The BEST Auction Fantasy Football Draft Strategy (2026 Update)

Amon-Ra St. Brown is not as undervalued as initially thought; he is consistently going for over $50 in mocks despite hopes to acquire him for $45-49.

Ashton Jeanty is tiered similarly to Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, James Cook, and Jonathan Taylor as a second-tier elite running back option in auction drafts.

Jeanty is positioned as a potential value play in auction drafts; despite being a tier-1 running back option, he could last longer in nominations than McCaffrey and potentially go for more money if perceived as the last true number-one running back available.

Baker Mayfield will be available very cheaply (around $1) later in auctions as a start-worthy quarterback option.

Bijan Robinson is grouped in an elite tier with Jahmyr Gibbs as one of the two most expensive running backs expected in auction drafts.

Bijan is mentioned as one of the first two running backs expected to be expensive in auction drafts, making him a player some drafters plan to avoid in favor of other tier-1 options.

If drafted early, Bijan Robinson becomes a reason to nominate high-priced running backs to drain money from the draft pool and strengthen one's position.

Expected to command inflated auction prices in the $75-80 range, making him a risky value proposition at those price points.

Bo Nix is one of the cheap QB options the speaker plans to target as part of a two-QB pairing strategy in auctions, and is available as a mobile QB option.

Bo Nix is targeted as a cheap quarterback option to pair with another budget quarterback in auction drafts.

Will not be available at discount prices; requires aggressive early nomination strategy to secure him, as he will not remain on the board for later rounds at cheaper prices.

Ranked as the number one player on Fantasy Points' Auction Cheat Sheet, indicating elite tier status and a key cornerstone target for auction drafts.

Brock Bowers is ranked number one on the Fantasy Points Auction Cheat Sheet and is viewed as a potential league-breaking player if he can stay healthy and benefit from improved offensive line, quarterback play, and coaching.

Brock Bowers has minimal target competition compared to other elite tight ends, with the offensive line expected to be healthier and quarterback play improving from last year.

Brock Bowers is described as the most gifted tight end in the league who could break fantasy football this year, with all previous negatives (injury, offensive line, quarterback play, coaching) expected to improve.

If Brock Bowers can be acquired in the $30-40 range in auction, he represents exceptional value as a potential single most impactful player without preventing you from drafting top receivers or running backs.

If just two stars align for Brock Bowers, he could be a league-breaking type of player, with serious FOMO risk if you don't secure him in auction drafts.

If Bowers stays healthy, the analyst doesn't see a scenario in which he isn't at least the number two tight end for fantasy, with so much more upside than that.

Brock Bowers can function as a wide receiver one or two in auction leagues, offering $20+ savings compared to traditional WR2 options like Mitch at $45-55, while providing similar production.

Brock Purdy can be acquired for a dollar or two at the end of auction drafts, representing excellent value at the quarterback position.

Brock Purdy is one of the cheap QB options the speaker plans to target as part of a two-QB pairing strategy in auctions.

Brock Purdy is targeted as one of the cheapest interesting quarterback options to pair with another budget quarterback in auction drafts.

In a mock auction, Chase Brown went for only slightly more than Gentry ($39) because the Gentry price anchored market expectations, preventing the drafter from acquiring him at the desired price point.

Chase Brown ended up going for just a few dollars more than Ashton Gentry ($39), influenced by market perception that Brown should command a higher price. Drew wanted to acquire Brown but didn't end up getting him due to the nomination strategy.

McCaffrey is discussed as a tier-1 running back option in auction drafts, though he may be expensive early; the speaker notes he would typically be chosen over Ashton Jeanty in a binary choice but could be outbid depending on room perception and nomination timing.

Christian McCaffrey is tiered similarly to James Cook, Ashton Jeanty, and Jonathan Taylor as a second-tier elite running back option that could be more affordable than Gibbs and Robinson in auction drafts.

Colston Loveland faces significant target competition from Adonai and Luther Burden in the Bears offense, limiting his opportunity compared to Brock Bowers.

Dak Prescott is not worth spending $9 on early in auctions when cheaper QB options like Joe Burrow ($5-6) will be available later as quarterback prices fall.

Spending $9 on Dak Prescott early in an auction draft is not recommended when quarterbacks become significantly cheaper later.

Dalton Schultz is characterized as a catch-and-fall-down tight end who won't cost much and can provide floor value when paired with premium tight ends.

The analyst explicitly states he doesn't want any part of David Montgomery, dismissing him as overvalued despite another analyst (Dolan) having been bullish on him all offseason.

George Kittle is presented as a higher-risk tight end option with significant fantasy upside, though the analyst expresses some concern about his actual recovery status.

Cited as a top receiver with distinct pricing compared to other elite receivers like Nico Collins, requiring differentiated auction strategy.

Joe Dolan groups Jahmyr Gibbs in an elite tier with Bijan Robinson, noting these two are expected to be expensive in auction drafts and may be priced out for many teams.

Projected as a $70 auction player, but if nominated early and goes for $90, it signals big spenders are active and requires mental adjustment of remaining player values.

Jake Ferguson is characterized as a catch-and-fall-down tight end who won't cost much and can provide floor value when paired with premium tight ends.

James Cook is tiered similarly to Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Ashton Jeanty, and Jonathan Taylor as a second-tier elite running back option in auction drafts.

Cook is grouped in a tier of similarly-valued elite running backs where the difference between them is marginal enough that drafters may struggle to distinguish value.

Expected to see significant price inflation in auction drafts, with projections rising from $70 to $80-85, making him potentially overpriced relative to typical auction values.

Jared Goff will be available very cheaply (around $1) later in auctions as a start-worthy quarterback option.

Joe Burrow has been available at very cheap prices in recent mocks ($5-6), making him a strong value target in auctions rather than spending $9 on other QBs early.

Burrow was acquired for $6 in an auction draft, demonstrating that quarterback prices fall off a cliff later in drafts.

Jonathan Taylor is tiered similarly to Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, James Cook, and Ashton Jeanty as a second-tier elite running back option in auction drafts.

Taylor is grouped in a tier of similarly-valued elite running backs where the difference between them is marginal enough that drafters may struggle to distinguish value.

Jordan Love will be available very cheaply (around $1) later in auctions as a start-worthy quarterback option, and is one of the guys the speaker plans to target as a second QB pairing.

Jordan Love is targeted as one of the cheapest interesting quarterback options to pair with another budget quarterback in auction drafts.

If drafted early, Josh Allen triggers a nomination strategy where competing quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson are put up to manage auction spending.

Josh Allen is mentioned in the context of a broader discussion about whether there's a sea change in fantasy football strategy due to injuries at quarterback and wide receiver positions and personnel shifts around the NFL.

Identified as a key one-position target to monitor in auction drafts, suggesting strategic importance in draft planning.

Josh Allen is the number one quarterback in fantasy, and the analyst emphasizes his unique upside is far above Lamar Jackson's, making him worth paying up for in one-quarterback leagues.

Josh Allen has been QB1 or QB2 for six straight seasons with his worst finish as QB2. Over his seven best games in the last three seasons, he averaged 41.7 fantasy points per game compared to Lamar Jackson's 34.2, showing staggering upside that makes him a buy at $19-25 range in auctions.

Josh Allen's unique upside is far above Lamar Jackson's, and if he goes for under $30 (in the $20-25 range or cheaper), he's a strong buy in auction leagues.

Josh Allen is the primary premium quarterback target in auction drafts; if not acquired, the strategy is to wait and get multiple cheaper quarterbacks.

Justin Herbert will be available cheaply in auctions as a mobile QB option if desired.

Kyler Murray can be paired with another cheap quarterback like Malik Willis for a total spend of $3-4 or less in auction drafts.

Used as a nomination strategy tool when Josh Allen is drafted early, as part of quarterback-specific auction strategy.

Lamar Jackson may be available at lower prices in auctions, but Josh Allen's upside is considered superior. Even if Lamar goes for high prices ($40-45), there will be value available at the quarterback position elsewhere.

Matthew Stafford will be available very cheaply (around $1) later in auctions as a start-worthy quarterback option when other teams have already spent on their primary QB.

Matthew Stafford is not being targeted due to expected significant regression, with concerns about Alaric Jackson's health on his blindside.

Matthew Stafford is expected to see significant regression and is not a target in auctions, with concerns about Alaric Jackson's blindside protection.

Referenced as a top receiver option with different pricing dynamics compared to other elite receivers like Ja'Marr Chase, requiring specific targeting strategy.

Saquon Barkley is tiered similarly to Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, Ashton Jeanty, and Jonathan Taylor as a second-tier elite running back option in auction drafts.

Barkley is grouped in a tier of similarly-valued elite running backs (alongside McCaffrey, Cook, Jeanty, and Taylor) where the difference between them is marginal enough that drafters may struggle to distinguish value.

Mentioned as a handcuff option being drafted in later rounds (round 8-9) as running backs are being depleted early in snake drafts.

Tee Higgins is significantly undervalued in auction markets; he was WR4 in fantasy points per game in 2024 with healthy Joe Burrow and is priced at $19 on Yahoo and $13 on ESPN, but should be worth $25-30+.

Trevor Lawrence is one of the cheap QB options the speaker plans to target as part of a two-QB pairing strategy in auctions.

Trevor Lawrence is targeted as a cheap quarterback option to pair with another budget quarterback in auction drafts.

Trey McBride is expected to take a step back this year due to improved Cardinals defense and increased target competition from healthy Marvin Harrison and other receivers.

Despite catching 120 passes last year, the analyst doesn't feel the same FOMO about Trey McBride as he does about Brock Bowers.

Tucker Kraft is identified as a linchpin tight end option coming off injury, having been tied at number one when healthy before his injury.

Tyler Warren faces target competition from Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and top fantasy running back Jonathan Taylor in the Colts offense.