Six Common Auction Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The auction draft format is a unique beast. It is fast-paced, involves lightning-quick strategic decision-making, and allows for roster construction possibilities that aren’t possible in a standard snake draft. I started playing the auction format in 2009, and was immediately hooked. Those early years were a learning curve until I hit my stride, now having won at least one high-stakes NFFC auction title every single year from 2012 through 2020. Over the years, I have paid close attention to what auction strategies work and which ones will land your team in the toilet bowl.

In this article, we discuss six common auction mistakes and how to avoid them to give you an edge over your competition. I will be giving you advice and examples assuming a $200 budget, 12 teams, and starting lineup requirements of 1QB/2RB/3WR/1TE/1Flex.

Mistake No. 1: Nominating players with no clear objective

Every nomination in an auction should have strategy and purpose.

When the auction starts, keep an eye on whether other drafters are overspending or underspending relative to your player values. If prices on early nominations are too high, nominate players who you don’t like. That way, you can get other drafters to spend their money on those players. If prices are too low, now is the time to attack and nominate your favorite targets. Your goal is to remove as much money from circulation as possible while people are overspending.

If the top running backs are going for prices either less than or more in line with your valuations, this is a perfect time to nominate someone you’re targeting before everyone else realizes they need to start spending.

Alternatively, if the market isn’t hot or cold, you can use a nomination as an opportunity to acquire a top kicker, defense, or backup running back for $1 or $2. Sure, your fellow drafters might groan or think you’re boring if you’re doing this early while the star players are being nominated, but you’re looking for every edge you can get — and that includes having a better $1 kicker or defense than your opponents.

After most drafters’ money has been spent, nomination strategy typically shifts to finding the best $1 or $2 players who you don’t think anyone else will spend $1 more on. Not every nomination is going to work out the way you intend it. It’s an impossible science to perfect, but by nominating each player with intent, you’re putting the odds in your favor.

Mistake No. 2: Waiting for the last player in a position tier