I have an auction draft for a 20-team, 9-cat, H2H league later tonight (my time). I am considering nominating my mid-round picks FIRST.
There are 10 roster spots and I want to get the most out of them. Being able to spend less on mid-rounders will be key in achieving this goal.
I expect to get fewer up-bids for my mid-round picks early as tighter managers will be saving their $ for their early-round picks.
Thoughts? Comments?
A 20-team auction is going to take quite a while, which means you can use fatigue to your advantage. I'm also an auction guy, and instead of nominating my own picks early on, I like to nominate over-hyped/valued guys other GMs won't be able to resist. This year, I'll probably nominate Embiid, Lonzo, Simmons, LaMarcus, Rondo, Nurkic, and Whiteside (assuming they're still on the board when it's my turn). Other GMs will do the necessary work of nominating top-20 guys, who will go for a fortune in a league your size.
The reason I don't like nominating mid-rounders I actually want early on in a large auction is that if I do it *too* early, other GMs have the budget necessary to police the price. For instance, I really want Gary Harris this year. If I nominate him in the first hour of the draft, I suspect he'll go for $15-$20, for no other reason than GMs no he shouldn't be cheap and I'm willing to pay. If I wait until the end of the second hour (or later), I suspect I can get him for $5-$10 due to a combination of fatigue and budget attrition from other GMs.
It should go without saying that you might have to wade in on a mid-rounder you really like if he gets nominated before you like, but it's almost always true in auctions that guys cost less later on.
