FAAB value in dynasty trades

Dynasty/Devy Leagues
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I am in a dynasty league that allows trading FAAB. Each team starts the season with $200 FAAB. I am not exactly sure how to value it in a trade. Obviously, any FAAB not spent by the end of the season goes away, but there are always opportunities.

However, this league is very deep, so free agents during the season won’t carry quite as much bang for the FAAB buck. For example, my team currently has 29 players between starters and bench, plus 5 players on my taxi squad. I also have another 5 IR spots, currently empty. There are 12 teams, which allows for a LOT of speculation.

For example, if Colin Kaepernick were to sign somewhere tomorrow, he would instantly become available as a free agent. That would be worth spending some serious FAAB (regardless of what you think of him as a person). But that is an extreme example.

Anyone have any thoughts on how to value FAAB in dynasty trades?

P.S. This is something Fantasy Pros should consider adding to their dynasty trade value article, since there are leagues that allow this out there.

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My main league is a FAAB league, also with $200 for the season. We do not allow to trade FAAB, though.

How to value FAAB is a rather tricky matter, as it very much depends on how active your league managers are on the waiver wire.

In my league, it’s a mixed bag. Some owners (myself included) make waiver wire moves almost on a weekly basis. Others make 3-5 per season. Even others make one, or none.

The mostly inactive players will bid high amounts on players they are interested in. We have seen a team spending their entire $200 on one player in the first week of free agency. This could happen again this year, as we have 2 extremely QB-needy teams (SFLEX league) and both Drew Lock and Geno Smith are on the waiver wire.

Other owners will make few bids of $20-80 on interesting players, e.g. on the backup of a high-profile freshly injured QB or RB.

And owners like myself will rarely bid more than $20 on a player, but will make small bids (including $0 bids) on players every week. It’s not uncommon for me to have cycled through 50-60 players in a single season (25 man roster + 5 IR + 5 TAXI).

Other owners mock me for that, and I have to admit they do have a point, as it’s often an exercise in futility. But it did earn me Gabriel Davis for free in 2020, and also a few players who I’ve been able to trade away a few weeks after claiming them. Which is why I’m usually pretty stacked on draft picks.

TL;DR: I’m not sure if there is a universal value on FAAB. How much they are worth to you depends heavily on your play style and your league activity in general. In my league, I wouldn’t pay a dime for extra FAAB$, as I rarely find myself in a situation where I wished I had more of them.

That could be different in a more waiver-happy league, though, so YMMV.

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