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I feel like I say this every year, but 2019 is such a great year for auction drafts. What I love about auctions is the ability to get all of “my guys.” There are a bunch of players I like with similar average draft positions (ADP). It is literally not possible to get them all in a snake draft (without seriously sacrificing talent). As much as we all love our mid-round guys, we can’t take them over objectively superior players.
If I can load up my bench with fifth/sixth/seventh/eighth-round ADP guys and ignore everyone in the third and fourth round, I’d love to do that. In an auction, I can, and you can, too.
In every auction, there will be plenty of $1 players, usually taken later in drafts. These $1 guys are just dart throws, but it’s important to throw your darts at the correct players. You want athletes with plausible upside — players with a chance to matter. This is especially important if you are implementing the “stars and scrubs” strategy, which typically results in more than half your bench being $1 guys. Here are a handful of high-upside targets that can be had for $1.
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Quarterbacks
Yes, quarterbacks…all of them. Okay, not all of them, but your signal-caller should cost you $1 (maybe $2). You can find average auction values here.
While it appears that every starting passer will cost you at least $2, that’s just not going to be the reality in your league. You are going to be able to draft guys like Ben Roethlisberger, Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins, and Dak Prescott for $1. Even guys like Mitch Trubisky or Philip Rivers are fine for $1. Note: Despite Kyler Murray’s $0 price, there is no chance you are getting him for under $5. Sorry.
Carlos Hyde (RB – KC)
Why not? We’ve seen Carlos Hyde be a three-down back. I’ve heard people discuss how Hyde is a bad fit for Andy Reid’s offense, but what’s that based on exactly?
Hyde is a competent pass catcher and can run through a wide-open hole. The Chiefs’ offense makes the back, not the other way around. If Damien Williams were to get hurt or falter in some way and Hyde took over, he would have RB1 upside because any replacement level or better back has RB1 upside on the Chiefs.
Damien Harris (RB – NE)
Be sure to monitor this one throughout the preseason as Damien Harris‘ depressed cost is directly tied to the status of Sony Michel’s knee. If Michel has issues with his knee, you’re never getting Harris for $1. But assuming everything is peachy with Michel heading into late August, his value will rise while Harris’ will fall. Michel may be healthy at the time you’re drafting, but how confident are you that he plays 16 games? If and when Michel goes down, Harris has RB2 upside and is worth a buck in your auction draft.
Adrian Peterson (RB – WAS)
This one kind of goes against everything I stand for because Peterson is a very low ceiling player. However, he is a starting running back for an NFL team and you can likely get him for $1. Derrius Guice has never played an NFL snap and is not only coming back from a torn ACL, but he’s had complications with his recovery resulting in multiple additional surgeries and he recently sustained a hamstring injury.
Lower body soft tissue injuries are common with players returning from ACL tears (see: Cook, Dalvin) as the muscles need time to get back to full strength. It seems quite unlikely that Guice will be a workhorse or even the lead back at least early in the 2019 season. AP can be that one guy you put on your bench who is a plug-and-play, “won’t get you zero”-type player that you can perhaps pawn off to another team after a decent start.
DaeSean Hamilton (WR – DEN)
I was admittedly much higher on him a few weeks ago, but I still believe in DaeSean Hamilton this season. Joe Flacco’s inability to play quarterback at a professional level anymore is a concern, but Hamilton projects to be the Broncos’ starting slot receiver. I love me some slot receivers, especially for quarterbacks that struggle with accuracy.
Emmanuel Sanders is on the wrong side of 30 and working his way back from a late-season Achilles tear — the single most debilitating injury an NFL player can suffer. He may not be ready Week 1. He may just be done.
Courtland Sutton had his chance to shine last season and largely flopped. I’m not closing the book on Sutton obviously, but Hamilton was the one leading the team in targets over the final four weeks of 2018. He has a legitimate shot at returning WR3 value for merely $1.
Albert Wilson (WR – MIA)
While it’s unlikely that Albert Wilson is suddenly going to break out on a bad offense in his age-27 season, his sixth year in the league, he’s still the most talented wide receiver on the Dolphins’ roster. Wilson is going to start and may very well lead the team in targets.
I’m thinking Josh Rosen is just a bust and Ryan Fitzpatrick has a real chance to start all 16 games. While Wilson isn’t necessarily the downfield threat Fitzmagic loves to heave it up to, Wilson is extremely athletic and capable of generating yards after the catch. Given the state of the Dolphins’ receiver corps, Fitz may not have a choice here. Wilson, like Hamilton above, has WR3 upside and costs nothing.
Marquise Goodwin (WR – SF)
Why is everyone dismissing Marquise Goodwin so readily? Remember all the preseason hype in 2018? Goodwin worked his way up to a fourth-round ADP. He was similarly priced to Brandin Cooks!
One year later and he’s being written off because…why? Because the 49ers drafted Deebo Samuel? How often do rookie WRs come in and produce right away? It’s far less frequent than you think. The 2014 class still looms large, but since then, only 2015’s Amari Cooper and 2016’s Michael Thomas have really made huge impacts as rookies.
Quise projects to start alongside Dante Pettis. Jimmy Garoppolo is healthy. The 49ers have a bad defense. It’s not necessarily likely that Goodwin ends up being worth something, but his target competition is being a bit overstated. He’s worth $1 in deeper leagues.
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Jason Katz is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive or follow him @jasonkatz13.
