Welcome to "Money Talks". The general purpose of this column will be to give you some advice for one of the more popular methods of adding new fantasy players each week – the Free Agency Acquisition Budget, or "FAAB". What this is in a nutshell is a budget of money that every team is given to bid on free agents each week, much like in an auction. Usually this is done via blind bids, meaning that no other owner knows how much you have bid on a given player – unless you announce your bid in some sort of a poker-like bluff move. Some leagues do reveal all bids after the bidding is closed and waivers are processed, while other leagues just show winning bids. It can be fun to see if several teams bid on a given player or if an owner spent a ton of money on a guy no one else even wanted.
Enough of that for now. I will give both general advice and also some weekly assistance for this advanced waiver process in this column. I hope you enjoy and get the player(s) you want every week. Here we go.
ASSUMPTIONS
As with anything in fantasy football, not all leagues are the same. Some are big, some are small. Such is the way with FAAB waivers. Some leagues use a big budget of $1,000 per owner or more, while others use $100 or less. I will assume $1,000 for the purposes of this article and let you, the reader, do the math to adjust to your league. Another difference is that in some leagues the FAAB process is the ONLY way to get new players. Other leagues have the FAAB process first and then allow free transactions for that week on any player not getting a bid (so you can cover your kicker's bye, for example, for free). I will assume that is NOT the case here and think that every transaction will cost you something. If it does not, great – but at least you know why I might say to grab a kicker now for a buck.
Now let's talk about bidding in general. For many more experienced leagues, round numbers are the kiss of death. Even older leagues (and owners) start to see bidding trends over time ("Jeff loves to end in a 7"), which can be dangerous when you are trying to outbid everyone. The natural assumption is to bid in large round numbers – please avoid that temptation. $53 vs. $50 may seem like a trivial difference, but many more people bid $50 instead of adding a few extra bucks that can change who wins.
Another generally accepted rule – do not be stingy early in the year. Sure it is nice to hold on to extra "cash" in case a stud RB goes down for the year, but look around your league and count how many NFL backups are even available on the waiver wire. Not many? Right. Go big early on players who seem to come out of nowhere, like Victor Cruz last year. Most fantasy studs appear on the scene in September instead of weeks later.
There is a "ying" to the "yang" of the last rule – which is to not excessively churn your roster. While it may not seem like much, but if you drop 5-10% of your bankroll each week on bench players that never see the light of day in your lineup, then you are just wasting money. Think about it this way – if you save for a rainy day, you can be prepared to go all out for when you need that money to go "all in" on a player you really want. Of course the trick is figuring out which player is worthy of such a big bid.
Last comment for now – it is far better to bid on a player a week or two early instead of a week late. That can be the difference between a $3 player and a $300 player. If you really want Adrian Peterson’s understudy, get him now before Peterson pulls that hammy and everyone gets in on the action.
Week 3 Comment: Another item to discuss – who to drop. Keep perspective on your team. If you are short on running backs, you probably want to cut a different position player to grab running back depth. To say that another way, if you are strong and deep already at wide receiver, a sixth or seventh wideout is very unlikely to help. Let that steer your cuts.
Week 4 Comment: Bye weeks are starting now, so teams are going to be more active on the waiver wire, especially with New England off in Week 4. Kickers and defenses will be added and dropped, so start looking ahead and you’re your lineups for the weeks where you will be short a starter or two. Depth is going to play a bigger part in the next several weeks, so do not be afraid to add players for a rainy day now instead of later.
Week 5 Comment: Bye weeks are here, so some of the best deals are both players on a bye week or coming off of one. For example, New England and Tennessee were both off last week. With the idea of "out of sight, out of mind", players on both teams could be bargain acquisitions – and this general trend will continue through Week 12.
Week 6 Comment: The fantasy regular season is nearly half over, so if you are sitting on some free agent money, it is probably time to buy some guys you might need – now or later. Even if a player is only startable for 2-3 games, that is a big percentage of the fantasy regular season. Shoot the lock off of that wallet.
Week 7 Comment: Not only is the (fantasy) season half over, injuries are starting to pile up. Once you can start to get past some bye weeks, depth on rosters will matter. Add players and handcuffs accordingly.
Week 8 Comment: This week is a make or break waiver wire week to me. Pick up the wrong guys and you will pay dearly for it. Waiver wire money will cost you, as will the wasted roster spot, but also the missed chance to get someone else. I see lots of Fools' Gold this week, so read on and choose wisely.
Week 9 Comment: Time to make some moves. With stars from six teams on the bye week, it is either time to build some depth or to position your team for a playoff push. Throw the budget away and get some guys you want (and might need) for November and the fantasy playoffs.
Running behind this week, so here are some early entries if you need to bid in the next few hours. Commentary to be added late Tuesday.
BIG BUCKS
Big Bucks are reserved for immediate starter potential players (QB1, RB1/2, WR1/2/3, Flex, TE1) in most league formats.
- DeAngelo Williams, RB, Steelers ($350+): If you have more and need a back, this is probably the last, best shot at a RB1 this season. LeVeon Bell is gone for the year now and Williams is the immediate starter. He is more than capable of posting 100+ yards any given week and is well worth the money.
- Ronnie Hillman, RB, Broncos ($254): Last week I said to put me in the category of giving the Denver backfield to Hillman- case closed. Well, not entirely as both he and Anderson were productive, but Hillman still looks like the back to own.
- Jeremy Langford, RB, Bears ($227): Matt Forte is out for at least two weeks, so if you miss out on the DeAngelo Williams bidding, snap up Langford. He represents RB2 value with upside.
- Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals ($215+): A touchdown in Week 7, another one last week and a third in Week 8 called back due to a penalty. This guy is for real and worth adding across the board in all formats.
MEDIUM MONEY
Medium Money is reserved for players who could be bye week starters or that have upside potential on good matchups in most league formats.
- Derek Carr, QB, Raiders ($155): Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper are both putting up solid numbers for Derek Carr, and that makes Carr a solid QB1 contender in good matchups. After throwing four touchdowns in what was supposedly a bad matchup against the Jets, I love Carr going forwards. He is likely the best quarterback available on the waiver wire, if he even is in your league.
- Charcandrick West, RB, Chiefs ($145): Many were disappointed when West became the starter and underwhelmed in his first game in that role. Well, after playing much, much better against Detroit in Week 8 and with Kansas City on a bye, it might be time to pick him up if you can.
- Ben Watson, TE, Saints ($136, $183 in TE-PPR bonus leagues): After a gigantic game in Week 8, the veteran tight end is now going to cost even more. Watson is still worth it though as long as he has the potential to hit 100 yards and score a touchdown for Drew Brees.
- David Cobb, RB, Titans ($134): I have been saying for weeks that Cobb is eligible to come off of IR in Week 9. This is when Antonio Andrews and everyone else in the Tennessee backfield will go back to the sidelines where they belong. Go get Cobb now.
- Tavon Austin, WR, Rams ($121): We know Austin’s upside is very high, but his floor is about as low. Consistency is the problem with Austin, but WR2+ value is possible. I love him way more in best ball leagues, but if he starts getting the ball with more regularity, peak Percy Harvin value is attainable.
- Robert Woods, WR, Bills ($117): With Sammie Watkins out for the Bills in Week 7, Woods stepped up and performed as the top receiver for Buffalo, racking up nine catches, 84 yards and a score against Jacksonville. Woods should be no worse than the WR2 for the Bills the rest of the way, offering WR3 value with upside.
- Shane Vereen, RB, Giants ($116): Eli Manning is red hot, but his targets are dwindling as now TE Larry Donnell is hurt. That means more targets for Vereen, who already had 60 yards receiving and a score in Week 8.
- Dwayne Harris, WR, Cowboys ($115): Harris is getting more chances as a receiver for New York, and he offers similar upside as Tyler Lockett does for the Seahawks. Both players offer top end speed and kick return value, but Harris is more of a slot receiver and has more PPR value. Last week Harris reeled in two touchdowns and with TE Larry Donnell hurting, Harris may get even more targets.
- Vernon Davis, TE, Broncos ($115, $148in TE-PPR bonus leagues): Yes, you read that right. Vernon Davis, Denver Broncos tight end. After the trade this week, Davis has TE1 upside with Peyton Manning likely to enjoy his new target very soon.
- Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers ($114): Keenan Allen (kidney) is out for a while, so the Chargers need some wideout help. Some might say the guy to target is Stevie Johnson, and he is worth a pickup as well, but Floyd scored twice on Sunday and was on the field for 12 more snaps than Johnson (64 to 52). I have a feeling we will see more of Floyd than many expect.
- Kamar Aiken, WR, Ravens ($113): Steve Smith is done for the year, making Aiken the top wide receiver for Baltimore by default. Not a ringing endorsement, but opportunity to produce is there.
- Brian Hartline, WR, Browns ($111): Not a sexy pick as Hartline is much more of a possession receiver, but you have to respect that he snared two scoring passes in Week 8. Be careful not to overbid and chase points here.
CHUMP CHANGE
Chump Change is reserved for players who are relatively considered to be a good flier pick to stash on a fantasy bench in case he blows up over the next few weeks and becomes a potential immediate or spot starter.
- Jacob Tamme, TE, Falcons ($91, $111 in TE-PPR bonus leagues): Careful chasing points here as Tamme is rather unlikely to get 10 catches or 100+ yards and a touchdown the rest of the way, but it is clear that he can get Matt Ryan’s attention in favorable matchups.
- Breshad Perriman, WR, Ravens ($35): Have a roster spot to spare? Pick up Perriman and hope that Baltimore uses him later this season. We all know that there is plenty of room for him to start with Steve Smith out.
Questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome to pasquino@footballguys.com.