Beat the Shift Podcast – Auction Strategy Episode w/ Steve Gardner

by
February 17, 2023

The Auction Strategy episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Steve Gardner

2023 LABR Auctions

Strategy Section

  • General Auction Preparation
    • How does it differ from snake drafts?
  • Position scarcity in auctions & punting
  • Live auctions vs. online auctions
  • Mono league auctions
  • How does auction strategy and future FAAB spending tie in together?
  • How should you prepare yourself mentally for the auction?
  • What should you do during auction breaks?
  • Scouting other league members
    • How does this affect the way that you should auction?
  • How to create auction values & strike prices
    • When should you bid over your values?
  • How much should you spend on hitting vs. pitching?
  • Stars & Scrubs vs. Spread the Risk
  • In-draft adjustments
    • In-draft inflation
  • Nominations
    • How do you determine who you should nominate next?
    • Controlling a room with nominations
  • Money Management
    • Pacing yourself throughout the auction
    • Having the hammer at the end
  • Bidding
    • How often should you bid on players?
    • Price enforcing
    • Starting bids
    • Freeze bids
    • Bid on the ‘9’s?
    • Timing of bids
    • $2 bids
    • Sneaking $1 players in early

 

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Ariel is the 2019 FSWA Baseball Writer of the Year. Ariel is also the winner of the 2020 FSWA Baseball Article of the Year award. He is the creator of the ATC (Average Total Cost) Projection System. Ariel was ranked by FantasyPros as the #1 fantasy baseball expert in 2019. His ATC Projections were ranked as the #1 most accurate projection system over the past three years (2019-2021). Ariel also writes for CBS Sports, SportsLine, RotoBaller, and is the host of the Beat the Shift Podcast (@Beat_Shift_Pod). Ariel is a member of the inaugural Tout Wars Draft & Hold league, a member of the inaugural Mixed LABR Auction league and plays high stakes contests in the NFBC. Ariel is the 2020 Tout Wars Head to Head League Champion. Ariel Cohen is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and the Society of Actuaries (SOA). He is a Vice President of Risk Management for a large international insurance and reinsurance company. Follow Ariel on Twitter at @ATCNY.

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Jonathan Sher
2 years ago

Curious why for online auctions you don’t use Zoom or similar virtual conferencing, which allows you to hear the bids, see your rivals and not be a slave to a screen with bids that competes with your screen with values/spreadsheets/strategy. We used Zoom in 2022 and it had much of the feel of an in-person auction.

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Ariel CohenFanGraphs Staff
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan Sher

I’ve tried one of those. Had issues multiple times, and went very slow. People said they bid and we didn’t hear …. two people bid at the same time, etc. Lots of arguing. Haven’t had one organized since. Not against trying it again, but have not had the opportunity.

The online computerized auctions have flaws but are more efficient.

Best is always in person.

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