It had been awhile since I had dipped my feet into a dynasty fantasy football auction. In my last auction article https://dynastyblitz.com/2014/08/13/auctions-league-aka-what-not-to-do/ , I found myself with four starting quarterbacks in a 
quarterback flex league investing 35% of my auction/salary funds (I got caught trying to price enforce).
By use of some savvy bidding, good nominations, and taxi squad demotions (players held there only cost 10% of their price with only rookies and second year players allowed), I recovered to get some good values in the auction and built up my individual defensive players (IDPs). For me, the auction is over. I might be able to trade a quarterback or two for better runners or receivers, but I am ready to make do with the team I built. For the complete auction and league, click on the myfantasyleague here http://www4.myfantasyleague.com/2014/home/26388#0 . Before the season starts in this league, every owner must choose how many years to put on a player’s contract (rookies are automatically given a four-year contract). Each contract goes up 5% each year, so that must be factored in when deciding the length of the contract. Cutting a player early causes a 15% penalty for each remaining year (hopefully I haven’t lost you and I’m not lost on the rules myself).
There were a few owners in this league that tried to do the studs and duds strategy aka get a few high ticket item players and the rest of the players are scraps. Here is the team that I built with auction price paid out of $300 (any player in italics is on the taxi squad):
QBs- Matt Ryan ($34) Robert Griffin III ($30.75) Ben Roethlisberger ($25) Ryan Tannehill ($15.50)
I have the strongest quarterback core in the league, but only two of them can each week. I might need to outright cut one of them and promote a few players from my taxi squad to fill holes at the RB and WR spots.
RBs- Chris Johnson ($16.75) Terrence West ($20) Jeremy Hill ($15) Bernard Pierce ($10.75) Khiry Robinson ($9.25) Jerick McKinnon ($4.75) Knile Davis ($3.25) De’Anthony Thomas ($1.25) Benny Cunningham ($1)
CJ2K will only be a one year salve. Robinson needs to be moved up and perhaps either Hill or West. If Rice comes back with a vengeance after his suspension, I could really be hurting here. But an injury to Jamaal Charles or Adrian Peterson, could put me in business. The contracts to their handcuffs are very affordable.
WRs- Brandin Cooks ($31.75) Mike Wallace ($13) John Brown ($10) Kenny Stills ($9.25) Riley Cooper ($7.75) Andrew Hawkins ($4.25) Mohammed Sanu ($2.75) Marvin Jones ($2.50) Bruce Ellington ($1.50)
I love Cooks, but understand that I cannot afford his contract this season, so my best receiver will stay on the taxi squad for now. The prices I paid for everyone else here are very affordable. Perhaps Sanu can do something impactful before Jones comes back.
TEs- Rob Gronkowski ($39) Mychal Rivera ($1.25
Hopefully it will be GRONK SMASH, not smashed Gronk or I will be hurting at tight end. He is my most expensive player at $39. Neither Oakland quarterback can throw far, so why not the upstart Rivera backing up Gronkowski?
Ks- Ryan Succop ($1) Shawn Suisham ($1)
I got two kickers with different bye weeks for the league minimum. Their offenses are decent, but not great. And as Forrest Gump always says: “and that’s all I have to say about that.”
DTs- Sylvester Williams ($1.75) Sen’Derrick Marks ($1.50)
The Denver front seven looks to do more damage this season with a healthy Von Miller and new arrival DeMarcus Ware. Williams is getting feistier, he should jump up quite a bit. Marks also got more weapons on his front seven too. He will produce at least top 15 numbers and might improve on them.
DEs- Jason Paul-Pierre ($11.25) Ezekiel Ansah ($6.75) Chris Long ($3.25) Jerry Hughes ($1.75) Margus Hunt ($1.50)
Considering I got my entire defensive end crew for less than what Watt or Quinn went for, I am extremely happy. Long is the only kind of old man here and the rest should be productive for at least five years.
LBs- Justin Houston ($4.50) Wesley Woodyard ($4.25) Jamie Collins ($4) Jason Worilds ($1.75) Emmanuel Lamur ($1)
The top linebackers went in the $20 range, but I think there is solid talent to be found here. Sure I have no superstars, but I think my core is one of the leagues strongest.
CBs- Brandon Boykin ($1) Dwayne Gratz ($1) Sam Shields ($1)
I paid my max price for each of my corners aka league minimum. They are good against the run. Both Boykin and Shields play in pass-heavy divisions with risk-taking quarterbacks. Gratz looked hungry in both preseason appearances and no one outside of Jacksonville would draft him, other than me.
Ss- Barry Church ($10.25) Calvin Pryor ($4) Mike Mitchell ($1.50) Lamarcus Joyner ($1)
The Cowboys defense will be on the field a lot with their lack of talent on that side of the ball. Thankfully, I own their best defensive player. Sexy Rexy loves big hits at safety and Pryor is a beast. Mitchell takes over for a faded Ryan Clark (sorry bud, I loved you in Pitt). He might get enough to do if rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier aka “the new fantasy taz” allows anyone else the opportunity. Joyner should play a key role in the weakness spot of the Rams defense, which should lead to good production.
If I could do it all over again, I would not have pressed the commissioner in the auction to end up with Bob Griffin. That would have left me with over thirty dollars that could’ve helped me fortify my running back and wide receivers. Perhaps I can still do that, otherwise I think my team is a middle of the pack play for at least this year. My defense and quarterbacks will keep me competitive, but I don’t think I have the horsepower with my offensive skill players to make a strong playoff run.
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