In his debut article for TNFF, Joe "the editor" Simonetti, decides to take the plunge and write about his love for auction style drafts and why all of you should embrace them!

Raise your hand if you would like to draft Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey this year in your league? In a snake draft, unless you have the 1.01 draft spot, McCaffrey will not be part of your championship hopeful roster.

Now raise your hand if you would like to have RB Christian McCaffrey, WR Michael Thomas, QB Lamar Jackson and TE Travis Kelce on your roster this upcoming 2020 season? As you read that last sentence you are probably wondering, what kind of illegal substance am I on?

McCaffrey's ADP is 1.01, Thomas' is 1.06, Jackson's is 2.09 and Kelce's is 2.08. It is impossible for you to draft all four of those players in a snake draft given their current ADPs.

What if I were to tell you, that there is a way for you to have all four of 2019’s highest scoring players at their respective positions on your 2020 roster? I promise you that I still have not consumed any illegal substances.

The ONLY way for you to draft Christian McCaffrey, Michael Thomas, Lamar Jackson and Travis Kelce is for you to participate in an auction draft.

WHAT IS AN AUCTION DRAFT?

Auction drafts are based on a bidding format. The majority of owners in 10 or 12 team leagues will begin with a fixed draft budget of normally $200.

Each owner will take turns nominating a player to bid on. Owners can begin to place bids on the player that is nominated. At that point the player is awarded to the team of the highest bidder, and the bid amount is deducted from the team owner's available funds. The draft is essentially run as a real auction. It is very similar to an episode of Storage Wars - Yuuuup! This process repeats until every team's roster is completely filled.

If you like True North's content click here to head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel, the TNFF Network for top-notch video content.

WHY DO AN AUCTION DRAFT?

1. THE ABILITY TO DRAFT ANY PLAYER YOU WANT

You want Christian McCaffrey? He's yours … as long as you are willing to pay and are the highest bidder. You want to pair CMC with Michael Thomas. No problem. Pay!

In an auction league you are not bound to a certain draft spot or the owner(s) picking before you. Let's face it, we have all experienced a situation in a snake draft, where a player was selected just before our pick. We've all experienced a scenario where "the guy I wanted" was just snatched from your grasps..

Not so in an auction draft. The only way you are not getting 'your' player is if someone outbids you.

2. LACK OF PREDICTABILITY

To put it mildly, snake drafts are simple and boring. Auctions are not. Every auction draft that I have participated in was unique and somewhat chaotic, but exhilarating at the same time.

A snake draft can be predictable, especially given everyone's knowledge of player ADPs from the multitude of mock drafts they partake in. There are not that many surprises in a snake draft but there are many in an auction.

3. LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT & EXCITEMENT

In an auction draft, everybody is engaged and having fun, unlike a snake draft where many will tune out and may have to wait a long time before their next pick. How many times have we gone to the bathroom or got a quick bite to eat between picks in a snake draft?

In an auction, the bidding is fast and furious. You have no choice but to pay attention to every bid.

Even calling out a player to bid on can be exciting. In a snake draft, nobody is waiting with bated breath to announce their selection.

Once the bidding begins, and the back and forth ensues to draft a certain player, a certain level of anticipation fills the room. The rush and feeling you get when bidding is unparalleled.

4. MORE STRATEGIC

Strategy for an auction draft is drastically different and also paramount. There is very limited strategy in a snake draft, whereas, there are numerous strategies in auction. Strategies can be based on which player to nominate for bidding, to how much money you want to spend on certain positions, to monitoring your opponents’ budgets. There is no perfect strategy that will guarantee you success in an auction. However, you need to adapt quickly and be more flexible.

MAKE THE CHANGE!

It has been 10 years since my 'home' league switched from a snake format to an auction. We had been doing a snake draft for the previous 15 years. Needless to say, there was a bit of hesitation at first but it was the best decision we ever made … aside from banning kickers and defenses and adding two additional flex spots. However, that is a debate (and possibly another article) for another time.

Change is scary and there is always a fear of the unknown. Trust me … do yourself and your league a favour and switch to an auction format this year. You won't regret it!

Thank you for reading my debut article for TNFF. Have you ever participated in an Auction style draft? Agree or disagree with my views? Please leave a comment or feedback on Twitter @joesimonetti77