u/Always__Auctions

In our latest episode, we discuss 2026 QB strategies, and how we are approaching the position in 1QB and Superflex formats.

My recommendation for 1QB leagues is to sit on your hands and wait. Skip the top-tier QBs and put the bulk of your budget toward RBs and WRs, since they're much more valuable in 1QB formats. For example, you can save around 80% of your budget by pivoting to someone like Dak instead of Josh Allen. The savings become even greater if you wait for guys like Mahomes, Purdy, or Goff.

In Superflex leagues, I'm still generally targeting QBs a little further down the tier list. The one exception near the top, however, is Joe Burrow. He's a strong bet to lead the league in pass attempts (Dak is right there too, imo), and that kind of volume is always good for fantasy production. Burrow is the one semi-expensive QB I'd be willing to spend a few extra bucks on. I've also been pretty vocal about my affinity for Trevor Lawrence this year, and there are plenty of great values available with guys like Purdy, Mayfield, Goff, Shough, Love, and Kyler.

We also talked about a few QBs we're specifically targeting and avoiding based on their current AAV.

One QB in particular that I am avoiding solely based on cost right now is Justin Herbert.

Herbert is currently the QB7 by cost in both formats, and he faces the league's toughest schedule over the first six weeks, according to DraftSharks. Outside of his first two seasons (QB9 and QB2), his best fantasy finish is last year's QB10. Unless you project him to finish at least as the QB5, it's hard to justify paying QB7 prices, especially with FantasyPros' consensus projections ranking him as the QB12 in total points. I'm not convinced the ROI will be there for auction drafters at his current cost.

*The current values are pulled directly from real-user completed mocks, making this the most accurate source available. They serve as the foundation for my annual AAV dataset.

The site updates after every mock and can be accessed here: AAV.

If you would like to join a mock draft, please DM. We are always looking for committed auction drafters!

In our newest episode, we break down a few players that drafters may want to target or avoid based on their 2026 schedules.

Players in order discussed:

Ladd McConkey
Caleb Williams
Michael Pittman Jr.
Trevor Lawrence
Sam LaPorta
Kyren Williams

My personal takes were to avoid Caleb, and target Lawrence and Kyren.

Caleb Williams

• Bears have the 6th hardest overall schedule
• 5th hardest overall schedule for QBs
• 2nd hardest schedule for QBs in weeks 1-8
• Three straight cold-weather games for fantasy playoffs (weeks 15-17)

Trevor Lawrence

• Easiest QB schedule starting week 8
• Should be in many competitive games
• May underwhelm to start (only one "positive" matchup before week 8); good mid-season trade target?

Kyren Williams

• Best overall RB schedule
• Second best RB schedule from weeks 1-8
• Sixth best RB schedule from weeks 9-14
• Third easiest RB schedule in fantasy playoffs
• Even better def leading to increased positive game-scripts?

* schedule stats courtesy of DraftSharks

AAV data shown in video is pulled directly from mocks completed by real users, making it the most accurate source available. The website is updated after every mock and is accessible here: AAV.

One of Donald Trump’s primary tactics is to float concepts on social media to accustom his followers to an idea before attempting to implement it. A prime example is the groundwork he is laying to declare a national emergency ahead of the midterms.

He has posted countless times that any election he or his endorsed candidates lose is "rigged." More recently, he framed the passage of the SAVE Act as a matter of "national security," which is nothing more than a pretext to suppress unfavorable votes.

Trump is undoubtedly aware that his handling of the war with Iran is universally unpopular both at home and abroad. With his and the Republican Party's poll numbers plummeting, he has likely been warned that Republicans are on track to lose the House, while the Senate remains an absolute toss-up.

So, my questions are:

1. Do you think Trump declares a "national emergency" ahead of the midterms, and if so, what would that look like?
2. If not, will he try something else he has suggested, such as deploying military to specific swing state polling locations?

I have a suspicion that Trump may be setting Vance up to take the blame for any political setbacks before 2028. If that's the case, could Trump withhold his endorsement from Vance and instead back Rubio as the Republican nominee? Do you agree?

1. Vance will be tied to the disastrous Iran deal and won't be able to distance himself from it, similarly how Kamala was to the Biden admin. Voters can't disassociate the two, especially since Vance has been a major presence in the negotiations.
2. Vance is extremely unpopular, even among MAGA voters. Trump knows this and will prefer to endorse Rubio who is seen as more "normal."
3. Trump, himself, said that he will blame Vance if the Iran deal fails. One could argue this was said in jest, but Trump doesn't take responsibility for anything. "Joking" or not, Vance will 100% get blamed.
4. Rubio has been largely absent from the public, which has led folks to suggest the admin is intentionally trying to keep him out of the fray and away from any negative press.

Hello. I'm looking for some new workout songs. Some of my favorites include:

Linkin Park - Lost, The Emptiness Machine, Heavy is the Crown, Up From the Bottom
Caskets - Glass Heart
Starset - Demons
Shining - Animal
Skillet - Feel Invincible
Fame on Fire - Plastic Heart
From Ashes to New - Panic
Papa Roach - Cut the Line
Adelita's Way - Invincible

I've tried a few times putting these into ChatGPT, but most of what it recommends just doesn't do it for me. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

In the newest episode of Absolute Auction, we discuss some players heading into contract years. Will they have their best season for fantasy? They have millions of reasons to be extra motivated heading into 2026.

Join us Monday night for our first live auction mock of the year!!!

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Ask questions, comment on the draft, and engage in the witty banter!!!

Season 3 of the Absolute Auction Podcast returns with our first episode of the year!

We discussed:

• Ryan's 2025 Championship
• Upcoming Episodes
• AJB to NE
• An early look at AAV

New episodes drop weekly until fantasy draft season! Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the best auction content all summer long!

Don't forget to vote for next week's live auction mock format: 1QB or SF.

Season 3 of the Absolute Auction Podcast returns with our first episode of the year!

We discussed:

• Ryan's 2025 Championship
• Upcoming Episodes
• AJB to NE
• An early look at AAV

New episodes drop weekly until fantasy draft season! Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the best auction content all summer long!

Don't forget to vote for next week's live auction mock format: 1QB or SF.

I am having a real hard time getting this sized correctly to fit perfectly for a YouTube Banner. Can anyone please help? Needs to fit into the "Viewable on all devices box." Thank you so much!

Running into trouble getting this to fit into the \"Viewable on all devices\" box.

Original image.

Can someone please resize this so it fits perfectly as a YouTube banner for my podcast? If "The Absolute Auction" text can be a little brighter so it stands out more, and little star in the bottom right-hand corner could be airbrushed away, that would be great, too! Thank you so much!

https://preview.redd.it/4q7dui74p26h1.png?width=1545&format=png&auto=webp&s=5c97b43172b2b6212b719d7197760961dd52d0b3

In my previous post, I looked into how WR targets per game have been steadily declining since 2020, while RB opportunities have gone up. I laid out my reasons why I believe a hero WR/robust RB build is the optimal route for fantasy managers heading into 2026, and what the approach should be for auction drafters. Please take a look at the post below:

2026 Auctions: The Case for Hero WR

Similarly to WR, I also wanted to see if TE targets per game have taken a similar downturn. Since 2020, this is the average targets per game for the top 12 TEs:

2020 - 6.9

2021 - 7.0

2022 - 6.5

2023 - 6.8

2024 - 7.1

2025 - 7.0

Here is the data graphed:

https://preview.redd.it/s0hv3xly9czg1.png?width=1000&format=png&auto=webp&s=ca6bc8bef761a623c83465719c4e9f5d0b5f85f0

As you can see, targets per game for TEs have remained remarkably consistent, with only 2022 as an anomalous year. Interestingly, the downward trend of targets per game for WRs has not seemed to affect TEs.

While WR is becoming thinner at the top and RB volume is increasing, TE is moving in the opposite direction: toward depth and replaceability.

All of this has led to more usable TEs, and from an auction standpoint, this matters.

I usually recommend waiting until late to draft a TE, since it's one of the easiest positions to replace without needing to allocate much from your draft budget. The position has gotten deeper, and the gap between mid-tier options continues to shrink.

For example, here are the differences in FPTS/G between TE6 and TE12 over the past three years:

2023 - 2.6

2024 - 2.7

2025 - 1.5

Here is the data visualized:

https://preview.redd.it/b6razma1aczg1.png?width=573&format=png&auto=webp&s=1e4e6496359c280897610d156ca8e52b8982c2dc

As I wrote in my "Case for Hero WR" post, there has been a marked shift in the NFL, with defenses transitioning to a heavy zone scheme. Additionally, we just saw the highest number of TEs drafted since 2002! Not only are teams running more zone, it appears they are attempting to copy the success many teams had in 12 personnel, by playing in more 2TE sets.

TE is not where you gain your biggest advantage, but it’s very easy to lose value by allocating too much budget there.

That’s why waiting on TE fits nicely into the hero WR build: spend up where scarcity exists, and save where replacement value is high.

Thanks for following along!

Back in February, I looked at several past seasons to analyze trends in WR targets. The main takeaway: WR targets have been declining overall, while running back touches have remained relatively steady over that same span.

To get a clearer picture, I dug deeper into targets and touches per game for the top 20 WRs and RBs from 2020–2025. This helps control for injuries and missed games, giving a more accurate comparison.

With that in mind, let’s break down what this means and identify the best options heading into the 2026 fantasy football and auction season.

Starting with the top 20 WRs (minimum 8 games played) from 2020–2025, here’s how their targets per game have trended:

2020 – 8.6
2021 – 9.0
2022 – 9.3
2023 – 9.1
2024 – 8.8
2025 – 8.0  

Here is the same data, looking at touches per game for the top 20 RBs:

2020 - 19.1

2021 - 19.2

2022 - 18.8

2023 - 18.4

2024 - 19.2

2025 - 18.8

Total Change (2020–2025):

WR Targets per Game: Started at 8.6 and ended at 8.0, an overall decrease of 0.6 (-7.0%), continuing a downward trend since peaking in 2022. RB Touches per Game: Started at 19.1 and ended at 18.8, a minimal change of -0.3 (-1.6%), indicating relative stability over the same period.

Essentially, WR volume is trending down. RB volume is holding steady.

Here is the data visually graphed:

https://preview.redd.it/oo00s8q2brxg1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=d9f500610b01152de6576ed96a73f22bf91eb863

To me, the most striking conclusion is that a top 20 RB gets around 2x the volume.

Here are a few of my takeaways for the 2026 auction draft season:

The Case for "Hero WR" Strategy

Finding a WR who gets 10+ targets a game is becoming harder.

Buy one "Alpha" WR (like Ja'Marr Chase or Puka Nacua) who consistently defies this downward trend. They are worth the high auction price because they are outliers in a league that is trending toward more distributed passing attacks.

The "Workhorse" RB is a dying, but stable breed

While WR targets have been volatile, RB touches have remained extremely stable, staying within a narrow range (19.0 to 19.9).

Don't spend on mid-tier WRs if a 17 to 20-touch RB is still on the board. The volume gap is simply too wide to ignore for consistent weekly scoring.

How to approach this in 2026 1QB and Superflex auction leagues:

1QB Auction Strategy ($200 budget)

The Strategy: Spend 80% ($160) on three pillars: two elite RBs and one alpha WR. This exploits the "value cliff" by cornering the market on guaranteed weekly touches.

• Robust RB ($100–$110): Lock in two tier-1 workhorses (e.g., Bijan + JT). By taking two, you force the rest of the league into low-floor committee backs.
• The Alpha WR ($50–$60): Secure one target-monster (e.g., Ja’Marr Chase).
• Punt QB and TE. Target cheap, high-upside players and fill your bench with RB handcuffs.

Superflex Auction Strategy ($200 budget)

The Strategy: Spend 75% ($150) on a "Core Four": two elite RBs, one alpha WR, and a tier-2 QB. You maintain a massive RB advantage while others overpay for dual-threat QBs.

• Robust RB ($85–$95): Snag two elite volume RBs (e.g., Gibbs + Jeanty). QB-heavy rooms might let RB prices slightly slide.
• The QB1 Anchor ($30–$35): Avoid the $60+ superstars. Buy a less expensive, reliable pocket passer like Burrow or Prescott.
• The WR Alpha ($45–$50): Grab one tier-1 WR (e.g., Puka Nacua) to carry your receiving corps.
• The S-Flex Punt ($1–$5): Fill your second QB slot with a cheap starter (e.g., Ward, Young, or Cousins).

Thank you so much for following along.