I’ve been running a fantasy football league for several years now. Each year we have made tweaks to increase the quality, competition, and overall fun of the league. Throughout the years, we have added individual defensive players, adjusted point modifiers, and reduced bench spots. This year, we’re switching to an auction draft.

I have poked around various fantasy football sites. Most ffb pros seem to agree that once you go auction draft you won’t go back. With which I tend to agree. However, unlike previous tweaks we have made, switching to an auction draft is more of an over haul.

The auction draft system creates an entirely new level of complexity and requires an entirely different approach in terms of draft strategy.

Being that this is our first year using the auction draft, I think it’s likely that we take a step back in terms of league competitiveness and parity. Such are the growing pains of making the switch. I anticipate that many managers will blow their wads and overspend on the top projected players. On the other hand, I expect that a few savvy managers are likely to slow play and nominate 2nd tier players early in order to grab a steal early.

For me, it seems that the auction draft is too dynamic an environment for which to really be prepared. It will require last minute changes, adjustments, and rethinking. It will require a balance between your best laid plans, the instinct of a pro poker player, and the discipline of a marine.