I was so incredibly hesitant to trying my first fantasy baseball auction. It was 2006 and I had finally learned how to put together a competent team through a snake draft. The idea of someone being able to purchase several first-round caliber players struck me as troubling. But, I was outvoted by my league-mates, and off we went.

My first auction went surprisingly well. Armed with whatever fantasy baseball magazine I had pulled off the shelves the day before and no plan of action whatsoever, I followed the values closely, built my team on the fly, and narrowly missed finishing in first. Having Chris Carpenter, Jose Reyes, Mark Teixeira, and a forgotten Jim Thome certainly helped.

The next year didn’t work out quite as well. I couldn’t understand why. After all, I was armed with the same strategy: 1) random magazine; 2) iron clad values (the basis of which I had no idea); and 3) no plan of action. Seemed pretty rock solid to me.

I finished 10th that year. And eighth the next. And over the next several years, even when I managed to find my way into the money, I never felt comfortable heading into or coming out of the auction.

But in 2014, I read “Winning Fantasy Baseball” by Larry Schechter, perhaps the best fantasy baseball auction player in the world. After reading the book, I drastically changed my auction approach. And although I obviously haven’t won every single fantasy baseball auction league I’ve played in since, I have a) felt well-prepared for every auction, and b) left every auction knowing I had a chance to compete for the title.

Every fantasy baseball player who is looking to improve his or her skill as an auction player should read Winning Fantasy Baseball. But, in the meantime, I will say that if you follow the teachings in this primer, then you will improve as an auction player. I guarantee it.