What Is FAAB? Waiver Budgets Explained
Dynasty Glossary · By Elliot — Founder, Dynasty Dealer · Published 2026-06-11
FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) is a waiver system where each team gets a season-long budget — commonly $100 — to bid blind on free agents. The highest bid wins the player and is deducted from that team’s budget. FAAB replaces waiver priority order with an open market, so every pickup has a real price and budget management becomes a skill of its own.
Why dynasty leagues prefer FAAB
Priority-order waivers reward losing and luck; FAAB rewards judgment. In dynasty — where a single waiver hit can swing a contender’s season — making teams pay market price for free agents keeps the economy honest. It also creates a second tradeable currency: most dynasty leagues allow FAAB dollars in trades.
FAAB strategy basics
The classic mistakes are spending big early on marginal names and hoarding until the season is decided. The discipline: price every bid against what the player would cost in a trade — if a breakout’s waiver price approaches his trade price, you’re not getting an edge, just paying retail in a different store.
Can you trade FAAB in dynasty leagues?
Most leagues allow it, and it’s a useful sweetener — contenders buy waiver flexibility, rebuilders convert a budget they won’t use into picks.
What happens to unused FAAB?
It expires at season’s end in nearly all leagues, which is why holding a large budget into the fantasy playoffs is usually wasted value.