The Next Episode
There might be few things more satisfying in fantasy football than mastering a new league concept and taking home the “Chip”. Auction leagues are a growing part of the fantasy football community be it “Salary Cap” leagues or something as in-depth as a”Kitchen Sink” league. The attraction is that if you want to sell your soul for a shot at both Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley you can… but you’re going to pay in other ways down the track.
The concept at its most basic level is that instead of everyone getting 30 picks, everyone will get $300 and you can do with it what you wish provided you fill your squad. Meaning that rather than you having no shot at Lamar Jackson if you draw the 1.10, every player is available if you pay. However, amongst auction leagues, there is a growing variety, and knowing your league type is the number one priority.
Auction: This is the simplest league format where during the start-up draft each team is given the same amount of cash to spend. You should spend all the money available as once the auction ends the cash vanishes… forever. Teams are then assigned future dollars based on your rankings in that season meaning the 1.01 is worth $20, 1.02 is worth $18, etc.
Bankroll: This league is like my life; there is an annual income which you can:
- Spend week to week to buy small things off the waiver wire
- Save to buy a nice new toy at the end of the season
- Save up and buy that new Rolls Royce when an Ezekiel Elliot or Saquon Barkley is for sale.
Rebuilds can be quicker but trading away those draft picks can bury a team quickly long-term. The important thing to remember is each year more dollars come into the league diluting the value of a single dollar. So whilst during the startup, Ezekiel Elliot may have cost $250, three years later Saquon Barkley could go for double that if teams have been saving their cash.
Salary Cap: If you are playing fantasy football you will understand the basics of how salary caps work. The intricacy in a salary cap league lies in ensuring that you keep a balance at all times of low-value players and ascending assets.
Salary Cap Contract League: This is a growing format for dynasty owners looking for the next challenge. There are several sites such as Dynasty Owner and Reality Sports Online that have taken this concept to the next level, but sites like MFL have been running these sorts of leagues for a while now. These leagues have it all: franchise tags, contracts, transition tags.
The 10 Cash Commandments
READ THE RULES… Ever wonder why Bill Belichick is the smartest man on the field at all times? He knows the rules.
It seems like such a simple thing but failing to read the rules can cause a great idea to become a huge mistake. My first foray into an auction league I drafted this great young team: Saquon Barkley, Courtland Sutton, Michael Gallup, Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley, Lamar Jackson, Mike Gesicki. And then I realized there was a limit to how many years I could contract a player. I had to put Gallup on a 3-year deal meaning that as he was coming into his prime someone else could buy him.
Reading the rules can ensure you avoid simple mistakes that can punish your team for years. In a draft league as long as you have read the scoring you will not get punished too severely. In an auction league if you don’t read the rules and forget you can only nominate one player a day or else you get fined; that money will come back to make you miss out on the player you want.
Key considerations:
- Is it a partial or full auction?
- How do draft picks work?
- Is it auction or bankroll?
- Franchise and transition tags?
- Does IR mean you get salary-cap relief?
- Do you get weekly bonuses for wins or highest-scoring players?
All these considerations need to be looked at to decide the who, what, when, and how of your strategy leading in.
Stay tuned for part two where four of our writers at DFF speak out their 3 top tips for auction leagues and how to learn from their mistakes.
Thanks for reading! Reach out to me on Twitter @markbullishere with any fantasy questions.
