Mastersball Fantasy Forum

I am about to start a fantasy football auction and am reflecting whether the principles of fantasy baseball auctions apply. I think they do, but one significant difference stands out to me (apart from recognizing not to spend much on defenses, kickers, and the like): fantasy football leagues start a much smaller proportions of their rosters than fantasy baseball leagues. This suggests to me that a very strong version of stars and scrubs is appropriate in fantasy football leagues. I also have observed that fantasy football sites seem to be way behind in absorbing or discovering the kind of auction evaluation techniques long developed on fantasy baseball sites. Comments

Stars and scrubs -- yes. Extreme? Not so much, at least for me. Fantasy football is all about depth and having an entire reserve, plus the last couple RB/WR/TE to be all $1 players is dangerous.

I agree that I want some studs and don't want to completely spread the risk, but if extreme means something like 2 top 12 RB, a top 6 QB and TE, a top 12 WR and then $1 players, I have seen this fail more than be successful.

shif6 wrote:I am about to start a fantasy football auction and am reflecting whether the principles of fantasy baseball auctions apply. I think they do, but one significant difference stands out to me (apart from recognizing not to spend much on defenses, kickers, and the like): fantasy football leagues start a much smaller proportions of their rosters than fantasy baseball leagues. This suggests to me that a very strong version of stars and scrubs is appropriate in fantasy football leagues. I also have observed that fantasy football sites seem to be way behind in absorbing or discovering the kind of auction evaluation techniques long developed on fantasy baseball sites. Comments

If you have 20 man rosters and start 8 players plus K and DST I would spend at LEAST $160 on those eight starters (maybe $170 on eight plus one reserve RB/WR)

I think 80% on the 8 players may not sufficiently take injuries and byes into account. The particular league I am in uses operates in e-bay style auction over a four night period. It was a 12 team league and is now a ten team keeper dynasty league.
I will pick up a kicker tonight (probably Hanson, but possibly Kaeding). The budget is $10.20.
I kept Eli Manning Year 2 of 3 year contract 0.60; Maurice Jones-Drew Year 3 of 5 1.90; Hakeem Nicks Year 2 of 5 1.60. I think MJD and Nicks prices were fine, for a 12 team league, but arguably too high in a ten team league for MJD (given his holdout, but I was thinking long term as well) and certainly too high for Nicks. (Fitzgerald went for 2.00 in the draft).
But the draft for me went well, I thought, particularly because under the rules, I have extended contracts on all but one of them (which can be extended further at higher prices, but do not have to keep them
In addition, to Eli, MJD, and Nicks, I acquired:
QB Josh Freeman .10, two year contract
QB Andrew Luck .60 three year contract
RB Ahmad Bradshaw .60 three year contract
RB Isaac Redman .20 two year contract (will start much of the season for Steelers
RB Doug Martin .50 three year contract (starting for TB)
RB David Wilson .30 three year contract (good future and handcuff for Bradshaw)
Rashad Jennings .40 two year contract (handcuff to MJD and hedge on holdout)
WR Vincent Jackson .40 three year contract (contract is based on what you bid, not the price of acquisition; I wanted Jackson or Maclin for $1.10 and got both for 1.20.
WR Jeremy Maclin .80 two year contract
Darrius Heyward-Bey OAK .30 two year contract
Santonio Holmes .10 two year contract
Brandon Pettigrew .40 two year contract
Fred Davis .30 two year contract
New York Jets defense .10 one year contract (serviceable and I work the waiver wire anyway with defenses and place kickers
A lot of money left on the table (e-bay auctions give rise to that) I could not be present for two nights of the auction). But I think this is a competitive team for this year (though risks at QB and RB- will require care and feeding) and a number of good keepers for the future.

Honestly? For a 10-team league, I'd prefer some more name branding, especially at WR since the level of replacement in a league this shallow is so high.