Which Player goes 1st?

[urch420]

I am calling out the 1st player in our auction...What do you guys use as a strategy for this? Call out a pricey guy to get people to spend? Call out someone I don't want? Call out a guy I hope to get on the cheap thinking people will save their money for later? Is there really a strategy for this? Any names you recommend throwing out first? Thanks!

[Mithrandir]

Calling out the top player at a position that you have filled is always a solid strategy. Getting someone to spend big money is good.

[revo]

Calling out the top player at a position that you have filled is always a solid strategy. Getting someone to spend big money is good.

This.

[harmon]

I always like to throw out a guy that I'm interested in, but have fall back choices if the bidding gets out of hand. There's usually a couple like this where you want to know early what's going to happen so you can zig if necessary.

This year I'm hoping to get 2 of Votto, Hosmer or Rendon. My fall back option if these go crazy is to spend more on pitching.

[Sour Masher]

I agree with Harmon. It is dangerous to save for a few guys and then see then go for crazy money. Better to find out early so you can shift gears if needed. In my league, it is hard to tell who folks will go nuts on. So finding out early if you can get your plan A or need to go to plan B or C is helpful.

[B-Fly]

In a redraft league or if I'm big money going in on a keeper league, I'm likely to start with someone I want (particularly if I think the player's true value is above most folks comfort level out of the gate). A lot of times I think the top overall targets bought out of the gate end up looking like spectacular prices later when teams start panicking about the dwindling number of studs left. If I'm low money on the board, I'm much more likely to toss out the perceived top player in a position I've already got filled.

[cool hand]

I judge my league to be somewhat impulsive in their spending, and as such I'll generally throw out the highest priced players early that I have no interest in in order to get the big spenders to chew up budget (and hopefully not be able to push me on the players that I do want). The only caveat to this is if I have a draft strategy centered around 1 or 2 players that will make or break a decision to go down one road or another. Example - this year Trout is available and I have a number of contingent strategies in place that depend on whether I do or do not own him. I'll need to know quickly which direction my team is headed.

[cavebird]

It depends on the dynamics of the league; I don't think there is a one size fits all solution. I was listening to the fantasy channel on Sirius/XM the other day, and the "experts" were saying to get guys early because people are timid on spending so much on the top guys, then later realize they have too much money left so bargains are tough later. They have obviously never played in my league. I just hope my targets don't come out in the first two rounds---prices are just brutal. For example, at our pre-draft lunch today, the guy who tosses third told me he was going to toss out a perennial target of mine (no need to be coy here, it's Freddie Freeman, everyone in my league knows this already). I told him, man, he was going to stop my strategy of tossing him out first myself (I toss 9th). That was purely to dissuade him---I have no intention of tossing him; I don't want my targets out too early, but in this case, I am sure it will be impossible to avoid. Usually, there is chaos early, deals then usually come in the middle; then there is the period where the 4-5 guys with too much money kill any bargains, then there are the usual dollar days bargains.

But I imagine some leagues are like the leagues the experts were talking about. Probably mostly redraft types of leagues---in keeper leagues, guys with the great keeper list will bid the hell out of the top players because they can (and probably should).

[joncarlos]

Sometimes the first guy is a bargain. Sometimes he's not. So throw out someone you'd like to have as a bargain but can live without if they go crazy.

I am usually throwing out someone that does the "thing" I need the most, so I can gauge the market. If I really need speed, I want to know what people are paying for it this year. If I need one of the top 5 big name 1Bs, I'm throwing one out just to see what people are paying. If it's saves, I want to know early if I am going to be able to afford them.

[Redbirds Fan]

Sometimes the first guy is a bargain. Sometimes he's not. So throw out someone you'd like to have as a bargain but can live without if they go crazy.

I am usually throwing out someone that does the "thing" I need the most, so I can gauge the market. If I really need speed, I want to know what people are paying for it this year. If I need one of the top 5 big name 1Bs, I'm throwing one out just to see what people are paying. If it's saves, I want to know early if I am going to be able to afford them.

Agree with joncarlos. You can sometimes catch a bargain, always get some intel.

[Mithrandir]

First guy in my auction was Ohtani at SP. Went for 27 to the guy that threw him out.

[Sharky]

Good to look at supply and demand. And your needs, assuming it’s a keeper league.

Several good points made already. If you have in mind 1-2 “pivot” players, see what happens early. If it works, great; if not, pivot. Or if you don’t have such a strategy, I usually prefer soaking up money for a position or skill I don’t need.

[swampdragon]

I usually throw out the 2nd/3rd ranked player at a spot (that I want and see where it goes) - somebody like Freddy Freeman to see where he ends up - if low enough grab him - if not wait for the next 1b

or you can always throw out a one dollar player just to do make others go HUH

or a real wild card like Otani

[harmon]

I usually throw out the 2nd/3rd ranked player at a spot (that I want and see where it goes) - somebody like Freddy Freeman to see where he ends up - if low enough grab him - if not wait for the next 1b

or you can always throw out a one dollar player just to do make others go HUH

or a real wild card like Otani

I like this idea of the 2nd or 3rd ranked guy.

My main league NL auction is this weekend. I am void at CI. Some real good choices there this year with Votto, Rizzo, Hosmer, Carpenter (who I think is in for a rebound), Santana, Belt and assorted others. So following this strategy I would put up Hosmer and this should give a reasonable idea on the guys above and below him, and to see how many are competing for a high priced 1B.