How Much FAAB Should You Spend on an Injury Replacement?
Your running back gets hurt, his backup is on waivers, and suddenly a player you barely thought about last week looks worth $30.
I get the temptation. An empty RB2 spot makes every available back look a little better. But before bidding, I'd want to answer one question: who am I starting if I don't get him?
If the answer is someone nearly as useful, I can live with losing the bid. If I'm scrambling to find anyone with a few touches, I'm more willing to spend.
If you're new to FAAB, start with how the bidding system works. Here's how I'd choose an amount.
Say I Have $80 Left
Let's make up a PPR example. I started with $100, need an RB2, and have these options. The projections and bids are illustrative.
| Option | Projected points this week | What I might bid |
|---|---|---|
| Running back on my bench | 7 | Already rostered |
| The popular pickup | 12 | $21 |
| A cheaper alternative | 10 | $6 |
The popular pickup looks pretty good next to my bench: five extra projected points. But compared with the cheaper option, I'm paying more for just two.
That doesn't rule him out. If I think he'll start for several weeks, I'd be willing to pay more. I'd check the injury news and how the team split the touches, though. Being the backup doesn't mean he'll suddenly get every carry.
For this example, say $24 is my limit. If similar players in my league have gone for bids in the high teens, I might try $21 and keep the $6 option as my backup plan. The projections don't produce that price. It's what I'm comfortable paying given the alternatives.
If someone bids $30, I'd let him go. I wouldn't raise my limit just because I hate the thought of missing out.
One detail I'd double-check: those two claims need to work as alternatives. Depending on the drops and how they're processed, I could win both and spend $27.
The Same Bid Can Feel Very Different Later
Spending $21 leaves me $59 from that $80 balance. That's about 26% of what I have left, even though it's only 21% of my original budget.
If I only had $35 left, that same bid would eat 60% of it. And if my bench back projected for 11 points instead of seven, I'd probably keep the money unless I expected the pickup to become much more useful later.
That's why I'd be careful with a blanket “spend 20%” recommendation. Twenty percent of the starting budget and twenty percent of what's left can be very different bids.
Before I Hit Submit
I'd check who I'm dropping, what I'll have left for upcoming byes, and whether I can still get a replacement if I lose. I'd also check the minimum bid, tiebreaker, and processing time in my league. A backup plan isn't much help if waivers won't run again before kickoff.
The official Sleeper FAAB guide and ESPN waiver overview cover those details.
If you're stuck on whether the pickup is worth starting, compare him with your current option in ffwrapped. It's free. Check your scoring and the week, then make the bid in your league app. I'd rather figure out how much he helps my team before worrying about what everyone else will spend.