Thank you for checking out the final installment of our Fantasy 101 series. I wanted to take some time to really dive into the waiver wire. The draft is the most fun part of your league. There is no doubt. But more championships are won and lost on the waiver wire. But don't be scared, this is pretty easy. Let's break it down. Show
WHAT IS IT? Just like in real football, there is a free-agent pool of undrafted players. If one of those undrafted players starts blowing up, he's going to be a hot commodity on the waiver wire and you can make a claim for him. WHAT IF TWO PEOPLE MAKE THE SAME CLAIM ON A PLAYER? This happens a lot. An unknown player goes out and has a huge weekend. You can bet the entire league is going to try to pick him up the following week. Standard NFL Fantasy leagues (have you downloaded the app here) have a predetermined order for waivers each week. The most standard order is based on each team's record, with the last-place team getting first dibs. Other leagues have different settings. Make sure you check with your commissioner on draft night to find out how waiver claims are determined. BASIC STRATEGY Look for upgrades on players who might be getting more playing time and opportunities than the ones on your team. Don't overreact if your a starter has a bad game. Mostly you're looking for players on your bench who haven't performed. In fact, this is a great way to build depth on your bench. That way you'll have replacements ready for bye weeks and injuries. And if you find gems on the waiver wire, they can become starters on your team or perhaps you can flip them in a trade. For instance, Raheem Mostert was a waiver wire add in 2019 who helped a lot of fantasy managers win titles. STAY ACTIVE If your league has unlimited waiver wire transactions, use them. Again, don't get too antsy about your star players. Everyone has a bad week. But constantly be looking to upgrade your team. NFL.com posts the best waiver wire pickups each week! DROPS It's great to add a player to your team. But that means you're going to have to let somebody go. And I understand this can be tough, but just be smart about it. If Russell Wilson has a bad game, you likely won't drop him. But if your fifth running back isn't even seeing the field, he might be eligible to drop. Just make sure you have some compassion and understanding to that player you are dropping. I always try to reach out to them on Twitter to let them know there are no hard feelings. (Just kidding. Don't do this. Players don't care about your fantasy team. Unless they are crushing it.) Thank you for reading the Fantasy 101 series. I hope this was informative and I hope you feel better about playing fantasy football this season. Don't be afraid to hit us up on social media with any questions. We will do our very best to get back to you. Good luck and let us know how it goes! And remember this simple rule. If you win a title, that's all you. Congratulations. If you don't? Blame Rank, and my terrible advice. If need be, offer up why you think it should be that why vs. the other. Anecdotes and stories are welcome as well.
Basically we had a guy draft pretty poorly, but he played the waiver wire well. Picked up Stacy, Keenan Allen, and somebody else and ended up winning the league after starting like 2-5. Seeing as we can't change rules midseason, we left it alone and he won. No worries.
But he was getting every waiver for a good period of time. Just hoovering up everybody. Our league has mixed emotions. On one hand, he was rewarded for a poor draft by first choice at the waiver for months. On the other hand, it let's people who draft poorly get back into the mix and have a chance.
The other option is you go to the back of the line after using a waiver. This makes a player think it through alot more seriously. Do you really want to use it right now, on this player?
We're having a league vote on it.
Thoughts? Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options...  Def.Posted August 5, 2014 Def.
Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) Blind Bid Waivers - Set a max amount of money you can use for the season on waivers and everyone submits a bid. Highest bidder wins the player. Fairest way for all IMO.
What you bid is what you pay in my league. Edited August 5, 2014 by Def.Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Big CountryPosted August 5, 2014 Big Country
Posted August 5, 2014 There is no rightor wrong way to do it.
Options I have seen:
Weekly waiver run with order reset each week based on current standings Weekly waiver run with order set by reverse draft order - use a move, go to the end of the order Blind bidding First Come First serve
Is your goal to be more "fair", is it to be the most simple or something else.
I think by far the most common method is that the order is reset each week so that the last place team has first priority in waivers, usually followed by a FCFS period. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Mustangt125Posted August 5, 2014 Mustangt125
Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) I guess I don't necessarily have a goal here, I was just wondering what you all usually do. It's the same for everybody in the league but I wanted to see some opinions.
I think we'll probably end up with u use it and go to the end of the line, as that infers more responsibility and decision making on the player's part.
The blind bid waivers sounds pretty awesome though. I have never seen that option on ESPN, do they allow it? Edited August 5, 2014 by Mustangt125Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Big CountryPosted August 5, 2014 Big Country
Posted August 5, 2014 Not sure if ESPN has it, but blind bid is by far the most "fair" and also forces owners to be responsible in their bidding. Use up all of your budget and you are done for the year.
I'd be mixed on the move to the end of the line.... it really hurts teams that start off slow and more likely need the help. What happened in your league last year seems like a real anomaly. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Mustangt125Posted August 5, 2014 Mustangt125
Posted August 5, 2014 I looked through some sites and it appears ESPN does offer it. That makes it much harder on people that are trying to stream defenses, though. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Football FolliesPosted August 5, 2014 Football Follies
Posted August 5, 2014 I've had leagues where they re-set every week based on reverse standings (don't like this method)
Also, been in leagues where u keep your priority til you use it so snake basically
This year we are moving to blind bidding auction which I was in favor of (benefits include getting whoever you want if you are willing to pay and you can manually set when the bidding ends rather than stupid ESPN that pushes them through at 4am during the week)
With snake we had people getting up first thing in the morning and grabbing guys to avoid using their waiver priority on them which is kind of stupid if you can avoid it. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Big CountryPosted August 5, 2014 Big Country
Posted August 5, 2014
Not really... they just have to factor it into their plans. Owners stream defenses, kickers or TEs all the time and do it just fine. You can include a FCFS option after waivers are done that go for either a minimum bid or even for nothing... seen it done both ways Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Def.Posted August 5, 2014 Def.
Posted August 5, 2014
Ours is kind of a hybrid, where we blind bid to start off on say Wednesday, and then it goes to first come first serve for the waiver minimum till games start. So you could still play waivers for streaming defenses, though would still be a drain on the free agency cash limit. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... HowboutthemCowboysPosted August 5, 2014 HowboutthemCowboys
Posted August 5, 2014
best way to play IMHO Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Mustangt125Posted August 5, 2014 Mustangt125
Posted August 5, 2014 Yeah that sounds pretty cool. So once the "bidding period" is over with, all the players are out there and it's whoever gets to em first.....interesting. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Big CountryPosted August 5, 2014 Big Country
Posted August 5, 2014
All but those that were just dropped. They are frozen until the following week. Basically, a player must go through a waiver period in order to be available in the FCFS period. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... stevegrabPosted August 5, 2014 stevegrab
Posted August 5, 2014 weekly reset based on reverse of standing for wiavers Wed AM, once you use that you go to the back of the line. Players not claimed off waivers are FCFS after that, those cut on Wed need to clear waivers using the current order.
So sometimes it may pay not to make a move Wed, and then have a good shot at players who are released. But usually there are 3-4 owners out of 12 every week trying to add somebody to the bottom of the talent pool. Not every owner makes a lot fo moves because they cost money.
I've played the waiver wire to good advantage after a bad start a couple of times. I'm usually chasing that weak spot on my roster, and occasionally find a real gem. But usually just end up cutting that player in a week or two. for some other need (cover byes, injury, etc.) Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... ImNotSoIgnorantPosted August 5, 2014 ImNotSoIgnorant
Posted August 5, 2014 My keeper league does it this way. You have an intangible $100 for the year. Each week you can bid any amount, that you have left, on any number of players. The person who bids the most gets the player. If two or more players tie the person with the worst record wins, if the records are tied than the person with the least points wins. Works fairly well, though in our league the people are fairly experienced.
For the people that grumbled that this person came back and won the league sound like whiny kids to me. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... SeductiveNunPosted August 6, 2014 SeductiveNun
Posted August 6, 2014 One of my leagues we did worst to first for years. It usually was a worst to first waiver wire that closed on Wednesday, then on Friday - Sunday it was first come, first serve. We had a few instances in the history of our league where a team that drafted poorly basically got a "redo" for a few weeks on the waiver wire and ended up having a winning season (and won a championship at least once).
Last year we changed it to a rolling waiver wire, where you went to the end of the line if you made a transaction during our waiver period. We also had FCFS after that where you wouldn't get your waiver priority re-set. That seemed to work pretty well, but with everything else in that league, someone feels the need to change something again.
My other two leagues we do blind bidding for a waiver period, followed by a FCFS period after that. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Upside Down Drafting GuruPosted August 6, 2014 Upside Down Drafting Guru
Posted August 6, 2014 “The leagues I participate in all have Blind Bidding Waiver Auctions; for those that don’t use this Waiver Wire style, it could be a cool new FF experience for you.
A Blind Bidding Waiver Wire is a “game within a game” whereby each Tuesday night, while making a claim for a Free-Agent player off waivers, I must assign him a (fake) dollar amount before my claim can be processed. Any of the other nine owners in my league that place a claim for the player must compete against me if they are also interested in the same player. Who’s going to bid the most (using a fake cash stash) for that specific player?
“I can’t speak for all leagues, but most that use the Blind Bidding waiver system have a purse of “Fake Money” —say $250 (a coach’s fake stash for the whole season) —that you then can use for your transactions on the waiver wire.
You can play on the attack here as well, by forcing that other owner to bid higher than he should for a runner you really want. Getting to the point, in our league, you can bid all of your available (season-long $250 fake stash) on a single waiver wire player—if you really want to--and blow your entire WAD, gosh that player better be the Keenan Allen of last year if so. Some of our owners deplete their season-long stash of cash by Week 12; others will still have close to $200 remaining to save for late run.
There’s really a “game within a game” regarding the Blind Bidding warfare that I mentioned already. Use the overall transaction counter as a tool when viewing your league mates’ available “War Chest” doing so will greatly assist you with your waiver wire decisions.”
You’ll have to wait until the first wave of Waivers clear Wednesday morning. Taco Tuesday may have been the thing to do up until now, but not for me anymore: after doing careful research, a Blind Bidding Auction gives me the feeling that I’m a real NFL owner with a season-long stash of (fake) cash to spend on players. Trust me, your typical boring Tuesday night will suddenly become an entirely new and satisfying evening.”
The key is to change up your normal rolling standings or other version, and try something new.
Good Luck!
Excerpt From: “Fantasy Football Via Upside Down Drafting.” iBooks. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... ZootyPosted August 6, 2014 Zooty
Posted August 6, 2014
yup best and most fair Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... flemingdPosted August 6, 2014 flemingd
Posted August 6, 2014
Most that will stream defenses just bid a buck or two. I stream them in my auction league with BB waivers with no problem.
Blind bidding is for sure the way to go. It does all of the above - lets poor drafters recover quickly, promotes responsibility and decision making with bidding, all of it. A key suggestion - don't allow minimum bids when owners run out of cash*. Make them manage their budgets. It completely changes how you bid when you know there aren't full consequences.
*If the system allows it, I do agree with FCFS with no bids after the bidding waiver run. Best of both worlds - huge consequences if you don't manage your money during the season and don't get to participate in the initial BB run, but not dire consequences if your kicker gets cut in week 15 and you're in the championship game. You can still get the reject kicker. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... BA BaracusPosted August 6, 2014 BA Baracus
Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) My favorite way is blind bidding with a first come first served period afterward.
On ESPN, you can only do blind bidding if it is an auction league. I have told them many times that this is an idiotic limitation, but they are idiots, so waddayagonnado. We use the move to last after claim option as it adds the wrinkle of strategy on when to burn a claim.
I hate the reverse order of standings waivers. It actually encourages teams to throw week 1. Edited August 6, 2014 by BA BaracusLink to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... irishPosted August 6, 2014 irish
Posted August 6, 2014
Three reason that was probably happening was because his record was the worst and her was cherry-picking off the WW weekly, getting the best FAs. Running the WW based in record, worst to first, etc. is terrible.
IMO, the only way to do waivers is to use a blind bidding system followed by FCFS.
Done. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... irishPosted August 6, 2014 irish
Posted August 6, 2014 (edited)
I disagree as there are definitely wrong ways of doing it that are unfair to the owners of the league and aren't in everyone's best interests. Some of those are mentioned in your post. It should never be run based on standings, nor should it be run based on reverse draft order. Those present unbalanced systems. Edited August 6, 2014 by irishLink to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Mustangt125Posted August 6, 2014 Mustangt125
Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) So is it true that ESPN only allows this on auction drafts?
If so that is so whack arnold.
That leaves me with reverse order vs. go to back of the line. Back of the line it is. Edited August 6, 2014 by Mustangt125Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... Big CountryPosted August 6, 2014 Big Country
Posted August 6, 2014
It is your opinion that it is unfair. Not everyone is as hardcore as you, in fact, the vast majority of FF players would fall into the "casual" classification, and that needs to be considered.
If the goal is to provide an opportunity for teams that start slow a better chance at top free agents, or to keep the league management more simple, then reverse order of standings or reverse draft order absolutely are fair. This greater simplicity may be ideal for a casual league.
If the goal is to provide an equal shot for all owners to all free agents, then blind bidding is fair, though it can present an additional layer of complication to the league management and an additional layer of strategy for the owners. This may not be ideal for a more casual league.
It is not right or wrong. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... PapajohnPosted August 6, 2014 Papajohn
Posted August 6, 2014 Blind bid waivers. Not because it is more fair or any crap like that, but because it is way more fun. Link to commentShare on other sitesMore sharing options... irishPosted August 6, 2014 irish
Posted August 6, 2014 (edited)
I hear ya about the idea of it being somewhat easier for the casual owner.
However, #1 it's really not that hard.
#2, to maintain fairness and equity throughout the league each team should have an equal shot at the best players taking into consideration proper bidding money management.
For me, regardless of casual or competitive leagues, to allow any team a free run at the top FAs just because they had a bad week or because they happen to get lucky in selecting first because of random selection or because it happened to work out that way being reverse from the draft order is just not a good system, is outdated and is BS.
I actually play in two leagues where this is the case and hate it to the point that I lobby every year to get it changed. I get overruled and realized that it's because old timers are afraid of change and are just stuck in the mud. Can't tell you how much I hate seeing a team just be handed a possible team changing, league changing and season changing player just because they're 1st on the WW priority list. Awful. How to do waivers in fantasy football?USING THE ESPN FANTASY APP
Tap on the player you want. You will see a green "Add" button (or a yellow "Claim" button if still within the waivers period). Confirm the transaction. If the player is a Free Agent, the transaction will execute immediately and the new player will appear on your bench.
How do you prioritize the waiver wire?Waiver Priority
The team at the top gets the first pick, followed by the second team, and so on. The team that gets priority can be set a few ways: Worst is first - The team with the first record gets the first choice, and the win-loss record decides this every week.
What determines waiver priority in fantasy football?After each Game Week in the regular season, the waiver priority list is reset: The new rank is determined by the reverse order of the current league standings (the manager with the lowest league standing gets 1st rank). When playoffs begin, the waiver priority list stops resetting.
How much should I bid for fantasy waivers?Making a bid
The default budget is $100, but the commissioner can adjust the budget as they see fit. Bids are blind, so other managers can't see how much your bid is. The highest bid at the end of the waiver period wins the player.
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Best way to do waivers in fantasy football
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