In fantasy football, a waiver is a system used to manage the distribution of free agents (players not currently on a teams roster) among the teams in a league. When a player is dropped from a team or is not initially drafted, they become a free agent and are placed on waivers. During the waiver period, team owners can make claims on these players. At the end of the waiver period, all the claims are processed, and the player is awarded to the team with the highest waiver priority.
The waiver system is designed to create a fair and balanced opportunity for all team owners to acquire free agents. The specific rules and settings for waivers, including the waiver period length and waiver claim priority, can be determined by the league's commissioner. Some common waiver claim priorities include:
- Continual Rolling List: Team owners are ranked from high to low, and the waiver claim is awarded to the owner with the highest priority.
- Reverse Order of Standings: The team with the lowest standing is given the highest waiver priority, and the priority is adjusted each week based on the current standings.
- Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB): Each team is given a budget to bid on free agents, and the player is awarded to the team with the highest bid.
The waiver system helps maintain fairness and competitiveness in fantasy football leagues by preventing one team from monopolizing all the available free agents.
