Best Auction Draft Strategy (Salary Cap) Fantasy Football

Win Your Auction Draft by Making it Easier to Manage

An auction draft is the most fun – and fairest – way to start your fantasy football season. And it’s also the easiest format to screw up.

Auction is the only draft format that gives every manager a shot at any player they want. You’re not limited by draft position. The only potential hurdles are poor planning and bad management.

I’ve been doing auction drafts for more than 10 years now – most commonly against other fantasy pros. I’ve made plenty of mistakes … and honed some winning strategies …

Now I want to use what I’ve learned to help you skip right past the mistakes – and get right to the winning.

Here are the key pieces of my auction draft strategy …

1. Don’t Victimize Yourself in the Bidding Frenzy

The moment your auction draft begins, you have decisions to make and lots to track.

If you’re not prepared, the draft can get away from you in a hurry. One bad overspend can derail your entire build. A minute of hesitation can mean you miss “your guy” and spend the season chasing upgrades at that position.

Here’s how you avoid those issues:

Set Your Pre-Draft Budget by Position

The best thing about an auction draft: You can go after any player you want. But you can’t get everyone. That makes it vital to map your positional spending plan ahead of time. The first step is splitting your total budget into buckets to cover each position.

Assuming a typical 1-QB format with multiple RB and WR starters, we recommend this spending breakdown as a starting point:

Use Your Budget as a Guide … Not Strict Limits

Those percentages are neither barriers … nor bars that you need to reach. They’re guidelines/ranges. And having this plan will make it easier to be flexible within your draft. Say you land a couple of starting WRs at cheaper prices than you expected. Now you know you have extra spending power that you can shift to RB or another position – if needed.

Decide on a Framework for Building Your Team

Do you want to pay up for high-level starters and leave only minimal spending room for your backups? Or maybe you want a more even spread, to guard against the impact of injuries in season. 

There’s no single “right” way to build your team. That’s why we offer three strategies when you’re setting up your Auction Draft War Room.

But there are definitely wrong ways to carry out your plan. Let’s dig in …

1. Focus on Starters Over Depth

This has become my preferred method. I used to be more of a “spread it around” guy, figuring that my knowledge edge would allow me to feast on value picks.

That worked for building sturdy, deep, competitive rosters. But I found that I commonly lacked the high-end scoring punch of a stud player or two.

So pay up – within reason – for a couple of lineup leaders that can push your team over the top. The trade-off will really just be more $1 players on your bench at the end of the draft than $5 backups.

2. Balanced Roster

This can still be a worthy strategy if your entire league is chasing those top-shelf studs and pushing the prices too high. (Remember: Pay up within reason.)

In that case, shift your focus to the next tier or two down. Take multiple guys in that range, especially targeting players with the upside to score like a stud.

Be aware, though, that if the top prices go higher than you expected, the next level probably will as well. Don’t be too stingy with your spending, or you’ll risk dropping too far down the positional tiers and limiting your team’s upside.

3. Focus on Depth Over Starters

There are only two scenarios in which you might consider this spending path:

In each of those cases, you can gain an advantage by holding off the top options and building out a deep roster – especially if that plan differs from the way your leaguemates are drafting.

Outside of those situations, though, this path is likely to produce a “fine” roster and lacks scoring punch.

2. Make Player Tiers Your Secret Weapon in Bid Timing

You already know the importance of drafting from the most accurate rankings.

And you probably already understand the value of creating player tiers in your rankings before you draft.

But have you realized they’re especially crucial to a successful auction draft?

Player Tiers Reveal Value Breaks in Your Rankings

WR rankings tell you that “Player A” is  projected to score more than “Player B.” But one pair of players might be separated by a single point – while another pair features a 23-point gap. Player tiers highlight those gaps. You’ll know how long you can wait at a position and still get a comparable talent. And also know when that talent drops off, creating greater urgency.

Knowing HOW to Use Those Tiers is Vital

But you’ll also use those player tiers a bit differently in your auction draft … In a snake draft, those tier breaks tell you when you can wait. But in your auction draft, waiting for that last guy in a tier in your auction can unravel your plan.

Why Tiers Play Differently in Auctions

Unlike in a snake draft, you’re not simply waiting for a player to get to you at a certain spot. An auction is more active. You have to either nominate that player or bid on him after someone else nominates. Either way, you’re not the only manager in play.

Why You Can’t Just Wait for the Last Guy in the Tier

Say you’ve been eyeing a specific tier of RBs. You watch your league mates overpay for the first few guys in that tier … you know there are more options. You’re even willing to watch a couple go for decent prices –  you’re sure that means your guy will cost even less later. When it’s time to bid on that final member of the tier, you’re ready … but you unexpectedly have competition! Now you’re stuck in a bidding war for a suddenly scarce asset. Pay up or lose out. (Both suboptimal solutions.)

How You Avoid the Problem

Instead of waiting until the end, go after a player or two in the middle of the tier. You still have your customized player values and your pre-draft plan to keep you from overspending. And you can bail when a player gets out of your range because you know other options remain in the tier. Wait until the end of the tier, though, and you lose that flexibility.

3. Seize Value Rather Than Sticking to a Fixed Plan

We’ve talked about how important it is to start your auction draft with a plan.

What you’re not doing is building a checklist of players that you just mark off as you get them.

No draft in the history of fantasy football has played out that rigidly. And no matter how long you’ve played in your league, something is bound to surprise you on draft day.

That Pre-Draft Plan Guides When You Can Stray

Rules are made to be broken. You’ve heard it too many times. And it’s usually BS … But in this case, your pre-draft plan is the “rules.” And a BIG reason you made those rules is to know when you can break them. Or at least bend them.

That percentage of your budget you allotted to WRs? That accomplishes two key things:

1. It gives you a reference point for how much you’re looking to spend on the position.
2. It lets you see where you can pull extra funds from when needed – or shift surplus dollars to if you got better prices than anticipated.

But Why Stray From Your Own Plan?

So, wait a second. If we plan on straying … then wasn’t the initial plan flawed? Nah. That’s where “seizing value” comes in. You know what you want. You know what you’re willing to spend. But – you don’t know what the rest of your league will do.

Top WRs Costing More Than You Expected?

Target the next two tiers down at receiver and shift some of that WR budget to RB. Even if you opened your draft expecting to be out on the top RBs, consider how much more attractive they become with lower-than-expected price tags.

See a Top-Shelf QB About to Go Too Cheaply?

Throw a few extra dollars at the position to gain a scoring boost you didn’t think you’d be able to access. Remember, the plan isn’t to stick inflexibly to the plan. The plan is to get value with every pick.

Watching Your League Overpay for Top-12 TEs?

Stay out of that rush, pay down for two or three low-cost lottery tickets and see which one works out. You can shift the extra spending power to land a stud at another position. That’s how you build a winning roster.

Everything Sticking Pretty Close to Your Pre-Draft Plan?

Great! No need to stray if your league is letting you get everything you want.

4. Why You Shouldn’t Overspend on One-Starter Positions

This point relates to each of the previous three listed.

You should have noticed pretty quickly that we don’t recommend spending much of your auction budget on QBs or TEs. (And that extends to any other one-starter positions in your league.)

Why? 

Two issues: production and opportunity cost.

QB Production is Easy to Find

Josh Allen’s a stud. Jalen Hurts too. But you’ll have to pay up quite a bit for either … and it’ll challenge the rest of your team build.

Check out this graph of QBs from the past three seasons ...

You’ll see that the top scoring averages actually came from guys who went for well under $20 in average auction cost.

Paying up at QB hasn’t necessarily meant difference-making fantasy points. You know what it does guarantee? That you won’t have those bid dollars to spend at another position.

TE Cost Has Run High

Check the same graph for TEs, and you’ll quickly notice that the winning auction bids run even higher. 

Those three dots to the far left? The past three years of Travis Kelce. And although he never really let you down, two of those three dots got outscored by someone who cost less than half as much.

And what about the non-Kelce high-end TEs? Well, their dots sure don’t seem to sit much higher than plenty of much cheaper options.

Opportunity Cost is the Killer

“Opportunity cost” here refers to the opportunity you lose by spending too much at QB and/or TE. That opportunity? Being able to spend up for a stud at another position – or a couple of higher-level No. 2 types.

When you “win” Kelce or Patrick Mahomes, you’re also choosing to lose a high-end option elsewhere.

5. Balance Aggressiveness with Smart Spending

Winning your auction draft is all about being smart with your spending. But that does not mean sitting back and holding firm to your price ceilings.

You should generally adhere to it. In certain situations, you can (responsibly) get away with going a little above. But do so recklessly and you’re in trouble.

• Go Get Your Guy … Within Reason
  I can’t tell you how many times I used to stop a few bucks short of winning a player because his price climbed higher than I wanted to pay. Most of the time, I came to regret it. That $3?  Rarely the difference between landing or missing some later-draft steal. Worst case: I finished my draft with extra money staring at me. Unused. And that star WR I wanted? Staring at me from another roster. All. Season.

6. Win Psychological Battle with Player Nominations

This is an area you don’t want to spend too much time and mental energy on. But that’s what makes these quick-hitting tips so valuable.

Over-thinking your nomination when your turn comes up is a great way to lose sight of what matters.

But keep this cheat sheet in mind (or near you as you draft) to gain small edges over your competitors …

Don’t Wait Too Long Before Nominating Your Guys

You’ll find plenty of “experts” recommending that you don’t post players you want until late in your draft. The problem with that: You’re handcuffing your own draft.

While you’re busy waiting for the “right time” to nominate him, you’re either forced to hold back on other players to save money – or you’re spending what you hoped to bid on your guy.

And if someone else nominates him in the meantime, now you’re chasing instead of driving.

Follow Bidding War with an Expensive Player You Don’t Want

There will be players you don’t want – usually because you expect them to draw a higher price than you’re willing to pay.

Throw a player like that onto the board right after another high-priced bidding war ends. Especially if that previous war happens at the same position.

You’re probably going to tap into your league mates’ sense of loss. That competitor who wanted the first RB but just missed is more likely to throw dollars at the next guy.

Nominate High-Level QBs (or TEs) You Don’t Want

This is the corollary of our earlier tip about not paying top dollar for a QB or TE.

If you know you don’t want those guys – and that they’ll probably drive big spending – then nominate them early to get those opponent dollars moving.

The earlier you do this, the more likely that someone pays top price.

But what if I try this and the bidding stays surprisingly low?

If you find a room of hesitant bidders instead of bold spenders, then you just might find an opportunity to land a top-shelf talent at reduced cost. Win-win scenario.

Follow Starting RBs with Their Perceived Handcuffs

Whenever a starting RB goes off the board right before my turn to nominate, I like to follow by posting his handcuff.

Ideally, I’m motivating that last winning bidder to throw a few extra dollars at what he/she thinks is valuable insurance.

Worst case: No one else bites and I’ve got a bench player with huge upside if the starter goes down.

7. Leverage Technology to Track Budgets and  Positional Scarcity

You play in an auction league because of its unique format (and excitement).

But with that unique format comes the anxiety of mastering an auction draft.  

You’re faced with big-time challenges, especially in managing the dynamic nature of player valuations and roster management.

Crushing Your Auction Draft Goes Way Beyond Budgeting

Yes, monitoring your budget and roster needs is critical.

But here’s something else just as critical:

You need to understand the broader auction environment. 

That means analyzing your opponents' rosters and their financial flexibility— in real time!

That instant analysis is crucial to your nomination strategy, bidding decisions, and overall team composition.

Auction Draft Interfaces Aren’t Your Answer

While helpful, the draft interface provided by auction platforms falls way short.

You get NO competitive advantage over the opposition.

Really, all you ever get is each team's remaining budget. Weak, right?

What you really need are more detailed insights into each manager’s rosters –  a task that’s impossible for any human during an auction's fast pace.

That’s where Auction Live-Draft Syncs give you a killer advantage… 

Auction Live-Draft Syncs Are Next-Level Tools

You need a dynamic live-draft sync tool that gives you real-time information:

• Real-time budget tracking for you and your opponents
• Comprehensive overview of every roster, including acquisition costs
• Dynamic, customized valuation of remaining players. Done in real-time, adjusting to the draft's flow and your strategic needs

And, yes, there’s an auction live-draft sync tool that does all that and more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Auction Draft Strategy

Which is better, snake draft or salary cap?

Because snake drafts are the default format on all platforms, they are more popular than salary cap or auction drafts. When polled, more than 44% of users had never played in a salary cap draft. Salary cap drafts are fairer or more even – and the preferred drafting format among Draft Sharks analysts.

Why snake draft is better than auction?

There are two main advantages to a snake draft over an auction draft: time and familiarity. A snake draft can be completed in one-third to one-half the time of a typical auction draft. Snake drafts are the default on nearly all platforms; more users have experience with that format.

The Draft Sharks analysts still prefer auction or salary cap drafts over snake drafts for home leagues.

Why are auction drafts the most fair?

Auction drafts are fairer than snake drafts because every player is available to every team. Although you can acquire anyone in an auction, you obviously can't have everyone. And this format forces a lot more strategy than your typical round-by-round draft. If you prepare properly, you can gain an unfair advantage over your league mates in this fairest of formats.

What are the basics of an auction draft?

A fantasy auction draft is similar to a regular auction. Managers take turns nominating fantasy players and then make ascending bids or offers until a single manager wins. A bid clock with a 30- to 120-second timer resets when a manager places a larger bid.

Once the bid clock hits 0, the manager with the highest bid is awarded the player to their roster. Auction draft roster settings usually mimic snake draft roster settings.

Fantasy managers have to construct a team using budgets of typically $100 to $200. 

What is the auction bidding strategy for the draft?

The auction bidding strategy for your draft comes down to a few basics: The first is to set your pre-draft budget by position. Then use your budget as a guide (without setting strict limits). Finally, focus on starters over depth if your strategy is to win your auction league. 

Who should I nominate first in auction draft?

In an auction draft (or salary cap league), your first nomination should be either a high-priced player you don’t particularly want – or a lower-level player you’d be OK with losing. Every team in your auction is flush with bid money at this point, so big-name players aren’t likely to sneak through at below-market prices. Nominating that type of player can get the spending going.

The lower-level player, on the other hand, serves two purposes. You can either get someone in your league to overpay vs. what that player would have drawn later. Or you might be able to sneak the player through the bidding at lower cost while other managers save their bank for bigger names.

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.