Auction drafts provide every drafter with the ultimate flexibility to create their roster however they want. If you want to spend big for 2 to 3 guys and get a classic “studs and scrubs” roster, you can do that. If you want to wait and see where the value is and grab a whole starting roster of what would be 3-5th round picks, you can do that, too. If you want to get one guy every round, you can do that.

Within each of those strategies, you also have the ultimate flexibility to decide what you value the most. If you choose to spend big on a few guys, they can be at whatever position you want. If you want to get Christian McCaffery and Tyreek Hill, you can do that, even if you wouldn’t be able to in a snake draft.

With all of this in mind, there’s a big question. How do I know what the best strategy is? As someone who is a math nerd, I went in and optimized the best team using ESPN (where my home league is based) and their auction values, as well as their projections. So, I have legitimate numbers to back up my strategy. 

At the same time, the values that ESPN or any other platform provides are merely estimates, and it all goes out the window as soon as the draft starts. With that in mind, I want to propose a hybrid model that gets you the elite players you need to win a championship while also allowing you to let the board fall how it may and capitalize on values and discrepancies in the market.

Strategy Overview

Here’s how it works. Before you get to the draft, you have to identify the players you like best at each position within a few different tiers. Suppose you have your pick of the litter, which 1-2 guys would you want at each position? Next, move on to the range of what the average starter would be at each position. Who do you want from that group? Finally, go to guys who are lower-end starters but would be at a discounted price. Hopefully, there is a guy or two within that group that you value much higher than the general public.

Once you have your list of each position, you can decide which players you feel the most strongly about. My objective is always to get AT LEAST two players who are in my “elite” category. That means that I am going to spend significantly more than the average person at two different roster spots. If I can get 3, I will try to. The downside is that I have to get more guys at a discount as well. From a decade of auction drafts in home leagues, here is the rule of thumb I’ve found: for every elite player you draft, you will need to have 1.5-2 discount starters. In other words, while you could just grab an average starter at each position, you are going to want some studs on your roster.

In order to pay up for an elite player, you’ll have to settle at other positions. Even so, there’s a lot of room for flexibility because you have multiple players you’re targeting. If you can get one of your targets lower than expected, that gives you more room to move up elsewhere. Beware, though, since most of the elite players go off the board early, you’re going to have to pay up. Note also that tight ends and quarterbacks (in 1 QB leagues) are cheaper to get the elite players than running backs and wide receivers, so the rule of thumb doesn’t always work.

Why This Strategy is Effective

One of the key benefits to this is that you don’t have to get caught up in “runs” on a specific position. If Christian McCaffery, Bijan Robinson, and Breece Hall all go for huge amounts early on, you can wait for a discounted starter while other players frantically overspend for the next tier of running backs. You can simply pivot to targeting your preferred elite wide receiver or tight end and wait on running backs until later.

This strategy helps you achieve three main goals. First, you come away with a positional advantage in at least two different roster spots compared to your league-mates. Second, it gives you flexibility throughout the draft, allowing you to take advantage of good opportunities while still having a plan. Finally, it allows you to get “your guys” whom you feel confident in and will enjoy cheering for throughout the season. Ideally, some of your guys will also be worth far more than how the league values them, so you’ll end up with a great roster.

For an example, I’ll show you a sample list below. Note that even within my elite and target groups, I’ve listed a couple guys who are probably at slightly different price points to give myself some flexibility.

Note that for positions with multiple starters, I didn’t list an elite player and a discount player for each. An elite RB2 will probably be one of your targets for RB1, and so on.

Example List

Quarterback

Elite: Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes

Target: Anthony Richardson or Kyler Murray

Discount: Jared Goff or Brock Purdy

Late Round Flyer: Will Levis or Bo Nix

Running Back

RB1 Elite: Christian McCaffery or Bijan Robinson

RB1 Target: Travis Etienne or Isaiah Pacheco

RB2 Target: Rachaad White, James Connor, or David Montgomery

RB3 Target:  Raheem Mostert,  Zamir White, or Jonathan Brooks

Late Round Flyer: Gus Edwards,  Jaylen Wright, Khalil Herbert

Wide Receiver

WR1 Elite: Amon-Ra St. Brown or Justin Jefferson

WR1 Target: Davante Adams or Mike Evans

WR2 Target: Cooper Kupp, DK Metcalf, or Amari Cooper

WR3 Target: Christian Kirk, Chris Godwin, or Diontae Johnson

WR 4 Target: Josh Palmer, Courtland Sutton, or Khalil Shakir

Late Round Flyer: Jameson Williams or Tim Patrick

Tight End

Elite: Travis Kelce or Sam Laporta

Target: Evan Engram

Discount: Jake Ferguson or David Njoku

Late Round Flyer: Tyler Conklin or Ben Sinnot