The Fantasy Squad Auction
The most thrilling way to build your squad
The Auction is where Fantasy Squad comes alive. Picture this: your whole group gathered together — online or in person — armed with a list of players they want. The admin starts calling players one by one. The atmosphere builds. Someone overpays for a striker. Someone sneaks a bargain goalkeeper. By the end, every team is unique and every manager has a story to tell. You can decide to go role by role — starting from the goalkeeper for a more dramatic and structured experience — or go freely for a more chaotic and unpredictable auction.
Real-Time Live Updates
Fantasy Squad's auction runs on live, instant updates. The admin controls the entire flow from their device: opening each player for auction, assigning them to teams, and confirming results with a single tap. Every participant sees the same thing at the same moment — no refreshing, no delays.
- The admin manages the full auction from their device — fully in control
- All team assignments update live as soon as the admin confirms
- Players are added instantly to the teams in the app once assigned — no need to manually load them later
- Everyone sees the auction flow and team updates in real time
Auction Formats
There's no single "right" way to run an auction. Fantasy Squad lets you conduct three different types of auction as suggestions, each with its own flavor of fun. You can mix styles or invent your own — the app just mirrors what happens. You can also choose to go role by role (starting from goalkeepers) for a more exciting and structured experience, or go freely for a more chaotic auction with no role order.
Classic Open Auction
The classic, most social format. The admin calls out a player, sets a minimum starting price, and managers compete by raising bids. The last bid standing wins the player. The energy in the room — or on the call — is electric.
How each round works
- 1Admin puts a player up for auction and sets a starting price
- 2Managers call out or signal their bids — anyone can raise at any time
- 3Once the bidding stops, the last bidder wins the player
- 4The admin confirms the assignment and the player appears instantly in that team
Our take
The most entertaining format by far. Watching someone get into a bidding war over a midfielder they didn't even need is peak fantasy football drama. It takes the most time — typically 3–5 hours for a full squad auction — but every minute is worth it.
Sealed Bid
A format built on secrecy and precision. For each player, every manager writes down their maximum bid privately. All bids are revealed simultaneously — the highest wins. No back-and-forth: one shot, one chance. Perfect tension.
How each round works
- 1Admin announces the player to be auctioned
- 2All managers secretly write (or type) their private bid amount
- 3All bids are revealed at the same time
- 4Highest bid wins — ties are resolved with a predetermined tiebreaker rule
Our take
Fast and surprisingly tense. The moment all bids are revealed at once is electric — did you bid too low and miss out? Did you overbid and waste budget? Much faster than open bidding (1–2 hours for a full auction) but still packed with drama.
Draft
Skip the bidding entirely. Teams take turns selecting players in a predetermined order. No budget needed — just pure squad-building strategy and knowing when to pick for positional need versus best available player.
How the draft works
- 1Determine the draft order (random draw, previous season standings, etc.)
- 2Teams pick one player per round in order
- 3In subsequent rounds, the order reverses (snake draft) for fairness
- 4Continue until all squads are full
Our take
The fastest format — a full squad draft can be done in under an hour. Still fun because every pick is a strategic decision: take the best available player or pick for positional need? Great if your group has limited time but still wants the excitement of a live squad-building event.
Format Comparison
| Format | Time Required | Strategy Depth | Fun Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Auction | 3–5 hours | High | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Sealed Bid | 1–2 hours | Very High | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Draft | ~1 hour | Medium | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Tips for a Great Auction
- Set a clear budget strategy before the auction: mentally allocate credits per position.
- Don't panic-bid on the first few players — let others overpay early in the session.
- Always keep a reserve for the final rounds when great players can go surprisingly cheap.
- Track what others are spending — if an opponent is running low, they can't compete for big names.
- In sealed bids, bid your true honest valuation rather than trying to guess what others will bid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a fantasy football auction work?
Each manager gets an equal budget and bids on real players one by one. The highest bid wins the player, who is added to that team. You keep bidding until every squad is full, so no two teams are ever the same.
What auction formats does Fantasy Squad support?
Three: classic open bidding (managers raise bids live), sealed bids (everyone submits one secret maximum bid), and a snake draft with no budget where teams pick players in turn.
How long does a fantasy football auction take?
A full open auction usually takes 3–5 hours, sealed bids around 1–2 hours, and a draft under an hour. You can auction role by role or freely to control the pace.
What is the difference between an auction and a draft?
In an auction you spend a budget and bid against rivals for the players you want. In a draft there is no budget — teams simply take turns picking the best available player.
How much budget do I get for the auction?
The league admin sets a starting budget that every manager shares equally. Smart budget management — knowing when to splash out and when to save for late bargains — is the key to winning the auction.