Salary cap drafts offer a great wrinkle to the traditional draft. Instead of getting slotted into a certain draft order, everyone receives the same budget to bid on players. The biggest difference between a standard snake draft and a salary cap draft is that everyone has an equal opportunity at every player.

Now, salary cap drafts do require some strategy. Bidding gets wacky. People feel the rush, and players tend to grossly overpay. So my first tip for a salary cap draft is to urge patience. Teams will overpay, leading to greater values on players who could be just as good later in the draft.

Using our DraftWizard, I conducted a mock salary cap draft for a 12-team, half-PPR, one-QB league. Here’s how it turned out, in order of winning bids, with some analysis provided.

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Antonio Gibson (RB – WAS): $40
I did what I planned and patiently sat out the first 22 nominations. I watched Christian McCaffrey go for $79. Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams each went for $62, and heck, even Chris Carson went for $41.

I was pretty thrilled to get Gibson for a dollar less than Carson. That’s the beauty of waiting to pounce in a salary cap draft. Eventually, the market for players gets cheaper, allowing you to grab value. Sure, I still might have overpaid a little, but I landed a lead back with huge upside at a much better cost.

A.J. Brown (WR – TEN): $30
Getting Brown below his suggested value ($31) was a steal. I’ve locked up a stud WR1 for below market value. That’s a win.

Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS): $22
Listen, I know I’ve picked two members of the Washington Football Team. But value is value, and I don’t mind having both on my team. McLaurin has the talent to be a stud. While I’m not as high on the Ryan Fitzpatrick signing as some others, I believe he’ll at least be more aggressive getting the ball to McLaurin than Dwayne Haskins and Alex Smith were.

Oh, and let’s not mention I got McLaurin for $6 cheaper than his suggested value. Again, value is key in a salary cap draft.

Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL): $13
By the time the 61st pick came around, I was in firm control. I had $108 in my pocket, while the next closest team has only $50 left. That buying power is critical, and it’s going to allow me to scoop up great players at cheaper price tags as my opponents become budget-conscious.

Take Jackson, who comes in $5 cheaper than his suggested value. I didn’t plan on buying a quarterback early, but this was too good of a bargain to pass up. And I’ve still got $95 to spare.

Diontae Johnson (WR – PIT): $9
Another big bargain, as Johnson’s suggested price was $19! Now let’s hope Johnson does a better job catching the ball this year. Without the drops, he’s got the talent to ascend into WR1 territory.

James Robinson (RB – JAX): $9
Getting Robinson for the same price as Johnson is kind of comical, but I needed to add some tailbacks to this roster. While Robinson likely won’t be my RB2 (I’m targeting someone else still available), he should still have a role in this Jacksonville offense, even with Travis Etienne and Carlos Hyde in town.

Javonte Williams (RB – DEN): $9
Speaking of my target. I wasn’t letting Williams pass me, and fortunately, I had the sizable advantage in funds to make it happen. Williams may not be the starter right now, but I’m banking on him eventually taking control of the job.

Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF): $8
I’m really high on Aiyuk and was thrilled to get him as my WR4 for half his suggested value. He’s a beast with the ball in his hands, so I’m anticipating a second-year breakout for the Arizona State alum. Aiyuk’s upside adds to an already stacked receiver group.

Patience pays off.

Gus Edwards (RB – BAL): $5
With my receivers and quarterback set, it’s time to start hammering away at running back. The position gets pretty ugly this deep into drafts, so I’m looking for guys with carved-out roles. Edwards fits the bill as Baltimore’s short-distance and goal-line back, and he’s cheap. I’ve got $55 left while nobody else has more than $21 remaining.

Zack Moss (RB – BUF): $6
Like Edwards, Moss has a probable role as Buffalo’s power back, at the very least. While he had a lackluster rookie season, I’m not ready to write Moss off yet. Devin Singletary hasn’t done anything to seize the full-time job, and Buffalo’s offense could afford more balance. Moss could have a solid second year.

Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI): $4
I’ve always been a huge fan of Goedert. While Zach Ertz is still somehow on Philadelphia’s roster, I’m willing to take a stab at Goedert finally breaking out at this cheap cost. I’ll likely snag another high-upside tight end later.

Tony Pollard (RB – DAL): $4
Something tells me Pollard will be a little more than a handcuff in 2021. He was solid in relief of Ezekiel Elliott last year and is an instant starter if Elliott gets hurt again. Pollard should etch out a decent role in the Cowboys’ offense regardless.

Irv Smith Jr. (TE – MIN): $4
Smith is another high-ceiling tight end I’m willing to take a stab on late in my snake or salary cap drafts. He showed signs of a breakout last year, and now Kyle Rudolph is out of town. Smith could truly emerge in this third year.

Darnell Mooney (WR – CHI): $4
Another intriguing second-year receiver, Mooney has some serious and should be Chicago’s primary deep threat with Anthony Miller gone. Let’s just hope whoever plays quarterback can help Mooney reach his ceiling.

Final Draft Grade: 88/100 (B+) 

All in all, I’m pretty darn happy about the team I assembled with my patient approach. I’ve got a potential league-winner on my hands without spending more than $40 on a single player.

Looking back, I probably could’ve been a bit more aggressive initially, particularly at running back. While I’ve got some upside in the group I’ve assembled, I went home with over $30 in my pocket. Next time, I’ll try to pick more spots to buy early.

What do you think of my salary cap squad? Let me know on Twitter!

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Matt Barbato is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matt, check out his archive and follow him @RealMattBarbato.