Auction drafting is my favorite way to build a fantasy football team. While the general idea of this format is to allow every owner an equal opportunity to acquire players, it also combines the ability to value a player’s potential contribution with managing a budget, all while testing a drafter’s patience. Perhaps most importantly, it also tests the conviction a fantasy manager has in certain players more than a snake draft ever will. Opportunity cost is a huge consideration.

Furthermore, auction drafts reward the prepared and punish the unprepared. In snake drafts, it is obvious to anyone using a well-organized draft board when a player is slipping. In auctions, managers need to be keenly aware of the available players and balance that against their remaining funds. Owners must decide what players they like the most and to what lengths they are willing to go to secure their services, which is perhaps the best part of auctions - along with the aforementioned fact that every manager has an equal opportunity to land a player - at least at the beginning of the draft.

It has been said that you get whom your league-mates allow you to get in snake drafts, while you get to decide exactly how you want to build your team in auctions. I think that is a great way to look at the difference between the two formats. It is also why I believe auctions should be the standard way of drafting.

This coming season will mark the 17th year I have represented FF Today in The Huddle Expert Auction League. Over the first 16 seasons, I have made the six-team playoff 13 times and advanced to the championship game on eight occasions, winning it all four times. Suffice it to say that my approach has proven to be effective.

This year’s draft took place on Aug. 21, so keep that date in mind as you review how I valued each player and the prices they went for in this draft.

General Auction Considerations/Strategies

Below are some of the rules I live by in auctions and some of the reasons I have enjoyed so much success in this format. There are obviously more than 10 auction rules to observe, but this should be a helpful list for most managers.

1. Use auction values customized to your league's settings.

This may seem like an obvious statement, but you might be surprised how many fantasy managers fail to do it. One size does not fit all. For the veteran manager who wants to create his/her own (which I recommend), this objective can be achieved by studying the values of players in your league over the last year or two - especially for those at the top of each position. When you can be confident in the price ceiling for the top players at each position, it makes valuing every other player below them much easier. My SSI (Success Score Index) also makes assigning values easy once I have determined what the ceiling is (or should be). I also like to get a sense as to how many players at a particular position go for a double-digit bid (i.e., six quarterbacks went for $10 or more, 15 running backs went for $20 or more, etc.). I set my prices for players at what I believe should be their ceiling, so I do not go over my valuation on a player unless there is a specific objective I am trying to accomplish at that particular moment. Perhaps my only exception to the last rule: I may go up to $2 over on one of "my guys."

2. Find an easy way to identify "my guys."

Time is of the essence in most auctions, so fantasy managers should have a quick and easy way to identify a player they are targeting as they scroll up and down their lists. (I underlined the players below that I specifically targeted on Aug. 20.) One of the best features of an auction is that every fantasy manager has the same opportunity to land each player. If you want a certain player enough, odds are you will probably get him - at least until the money starts running out.

3. Identify the players you want as the core of your team.

This is slightly different from the preceding paragraph in that we are talking about selecting a group of two or three players whom you would ideally build your team around if the draft plays out perfectly. (Be realistic and set your sights on players from different valuation levels.) This does not mean you set your sights on Bijan Robinson, Ja'Marr Chase and Josh Allen. It is possible in an auction, but it makes it difficult to fill out the rest of your roster with players good enough to support them.

4. Setting positional budgets is overrated.

While I can see how it might be helpful for the new auction player, I have never set a pre-draft budget by position for any auction. Much like snake drafting, fantasy owners should do whatever they can to avoid backing themselves into a corner or creating more obstacles for themselves. Some snake drafts shake out in a way that it becomes obvious a receiver-heavy approach makes sense, while others play out in a way where running backs should be the focus. A similar thing can happen in auctions. What if your budget for running back is 40 percent and half of the other owners' budgets are 45-50 percent? Chances are that your running back-centric focus will need to become receiver-focused, making it one more thing you need to adjust to on the fly. It makes more sense to figure out before the draft how you want to build around Brian Thomas Jr. or Jalen Hurts or whomever you deem as an acceptable low-end RB1 if your initial RB-centric plan does not come to fruition.

5. Nominate with a purpose.

Nominating early in an auction draft should be about either securing your foundation pieces or setting the expectation for a tier. In other words, if I nominate Ja'Marr Chase and believe he is an elite WR1, it should be because I want him or because I want to know if I can trust my valuations for the rest of that tier. I tend to nominate "buzzy" players in the early rounds with an eye on trying to get my fellow league-mates to "chase the cheese" with their virtual wallets. Other times, I will target my nominations with an eye on getting a specific manager to open up his/her checkbook on a player in hopes of eliminating him/her from competition for another player at the same position I want more. I will do this late in drafts to lower the cost of a player I have my eye on even more than he is already being discounted.

6. It's OK to enforce prices, but do not become THE league's price enforcer.

Just like snake drafts, auction drafting is about collecting value. Do not allow the bidding to stop on Josh Allen at $11 (assuming a $200 cap). Seize him at $12 and figure out how to reconfigure your draft plan after that. With that said, your job is to build the best team possible. Your job is not to enforce prices on every player who is going too cheaply.

7. Keep 'em guessing and do not be afraid to force the action. At the same time, do not rush into action too quickly.

Many auction players equate the draft room to playing poker. One of the keys to being a good poker player is never giving your opponents a tell. Nominate players you want and ones you do not (do the latter too much too early or else you might be stuck with a few $1 players you do not want). Do the same with your bidding. If you are consistently changing things up with your nominations and your bidding, the other managers in your league will not be able to get a read on you … which becomes important if you play with the same managers year after year.

Do not hesitate to be the man or woman in the draft room who knows what he or she wants. Force the action. If someone puts out a bid and you consistently counter just as soon as the other manager closes his/her mouth, it can make the other manager a bit timid. Another way to force the action is to jump bid (only on players that you know will fetch a fair amount). When a manager puts out a $15 bid and you quickly bump it up to $25, it can be a bit intimidating to some in the draft room.

While forcing the action can be a good thing, do not be too eager to do it right away. Every auction is different, but it is usually a good idea to let other managers set the market. Did Ashton Jeanty go for $40 for some reason? OK, it might end up being a soft running back market. Did CeeDee Lamb go for $55? OK, it may not be worth your time to invest in the high-end receiver market.

8. Use your free time (i.e. sitting out an auction on a player you have no desire to roster) to monitor the roster needs and (especially) the budgets of the other managers. Also, develop a sense of when to use "the hammer" when you have it.

The first sentence should be self-explanatory. It comes into play more in the middle part of your draft and definitely toward the end of it. The second sentence is one of the best parts of an auction: a player you desire is available and you have the most money (and/or the highest max bid) remaining. For example, Trey Benson has somehow escaped nomination through 150 picks and no one else in the room can bid more than $5. As long as you trust yourself not to pursue any other eye candy, feel free to watch other owners continue to pass him by - making him an even better value. If that does not sound like fun (it should), then the moment you realize you have "the hammer" is about the time you should drop it on the rest of the room. If Benson only draws a $2 bid, then you should be able to drop the hammer on your next desired target.

9. Track what your league-mates are doing.

This ties in somewhat with No. 7 and No. 8. A next-level move for veteran auction players is to chart who bids almost exclusively on players he/she nominate. Occasionally, a manager is guilty of doing this. Even if only one or two managers do this in your league's auction, it could remove them from competing against you for another player later in the draft.

10. For the love of all that is good, do not leave money on the table in an auction!

There is a reason this piece of advice is in virtually every auction draft piece. There is absolutely no reason to leave an auction with any money on the table unless there is some connection between your auction budget and your FAAB. One of the most egregious examples I have witnessed was in a high-stakes auction four years ago where an owner left $17 on the table. Using this draft as an example, $17 would allow you to do any of the following: draft R.J. Harvey, upgrade from Aaron Jones to Omarion Hampton or land Emeka Egbuka. DO NOT LEAVE MONEY ON THE TABLE!!!!

Pre-draft

My primary focus entering this draft was building this team around a strong receiving corps and two clear starting running backs. More specifically, I wanted one of my clear alpha receivers and three of my top 25 wideouts. At running back (assuming I get what I want at receiver), I want two low-end RB1s. I would prefer to have a third back who I can confidently start right away. (Jordan Mason or J.K. Dobbins would be ideal targets for what I want there this year.) At quarterback, I am mostly value shopping - as I am of the belief there are at least 16 players I am confident in starting most weeks. Evan Engram will be the target at tight end in most of my leagues. I have not always done the best job of drafting youth in this league in recent years, so I want to continue making that a priority in this draft.

The Draft

As I have done in recent seasons, I thought it would be a good idea if readers could access the entire auction on a bid-by-bid basis. For those degenerates who love to see an auction strategy unfold, analyzing a draft this way can help provide some insight into when and why certain decisions were made.

Once again, players whose names are underlined were my targets entering this draft, which is a task I would encourage all auction drafters to perform before their auction drafts. The most important thing to do here is to pick players to target from several different tiers and expected cost valuations.

Below you will find the actual prices that secured a player’s services in the aforementioned Huddle Auction (Hud $) and the price I valued them at (My $). A dash in the second column means a player was not nominated. The green highlight in the price columns represents winning bids for FF Today. I will follow each position group with some of my thoughts.

All values are based on a $200 cap and players are organized by “My $”. All of the players who were nominated are included. I removed several players who are unlikely to go in auctions in 12-team leagues with 18-man rosters or for other common-sense reasons. The colors in the "Pos" column give me a clear indicator of how I have players tiered at that position.

Required starters: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 Flex, 1 K and 1 Defense/Special Teams unit.

My strategy: Especially in leagues that award four points per passing touchdown (as this one does), I want my starting quarterback to be a capable run threat at the very least. If I am convinced he has massive rushing upside, then I will usually go the extra mile to acquire him. If there is reason to believe that rushing upside comes attached to a good play-caller and a coach who will play with pace, then we are talking about most of the ingredients it takes for a quarterback to have a special season. If managers are not as enthralled with rushing upside at quarterback as I am, there is nothing wrong with just accepting the best bargain of the top 10 quarterbacks above and backing him up with a $1 signal-caller. My preference is to carry only one quarterback, however.

With that said, I actually accomplished my goal of landing a mobile quarterback when I won the rights to Herbert. The expectation in Los Angeles this year is that we will see more of the quarterback who ran for at least 40 yards in a game three times after Week 7 after rushing for a total of 34 yards through his first games a year ago. (The plantar fascia injury he suffered last August and the high-ankle sprain he suffered about a month later did him no favors as far as seeing more work as a runner in 2024.) I have been slowly warming up to Prescott all summer. This is a player who has two QB3 and one QB6 finishes on this resume in the last three seasons in which he stayed healthy. Despite all the talk about how Dallas intends to run the ball in 2025, the combination of an uninspiring group of running backs, a (likely) weak defense and the best group of receivers he has had in a while suggests he could be in line for 600-plus attempts.

Total spent at QB: $6

For whatever reason, Bucky Irving ($28) is not garnering the same respect as the rest of the running backs going in the first two rounds in both of the non-King's Classic auctions I have participated in this summer. While Irving may lack overall RB1 upside, it is hard to argue that he cannot finish alongside the likes of De'Von Achane ($31) and Chase Brown ($36). With that said, Brown came up for auction well before Irving (and I thought Brown was a bargain). It is interesting to note that 11 running backs went for $30 or more, while another nine went for at least $20. If a manager does not mind sacrificing depth at running back (settling for $1-2 running backs for your bench), one could easily make the case to spend about $65 to pair up Derrick Henry ($38) and Omarion Hampton ($26). Or Henry and Irving ($28). Or Jonathan Taylor ($31) and Josh Jacobs ($30) and drop $100-plus or more on high-end receivers.

I am going to need someone to explain to me why RJ Harvey ($17) continues to be available for less than $20. Despite serving as the home for such legendary talents as Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime over the last two seasons, Denver running backs have combined for a league-high 214 receptions (on 270 targets) over that time. For whatever reason, J.K. Dobbins has not been used much as a receiver during his NFL career. He also has not proven to be very durable. The other potential contributor in this backfield is McLaughlin, who has not stood out enough in HC Sean Payton's mind to dissuade the organization from spending a second-round pick on Harvey.

Payton's offenses typically throw to the running back about 130 times per season. Even if we combine the highest target totals in the careers of Dobbins (38 last season) and McLaughlin (36 in 2023), that leaves roughly 60 targets for the rookie. Of course, that assumes McLaughlin will have something more than a bit role, which seems unlikely. The point of all this is that Harvey not only has contingent upside in the event Dobbins misses time (which has happened every season he has been a pro), but he also could have 90-target upside if Payton decides at any point this season that Harvey has earned his "Joker wings." On a different yet related note, please draft Dobbins ($8). While there is a chance this backfield ends up being utilized in a way Payton has never utilized a backfield, the Dobbins-Harvey combo feels a lot like Mark Ingram-Alvin Kamara or Ingram-Pierre Thomas from his New Orleans days. The beauty about pairing them up is that both could return RB2 value most weeks and serve as each other's handcuff.

My strategy: My valuations were off more than normal for this league for some reason this season, although some of that may have been because we had to replace half of our usual managers. Still, I would have expected the high-end running back market to fetch more than it did after last season's "return of the running back" performance. While this market was not so reasonable that a manager could conveniently fit two high-end RB1s on the same roster, I would not blame someone who wanted to try it if they could see early in the proceedings that the market was as soft as this one was.

I did not really get to execute my usual strategy at this position after securing Henry ($38) and Chase Brown ($36) within the first 24 players to be nominated. I could be mad that my early spending took me out of the market for bargains later on, but I am not going to complain about landing two of my top nine running backs. As I have continued to play in this league over the years, I have grown more comfortable with the notion of locking down two low-end RB1s and taking my chances that I will find a gem or two on waivers over the course of the season. Short of that, I am also comfortable prioritizing the handcuffs of the backs I end up drafting to serve as my bench depth at the position. (Yes, it completely slipped my mind to secure Tahj Brooks.)

Total spent at RB: $81

Year after year, there is one team in this league that drops an inordinate amount of money at receiver and tries to piece it together everywhere else. This year, this team spent $174 at the position, highlighted by his winning auctions for CeeDee Lamb ($51), Chase ($54), Nico Collins ($41) and Tee Higgins ($26). While there have been many examples of a team selling out at one position like this over the years, I am not sure I have ever seen such an extreme example of selling out at receiver and trying to piece it together everywhere else. This manager is unsurprisingly a high-stakes player. It is an all-or-nothing approach that you have to respect on some level because there is so little room for error or injury. If any of the three receivers I mentioned miss time during the year - which seems likely given the lack of durability of Collins and Higgins - then this manager likely lacks enough horses to win consistently.

There is something to be said about any manager who has enough confidence in his/her ability to hit on enough late-round picks or work the waiver wire to address likely shortcomings at four or five fantasy positions (in his case, QB1, RB1, RB2 and TE). With that said, there is a strong chance one of the managers in your auction league will employ a similar strategy, so be prepared to pivot to another top-seven option at receiver if your auction plan depends somewhat on landing one. (I recommend getting at least one elite option, but I do not think it is necessary if you can get two high-end WR2s.)

I think a strong case to be made for managers to spend minimally at quarterback and tight end (no more than $5 apiece) to reserve as much room as possible for Chase ($54). (He went for $63 in my high-stakes auction four days later.) I cannot bring myself to do that, if only because my experience of playing over 16 or so years has taught be how difficult it is to build a solid starting lineup - much less have reasonable bench depth - when you have someone accounting for more than 25 percent of your fantasy payroll.

In all, 39 receivers drew bids of at least $10, which means every team in a 12-team league that requires three starters at wide receiver should have at least three of those kinds of wideouts. With that said, the position is so deep that strong WR3 options like Jakobi Meyers ($9), Josh Downs ($3) and Jauan Jennings ($5) still manage to fall through the cracks. I have said for most of the summer there are roughly 10 WR1s, roughly 18 WR2s and probably another 10-15 who I feel good about being my WR3.

Jameson Williams ($21) is a curious case. There has been nary a negative word uttered about him all offseason, yet he has been available for $21 or less in both of my recent auctions. I can understand it if he compare his cost to that of more proven receivers such as Mike Evans ($22) or Courtland Sutton ($19), but would anyone be overly surprised if he produces at the same clip as DeVonta Smith ($24) or Garrett Wilson ($25) or even Tetairoa McMillan ($27)?

Strategy: When it comes to auctions, I typically like shopping at the bottom of the top tier and the top of every other tier. What does that mean? For example, at receiver in this draft, A.J. Brown ($41) is on the borderline of players who I think are worthy WR1s. Conversely, Davante Adams ($24) is on the high end of my WR2s and has been the WR12 in my rankings for a while. McMillan is an example of a player who I believe should be a strong WR2 with low-end WR1 upside. As you can tell from my rankings above, I was able to land three of my top 16 wideouts. This kind of balance reduces the pressure for Brown to keep up with Chase and Lamb while enabling me to close the gap with a pair of WR2s. When comparing this auction with the high-stakes auction I did four days later, it may now be in my best interest to settle for Sutton instead of McMillan and use that savings to draft a solid RB3.

Because the receiver position is so deep, it is probably the one position where it is easiest to gain a micro-edge. By paying the lowest cost I can reasonably expect to pay for a WR1 and backing that up with two players I expect to be high-end WR2s, I am using a WR2-caliber player against my opponent's WR3 most weeks. Meyers is a very capable WR3, so I should be able to gain an edge with him over my opponent's best flex option.

Total spent at WR: $103

Observations: From the "it might be something, it might be nothing" file … eight tight ends drew double-digit bids in this draft last season and two more attracted at least $8. This year, only five went for more than $10. That could be the product of a few variables, not the least is what is expected to be one of the better low-end TE1 groups in years. From T.J. Hockenson ($9) and Jake Ferguson ($4) being completely healthy to Tucker Kraft ($5) generating hype from his head coach about being featured in the same way George Kittle is in San Francisco to Evan Engram ($7) being Sean Payton's new "Joker," there is ample reason to believe at least two or three of the non-elite options could and probably will emerge as league-winning options. No one should be surprised if Tyler Warren ($8) or David Njoku ($3) proves he deserves mention in that group as well.

Last season, 26 tight ends were drafted in this league. This season, that number dipped to a more reasonable 23. With that said, I struggle to understand why more than 20 would be drafted if we are working under the assumption that the low-end TE1 group is good in 2025. If it is happening because people are uncertain about the quality of the low-end TE1 group, I guess I can understand it. From a pure upside perspective, however, carrying a backup tight end for any other reason than because he has a good chance of becoming a weekly starter is a waste of a roster spot. It makes much more sense to use that roster spot on an upside swing at running back or receiver.

My strategy: Much as I have advocated at other positions, I have no desire to pay top dollar for any player when I believe at least two or three other options will perform at a similar level at a lower cost. Still, I have mixed feelings when it comes to paying up for tight ends in auctions this year. On one hand, we can look at players such as Brock Bowers ($31) and Trey McBride ($29) and convince ourselves we are getting a low-end WR1 at a discount. On the other hand, I cannot justify spending that kind of money at the position when I believe someone like Engram ($7) will end up posting about 80-85 percent of their production at about 25 percent of their cost. As a result, I will likely continue to take the best value I can find at the position - I think Hunter Henry ($2) is a screaming value in most leagues, as an example - and spend my money everywhere else.

Total spent at TE: $8

Total spent at K: $1

Total spent at D/ST: $1

Post-draft

The FFToday team

QB: Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert

RB: Derrick Henry, Chase Brown, Jaylen Wright, Chris Rodriguez, Blake Corum, Dameon Pierce

WR: A.J. Brown, Davante Adams, Tetairoa McMillan, Jakobi Meyers, Marquise Brown, Pat Bryant

TE: Evan Engram, Brenton Strange

K: Chris Boswell

D/ST: Vikings

Just like in snake drafts, fantasy managers risk having a forgettable season if they try to get too cute. Last year in this league, I was convinced Saquon Barkley and James Conner were going to hit and I was right. I took a gamble on Jordan Mason as well, who was probably the player who was the most instrumental to my 3-1 start. Why? Because the moment Mason came back to earth in Week 5, my team tanked. Why did it happen? I got cute everywhere else. I knew investing in the likes of Anthony Richardson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jonathon Brooks, Cooper Kupp, Diontae Johnson and Kyle Pitts was risky, but I did it anyway.

When I look at this team, I see arguably the most complete starting lineup in the league with very little depth. While that was not necessarily the plan entering the draft, one of the consistent themes in this league year after year is my ability to find quality starters off waivers during the season. Last year's examples were Drake Maye, Bo Nix and Jauan Jennings. It is something I would prefer not to rely on, but I would rather have a very good starting lineup to begin the season and trust my ability to find waiver-wire gems to serve as my depth as opposed to a mid-tier lineup with a great bench. Trading does not happen very often in this league, so that is something else to consider as well.

The strength of this team is the quality of my starting options at running back and receiver. Henry and Chase Brown are both high-volume backs in great offenses who are likely to push for 300 touches. A.J. Brown, Adams and McMillan each rank inside my top 16 receivers, while Meyers is a strong WR3 who I get to use as a flex. If I am right about Prescott throwing at least 600 times and Engram's impact as the "Joker" in Denver, this team could roll.

My one regret from this draft is that I let my belief in McMillan going for a good price interfere with my ability to realize the deal Sutton was when he was available. While Sutton had not come up for bid yet, the eight-dollar difference cost me a chance to land one of my favorite RB3s this year in Mason. If one of my starting running backs suffers an injury within the first week or two of the season, I could really struggle to win games with Wright or Rodriguez as my new RB2. Fortunately, there are at least two backs on the waiver wire who could go a long way in alleviating whatever concern I have about that scenario playing out.