New rule for dollar auction. Thoughts?

[Macca11]

This year's alteration to our auction is a long story, but it boils down to this: In a dollar auction, what effect will it have with the computer randomly selecting the player to be nominated. In other words, Pujols may come out first, or 420th. Impossible, it would seem, to try to get players spending money early.
My brain is starting to overheat thinking about what change in tactics (if at all) I should be considering. Todd outlined budget management recently, and that is as good a baseline as any.
It is a 14-team mixed redraft league (top division in a four division league with promotion and relegation, so they all know what they are doing)
2C, 1b, 2b, 3b, SS, 2MIs, 1CI, 5OF 2UT
4SP, 4RP, 2P (either RP or SP)
4 Bench slots, no DL.
$500 budget.
Daily league, no restriction on free agent pick-ups. Waiver order for new players based on league position.
Draft is tomorrow, so any and all thoughts gratefully received!

[Todd Zola]

This is sort of how the "Evil Panel" ran an auction umpteen years ago at an AFL First Pitch Forum, where the panel decided who to throw out and not the participants. It was our first year at the AFL and Rob, Jason and myself teamed up up with Lawr, who we had just met along with Trace Wood to be the 5-man panel. Good times.

Sparing the editorial about how this is such a silly idea....

i would strictly go bargain shopping and just buy anyone under value (within reason) and not worry about who has come out, saving money for this or that. I'd pick up as many players who I perceived to be below my projected value because you just don't know how things will flesh out later.

[Trav The Ump]

How is the player pool decided on? Just as an example, if I think Tim Collins is a great $1 sleeper and he's not even in the equation for the computer to throw out how would I ever get him?

Not my cup of tea but interesting concept.

[daweasle]

so the computer throws out a name and if no one wants that player no one bids $1???

I think if that were the case - then I would try to be the last guy with money. because if the computer generated pick were truly random - then after everyone else has spent all their money you are going to get some steals at $1.

Hope that makes sense. (I mean let's say for example you need a corner infielder and the computer throws out a bunch of junky corner infielders you don't want - then just keep passing and eventually the computer has to throw out someone decent.) This could either be the weirdest rule ever or a kind of cool concept.

It could also make for a really long draft if you have ten people playing the waiting game trying to get that end game super sleeper when everyone realizes the computer never called out (XX Player) and everyone is waiting for his name and not bidding on anyone else waiting for his name to be called.

also - I would make sure I was close to this computer screen when names pop up so I have a view and a split second head start to think about whether I want to bid $1. (It's going to be a fast action thing when everyone is trying to get the first $1 bid on a guy.)

[Macca11]

Interesting stuff. Thanks, guys. Top 400-rated players were randomly put up. Tried to get value early on, but probably ended up getting lower-rated players even cheaper than they should have been. Maybe should have waited to snap up better players at bargain prices. Still it meant I had enough money later to snag Pujols and Bautista later on. Todd's advice to pay careful attention to your budget and identify value was spot-on. Was taken aback by prices for closers ($500 budget, and the CHEAPEST was $22!) so stayed out of the market. Have to trawl the wire for saves, and we all know what a pain that is.
All in all, an interesting experiment, but nominating your own players is a MUCH more sensible way of doing it.
Will post my team in the team advice section and see what the MBers make of it.