Auction drafts are easy to “win” but even easier to “lose.” Dave Caban overviews the preparation, thought processes, and in-auction strategies needed to ensure that you’re ready for the intensity and challenges auctions will throw at you and are poised to leave your draft with a contender.

Since 2016, I have published a series of articles on auction drafts each summer to help readers prepare for their upcoming drafts. Initially, these articles focused on the general principles of auction draft strategy, key concepts, and navigating example drafts. Over time, this content evolved into more comprehensive draft guides tailored to each season. These guides aggregated previous content, providing readers with a well-organized and easily digestible resource to prepare for their auctions.

For the 2024 season, I will be following a similar approach, but the content will be spread across more articles than in previous years. This structure will allow for a deeper exploration of a smaller selection of key concepts at a time. Alongside presenting these concepts and referencing relevant articles for further understanding, I’ll include a list of key takeaways at the end of each piece, offering readers actionable insights to apply in their drafts. While some content and takeaways may be redundant, this repetition is intentional and will reinforce the critical lessons necessary for success.

Here is the general plan for each part of the guide:

Part 1:

• General auction draft strategy
• Player evaluation in the context of auctions
• Preparing for an auction and implementing the discussed strategies
• Lessons in executing strategies based on previous “expert” auctions I have participated in

Part 2:

• Supply, demand, and auction drafts
  • Using basic economic principles to understand the auction draft market and how player values fluctuate
• Key insights into how auction drafts evolve and the impact this has on strategy and execution
• Best practices to keep in mind during your auction

Part 3:

• Common mistakes to avoid during an auction
• Recommended actions to take during an auction

Part 4:

• Preparation specific to the 2024 season including
  • Auction tiers
  • Potential draft paths

Part 5:

• Review of auctions in which I will be participating during the 2024 offseason

How Will This Guide Help Me?

If you have never participated in an auction draft or have spent little time considering auction strategy or optimal approaches, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Questions such as “How much is too much for Justin Jefferson?” or “Who should I nominate and when?” may arise. Additionally, you might wonder how to create a value worksheet for the draft, whether to employ a Zero RB strategy, or if a stars and scrubs approach is viable.

While no single optimal approach exists, there are strategies and advantages to be gained by recognizing that an auction draft is fundamentally different from a snake draft. Auctions are not linear, and no two are the same. This reality is a double-edged sword: while it allows for team construction that would be impossible in a snake draft (where average draft position limits flexibility), it also complicates draft preparation and contextualization.

For nearly a decade, I have dedicated significant time to thinking about auction drafts, participating in expert auctions, and analyzing in-auction dynamics. During this period, I have written numerous articles that I believe will thoroughly prepare you for the mentally challenging exercise of an auction draft. Many of the principles that underlie effective auction draft strategies are not intuitive, and I have found that novice auction drafters often ask the wrong questions during preparation. In fact, attempting to determine