FAB is a very tricky concept to master in Fantrax Draft PL fantasy football leagues. Continuing with our series on how best to manage these funds, Ryan lays out a strategy he employed last season to good effect. "Nickel & Diming" requires some effort, dealing out players sometimes for as little as $1 in FAB, but can pay off big.
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The Virtues of Nickel & Diming - A Strategy to Acquire Fantrax FAB & Win the Waiver Wire
Ryan lays out a strategy below to acquire FAB for the waiver wire by frequently dealing players for small quantities of FAB...
Overview
While some view FAB as a burden, if used correctly, it can win you players on the waiver wire that can help you get a league title. While trades for someone's entire allotted stack of FAB (usually $100) get the headlines and focus, accumulating extra FAB through numerous small transactions - whether via trading players directly for FAB or adding FAB to broader trade deals - over the course of the season can be even more effective. Call it "Fantrax microfinance". It requires you to be active in your league and is easier if you have good relations with fellow managers. But if you're reading this/part of the Inner Circle, I assume this will not be an issue.
What are the benefits of getting a few extra bucks every now and again during the season? Think about how often a $1 bid gets you a waiver target. It is the norm, especially in the latter stages of the season when many of your fellow managers have already spunked all their FAB and are relying on $0 bids on the waiver wire. It adds up, and can have a huge impact on your fantasy prospects. The chart above shows the distribution of the non-zero bids across the countless divisions of the Community, International Genie and Discord Super Leagues.
So how do you do it? Here are a few different scenarios in which you can try to get these deals over the line...
Test the waters
You have a player that you plan on dropping for whatever reason - why do it for free? Try offering him out to folks in your league for a buck or two before relinquishing him to the wire. It doesn't hurt and you'd be surprised by how many folks are interested in a particular player. One person's trash is another's treasure...Of course, this doesn't always come off - there is absolutely no market for some players (e.g., Conor Coady). It goes without saying but it is easier when the player has name recognition or when you're just dropping him because you have better options (hint: some of your league mates don't/could use this player). It's always worth a shot.
Do someone a favor
The GW has begun and your lineup is all set. Try dealing someone from your roster that you're not utilizing but would help your league mate in a tough matchup. Giving up $2 is nothing, especially in a pinch. If you aren't going to use him, why not get a little bit of money for him? In the same vein, being quick on the draw and picking up a surprise/high-end streamer late in the GW can be lucrative. You were smart enough to pick up Konstantinos Tsimikas when lineups came out; the Andrew Robertson rosterer in your league is in dire straits in a close contest. You have him by the short and curlies - do both of you a favor and make a deal.
Add a sweetener
Trade negotiations are at a standstill - no one is budging from their positions. Tell your league mate to add some FAB as a "sweetener" to help facilitate the trade. Every deal is different but you have nothing to lose by asking for some FAB on top.
Case Study
Ever since Fantrax offered the ability to trade FAB, I've been doing this here and there. Last season, I made a point of implementing this strategy throughout. I started out the campaign in the hole by dealing $20 before the draft as part of a bigger deal to get a better draft pick, and then I spent more than I'd like to admit on Goncalo Guedes via the waiver wire. But I was able to slowly but surely build up a war chest that allowed me to nab some great assets on the wire.
Here are just a few examples of these microtransactions that I made in 22/23:
10/6/22: Cheick Doucoure for $4
12/26/22: Kieran Tierney for $1
1/3/23: Tosin Adarabioyo for $2
1/23/23: Max Wober for $3
2/24/23: Amadou Onana for $1
3/21/23: Christian Pulisic for $1
4/26/23: Facundo Buonanotte for $2
I was then able to parlay these extra funds into buying Pedro Porro in the January transfer window and putting in successful bids for multiple free agents that had short-term value (e.g., players with DGWs that week, of which there were many last season). Many of these near term punts helped win me gameweeks (e.g., nicking Sinisterra for $1 in April & Curtis Jones for the same amount in May before their mini purple patches). Of course, some of these deals can go south (I still have PTSD from selling Pedro Neto for $7 early in the 20/21 campaign in which he became a top 15 player). But for the most part, this strategy yields dividends.
Check out our 23/24 Draft Kit for all the pre-season information you could ever need. We've got a Live Draft Aide, Draft Rankings, Team Previews, Cheat Sheets, Strategy Articles, Draft 101, plus so much more. Dominate your draft!
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