On August 18th, seven members of the Footballguys Staff, along with five highly regarded writers in the fantasy football community, got together to complete a 12-team, 20-round auction mock draft. Before the auction, each of the participants answered questions regarding strategies, players they coveted and how they planned to attack the auction. To top it off, Footballguys' Justin Howe provided an evaluation of each team's roster strengths and weaknesses, chronicling the strategies and decisions that were made by each participant.

The goal of this article is to give you a look into the minds of fantasy experts throughout the auction. This includes preparation, decision-making and execution. What was their plan? How did they follow it? Why did they make the decisions they made? Some drafters had similar strategies and players of interest, but how they executed their plan and built their roster, varied from person to person.

We hope you will uncover or discover a strategy that might work for you in your draft(s) this year. Learn what players the experts are targeting and why. At Footballguys, when you win, we win! If we can help give you the tools and know-how to build a winning team, we've done our job.

LEAGUE PARAMETERS

• 12 teams
• 20 roster spots
• Starting Lineup
• 1 quarterback
• 2 running backs
• 3 wide receivers
• 1 tight end
• 1 flex (either a running back, wide receiver, or tight end)
• 1 team defense
• 1 Kicker

LEAGUE SCORING

• Offensive Players
• 4 points - passing touchdown
• 6 points - rushing/receiving touchdown
• 0.05 points - passing yard
• 0.1 points - rushing/receiving yard
• 1 point - reception
• 1.5 point - tight end reception
• 3 points - 30-yard field goal, then 0.1 points every 1 yard thereafter
• 1 point - extra point
• Team Defense
• 6 points - touchdown
• 2 points - turnover recovered
• 2 points - safety
• 1 point - sack
• 12 points - Offensive points against: 0-0
• 8 points - Offensive points against: 1-6
• 5 points - Offensive points against: 7-10
• 0 point - Offensive points against: 11-99
• 6 points each - Number of Defensive and Special Teams Touchdowns

AUCTION DETAILS:

• $200 of auction dollars were available to all 12 teams
• Players were nominated in a rotation cycle beginning with team 1 through team 10 and back to team 1 repeating the rotation again until all 12 teams filled their 20-man roster.
• 15-second timer upon nomination was used to determine the winning bid. The timer was also 15 seconds for each subsequent bid
• Teams had 40 seconds to nominate a player when it was their turn in the rotation.

THE ROTATION ORDER

1. Jeff Haseley
2. Alex Miglio
3. BJ Vanderwoude
4. Daniel Simpkins
5. Danny Tuccitto
6. Dan Hindery
7. Matt Waldman
8. Matt Schauf
9. Jim Day
10. John Halpin
11. Josh Hornsby
12. John Huckeby

Auction Rosters - By Team, By order of nomination, By Position

Jeff haseley - Team 1

Bio

Follow @JeffHaseley

pre-draft questions

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

I'm looking to spend the majority of my $200 on running backs and receivers, probably $80 each, give or take $10. That leaves me with $40 to cover quarterback, tight end, defense, and kicker. I probably won't go over $2 each for a defense or kicker and my goal will be to spend $1 on each. That gives me roughly $38 to spend on my quarterbacks and tight ends. I doubt I will spend over $16 each on QB1 and TE1, which gives me $6 for backups at both positions.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I will probably have to spend $40 on a 1st round running back, but I'd like to keep it under $35. I'm not sure if that will be in the card. I may wind up with a second-round running back as my RB1. I would be ok with $20-24 on Mark Ingram, depending on when he is brought up.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I'd like to stay under $40 on a top wide receiver. I don't want to be caught not having an elite receiver when there are only 1-2 big name receivers on the board. If I do that, it will be difficult to sneak in with a value bid-winner.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

Balance and a plan. Don't get too caught up in bidding, because you may get burned. One wrong decision can derail your auction completely. My goal is to wait a little bit, to let the big dollar players get off the board. Then I can come in an find my RB1 and WR1 without breaking the bank. I feel confident in my ability to find bargain running backs and wide receivers later in the draft to fill my RB2-5 and WR2-5. I don't want to spend too much on my TE1 or QB1 because that could put a damper on my plan for filling my other positions.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

Don't spend so much early on that will leave you with $1-2 players at the end of the auction. Buy your cornerstone players at a discount and make sure you have enough money left at the end to get the best available players on the board when others have $1-2 left per player.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB - Cam Newton. There are enough people that will wait for another QB and that may enable me to swoop in and get him for $11 or less.
• RB - Mark Ingram, I'll take the discount. Tarik Cohen is someone I might be able to get for less than $20. Same with Marshawn Lynch.
• WR - Doug Baldwin, T.Y. Hilton or Michael Crabtree. I'd take all three and trot them as my WR1, WR2 and WR3 all day.
• TE - Kyle Rudolph or Jimmy Graham. I might be able to get one of them for $11 or less
• K - Daniel Carlson for $1
• Def - PIT, PHI, NO, LAC. I might be able to get these for $1. I'd be pretty happy with that. I doubt I will target a top defense like Jacksonville or Los Angeles (Rams) as they will likely go for $4-5. That's not in my budget.

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

Don't be afraid to bump up the price if it's a player you want. Know your maximum for certain players. If people are going back and forth, on a player you like, for example, Golden Tate. Shock them by bidding up the bid by $4-6. It may be enough for people to pause and start thinking about another player they can target. As a result, the bids stop and the next thing you know, he's yours a decent discount.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

Cameron Meredith, Keelan Cole, Jeremy Hill, Corey Grant, Austin Ekeler

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

$16

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

$16

justin howe's evaluation

STRENGTHS

Haseley walked away with a handful of solid values, especially from the bargain bin. With just $6 invested in Anthony Miller and Terrance Williams, he’s sitting on a pair of candidates to draw far more volume than their price points suggest. Williams himself may well wind up one of the few dollar babies to spend the whole year as a No. 1 option for his team – there’s real 60-catch potential there. Not to mention, pulling DeAndre Hopkins for less than Odell Beckham Jr. or Julio Jones was a nice coup. Try coming out of Round 1 of a draft with that kind of subtle value play.

WEAKNESSES

Haseley did suffer from a few subtle overpays, though. None were particularly glaring but had he refrained from chasing LeSean McCoy’s rocky situation to $26, or Jimmy Graham’s balky knee to $13, he may have fared a bit better at the end of the proceedings. Still, it was nice to see that his overpays were still rooted in value. McCoy obviously has a ceiling – in fact, a mid-level projection – well above this price tag.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

McCoy shakes off his legal woes for a year and produces at $10 higher than what Haseley paid. There’s enough running back depth here to make a solid run even if McCoy doesn’t play a down, but that kind of boost would push him squarely into the top tier. Meanwhile, Graham’s 2017 touchdown eruption carries over into Green Bay, bringing big-time dynamism.

alex miglio - TEAM 2

Bio

Follow @AlexMiglio

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

My general auction strategy is balanced – I try not to go studs ‘n duds, but I also don’t want to be stuck with a ton of money to spend on lower-tiered players. At the outset, I intend to nominate top quarterbacks to either try to bait leaguemates to overpay for a saturated position or get a bargain while they are gunshy. Then I will likely nominate kickers and defenses until I get mine or it’s been a few rounds. I will likely spend up on one running back ($45+) and try to find bargains elsewhere. My big spend will be at receiver and tight end.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I am not truly willing to spend the kind of money a first-round running back commands, but I would approach $50 if a bargain presents itself.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

As is probably becoming a theme, I don’t like putting up huge bids. I would also say $50 is the maximum I will spend on a first-round receiver if there is a bargain to be had.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

The key to a successful auction is to stay flexible. There isn’t a plan that won’t be foiled by the whims of the auction gods. You might go in planning to spend a certain amount per position and find your budget blown by the fourth round. Or you might find that a normally expensive position is being undervalued. Flexibility means you won’t chase picks, either.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

With very few exceptions – this year the Jaguars defense being one, but barely – never spend more than $1 on a kicker or defense. Let other fantasy owners whittle away their budget. Also, never place a bid on a player you do not want or need. The last thing you need is a third quarterback that you couldn’t afford because you were trying to drive up the price.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB: Andrew Luck
• RB: Jay Ajayi
• WR: Devin Funchess
• TE: Jimmy Graham
• K: Will Lutz
• Def: Minnesota

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

I tend to jump the price on players during the first several rounds. As long as it’s a player that I am willing to draft and my price jump isn’t above what I am willing to pay, I think it speeds things along. More importantly, prices can be inflated early, which might allow for better deals later in the game.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

David Njoku, Joe Williams, Chris Carson, Kenny Stills, Matt Ryan, and many more are some players I expect to go for good prices later in drafts.

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

I might spend $25 for a guy like Aaron Rodgers, but that is a pipe dream. More likely I will look to spend a maximum of $12 on my starter, and I expect to net someone like Luck or Jimmy Garoppolo at that price.

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

Perhaps a little more is called for drafting the likes of Rob Gronkowski or Travis Kelce, but $30 is probably my limit. There is a clear dropoff after the top tier, but I might be willing to spend $18-$20 on Graham or Ertz if prices are depressed.

Justin Howe's Evaluation

STRENGTHS

Miglio clearly values pass-catching backs, and he targeted them almost exclusively. That’s often a great strategy, too, especially when you’re not looking to spend majorly to fill out your running back depth chart. Miglio paid a combined $4 to add Ty Montgomery and Devontae Booker, both of whom enter the season with stout roles on third downs; he could’ve just bought 100 receptions for that paltry sum.

WEAKNESSES

Paying up for two top-tier quarterbacks may not have been Miglio’s best play here. I won’t deny their value in a vacuum – it wasn’t long ago that Aaron Rodgers cost $27 himself in most auctions. But he can only play one at a time, so having either $10 or $17 glued to his bench every week could come back to haunt him. Miglio could’ve used that cash to fortify a receiver group that’s got plenty of quantity, but only middling upside.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

Miglio laughs all the way to the running back bank, locking down high-floor performances week after week with a group of guys that will be on the field plenty. Meanwhile, he hits all the right quarterback notes, and his volatile tight end bunch produces a TE1 line or two every week.

bj vanderwoude - TEAM 3

Bio

Follow @SundayTzu

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

My strategy is usually the same in all auction formats, and that is to try and draft a stud running back or wide receiver early, and then take advantage of valuable players in the middle rounds after many teams have spent a majority of their budget. Ideally, I would like to spend around 65%-70% on running backs and wide receivers, and then 15%-20% on tight ends (the 1.5 PPR for tight ends makes a big difference), 10% on quarterbacks (max) and 5% on defense and kicker. I try to use a combined total cap for running back and wide receiver, because so much depends on which position you target for your most expensive draft pick.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I am willing to spend, roughly, 25% on a running back if I believe he is capable of being the #1 overall player, and I am willing to overspend a little on players like Ezekiel Elliot, David Johnson and Alvin Kamara. No running back has repeated as the #1 overall running back (in PPR formats) since Priest Holmes in 2002 and 2003, so it pays to have the foresight and not just spend big on Todd Gurley or LeVeon Bell. Not all running backs have this type of upside, and it is key in auction formats not to overspend on running backs that are not capable of being the #1 overall running back. There is too much value in the middle rounds to overspend on running backs that fall outside the top tier.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

Much like the running back position, I am willing to spend around 25% of my budget on a wide receiver that is capable of being the #1 overall player. In 2015, four wide receivers (Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Brandon Marshall and DeAndre Hopkins) outscored the top running back (Devonta Freeman) and Odell Beckham Jr. was one point away from matching Freeman's total. It is important to not just target running backs when looking at your most expensive draft pick, as wide receivers can often provide the same, if not better point per dollar value.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

The most important factor is to not get caught up in what everyone else is doing. I cannot stress this enough, if you have a plan, stick to that plan, regardless of whether the top players go for more money than you budgeted them for. There is always a rubber band effect in auction drafts because there is a total amount that can be spent throughout the draft. The more money the top picks go for, the more value is created in the following rounds.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

I would say the biggest mistake made in auction formats is trying to keep pace with other teams in the early stages of a draft, and not sticking to the pre-draft budgets you set. Maybe the first eight running backs are off the board and you start to worry that you won't have a true #1 running back. This often leads to overspending on the next guy up, which can have drastic consequences for the remainder of the draft. Stick to your plan, and remember that having money to spend in the early-middle rounds is a great way to field a deep, and complete roster.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB - Philip Rivers
• RB - Alvin Kamara/Chris Thompson
• WR - AJ Green
• TE - Travis Kelce/Trey Burton
• K - Wil Lutz
• Def - Denver Broncos

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

The first thing you should be aware of is the maximum you are willing to spend on each player. There is a certain rhythm to the bidding process and it is important to be aware of when the bidding will jump by $10 versus when it starts to go dollar by dollar. I've had success with targeting the beginning of the dollar by dollar bidding flow by jumping up $5, knowing that the jump up in salary is still $10 less than I am willing to pay. By doing this, I let my fellow competitors know that I am willing to spend on this particular player and getting into a bidding war could very well lead to them overspending. Also, if your auction draft is online, make sure you familiarize yourself with the bidding process, specifically the time limit on each bid, as well as how to input a specific dollar amount, both before and after another bid is made.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

At running back, I will be targeting pass-catching backs like Chris Thompson, Duke Johnson Jr. and James White. At wide receiver, I really like undervalued players like Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Thielen, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. In best ball formats, a player like Josh Gordon can be very valuable, as his upside is massive, but the risk involved in his precarious situation is much less than it would be in a normal draft. At tight end, Travis Kelce, Trey Burton and Charles Clay are three players that I will be targeting.

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

The maximum I want to spend on my QB1 is 5% of my budget, mainly because there are so many quarterbacks capable of being starters this season, you can typically get them for very cheap in the middle to late rounds of your draft.

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

In a format that awards 1.5 PPR for tight ends, I would be willing to spend up to 20% of my budget on the right player. The tight end position is really shallow in terms of players capable of being a difference maker each week. In the 2015 and 2016 seasons, there were 16 tight ends who averaged at least 10+ points per game. In 2017, there were only eight. In 2015, there were nine tight ends who caught at least 70+ passes, while there were only four tight ends who reached that mark last season. In this format, Rob Gronkowski would have finished 5th overall in average points per game last season, and Travis Kelce would have finished 10th overall in points and had the equivalent of 124 catches. Always know your scoring system and how it relates to your budget for each position. It pays to target one of Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz in this format, even if that means overpaying a little.

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

Vanderwoude clearly entered this auction with a plan: secure each of the “onesie” positions with an obvious starter and one backup, then throw tons of upside spaghetti at the wall in the flex spots. He walked away with six running backs and eight wideouts, giving him a great shot at scooping league-shifting ceilings at discount prices. Vanderwoude not only locked down volume kings like Jerick McKinnon and Golden Tate – he supplemented them with dirt-cheap upside in Ronald Jones, Chris Ivory, and Tavon Austin (a combined $7).

WEAKNESSES

For all of his upside, though, Vanderwoude does look a bit shaky in terms of proven talent. With McKinnon hobbled to open the year and Adam Thielen working with a new quarterback, Vanderwoude’s roster may not sort itself into plug-and-play "startability" until a few weeks in. He also paid the full-season market price for Josh Gordon and Robby Anderson, which seems high.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

Alvin Kamara produces week in, week out – without many gaps – to anchor a backfield full of August question marks. Meanwhile, Vanderwoude’s trio of pricey receivers all mesh with their new passers and produce to their (massive) splash-play capabilities. This roster has questions, but there are believable answers to all of them.

daniel simpkins - TEAM 4

Bio

Follow @xfantasyphoenix

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

Auctions are really fun because they are the most dynamic format in terms of player value. You can run two auctions with the same two groups of people and have wildly different results. My general strategy is to watch the first few picks and see if others are bidding passively or aggressively. If they spending money like it’s going out of style, I wait so that they exhaust their budgets early and I can have the players in the middle of the auction and late in the auction that I really want. If folks are being more passive and waiting, I am not afraid to spend upfront and pay a little less or right at market value for a stud. The other general managers will end up getting into bidding wars for guys who aren’t as good in the middle and later rounds. I’ve even seen desperate general managers end up spending more money on a lesser player because they didn’t read the tempo of the auction correctly and it was the last player at a position before a huge quality drop off came. I cannot give an exact allocation of my money per position because it will depend on how the auction plays out. However, I feel it is safe to say that I will spend about two-thirds of my budget on running backs and wide receivers. I tend to like to cobble together low-cost options at quarterback and tight end.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I am going to cap myself at no more than a fourth of my budget for a single running back. I will only spend that much on one of the top backs on the board. That being said, it’s likely that my running backs are going to be guys I like, but who don’t typically command top dollar, such as Joe Mixon or Royce Freeman.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

Examining the landscape of the NFL, I am feeling better than normal about the receiver options available this year. As teams increasingly go to 11-personnel packages on offense, there are more and more fantasy relevant options from which to choose. It doesn’t mean I won’t pay up if an elite option falls, but I am much less likely to be the one buying on Odell Beckham Jr. or Antonio Brown.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

The biggest key for me is to go with the flow of the auction. It really requires more thought and attention to detail than a normal draft, I feel. You need to notice the speed and frequency with which your opponents are bidding. You also need to make sure you keep track of how much money your opponents have left.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

Be careful about bidding others up multiple times. I’ve made this mistake in a few of our Footballguys auction mock drafts in the past and got stuck with expensive players I really had no desire to have. I like to price enforce, but I follow two rules when I do it. I ask myself if I am going to dramatically impact my ability to execute my plan if I win the player unexpectedly. I also watch my opponent closely. If I see them thinking about it or hesitating a bit before they outbid me again, I know I’ve probably hit my limit and won’t submit another bid.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB- Marcus Mariota- I feel he’s in for a bounce-back because the new offensive system is a great fit for his skills.
• RB- Royce Freeman- Few are waking up to the reality that Freeman is going to be the leader of this backfield.
• WR- Corey Davis- I like Davis partially because of his quarterback and the offense, partially because he’s healthy again, and partially because he’s just grown as a player from where he was as a rookie.
• TE- David Njoku- This guy may be a big reason we stop laughing at Cleveland. I expect him to be in the end zone a lot this season.
• K- Jake Elliott- I like to target kickers on good offenses that are likely to regress just enough that they will be kicking more often. I think the Eagles fit that mold well, especially with all the injury issues they have with key players heading into the season.
• Def- Los Angeles Rams- This defense really turned the corner last year and I expect that they will be even better after having added Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh to the mix.

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

When it’s my turn to nominate, I like to throw out players I hate that are also expensive. I want to drain my opponents’ budget as much as possible so I can have the players I am targeting with little to no opposition. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it plays right into my hands.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

Nyheim Hines- I won’t typically draft him in snake formats at his current ADP, but he’s really cheap in auctions. I’ll pay a dollar or two for a player who could secure the pass-catching role in Andrew Luck’s offense.

Mike Williams- He’s a bust in many people’s minds because he had some health issues in year one. Around this time last year, we were of the opinion that he could be one of the top wide receivers of his class. I’ll take advantage of the overreaction. He’s had a great camp and I think we will see his role grow this year, especially with Hunter Henry no longer around.

Peyton Barber- The team wants to give Ronald Jones a bigger role than he has now, but Jones is falling flat on his face. Barber is not a world-beater, but he is a competent starter both in the between-the-tackles and pass-catching roles, much like Spencer Ware was for Kansas City not that long ago.

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

I’ll only spend a maximum of $15. There are so many great options that are capable of putting up top-three weeks that I don’t feel I need to dedicate much budget to this position.

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

I will target later-round guys typically. I would allocate about $10 maximum for my starting tight end.

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

Kudos to Simpkins for being strategic – and disciplined – at quarterback. He stocked the position for just $2, walking away with Mitchell Trubisky to keep the seat warm for Jameis Winston – a real QB1 candidate once his suspension is over. This kind of construction is brilliant: it lets a bidder stock up wildly elsewhere, while not showing much of a demonstrable quarterback drop-off from most other rosters. It’s also hard not to love this batch of receivers he wound up with. Simpkins paid market value for them, but his approach allowed him to fit as many as 4-5 names with proven, tangible WR1 upside.

WEAKNESSES

I’m never a big fan of making two sizeable tight end investments. The price Simpkins paid to add Greg Olsen to Evan Engram was a semi-value, but he stocked himself so well with great receivers that it’s unlikely he’ll ever use Olsen in the flex spot. It wasn’t an overpay on its face, but Simpkins could’ve

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

Winston reaches his QB1 potential, posting the 4,500-yard, 30-touchdown pace he’s surely capable of in this offense. Even if he struggles, though, there’s so much depth and upside crammed into this roster that Simpkins can stay afloat (or better). He shouldn’t have any trouble finding two starting backs each week, and that’s all he’ll need. If just two of his receivers indeed dazzle as WR1 types, watch out. This was, quite possibly, the strongest auction of the night in terms of strategy.

danny tuccitto - TEAM 5

Bio

Follow @IR_DannyT

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

Because the scoring is tight end premium, I'll spend a little more at that position than in typical scoring auctions. As far as exact amounts or percentages are concerned, I don't predetermine it in advance. The beauty (and challenge) of auction drafts is how dynamic they are. Even more than typical drafts, one must adjust on the fly constantly.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I compute auction values in advance, so this one's easy to answer. My RB1 is valued at $60, whereas my RB12 is valued at $28, so anywhere in that range.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

My WR1 is valued at $50, whereas my WR12 is valued at $29, anywhere in that range, which one will notice is tighter than the value range for Top 12 running backs.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

I perceive my auction to be a success when I'm able to acquire at least half of must-have players, which is more difficult than some might think. I also perceive success if I acquire these players for a lower aggregate cost than the amount at which I have them valued.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

Never be enticed by what appears to be great value for a high-priced player you don't want. In other words, have a target list and stick to it. Too many times, I've screwed up by seeing a player I don't particularly care for about to go off the board way below his value and throwing in a bid, only to get stuck with him. The negative effect this has is that it removes money from your budget that you could have spent on a player (or players) you actually want.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

QB = Marcus Mariota
RB = Jamaal Williams
WR = Cooper Kupp
TE = David Njoku
K = Graham Gano
Def = Chargers

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

Wait until the bidding approaches the player's assigned value, then jump in. It helps stave off the sunk costs fallacy. One other thing to help with the potential boredom that arises in a long auction is to play a game with the players you put up for bid. I tend to pick players with funny names or only players on a certain team. Stuff like that.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

Jonnu Smith, James Washington, and Jordan Wilkins.

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

$15.

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

In this format, $40.

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

This is a largely speculative roster, one that dips a bit in proven contributors but rides high on handcuff upside. He spent just $1 to add David Johnson’s caddy, rookie Chase Edmonds, who would lock into a big weekly role if Johnson were to go down. And it’s hard to overstate the value Tuccitto pulled from talented, young starters Calvin Ridley and Chris Godwin (a combined $3). Tuccitto spent up a bit at quarterback, but walked away with a top-tier stud and a high-ceiling backup.

WEAKNESSES

Tuccitto didn’t have the benefit of hindsight, but things went south for Jamaal Williams shortly after this auction wrapped up. Once Aaron Jones returns from suspension, Williams may not be more than a committee guy in the James Starks vein. Tuccitto would probably love to have that $12 back, or at least scaled down to $7-8. There were a few other small overpays – Marquise Goodwin, for one, shouldn’t rival JuJu Smith-Schuster in price – and Tuccitto may have overextended behind Rob Gronkowski. He’s always iffy, of course, but any time I invest heavily in him, I’m all but done spending at the tight end spot.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

Goodwin shuts me up, dusting Pierre Garcon as the 49ers’ top target and producing another WR2 stretch or two, and at least one of his cheap upside plays pans out. Ingram picks up where he left off after his suspension, locking in two high-upside guys into Tuccitto’s running back slots.

dan hindery - TEAM 6

Bio

Follow @Hindery

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

I’m looking to go cheap at QB, TE, K, and D. My budget is $20 total for those spots. That would leave me $180 for RB and WR. Split evenly, that would be $90 each, which is a nice target. I am potentially willing to spend more on running back (up to $110) and made do without a true WR1.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

$50 is a fair price for one of the top four backs and I’d maybe go slightly past that. For the rest of the 1st round backs, I’d spend $35-40.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins are worth $40 or more, but I am not planning on bidding on those guys. There is enough depth at the position that I’d rather save a few dollars and grab A.J. Green or T.Y. Hilton as my most expensive receiver.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

The biggest key for me is to have a spreadsheet with my 20 positions (QB1, QB2, RB1, RB2, etc.) listed and how much I plan to spend on each and continue to update that throughout the auction. If I see an opportunity to land a top tight end at a solid price, I will do so but make sure I immediately adjust my budget for the other positions so the total stays at $200.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

Related to the previous point, the biggest mistake people make is bidding without really considering what impact it will have on the rest of their roster.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB- Matthew Stafford
• RB- David Johnson
• WR- Chris Hogan
• TE- Austin Hooper
• K- Matt Bryant
• Def- Bengals

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

In some drafts, people are a bit scared to bid a big number right away. They will like to get a feel for prices and settle in. So it can make sense to be aggressive if an elite player is one of the first on the board and the price is fair. Trust your own numbers and don’t wait on the market.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

Austin Hooper and John Ross are two players I am excited about this season.

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

$7 or so. With quarterback as deep this year, it isn’t worth paying up for a top guy.

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

I’m not planning on spending much, but if Rob Gronkowski comes at any discount at all ($25 or less), I’d consider jumping in and changing my budget at WR1.

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

Hindery hit the jackpot in terms of quarterback value. After spending a reasonable $12 on Deshaun Watson’s considerable upside, Hindery then secured Kirk Cousins – a QB1 option in his own right – as a rock-solid insurance plan for just $3. Going deeper, I love that he selected just one top-tier tight end and then punted the position entirely. If Ertz goes down, Hindery can easily stream that volatile, one-man position. Instead, he put his money into gobs of upside at the flex positions. He boasts three workhorse running backs, three gifted rookie handcuffs, and enough dynamism at the receiver spot (Will Fuller, Jordy Nelson, and Kenny Golladay for just $19) to choke an alligator.

WEAKNESSES

It’s hard to find much to quibble with on this jam-packed roster. Hindery may have overspent a bit on Julian Edelman and Randall Cobb, two low-impact guys with varying degrees of reliability. And Leonard Fournette came a bit pricey considering his chronic foot issue – Dalvin Cook came $6 cheaper.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

His roster produces at or somewhere near its midlevel projections. That’s it; Hindery has assembled so much depth and so many dazzling ceilings that he has multiple avenues to a title. He won’t need many unexpected fireworks to chase it.

matt waldman - TEAM 7

Bio

Follow @MattWaldman

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

My strategy is to play the opponents in the room. I'm doing this because the 2018 player pool has a lot of talent and I'm confident that there are more undervalued players at running back and receiver than we've seen in recent seasons. The underlying factors are older players who've been written off too soon, a rich rookie crop, and emerging young talents who fantasy players often behind the curve assessing because they have proven more on film than in the box score.

I will use the first 2-3 bids to see how tight or loose the bidding is. If the bidding is tight, I will likely make aggressive bids on top players. I've had success earning two, if not three, studs at a significant discount because the teams are too cautious about preserving cap space.

I've been able to land Todd Gurley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Rob Gronkowski for $77, $40, and $30? $147 may seem like a lot of money spent early on but considering their Draft Dominator values are $115, $65, and $39, I'll gladly consider a studs-and-duds strategy if I can catch the room playing it too cautiously.

I'll give this method a try if the room is tight because I'm confident that I can land enough cheap players at the end to build a competitive roster. You can count on my squad making the Footballguys Rate My Team App want to snicker with disgust if it had human capabilities but I manage to craft strong contenders.

The risk with this strategy is that so many of the writers I'll be facing want to control the auction at the end. David Dodds will be talking trash about still landing players from his top 25 at a bargain during the final half-hour of the auction, and there will be at least 4-6 teams trying to do the same.

If I go aggressive early against this crew of bargain hunters, will either need to land 3-5 great values and wait out the rest of the auction until I'm in a position to control the final half-hour of bids or I will be at the mercy of these guys and my team will lack depth -- or even a decent starter at multiple spots.

If the room is loose early on, then I'm throwing all the players I don't want into the pool until the bidding gets tighter and I can land mid-round bargains while saving enough for the end.

The third potential play will be to bid aggressively early and spend a fair bit on a stud runner or receiver, listen to the room guffaw about how much I bid, and then continue with an aggressive bid shortly after to see if the room tightens up and I get a much bigger discount that equals out to a decent discount for those two options combined. Sometimes this happens because the trash talk directed at me causes everyone to get self-conscious about overbidding and they play tight. If I come away with two players in this manner, I disappear for a while, see if I can get another nice bargain in the middle of the auction and then wait until the end.

The final potential tactic will be to land as many underrated mid-tier values as I can. Players like Alex Collins, Marshawn Lynch, Jordy Nelson, Jared Goff, and Robert Woods who have a strong chance to out-play their draft spots.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

As high as $90-$100 if I think it will get the room to tighten up on subsequent early picks. I might even go higher to see if my aggressive tactic will scare folks off on the next 3-4 bids.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

As high as $75-$80 if my first aggressive bid isn't a running back so I can hopefully use that aggressive tactic to generate the desired effect I described above if the first bid happens to be a top runner.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

Working from reverse to build your strategy:
Which positions are you best and worst at predicting good and bad weekly matchups for your lineups?
The ones you're the best at predicting should be the positions you acquire many of them later in the draft at a discount.
The ones you're the worst at predicting should be the position where you pay a premium for a set-it-and-forget-it stud.
Which positions are the easiest and hardest to acquire as free agents off waivers?
Which positions are the easiest and hardest to buy and sell in trades?
When you answer these questions, it becomes clearer how you should prioritize your spending allowances by position. Do this and it will also help you figure out what type of flexibility you have with your strategy.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

Don't panic if your plan goes off course. Remember that the draft is only one leg of a winning fantasy table. While you can engineer that table to stand firm with one strong leg, it's more commonplace to build a winning fantasy table with 2-3 legs. The draft, waivers, trades, and lineup decisions are those available legs.

Don't get cute trying to bid up players to increase a bidding war. Our pal David Dodds is good at this so I try to remember if he's bidding early and the price is near or above budget, he doesn't want that player; he wants you to buy him at a higher price. While Dodds is good at this, I see a lot of players mess this up and get stuck with players they don't want at a significant cost to their budget plan.

Don't get locked into one strategy. Create contingencies for your strategy so you have a range of tracks in case you got aggressive early and overspent. Good planning and good execution and they are different skills. Good planners figure out every detail but when it's time to execute they can freeze up if reality throws them a curve. Good executors can spot flaws and opportunities during the moment and they'll benefit from calculated risks. But if they don't plan enough, they don't have enough information to adjust as well as they otherwise good. So be sure to plan in enough detail that you give yourself contingencies for flexible execution.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction. I'm not dead-set on any of these players, but I'd be pleased if I get three of these five.

• QB Patrick Mahomes
• RB Todd Gurley
• WR Antonio Brown
• TE Travis Kelce
• K Harrison Butker
• Def Rams

7. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

Jordy Nelson, Austin Hooper, Derek Carr, Marvin Jones, Chris Godwin, Keelan Cole, and Cameron Meredith come to mind.

8. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

$25

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

$30

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

Waldman prioritized locking down two backfields, and he succeeded with good value. He spent up for Todd Gurley – and didn’t overpay – then added rookie John Kelly, likely Gurley’s backup and long a personal favorite of Waldman’s. He then managed to secure Washington’s Samaje Perine and Rob Kelley, good for most of Washington’s relevant rushing production now, for just a $4 investment. (I’m not a believer in Adrian Peterson’s health or current talent level.) Boasting a handful of quality wideouts and a solid group of dirt-cheap tight ends, Waldman’s week-to-week running back stability could be league-shifting.

WEAKNESSES

Still, for all of that stability, Waldman isn’t deep in his backfield. If one of those running games underachieves sharply, or if Peterson makes Kelley disappear, then Waldman will be desperately playing the trade/waiver game all year. Furthermore, while I love the guts it takes to spend just $5 at quarterback, Waldman has a ton of eggs on Patrick Mahomes’ basket. If his debut is bumpy, Waldman holds only injury-prone (and possibly short-term bridge guy) Tyrod Taylor as insurance.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

Week after week, Waldman starts two high-volume running backs, regardless of Gurley’s or Perine’s health. That solidified group then merely holds serve throughout the year – or, his dynamic receiving corps consistently cranks out big flex weeks to paper over the issue.

matt schauf - TEAM 8

Matt Schauf is a senior analyst with DraftSharks.com. He has been covering fantasy football since 2002, producing content for outlets such as Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon and Football Diehards before landing with DS. Draft Sharks has been online since 1999 and is a 4-time winner in the FSTA’s annual fantasy football projections accuracy contests.

Follow @SchaufDS

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

I’ll spend very lightly at kicker and defense, and relatively lightly at QB and TE. I plan to split about 80% of my budget between RB and WR — a little more even if I get lucky with prices at QB and TE.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I can’t see going past $50 for a high 1st-rounder; about $42 for a late 1st-rounder.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I probably won’t go past $40 for any WR other than Antonio Brown — and I don’t normally stay in the bidding for him. More likely, I’ll chase the top-5 type WR(s) that stays short of $40.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

Don’t screw up the funding for RB or WR. This can mean overspending for top options at those positions or overspending at other positions and leaving your funds short for RB and/or WR. I’d like to come away from the draft with at least 3 players each at RB or WR who cost $10+ (or who I value in that range).

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

Don’t get caught up in a bidding war that goes well beyond your pre-draft value or budget. A few extra dollars in a spot or 2 is fine. But you have to be willing to let players go. At the same time, don’t be too apprehensive or you’ll be sitting there with money and not enough good options to spend it on.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB: Philip Rivers
• RB: Dion Lewis
• WR: Jamison Crowder
• TE: Greg Olsen
• K: Whoever I can get for $1
• Def: Ditto

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

Nominate kickers and/or defenses early. You can either secure yours before everyone’s chasing them late or get others to spend a few dollars more than they should at the positions. Even those few dollars could make a difference later, when you’re filling your bench spots.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

In no particular order: Ty Montgomery, Michael Gallup, Darren Sproles, Nyheim Hines, James Conner, John Brown, Mike Williams, Taywan Taylor

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

$15

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

$25 if it’s Gronk; $15 on anyone else

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

Schauf locked down two workhorse RB1s – both of whom would go in the top 10 of any draft – to anchor his roster. Building through bell cow backs is the safest and shrewdest way to build, and Schauf nailed his attempt. He benefited from a small but helpful Ezekiel Elliott discount, then added Melvin Gordon at a swollen but reasonable cost. And it’s easy to love what Schauf did at tight end – just $14 bought him three clear TE1 candidates. Doyle and Reed could each threaten 70 receptions, and Tyler Eifert’s high ceiling is a tasty cherry on top.

WEAKNESSES

As things currently stand, Schauf looks set to struggle a bit to fill his weekly receiver spots. His high-dollar guys, Larry Fitzgerald and Amari Cooper, both have pathways to WR1 status – but could also slip mightily. Fitzgerald is about to be 35 and breaking in two new quarterbacks, and doesn’t bring much yardage or touchdown value to the table even in the best of times. And Cooper’s career-long up-and-down act is no guarantee to let up as the Raiders’ clear-cut No. 1. Behind them, Schauf will have to hope for early contributions from two rookies in low-volume offenses to hold water here.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

Fitzgerald provides another 100-catch gem, while Cooper’s boom overcomes his bust often enough to land a high-WR2 finish. In that case, Schauf would likely only need one of his iffy backups to pan out. There’s enough quality running back play here to dominate his flex spot throughout the year and minimize those receiver needs.

jim day - TEAM 9

Jim Day is currently a senior fantasy football writer for Fighting Chance Fantasy. He has written for many sites since he first started in 2001, including Fantasy Pros 911, Bleacher Report, XpertSports, GoAheadScore, Sports Outlaw and several others. He was the Technical Editor for the Fantasy Football for Dummies book and is currently the Co-Host of the Fantasy Football Frenzy podcast on the FNTSY Sports Network and the WTF! Fantasy Football Podcast on Youtube.

Follow @Fantasytaz

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

Breaking it down by position comes to this:
QB – 10%
RB – 42.5%
WR – 39%
TE – 7.5%
K&DST – 1%

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I hope to spend a max of $40 on a top 12 RB. I expect I should be able to get a Melvin Gordon, Dalvin Cook and maybe Saquon Barkley for this price. I expect the top 4 backs to go in the $50+ range.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

Like RB I would like to keep my max price for a WR1 to $40, although I am a little more flexible with my number 1 here because there are a lot of deep values at WR that I can get very late and very cheap.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

The key for me is not getting caught in the early auction frenzy when people tend to overpay. I know it is hard to lay off when you see top players coming up for auction and owners are pushing up the bids to a point that is above your allotted bid dollars for that position. Sometimes you just have to let a player you want go because someone else is willing to overpay for them.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

Don’t be the auction police! What I mean by this is when you see a player you DON’T want going for lower than you think they should, don’t bump up their bid price trying to get others to pay what you expect that player to go for. Most often this ends with you owning players and using bid money on players you don’t want.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB – Jared Goff
• RB – Jordan Howard
• WR – Davante Adams
• TE – Greg Olsen
• K – Adam Vinatieri
• Def -Whichever one I can get for $1

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

I tend to use early nominations on over hyped players I don’t want to get a lot of money on the board early. Trying to delete the coffers of other teams early is a major part of my strategy in any auction. I may spend on a few top players, usually 3-4, but then I tend to wait and try to grab real values when other owners don’t have the money to contest them.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

Eli Manning, Patrick Mahomes, Marshawn Lynch, Latavius Murray, Austin Ekeler, LeGarrette Blount, Allen Hurns, Mike Williams, Kelvin Benjamin, Eric Ebron, Ben Watson

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

I want to keep my QB1 under $15, hopefully as close to $10 as I can. Qb is far too deep to pay much more than this.

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

I hope to keep my TE as close to $10 but will bump it up $13 to get Greg Olsen.

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

Day clearly didn’t want to be left wanting at running back. So, he made sure to stock up on a healthy mix of likely starters and high-usage handcuffs. He came away with two talented rookies likely to lead their backfields, as well as four backups who project to see the field plenty. Paying just $9 for the pair of Duke Johnson and Austin Ekeler was especially sexy. Johnson finished RB11 last year in point-per-reception formats, after all. And in preseason action, Ekeler has looked both explosive and locked-in as the caddy to Melvin Gordon, whose injury history isn’t encouraging.

WEAKNESSES

However, Day came away a bit short in terms of receiver depth. Behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Davante Adams, there’s not much reliable dynamism here. It’s always nice to get Dez Bryant for $1, of course, but he’s still without a team and doesn’t look like a priority add around the league. If he does sign in Cleveland, his most likely destination, he’ll produce a bit but likely eat into Jarvis Landry’s usage. Day might find himself seeking out midseason help.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

Either Jared Goff or Derek Carr churns out another unexpected QB1-lite performance, stabilizing what looks like a sound starting cast. Day is probably pulling for Dez to not sign in Cleveland, which would allow Landry to serve as a volume hog. That, plus expected production from Beckham and Adams, would be plenty for Day at receiver, and could sneak him into the upper tier of this league.

John halpin - TEAM 10

Fantasy sports industry veteran John Halpin is the host of the RotoWire Fantasy Football Podcast. He spent more than 10 years covering fantasy football and baseball for FOXSports.com, and has done television work for the Carolina Panthers. You can hear him each week on the Panthers' pregame radio show.

Follow @jhalpin37

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

Not exactly sure. Cheap at QB (and K/DST), spend at RB/WR. My first big stud will dictate how I spend the rest. I suspect that my most expensive player will be a WR.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

$50-55

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

$50-60

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

Be flexible, but have a plan. "Let the room dictate" is too vague for me.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

In past auctions, I've slipped up when trying to save money for too long. "I don't need Player X, because lots more will be available later." Then I spend $15 on a guy I have valued at $8 because I have money left over. Spend a few extra bucks if you like a player, and don't be too rigid on your dollar values.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB: Andrew Luck
• RB: Royce Freeman
• WR: Tyler Lockett
• TE: George Kittle
• K: Ryan Succop
• Def: Baltimore

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

Wait on QBs (just like in a draft). They'll become cheap as the auction progresses.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

Tyler Lockett, John Ross, Quincy Enunwa, Jordan Wilkins, Peyton Barber, Wayne Gallman

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

$15

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

$20 (I expect to pass on Gronk/Kelce/Ertz)

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

There is so much upside in Halpin’s quarterback room that it’s hard to believe he only paid $9 for it. Capitalizing on injury concerns, he locked down both Andrew Luck and Carson Wentz, making for fantastic trade bait assuming both are healthy (and produce on-level) early. They go nicely with a well-constructed running back group, which Halpin also boasts. Anchored by LeVeon Bell, it’ll only require one more strong starter in each week, and there are several candidates here. Jordan Wilkins, especially, brought big value at just a $3 bid.

WEAKNESSES

Punting the tight end spot almost completely, Halpin Both George Kittle and Mike Gesicki came with strong value (just $5 total), and Halpin did spend the savings on a lot of upside elsewhere. But he enters the year extremely unsettled here; he’ll likely do his share of streaming over the course of things. More importantly, Halpin may have overspent on some of that upside. Mike Williams is overpriced at $10 – he’s yet to even prove he’s the best Williams on the Chargers bench – and John Ross looks more like a $1 flier with every disappointing news blurb.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

One of his quarterbacks shines, while the other is flipped for a big difference-maker to add to an already-stout roster. Halpin’s proven volume guys (Doug Baldwin, Jamison Crowder, Pierre Garcon) all spend the year chasing 90 receptions, putting to bed any concern over “upside overpays.” This is another sneakily-built roster with realistic championship ambitions.

Josh hornsby - TEAM 11

Josh Hornsby leads engineering research & development teams in the oil & gas industry. His background in new product development, combined with nearly 20 years of data-driven fantasy experience, compels him to think outside the box. Josh loves to challenge popular thinking and typically does so with numbers and visualizations in hand. You can find him on Twitter @FantasyADHD.

Follow @FantasyADHD

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

Given the unique scoring conditions, I think it might make sense to place a premium on players that I think will score multiple weeks in the 20-pt range. Awarding players "victory points" for high-ranked weeks is a really cool idea, and my guy says this is the best way to approach the format.

My normal split for PPR is this:

QB - 10%
RB - 35%
WR - 45%
TE - 7%
PK - 0.5%
DEF - 0.5%

This leaves me a little wiggle room in case I need to move slightly over at any position to secure players I like.

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I'm willing to go upwards of $50. I think in a format like this, however, that type of player might move upwards of $65 given the victory points. The probability of a mid-round-type RB achieving Top 3 in multiple weeks is relatively low.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I'm willing to go upwards of $40 here. With WR being so spread out from a production standpoint, I think you can spend a little less here at the top and still secure an excellent WR that will offer Top 3 upside every week. I expect WR victory points to be very erratic and trying to project it now is folly.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

Patience is key. There will always, always, always be great players available near the end for fractions of what their production should cost.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

This dovetails with my last answer... my caution is not to overspend early, but it happens sometimes. This is where patience is critical because of the very late values that will exist. I also caution against aggressive price-enforcement on players that you aren't interested in... this is a sure-fire recipe to end up with a roster you aren't happy with at the end of the draft. Folks will quickly figure out your motives and leave you holding the bag if you're not careful.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB Drew Brees
• RB Jordan Howard
• WR Michael Thomas
• TE Jordan Reed
• K Cody Parkey
• Def ATL

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

Never start bids out at $1. When you nominate, begin the bid at just under a fair value for that player. This will cut time off your auction and can lead to some unexpected bargains (or overpays) as owners may not know how to react.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

• QBs Mitchell Trubisky, Joe Flacco, Case Keenum
• RBs Jeremy Hill, Wayne Gallman, Frank Gore, CJ Anderson
• WRs Mike Wallace, John Brown, Taywan Taylor, Geronimo Allison, Dede Westbrook, Christian Kirk

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

$15

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

$6

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

Josh stockpiled a trio of receivers the rest of this league can’t sniff. It forced him to punt elsewhere, but the three-man team of Julio Jones, A.J. Green, and Mike Evans boasts volume and upside into the stratosphere. If Jones can buck his career-long trend of refusing to find the end zone, there could be 30 touchdowns in play here. And while he’s lagging elsewhere – that’s to be expected – there are real workhorse profiles in his backfield and two golden-value quarterbacks on the roster.

WEAKNESSES

Josh’s Zero-RB stable has some potential, but little to get excited over. Jordan Howard is a locked-in ground dominator with a sneaky-good 2018 outlook, but behind him there’s little upside. Marlon Mack and Frank Gore have pathways to the lead jobs in their backfields, but neither gives us much reason to think they’d tilt a fantasy league. The wildcard is D’Onta Foreman – he could supplant Lamar Miller by midseason, or last year’s Achilles rupture could lead him back into the pack of forgotten $3 dice rolls.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

The receivers dazzle at or near their top-five capabilities, anchoring a shaky lineup elsewhere. Howard does what’s asked of him, while one of a few underwhelming, low-dollar guys steals a starting job and provides unexpected volume more often than not.

John huckeby - TEAM 12

Follow @FFCritics

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What is your strategy heading into this auction? How do you anticipate spending your $200 cap by position?

My strategy will be position specific. As always, player pricing may dictate a shift in strategy; however, I will likely go cheap at QB and TE given the relative depth at those positions. I will look for value at RB and WR with a lot of focus on depth at WR given the high week to week variance of the position. With a format that rewards Touchdown scorers I will likely target high Touchdown ceilings at WR in particular. I would like to land an elite kicker given the format.

• QB – 20$
• RB - 75$
• WR – 75$
• TE – 18$
• K – 8$
• D – 4$

2. How much are you willing to spend on a running back that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

I will go as high as 45 for Saquon Barkley specifically. I’m not as interested in the other top RBs unless their pricing is lower than I expect.

3. How much are you willing to spend on a wide receiver that would normally be a 1st round pick in regular drafts?

My top price will be in the 30s which will likely price me out of the elite WRs. My strategy at WR will be quantity over quality.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to having a successful auction?

• Formulating and executing a solid strategy.
• Having the flexibility to adjust strategy on the fly in the event player pricing is different than anticipated.
• Calculating accurate player values.

5. It's easy to make a mistake in an auction. What would you tell people not to do in an auction style draft?

Don’t be a slave to predetermined player values and strategy if pricing is different than anticipated.

6. Name a player from each position that you will target in this auction.

• QB – Matthew Stafford
• RB – Royce Freeman
• WR – Chris Hogan
• TE – Ben Watson
• K – Stephen Gostkowski
• Def – LA Rams

7. What's a good strategy that you can share with others about the bidding process?

Stay active on the bidding so it’s not noticeable which players you are and are not targeting.

8. Name a few cheaper players that you will be targeting, perhaps later in the draft.

Peyton Barber and DJ Moore

9. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your QB1?

15$

10. What's the maximum amount that you would spend on your TE1?

15$

JUSTIN HOWE'S EVALUATION

STRENGTHS

Huckeby boasts a ton of upside at running back, where he paid market value for his guys but locked down a ton of upside. There’s a strong chance all five of his runners are lead backs starting in Week 3, and all have reason to believe in their value – Huckeby didn’t overpay for any of them. Playing the quantity game at wide receiver, Huckeby wisely paid up for nine of them, though none for more than $14. But there was value available for a handful of No. 2 options with real ceilings – Tyler Lockett and Christian Kirk make for a great round-out of this type of corps, and they only cost Huckeby a reasonable $13.

WEAKNESSES

Of course, with quantity comes a dip in quality, and there’s not a single season-long top-30 wideout in Huckeby’s bunch. Guys like Shepard and Emmanuel Sanders are reliable sources of volume, but neither project to dazzle. Kelvin Benjamin and Ted Ginn are decent depth picks, but both could conceivably fall off the earth this year. And it’s fair to wonder what Chris Hogan’s value will look like once Julian Edelman returns to the field. Hogan is a fine best ball target, but projecting his big games as an oft-injured, medium-usage guy will be tricky.

HOW HE’LL WIN IT ALL

Huckeby’s running backs produce as expected, nailing down those two slots plus the flex week after week. That only leaves three spots to be filled by a whopping nine wide receivers, and the odds are decent that he can carve out three start-worthy performances a week. Meanwhile, Huckeby watches Hogan erupt over the first month and shrewdly deals him off for a king’s ransom.

All Rosters and their winning bids

Questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome to haseley@footballguys.com

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