Most people who play this game prefer drafts. I get it, they’re easier to do, faster to do, and don’t require you to balance your budget. There’s just one big problem…it’s not fair. What?! Well think about it, with one option everyone has an equal chance at every player, in the other you only have a chance at the players that are available to you when it’s your turn. If you want Mike Trout in an auction you can have him (as long as you’re willing to pay the price), if you want him in a draft then unless you’re picking first or second (or in rare cases third) you can forget it. Do you want a better chance to win your league? Do an auction. Chances are a lot of the other owners will have bad auctions and be easy to beat, in a draft even the biggest amateur can have a decent team by simply following a cheat sheet and always taking the top player available. Auctions are also more rewarding (at least in my opinion), building a good roster by being better at balancing your budget is a bigger deal than simply picking the best players available during your turn.

Granted, a good player will build a good team regardless of whether it’s a draft or an auction, and drafts require strategy too. That said, I don’t think that there is bigger proof of your ability than winning a rotisserie league after an auction draft.

In conclusion, you can have fun no matter what way you play, but if you want to have a better chance to win, while testing your knowledge of the sport in the most efficient way, do an auction.