to have the All-Pro wideout on their roster. Bidding often starts at $1 and typically increases in $1 increments.
A fantasy football owner will get Lamb if he submits the highest bid and no one tops it after 10 seconds. This process goes on until all roster spots are filled. Here's a video that shows a glimpse of an auction draft, though most instances are not as sophisticated.
Auction draft players follow this process to select 15 players for their squad. That number further breaks down to one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, a tight end, a flex (RB/WR/TE), a placekicker, and defense/special teams for the starting roster. Likewise, team owners get six more spots for additional players to interchange from the bench.
In addition to building a team, the auction draft gives fantasy football players the whole experience of being an NFL general manager because they must also consider their budget.
Each team owner starts with a predetermined budget ranging from $150 to $200 to cover all 15 roster spots. While getting the top players is tempting, bidding a high amount on them limits the chances of creating a formidable fantasy roster.
Therefore, it helps to know when a player's price seems steep, making it easier to step out of the bidding war. After all, there will be other alternatives for that player with a lower price tag. Finding that harmony between high-value players and impactful contributors for a bargain boosts a fantasy owner's winning odds.
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