Auction Strategies Part 2

Position by Position

July 17, 2001

QUARTERBACKS

The best in the league should be worth $30+ with the next wave going in the $20-$30 range. No other quarterback is worth over $20 (for the injury factor alone) except in the leagues with more than ten teams, those that require two starting quarterbacks, those whose scoring is heavily weighted to QBs or those that protect players from year-to-year. You must then grab the best available QB you can find as soon as you can. The more teams in your league, the greater the need to get a productive QB early and a quality backup in the mid-to-late rounds. A good reserve QB is important regardless of your league rules because the position is extremely vulnerable to injury. Collectively, starting quarterbacks missed a total of 78 games last year and parts of several others.

Consider the quality of his wide receivers, the quality of his offensive line and the overall ability of his team's defense.

Do not bid high on injury-prone quarterbacks and also stay away from rookie quarterbacks as they ultimately struggle their first year in the league. The same generally holds for second year men as well. Rookies and players coming off career years are generally over-priced in an auction.

RUNNING BACKS

More than any other position in fantasy football, the running back rankings are the most diverse according to the rules by which you play. The top backs are worth $30+ in any scoring system. Third down specialists are worth a couple of bucks at the end of the draft because they have value only in performance leagues. Bid on these players according to your scoring rules.

Concentrate the strongest bids on the backs with a history of scoring, that play every down, that catch the ball well and play for teams with the better defenses and offensive lines. Remember too that roles change and that, more than any other position, running backs get hurt the most often.

Goal line specialists are valuable in TD-only leagues but not worth high bids. These types seldom touch the ball often enough outside the red zone to accumulate significant yardage or score more than five or six touchdowns a year to be considered for more than a dollar or two.

Because of their instincts for the game, rookies succeed at this position more than any other so consider paying more for them than quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends. But don't go overboard. The crop is lean this year so consider the top two or three (if they are starting) around $10 and go from there.

Draft for depth because of the injury-risk factor but remember to avoid runners that play on passing-oriented teams, those with a history of breakdowns or those on teams with unsettled or committee situations. These you can pick up for a few bucks late in the draft.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Wide receivers are a crapshoot – especially if your league is a touchdown-only league – because very few wideouts consistently score year after year. You can generally count on the top ten or twelve to come through for you but the next 20-30 are very interchangeable. Bid accordingly. The top 10-12 start at $15 to $20 but this position is unpredictable. Ten-team leagues (and less) should pick up most of their receivers at the end of the draft.

Those worth only a dollar or two are the possession types, those on poor passing teams and those on the run-oriented and tight end-oriented offenses.

Rookie wideouts are also risky but with certain exceptions. The last couple of years have been the exception to the rule but only a couple are probably worth grabbing this year.

TIGHT ENDS

Much depends on your league's rules in determining the value of these players. Predicting which tight ends will score is an even bigger crapshoot than at the wide receiver position. If your league requires you to select one or two tight ends then bid up to $10 on the top ones and leave the rest for later. There is adequate depth at the position.

In leagues that lump tight ends and wide receivers together, do not bid on them until all of the premium quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers are gone regardless of your league’s scoring rules – but especially in TD-only leagues. (The exceptions being the top scorers).

Fill in your $1 tight ends with those that project to be goal line targets or those who play on teams that like to throw to the tight end or H-back. If your league counts H-backs (the extra TE in one-back offenses) as tight ends, then consider drafting them as your second TE as they are reliable pass catching targets but they usually do not get regular playing time.

There are several gifted young tight ends coming up through the ranks and worth grabbing for maybe $3 to $5. However, like rookie wide receivers, young tight ends need to get their feet wet for 2-3 years before they start producing decent numbers.

KICKERS, DEFENSE and SPECIAL TEAMS

All things considered equal, do bid much on a kicker because they are highly unpredictable. The kicking position is such a mental tax on the human mind that most kickers are inconsistent throughout their careers. Except for a select few, kickers are up and down and passed around more than any other position on the football field. Grab them cheap for a couple of bucks at the end of the draft.

Learn your league’s rules before bidding on the defenses. Determine whether tackles, sacks, interceptions and fumble recoveries are used in addition to defensive touchdowns and safeties. Also keep in mind that some leagues pick individual players rather than team defenses. If that is the case, track their historical trends and draft the most consistent players over the last three seasons.

Do not bid more than a couple of bucks for a defense unless scoring is heavily weighted in your league in this area. Defensive touchdowns and turnovers are the toughest statistics to project in fantasy football because they are extremely volatile throughout the years. But generally speaking, the best defenses create the most turnovers so rank them according to a combination of yardage allowed and turnovers created.

If bidding on individual defensive players, go with the bonafide veterans and only take $1 fliers on the 2-3 year up-and-comers at the end. Keep in mind that tackles, assists and quarterback sacks are easier to project than turnovers and touchdowns. Rookies rarely make an impact right off the bat, especially at the hard-to-master positions like defensive end and cornerback.

Bidding Strategy | Bidding Strategy II | Bidding Strategy III | Straight Draft Strategies

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