Fleaflicker Commissioner Loubonz introduced us to the concept of the bidwar this preseason and we’re excited share the idea with the Fleaflicker community. If auction-style drafting appeals to you, this may be right up your alley.
What is a “bidwar”?
Basically, a bidwar allows owners to bid on available free agents, working within a fixed budget and with a specific deadline, with the goal of filling open roster spots. It could be just the spice you are looking to add to your league this preseason.
How it works:
- Hold an initial email draft
(League Settings > Edit Draft Options)
-Use the draft to fill the roster spots minus what you want the bidwar to be utilized for - Stop the draft after a specific round
(League Settings > Edit Draft Options)
-Select “No draft, I’ll import the rosters”
-If you have 10 roster spots to fill for each team and you want to use the bidwar for the last 4 spots, stop the draft after the 6th round - Set up your waiver wire rules
(League Settings > Edit Waiver Wire Rules)
-Set “Use a Waiver Claim System” to Yes
-Set “How Are Claims Resolved” to Blind Bid Auction
-Set “Reset Waiver Budget To” to your bidwar budget amount
-Set “Process Game-Start Waivers On” to the day you want the bidwar to complete - Make sure all free agents have to go through waivers
(League Settings > Edit Transaction Rules)
-Set “Free Agents During Preseason (After Draft)” to “On waivers”
-Set “Transaction Limits” to Unlimited - Check the budgets
(League Settings > Edit Waiver Budgets)
-If any budgets are set to zero, adjust to the proper amount - Open the player pool
(League Settings > Edit Rosters)
-Under Keeper Options choose “These are complete rosters for this season” - Let the bidwar begin!
-Communicate to your league that bidding may start and let them know when it will complete
-Share with them the owner tips below - After the bidwar completes
-Decide if you want or need an additional bidwar if not all roster spots have been filled
-Decide if you want the player pool open after the bidwar (see tip on this below)
-Take note of the winning bids in the Transaction Log (see tip on this below)
-Adjust any settings back that you need to
Commish Tips:
- Bidwar Timeframe: To allow more or less time, you would just adjust the time you set things in motion and/or the day you set waivers to process. For example, if you want to have a two-day bidwar, you could set everything up on a Tuesday morning and then set waivers to process on Thursday. Waivers will always process in the early morning hours.
- Budgets: If owners need separate and distinct budgets, you can tweak this via League Settings > Edit Waiver Budgets; also, you may need to reset this amount after the bidwar if you plan to use blind bidding for the regular season.
- Transaction Log: You may want to note or screenshot the bidwar results in the Transaction Log before you change your rules back, as the winning bid values may get reset when rules are adjusted for the regular season.
- After Completion: If you want the player pool open first-come first-serve, then set “Free Agents During Preseason (After Draft)” to Unlocked under Edit Transaction Rules. If you want the pool open but with waivers running, keep it set to “On waivers” and just turn off Blind Bidding or update the budgets if needed. If you want the player pool closed, go to Edit Rosters and under Keeper Options, choose “These are complete rosters but still draft this season”.
Owner Tips:
- Owners can have up to 40 claims per waiver window
- Be sure to prioritize the players you want most at the top of your claims list
- All claims need to be added by the deadline provided by your commissioner
Bidwar Variations:
- You could set this up as a way to fill ALL open roster spots
- You could repeat the waiver cycle if needed to fill additional spots
- You could specify that the bidwar is to be used for rookies only
- You could choose a different position for owners to focus on with each waiver run
- You could provide your league with specific players to bid on, essentially making it an auction draft
If you have questions or need assistance with your bidwar setup, please use let us know!
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