Fantasy Football - Blind Auction? You bet.

Bling Auction? You Bet! - May '00 written by Ms. Daisy ARTICLE REPRODUCED FOR FREE AT WWW.DRAFTGUIDE.COM

Blind Auction? You Bet! by: Ms. Daisy Probably one of the least popular, yet most entertaining, types of fantasy leagues implement the blind auction style. Auction leagues are many, but the blind auction definitely adds another exciting dimension. A pure blind auction offers a draft format with a fixed number of positions to be filled in the same round where each owner blindly offers (bids) a salary for each position, while having no clue as to who the other owners are bidding on, or how much they are bidding. The challenge is to purchase players for the least possible amount of dollars while bidding enough to assure acquisition. Good blind auction leagues have minimum bid requirements and reasonable, not exaggerated salary caps. Great leagues also mandate that the purchase bid stays with the acquired player, whether he is traded, placed on the injured reserve list or released from the NFL. I personally think successful blind auction leagues require a minimum of 21 positions. I happen to play in one that uses 25 positions, however two of these are offensive line units. I also personally prefer individual defensive players as opposed to defensive teams in this type of league. A draft is normally complete in 4 or 5 rounds, depending on the number of positions required. The strategies for blind auction drafting are as varied as the owners are themselves. I have taken the liberty of labeling some of these strategies that I have observed over the past three seasons in competition... The "Betting the Farmers" - Some owners will bet the farm, the house, and the livestock on a couple of high profilers, scrambling to fill the other positions with a little luck, very little leftover cash, and a couple sleepers. Your hardcore risk-takers will be more likely to try this strategy. I watched one owner last year use 3/4 of his salary cap on two big name players, filling his other 23 slots however he could. He ended up winning his division and making it to the playoffs. The buck stopped there. And the only reason he got that far was that luckily both of his big guys stayed healthy and a few little guys came up big. The "Penny-Pinchers" - Other owners will almost try an exact opposite strategy. This group tries to pick up several second tier players for ultra-cheap in the first round, saving lots of salary money for down the stretch, when trades, injuries, and roster changes are warranted.. This strategy may actually work in a single season league, if the owner pays very close attention to bye weeks and gets a couple of sleepers to produce. The "Algebra-Triggers" - These mathematical types develop formulas, and ratios and a busload (oops, sorry Bettis wink) of other equations which compare perceived value to each player and position to a monetary equivalent. These types really struggle with the idea that other owners can ever actually offer "Player A+" 20 times the salary of "Player B+", for instance. They create their own personal little mathematical strategies. I am fascinated by some of the efforts here, which are both unique and exhausting, but mostly I’ve noticed, these guys and girls are no more successful in the long run... or the short pass wink ... than the other strategists. I must confess, however, that I have been tempted to test out a team sometime acquired solely on this strategy, just for kicks and grins. The "Betting Penny Triggers" - You guessed it. This group mixes it up. Takes a bit of a risk here and there, saves some money for the rainy days, and rather subjectively values players and positions. This strategy is by far the most successful by my observations. This strategy is essential for blind-auction keeper leagues. *** One additional observation of blind auction that I must insert here. What I have noticed every season is that second and third tier players demand higher bids as the draft progresses, when all the owners are scrambling to complete their rosters. It is at this time in the draft that an owner should be extremely mindful of how important these players may or may not actually be in the grand scheme of things.... For those of you who have never tried a blind auction, I encourage you to try one! I happen to play in the Where’s Instant Replay Fantasy Football League. It’s an established, reliable internet league. Check it out at www.fsnwgames.com. Sign-ups start mid-June with drafts in August. Til next time... daiz

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