Every draft season, no matter the sport, it’s the same routine.  Study.  Game plan.  Mock.  Repeat.  Practice, practice, practice.  Then on draft day comes the monkey wrench.  Thrown are the curve, slide-piece, and the heater high and tight.  Surprise, after surprise, after surprise.  What I’m trying to say is every draft is different.  No matter how much you prepare for what you believe may be coming, you have to be ready to adapt for what is coming.  Last night was no exception when I experienced my first live football auction.

The league is a group of 10 guys.  Some are good friends, while a couple of others I don’t really know too well.  But we are all there with the same mindset; draft well, have fun, and win this damn thing.  We have a budget of $200 for 17 roster spots.  The starting slots are two quarterbacks, two running backs, three wide receivers, one flex, one tight end, a kicker, and a defense.  There are six bench spots.

Is this article going to be a look back and see, form conclusions, and use that information to help build a strategy toward future drafts?  Well, not quite.

There is no doubt every draft is distinct from one another.  They involve twists and turns.  Reaches and steals.  But this draft was so over-the-top in its uniqueness, wrapping your head around its details would only hinder your preparation.  It is best for the specifics to be left unsaid.  And yet saying all this, I imagine the controlled chaos of this draft is much like one you completed, or will complete with your friends in the near future.  They know most, if not all of the players, have read the magazines and websites, and in general, have a strategy and an idea as to what to do.  Of course, you end up witnessing countless errors (major or minor).  You encounter draft confusion and turbulence.  Bathroom breaks and complaints.  And if like mine, you drink booze and eat BBQ.

Pints are consumed.  Ribs are downed.  And in the late hours, countless slam it down beverages were toasted.

I would love to write that I didn’t make any mistakes.  It would be great if this piece illustrated to you the perfect strategy for a two quarterback auction draft.  But all that would be a fib.  However, there are a few pieces of advice I can give to you for your upcoming draft.  Patience is rewarded, but be aware of the players left at each position.  Group the players into tiers so you know the appropriate time to strike.  There’s no reason to over-spend on Tom Brady if there are several other quarterbacks available in the same tier.  Also, use nominations (to begin a bidding process on a player) to your advantage.  Early in the draft, I decided to nominate by position.  Are you not too concerned about the wide-receiver position?  Not planning on taking the top tier guys?  Throw them out there and let others spend a significant portion of their money.  Are you never planning to spend that kind of mula on Jimmy Graham?  Toss him out next.  The middle to end of the draft is when you have to be more careful with your nominations.  When budgets are tight, you may be able to steal a player for half of what he’s worth.  Knowing the budget and needs of others can help you scoop up a these kinds of deals.  And be sure to set several budget plans for yourself.  I say several because you can’t predict how the bidding will occur.  During this draft, many quarterbacks went for a high price, so I had to slightly adjust my calculations.  Fortunately, I had four different budgets set for each position, including an overall total for each set of positions.  I would then recommend applying this budget to your tiers.  It will help you get an understanding of your possible targets, even before the draft begins.  Of course, plans are often easier said than done, and whether a poor decision is caused by panic, distraction, or alcohol consumption, the key is not to let it snowball.

In case you were wondering about my estimated budgets, I posted an example below.  The customization of this league, along with it being a first time auction league, made it somewhat difficult to gauge prices.  Once I created these budgets, I then created a price range for each tier.  The scoring system, as is always the case, dictates my player rankings.

Individual Estimated Budget:

Combined Estimated Budget:

At the bottom of tier two, I would not spend $40 on Darren Sproles, but I would spend $25.  And at the top of tier two is Marshawn Lynch and if I missed out on the running backs in tier one, I would heavily consider spending $40 for his services if my options are running thin.  The tier prices are meant as a guide.

Despite a couple of missteps, my team turned out fine, and I should be a true contender for a title.  Much of my competition shot themselves in the foot early and often, and even a couple got penalized for going over their maximum bid.  Lucky for me, the mistakes I made didn’t hurt quite as much because of the many that occurred throughout the night.

All in all, it was a fun three and a half hour draft.  I could give more details, but I know in this case they are irrelevant.  This draft, like many of yours, was unique.  That’s what makes it so great.  Granted, this isn’t always the case, and I believe this was an extreme example, but they do occur.  Still, whether your draft has small shocks, or big ones, practice, game planning, mapping out a budget, and overall strategizing will help set you apart from the competition.  Just remember, surprises are coming, so adjust as needed.  Last night’s draft involved the common man.  Not SABR nerds.  Not the experts.  But what you, I, and even the best of pros have to deal with; friends.  Just guys looking to have fun, talk smack, and win some money.  And really, there is not a whole lot wrong with that.