Fantasy Waiver Priority Calculator
Estimate the ideal FAAB bid for a waiver wire pickup based on your remaining budget, the player's value tier, weeks left, and how badly you need the position. Best used each waiver period to avoid overbidding or underbidding.
Last updated: October 2026
Suggested Bid Amount
8 $
Formula below · 2 sources (help.yahoo.com, support.sleeper.com) · Updated Oct 2026
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About this calculator
A sensible FAAB bid starts from your weekly share of the budget, remaining budget ÷ weeks left, and scales it by how good the player is, how aggressively your league bids and how badly you need the position. With $75 left and 8 weeks to go, the weekly share is about $9.40; a low-end starter in a competitive league at moderate need comes out at $8. No single bid is allowed to exceed 40% of what you have left.
The formula
Bid = min(40% of remaining budget, max($1, round(remaining budget ÷ weeks left × player tier × league factor × need factor))). Player tiers run from 0.4 for a handcuff or deep sleeper to 1.6 for an elite player or an injury fill-in at a starting spot. League factors are 0.7 casual, 1.0 competitive and 1.4 expert. Need factors run from 0.8 for depth to 1.6 when you have no one to start.
How FAAB works
Free Agent Acquisition Budget waivers are a blind auction. Yahoo and Sleeper both give every team $100 by default. On Yahoo, managers submit secret bids during the waiver period, the highest bid wins and is deducted from that team's budget, the money does not refill, and equal bids go to the team with the better waiver priority. Check your own league settings (see the table below).
Using the number
Treat the result as a starting bid, then adjust for what you have seen win in your own league. Raise it for a player who takes over a starting role because of a long-term injury; lower it for streamers and one-week bye fills. Keeping some budget for the weeks before your fantasy playoffs avoids being shut out when a starter gets hurt late.
| Setting | Yahoo Fantasy | Sleeper |
|---|---|---|
| Default season budget | $100 | $100 |
| Can the commissioner change it? | Yes, from $1 up to $999,999,999 | Yes |
| Bid range | $0 up to your remaining budget | See league settings |
| Are bids visible? | No, blind bids | See league settings |
| Equal bids | Broken by waiver priority (continual rolling list) | See league settings |
| Does the budget refill? | No, it must last the season | See league settings |
How to use
Enter your remaining FAAB budget and the number of weeks left in your fantasy regular season and playoffs, then choose the player's value tier, how competitive your league's bidding is and how urgently you need the position. The default, $75 left with 8 weeks to go for a low-end starter in a competitive league at moderate need, suggests $8. For example, $85 left, 7 weeks, a high-end starter, competitive league and urgent need gives $85 ÷ 7 × 1.3 × 1.0 × 1.3 ≈ $21, under the 40% cap of $34.
Frequently asked questions
How much FAAB should I bid on a waiver pickup?
Start from your weekly share, remaining budget divided by weeks left, and scale it up for a likely starter or an urgent need and down for a speculative add. This calculator caps any one bid at 40% of what you have left so a single claim cannot empty the budget. Then compare with the winning bids you have seen in your league.
What happens when two managers bid the same amount?
The league tiebreaker decides. On Yahoo, equal offers are broken by waiver priority using a continual rolling list. Other platforms and leagues can use different tiebreakers, so check your league settings.
Does FAAB refill during the season?
Not on Yahoo: the budget, $100 by default, is meant to last the whole season, and every winning bid is deducted from it. Sleeper also starts teams at $100 by default. Plan to keep some money for injuries in the weeks before your playoffs.
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