How It Works
The waiver wire is a crucial component of roster management in Season Long Fantasy leagues. It acts as a holding period for unrostered players, preventing managers from instantly adding players who have just been dropped or whose games have recently started. This system ensures fairness by giving all managers an equal opportunity to claim valuable free agents before they become freely available to anyone.
When a player is on waivers, managers can submit a "waiver claim" to add them to their roster. If multiple managers submit a claim for the same player, the league's waiver priority system determines who successfully acquires the player. Claims are processed at a specific time designated by the commissioner, typically early in the week (e.g., Wednesday morning) after all games for the previous week have concluded.
Once the waiver period clears, any players who were not claimed become Free Agents. Free Agents can be added instantly on a first-come, first-served basis without waiting for a processing period. Understanding how your league's specific waiver system operates—whether it relies on a rolling priority list, reverse standings, or a Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB)—is essential for building a championship-contending roster throughout the season.
Waiver Systems
Continual List
Managers move to the bottom of the priority list after a successful claim.
Weekly Reset
Priority resets each week based on the inverse of the current league standings.
Blind Auction
Managers use a seasonal budget to place blind bids on players.
No Free Agents
All unrostered players are always on waivers and process on set days.
Strategy Tips
- 1Manage your priority wisely. In rolling priority systems, don't burn a top waiver claim on a marginal player. Save it for a potential league-winner who emerges due to injury or breakout performance.
- 2Budget your FAAB. If your league uses FAAB, avoid spending your entire budget in the first few weeks. Keep enough in reserve to address injuries or bye-week fill-ins later in the season.
- 3Anticipate needs early. Look ahead at upcoming bye weeks or favorable matchups. Adding a player as a free agent before they have a breakout game saves you from fighting for them on waivers the following week.
Commissioner Settings
Commissioners can customize the following options when configuring waivers:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Waiver System Type | Choose between Rolling Priority, Reverse Standings, or FAAB Bidding. |
| Waiver Processing Days | Select which days of the week waiver claims are processed (e.g., Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday). |
| Time on Waivers | The number of days a dropped player remains on waivers before clearing (typically 1-3 days). |
| FAAB Budget | The total amount of bidding budget each manager receives for the season (e.g., $100). |
| Minimum Bid | The lowest allowable bid in a FAAB system (can be set to $0 or $1). |
| Continuous Waivers | Toggle whether players ever become free agents or if all acquisitions must go through the waiver process. |
Available Sports
Waiver systems are available across all Season Long Fantasy sports: