Auction Strategies Part 2

Position byPosition

July 17, 2001

QUARTERBACKS

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

Consider the quality of his widereceivers, the quality of his offensive line and the overall ability of histeam's defense.

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

RUNNING BACKS

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

Concentrate the strongest bids onthe backs with a history of scoring, that play every down, that catch the ballwell and play for teams with the better defenses and offensive lines. Remembertoo that roles change and that, more than any other position, running backs gethurt the most often.

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

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

Draft for depth because of theinjury-risk factor but remember to avoid runners that play on passing-orientedteams, those with a history of breakdowns or those on teams with unsettled orcommittee 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 fewwideouts consistently score year after year. You can generally count on the topten or twelve to come through for you but the next 20-30 are veryinterchangeable. Bid accordingly.  The top 10-12 start at $15 to $20 but thisposition is unpredictable. Ten-teamleagues (and less) should pick up most of their receivers at the end of thedraft.

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

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

TIGHT ENDS

Much depends on your league's rulesin determining the value of these players. Predicting which tight ends willscore is an even bigger crapshoot than at the wide receiver position.  If your league requires you to select one ortwo tight ends then bid up to $10 on the top ones and leave the rest forlater. There is adequate depth at theposition.

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

Fill in your $1 tight ends withthose that project to be goal line targets or those who play on teams that liketo throw to the tight end or H-back. Ifyour 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 passcatching targets but they usually do not get regular playing time.

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

KICKERS, DEFENSE and SPECIAL TEAMS

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

Learn your league’s rules beforebidding on the defenses. Determinewhether tackles, sacks, interceptions and fumble recoveries are used inaddition to defensive touchdowns and safeties. Also keep in mind that some leagues pick individual players rather thanteam defenses. If that is the case,track their historical trends and draft the most consistent players over thelast three seasons.

Do not bid more than a couple ofbucks for a defense unless scoring is heavily weighted in your league in thisarea. Defensive touchdowns andturnovers are the toughest statistics to project in fantasy football becausethey are extremely volatile throughout the years. But generally speaking, the best defenses create the mostturnovers so rank them according to a combination of yardage allowed andturnovers created.

If bidding on individual defensiveplayers, go with the bonafide veterans and only take $1 fliers on the 2-3 yearup-and-comers at the end. Keep in mindthat tackles, assists and quarterback sacks are easier to project thanturnovers and touchdowns. Rookiesrarely make an impact right off the bat, especially at the hard-to-masterpositions like defensive end and cornerback.

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

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