Updated July 2026

FAAB Calculator — How Much Should You Bid?

Blind bidding without a framework is just guessing with extra steps. Tell the calculator what you're bidding on and it'll give you a number.

What kind of pickup is this?

Suggested bid

$25

Range: $20–$30

How the calculator thinks

The suggestion is a percentage of your remaining budget, shaped by three factors sharp FAAB players price in instinctively — the same instincts that make someone good at auction drafts in the first place:

  • Player tier sets the base. True league-winners start around 55% of budget, weekly starters around 25%, speculative stashes under 10%, and streamers at a dollar or nothing. (The tiers come from our FAAB strategy guide, and the same tiering logic drives who to prioritize on draft day.)
  • News visibility moves the market.If the pickup scored twice on national TV, every manager in your league is bidding — the price inflates ~35%. If you're early on a quiet role change, you get a ~30% discount for beating the news cycle.
  • The calendar melts your money. FAAB expires worthless, so the same player is worth a bigger share of your budget in Week 12 than Week 2. The calculator scales bids up as the season shortens.

Treat the range as brackets, not gospel: your league's history matters (some rooms chronically overbid running backs), and exact round numbers like $20 lose ties to $21 — sharp leagues bid odd numbers.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of FAAB should I spend on one player?

For a genuine league-winning pickup — an every-down role opening for the rest of the season — 40–75% of your remaining budget is standard in competitive leagues. For ordinary weekly starters, 15–35%. If you find yourself bidding 50% on someone you wouldn't start next week, close the app and sleep on it.

Why does the calculator suggest more later in the season?

FAAB dollars expire when the season ends, so their real value falls every week. A $30 bid in Week 13 costs you fewer future opportunities than the same bid in Week 2 — the calculator prices that in.

Should I bid my whole budget on a league-winner?

Sometimes, yes. If a top-five back's season ends and his backup inherits the full role, the manager who bids $70+ usually wins the player — and often the league. The mistake isn't the big bid; it's making a big bid on a player who was never that tier.