The Intro
How do you win a fantasy basketball league? Good question because I’ve never won one and really, REALLY want to. I’m kidding. Playing since 1994, I’ve won my fair share of league championships. Okay, you know what? I’m not going to be modest here… Dennis has won a whole lot of leagues. So many, in fact, Dennis is allowed to be cocky enough to talk in the third person!
Actually, no one should ever be allowed to talk in the third person as to save them from sounding dumb or like Ryan Seacrest.
However, what people are allowed to do, which I highly recommend for the sheer euphoria of it all, is to win a fantasy basketball championship. So, mixing my vast knowledge of basketball and magic with words along with your voluntary action to read this article, I’ll unleash the basics of winning a fantasy basketball league.
Winning Starts Before The Draft
There are several elements to winning and it all begins before your draft. Obviously, you shouldn’t go into your draft “cold” without any information whatsoever. You need to do your homework like you did in grade school when your parents promised to buy you chocolate and cupcakes if you got good grades. Unfortunately, for my appearance and health, I was an honors student. Anyway, there are a few very basic questions that you need to ask yourself about prospective players that you’ll draft:
- What did the player in question do last season?
- Is the player in the same situation as he was last season – same team? Same basic personnel? Same coach and offensive philosophy? Starter or sub?
- Are there any health/injury issues to worry about?
These basic questions will help you get started in assessing players, however, up until your draft you’ll have to keep up with the news around the NBA, so that you get updated answers to the basic questions above.
As an example, we’ll use Raymond Felton of the Charlotte Bobcats. In 26 games as a sub last season, Felton averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 assists in 17.9 minutes per game. In 54 games as a starter, he averaged 14.9 points and 6.6 assists in 35.9 minutes per game. Furthermore, it should be noted that Felton was a rookie last season starting the season as a sub behind veteran Brevin Knight. And last season’s coach, Bernie Bickerstaff is back this season. These things in mind, let’s analyze Raymond Felton’s fantasy value with the above questions considered.
Well, looking at the splits between when Felton starts and subs in, there’s an obvious difference, as the “play more, produce more” applies here. The only difference in personnel this season is that last season’s frontcourt players that were injured for a significant amount of time – Emeka Okafor, Sean May, and Gerald Wallace – will start the season off healthy and look to make an impact. Also, the Hornets drafted Adam Morrison, a successful swing man in college last season. So, that said about the frontline, nothing changed in the backcourt. Other than, and this is why you need to pay attention to the most up-to-date news, Felton will now start at the point guard position and also receive minutes at shooting guard when Coach Bickerstaff decides to keep Knight on the floor at the same time with Felton. Basically, Felton will get his minutes, which makes him a valuable commodity and a player you can feel confident about drafting.
It’s Okay… Cheat!
So, with all of your information on players that you’ll potentially draft, you’ll need to lay down a basic list that ranks each player – either overall or by position. Yes, this cheat sheet that you create will be your friend. The purpose of cheat sheets are to put your basic draft plan in front of you, so as not to guess willy-nilly who you want to draft. Plus, as the draft goes along, you’ll be able to mark off those players that are taken, leaving clear your top ranked players that are still on the board. So, in the world of fantasy basketball (and, really any other fantasy sport), cheating is not only allowed, but encouraged. At least before the draft, so cheat to your heart’s content as it will help your heart later when you win the championship.
