Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide 2025: Auction Strategy

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  • By Keston Paul

    Last Updated on August 31, 2025 3:20 pm by Keston Paul | Published: August 14, 2025

    This was a two-man effort by André Lemos and Keston Paul. We hope to give you a good foundation if you are new to auction leagues and intend to try one this season. If you have already participated in one, there are more advanced tidbits which should be enlightening and useful.

    Fantasy basketball auction drafts have absolutely revolutionized how we build teams. This isn’t your grandma’s snake draft where you just cross your fingers and hope the guy you want falls to you. Nope. In an auction, every single manager, from the seasoned vet to the curious newcomer, has a shot at any player on the board. The catch? You gotta be willing to spend your hard-earned (virtual) cash. This level of control means you need to truly grasp the mechanics, have a killer strategy, and be ready to pivot faster than a point guard on a fast break.

    The Mechanics of the Auction: Your Wallet is Your Weapon

    So, how does this beautiful madness unfold? Each manager kicks things off with a set budget, usually a nice round $200. This cash is your ammunition for bidding on players.

    Here’s the play-by-play:

    Nomination: Any team can nominate a player. It could be a consensus top-tier superstar, or a sneaky sleeper you’ve been eyeing. The choice is yours.

    Bidding: Once a player is nominated, it’s open season. Managers start throwing out bids from their remaining budget. Bidding typically goes up in set increments (like $1, $5, etc.), and the highest bid after a set countdown takes the player.

    Winning and Deduction: Bam! The player is yours. That winning bid amount gets instantly deducted from your budget, and the player slides onto your roster.

    Repeat: This goes on until every single roster spot in your league is filled.

    This format, unlike the snake, completely sidesteps the inherent advantage (or disadvantage) of draft order. It truly levels the playing field, making strategy, savvy budgeting, and a bit of psychological warfare the ultimate determiners of who wins the draft.

    Keys to Auction Dominance: Master Your Money, Master the Room

    Okay, you know the rules. Now, let’s talk about winning.

    Want to read to rest of our Auction Strategy Guide? You’ll need to have an NBA FantasyPass membership or purchase the Draft Guide. Click here to learn more and sign up!  

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    August 14, 2025, 8:26 pm