| Playing in a fantasy baseball auction league is a | | | | 1B - $20 |
| totally different experience than competing in a | | | | 2B - $15 |
| fantasy baseball draft league. In an auction league, | | | | SS - $8 |
| not only do you have to track players that are | | | | 3B - $15 |
| being picked, you also have to track money that | | | | Cor - $18 |
| is being spent. For first time players in auction | | | | Mid - $10 |
| leagues, they inevitably end up with one of two | | | | OF - $35 |
| problems at the end, either a shortage of money | | | | OF - $25 |
| to buy the players they really want or else too | | | | OF - $12 |
| much money left and not enough players left to | | | | OF - $8 |
| bid on. | | | | OF - $2 |
| To provide some guidance for the first time | | | | U - $2 |
| fantasy baseball auction player, below is a few | | | | I usually leave $2 minimum assigned to each |
| hints and tips to help you navigate the process. | | | | position. At the end of the draft when there is |
| 1) Make sure what ever cheat sheet or auction | | | | little money left, the auction essentially turns into |
| software you are using has dollar values that | | | | a draft because every owner only has one dollar |
| make sense. For example, if you are playing in a | | | | to spend for each position. Having two dollars left |
| 10 team league and there are 25 players per | | | | at each spot ensures that you will get the player |
| team and $260 to spend per team make sure | | | | that you want. |
| that your data contains 250 players and a total | | | | Don't worry if you have $20 assigned to a first |
| dollar amount of $2,600. | | | | baseman and you spend $22 to get him, that just |
| 2) Assign draft values to each position. You should | | | | means you need to adjust one of your other |
| have a blank roster set up for your own team to | | | | positions then $2 lower to make sure you hit the |
| track against that contains all of the positions | | | | $182 assigned to your offense. |
| down the left hand side and to the right of it, a | | | | 3) At the beginning of the auction, there is a lot |
| dollar amount that you plan to spend for each | | | | of excitement, big names are thrown out and the |
| position. For example, for your offense, you have | | | | bidding can become quite frenzied. A lot of the |
| the following positions, 2 catchers, first base, | | | | players will end up going for a higher dollar amount |
| second base, shortstop, third base, corner | | | | than what they are worth. Don't panic if you do |
| infielder, middle infielder, 5 outfielders and an utility | | | | not acquire any of these players. Because the |
| hitter. First determine how much you want to | | | | dollar amounts spent were higher than what was |
| spend on hitting. Most owners will go with a 70-30 | | | | projected, that now means some of the players |
| split between offense and pitching, so if your | | | | left in the draft will now go for lower than what |
| team budget is $260, 70% of that gives you | | | | their value is. These are the players you want to |
| $182 to spend on hitting. Using the positions | | | | target. There is always a lull in the draft where |
| above, you could break that value then into | | | | there is an opportunity to get good value on a |
| something like the following: | | | | few players. That is the situation you want to be |
| C - $10 | | | | ready for and prepared to take advantage of. |
| C - $2 | | | | |