How do you win a waiver claim?


Editorial team Published on

You win a waiver claim by having the highest priority or submitting the highest bid when the league's waiver period processes.

How Waiver Systems Work

  • Standard Priority List: Teams are ranked from high to low priority (often the reverse of the draft order or inverse standings). If multiple managers claim the same player, the manager with the higher/better priority rank wins.
  • Rolling Waiver Reset: After a successful claim, your team moves to the bottom (least priority) of the waiver order, giving other managers a turn ahead of you next time.
  • FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget): In budget-based leagues, managers place a blind dollar bid on a player. The highest financial bid wins the player.

Tips to Win Claims

  • Check Waiver Clear Times: Submit claims before the processing deadline (typically early Wednesday morning around 3:00 AM ET).
  • Monitor Roster Spots: Ensure you have an available roster slot or designate a player to drop in your claim so the transaction isn't automatically blocked by roster limits.
  • Prioritize Your Targets: If submitting multiple claims for the same position or setting conditional drops, order them carefully so a higher-priority claim doesn't conflict with subsequent backup choices.