Alright, fellow auction hopefuls, figured I’d share my whole TNPL journey this year step-by-step. Wanted in on the action, but honestly, felt clueless staring at that auction screen last season. This time? Totally different ballgame.
The Starting Panic
First thing when those player lists dropped? Pure panic. Hundreds of names, no clue who was actually good value this year. Last time I just picked my favorites, ended up with a team full of expensive duds. Felt stupid.
So this time, I actually sat down early. Like, weeks before the auction window opened. Grabbed a big notebook – yeah, old school – and made three simple lists:
- Must-Haves: Guys I knew were solid, didn’t care how much I spent.
- Bargain Bin Guys: Lesser known names the analysts kept buzzing about.
- Absolute No-Gos: Big stars past their prime, price always insane.
Took ages scanning stats, forums, anything free I could find. Highlighted players trending up, not down. Learned that the hard way.
Wallet Watch
Next up: cash. TNPL gives you that virtual wallet, right? But throwing coins around willy-nilly gets you broke fast. Learned my lesson big time last go-around.
This time, I actually did budget math. Sounds boring, saved my bacon. Broke down my total coins:
- 40% for those top “Must-Haves” (but set MAX bids per player!).
- 50% for the core team – reliable all-rounders, steady batsmen.
- 10% left for wildcards and those bargain bin steals. Hidden gems.
Stuck post-it notes with these limits on my monitor. Non-negotiable.
The Actual Madness – Bidding Day
Alright, auction day arrives. Heart pounding. Logged in SUPER early, familiarized myself with the buttons – didn’t wanna fumble when the timer started ticking.
Phase 1: Star Power
The big names came out swinging. Bids flying everywhere. I targeted ONE “Must-Have” keeper-batsman early. Competition was brutal. Remembered my MAX limit though. Went right up to it… and snagged him! Pure relief. Didn’t touch the other big stars – saw guys blowing half their wallet in the first hour.
Phase 2: Building Brains
This is where I focused. Looked for players from smaller teams, those “Bargain Bin” guys my research found. Less fanfare, lower starting bids. Got a solid spinner everyone overlooked for cheap, like stupid cheap. Felt like I robbed the place. Filled out my middle order this way, sticking STRICTLY to my position needs and budget chunks.
Phase 3: The Gutter Gold
Final phase, everyone’s broke. Coins running low. That’s when I unleashed my leftover 10%. Went hard on two young batsmen nobody else seemed to want. Low risk, high reward potential. Got both for almost nothing. Like, change found in the couch cushions kind of money.
Dust Settles… And I Won?!
Refresh the screen… my team is COMPLETE. Under budget? Nailed it. Hit every position I planned? Check. Got my top guy? Done. Plus a few exciting cheapos. Compared to last year’s disaster, felt incredible.
The key wasn’t complex genius. It was:
1. Doing real legwork before clicking.
2. Setting actual spending caps and FORCING myself to stick to them.
3. Targeting value players in the quiet middle phase.
4. Leaving cash to clean up cheap at the end.
Felt faster because I knew who I wanted outside the headline names. Got my squad locked down early while others burned cash. Feels great hitting that first win!
