Fantasy Basketball For Dummies
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By James Ramsburg
- Regardless, the end result is a lot of fun, and if you do it right, there’s potential to make a lot of money. Here’s a quick guide or even a fantasy for dummies look at this fun action. There are a few daily fantasy sports sites to consider, but we recommend playing these games at FanDuel, DraftKings, or DraftDay. Wherever you choose to go.
- Fantasy Basketball Basketball For Dummies Cheat Sheet Basketball is the most popular participatory sport in the United States — even more popular than Angry Birds. So whether you’re a basketball player or a basketball fan, you’re in with the popular crowd.
- The first key to fantasy basketball success is that you must love the game of basketball and be willing to put in many hours of research and study. Knowledge is power. GM’s who compete for championship titles watch a ton of games, read as much analysis as they can find, and they never take a day off.
The NBA season is just around the corner which of course means fantasy basketball is nearly upon us. This article is not for the veteran GM’s, you experienced and grizzled fantasy basketball participants will find no useful information here. Rather, this is for the newcomers to the world of fantasy basketball and for those who have played but have had no success.
1.Love of the Game
The first key to fantasy basketball success is that you must love the game of basketball and be willing to put in many hours of research and study. Knowledge is power.GM’s who compete for championship titles watch a ton of games, read as much analysis as they can find, and they never take a day off. A winning GM reads box scores more often than the Pope reads the bible.
There is no excuse to not be informed as there are hundreds of websites devoted to basketball and fantasy basketball in particular – use them! If you are lazy, don’t have the time to dedicate to basketball, or are just a casual fan of the sport you will not win!
2.Know Your League
The next item of importance is to know your league. The rules and scoring will have a lot to do with how you draft and how you manage your team. Scoring is broken down into categories- many leagues use a 9 category system with drafted players accumulating stats in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, 3 point shots made, total points scored, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and turnovers.
The two most common formats of fantasy basketball play are rotisserie and head to head with H2H being the preferred arrangement for many owners.In H2H leagues one team plays another for one week during which time stats are accumulated with the goal being to win as many of the categories as possible. Each day it is important to regulate your lineup, moving players to the bench who do not have a game that day and placing active players from your bench into your starting lineup. GM’s who do not keep up with their lineup do not win!
3.Proper Draft Preparation and Execution
Finally, the day of the draft will come. Whether you are drafting online or in person you must be on time and you must be prepared.Hurriedly scanning a top 200 list ten minutes before the draft will not cut it. You must know what players are hurt and to what extent, how players signed or traded to new teams figure to be utilized, which rookies will have substantial playing time, and basically as much raw information as you can gather and comprehend.
If you have the first pick you will likely choose either LeBron James or Kevin Durant. Any first round pick after the first two should be used on an elite point guard. Elite PG’s are the most valuable asset to a fantasy team as they generally contribute in multiple categories, especially in the assists department which is believed by many to be the most elusive of stats to gather. Good PG’s will go fast – I recommend spending your first two picks on the best PG’s available.
Next I load up on power forwards and centers capable of producing double-doubles. A double-double is achieved when a player scores ten or more points as well as gathers ten or more assists, rebounds, blocks, or steals.You will want as many players as possible on your team that average a double-double or close to it throughout the season –the dub-dub is the best friend of the fantasy basketball GM. A fantasy team loaded with good PF’s and C’s can usually dominate rebounds, blocks, and FG percentage as many bigs tend to scorea lot of high percentage shots close to the basket.Combine that with those two top PG’s you drafted in round’s one and two and you’ll be off to a good start.I usually start my draft by going PG, PG, PF/C, and PF/C.
Next I address SG and SF followed by adding even more PG and big man depth. I look for players who are eligible at multiple positions, for example a guard that can be used at SF or a PF who can be used as a center. Try to ultimately end up with as balanced a roster as possible, to be thin at any one position is just asking for trouble.
Finally, when drafting, it is important to leave your emotions and allegiances behind. Sure, you might think LeBron James is a jerk but if you have the second pick and Durant was taken first you must draft LeBron. If you are the world’s biggest Trailblazers fan and/or you are an alumni of the University of Memphis you still should not draft Will Barton – he won’t be getting very many minutes.
4.Skilled Maneuvering of the Waiver Wire
Once the season begins you will want to add and drop players due to several factors. One reason will be injury, if a player suffers a serious injury and is gone for the season you must dump him immediately and add a player.When a star player gets hurt things can get tricky if the injury is not expected to end his season. If your league has an IR then of course stash him there but if not you must determine how long the player will be out and if it is worth it to have him sitting idly on your bench.
Obviously, if you own Kevin Durant and he is going to be out for a month then you keep him. If Steve Novak is going to miss a month you drop him like a dirty diaper into the wastebasket.I tend to drop injured players quick unless they are a heavy duty producer and the wait will not be too long. Another reason to drop a player is because of ineffective play or reduction in minutes.If there is a free agent available with better stats and more minutes than a player on your team then you must pick him up.
Be aware of your leagues rules and limits concerning waiver wire and free agent adds. Some owners stream their bottom two or three players – adding players who play a nice 4 game week and releasing guys with just 3 games. If your league has a limit of four adds per week it is a common practice to save at least one add until Saturday so that if you are close to your opponent in a certain category you can add a player that is playing on Sunday who is strong in your deficient category. Weeks can be won and playoffs reached with shrewd player additions. It is important to always be aware of what is happening in the NBA and in your fantasy league.
You always want to be the GM who picks up the breakout player who came out of nowhere or the good player another GM inexplicably dropped to waivers. In addition, players can be traded, if you are studious and careful trading can benefit you. If you are uninformed and naïve the more experienced GM’s will rob and beat you, leaving you in the league dumpster.
If you follow this advice you should be able to compete in a fantasy basketball league. Again, the keys to winning are enjoying the game and attaining knowledge.The more fun you have with it, the more information you have, the more games you watch, and the more studying you do all combines to give you the best possible chance to be a fantasy football winner. Have fun and good luck!
You love basketball. You follow the NBA, root for your favorite team and watch a ton of games on TV.
And you still haven't played fantasy basketball?!
If that sounds a lot like you, this is the perfect season to give it a try. The NBA is loaded with exciting talent, from youngsters like Luka Doncic and Trae Young, to reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and veteran superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant. There has never been a better time to jump right into the fantasy game.
Imagine having Stephen Curry on your team when he gets on a roll from 3-point land and carries you to victory. Or what it feels like to have Anthony Davis on your squad when he stuffs the stat sheet with 30 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks.
These are the moments you remember as a fantasy manager!
In fact, many of those who've played fantasy basketball over the years can recall specific games that certain players had for them. An epic scoring night by James Harden or Damian Lillard, perhaps, or maybe a timely triple-double by Russell Westbrook.
So fun. So, so fun!
If you're not an expert, don't worry -- we have everything you need to know about how to enter a league and draft a winning team. Even if you're a total beginner, you will still have the tools to experience the joy of fantasy basketball like millions do every year.
Make the league your own
Every fantasy basketball league is different. While there are basic rules and settings that apply across the board (you will learn about those below), each league takes on its own identity based on settings like roster size, injury spots, stat categories and other specifics.
We encourage you to join or start a league that fits what you're looking for. If you want to be more casual and set your lineups once a week, find a league that uses weekly lineup changes. If you're a little bit more diehard with all this and want to be able to add and drop players and craft new lineups on a daily basis, that's the type of league you should enter.
The bottom line is to do what's fun for you. Find a league that keeps you tuning in to watch your players every night.
Fantasy Basketball For Dummies
With that in mind, we've put together ESPN Fantasy Basketball 101 to give you an overview of how to get started, how to prepare for your draft and how to play during the season.
Now it's time for you to sign up and join the fun!
Getting started
ESPN Fantasy Basketball FAQ
Click here for a quick reference for basic game-related questions.
How to sign up on the ESPN Fantasy app
Were you invited to an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league? Do you want to create your own as a League Manager? We have complete instructions for you right here.
How to sign up online
Whether you were invited to join an already-existing league or want to create your own as a League Manager, you'll find everything you need to do so right here.
League settings
If you created your own league, you'll need to make sure all of your league's rules and settings -- including roster size, scoring, regular-season schedules and playoff schedules -- are to your liking. We have all of the details of how to do that right here. Note: This season
You've signed up, now what?
Check out your league and team pages
It's time to learn more about your league and team pages, so you know where everything is. We've got you covered with a detailed tour right here.
Know your rules
This might seem incredibly basic, but even veteran fantasy basketball players often assume they know their league rules even when they don't. The result of overlooking a rule can be costly, so be sure you know the rules before your draft.
Go to your fantasy basketball league page, click on League, then Settings. Here, you'll be able to find all the rules that are in place for your league this season. This includes roster construction, scoring, schedule, playoff structure and more.
Take the time to carefully go over every section. To make sure you understand the thinking behind each rule, check out our League Settings overview.
Draft prep
A good draft will put you in position to have a successful season, and taking time to prepare beforehand is key. That includes formulating strategies and printing out rankings that reflect your league's scoring format.
Don't worry, we have you covered with customized expert rankings and draft strategies in the ESPN Fantasy Basketball draft kit.
Autodraft prep
If you don't plan to take part in a live draft, that's OK. Our system will automatically draft for you.
Still, you have the option of guiding how our system will draft your team. Go to your Team page and click 'Edit Autopick Strategy.' Here, you can decide which player positions you'd like to pick in which parts of the draft and how many players at each position you want to select overall.
Fantasy Basketball For Beginners
Mock drafts
Mock drafts are simply practice drafts that don't count for anything. It's a terrific way to get used to the ESPN draft software, make sure you know how everything works and test out different strategies. For example, that might mean drafting a point guard in the first round versus drafting a small forward in Round 1 and waiting on a point guard until the fourth round.
These practice drafts also let you see which players are going higher than expected and which are routinely slipping down a round or two (or more). This is extremely useful knowledge that you can take with you in your real draft and use to your advantage, avoiding those 'sliding' players until later rounds when you have a good idea that they will still be available.
For an overview of how everything in the ESPN draft room works, click on this link.
The draft
Draft day is the most exciting day of the season, because it's when your team goes from a plan to a reality. It's when you finally get the chance to assemble the group of players you get to root for all season. Of course, you can always add and drop players throughout the year, but the draft is still the most fundamental part of your roster and you want to make sure you don't miss on your top players.
If you have prepared for your draft by reading up on players and strategies, and by participating in several mock drafts, you're on the path to success. Believe in your hunches and don't look back.
To make everything go as smoothly as possible, be sure to follow these handy rules.
The season is starting, let the fun begin!
Trading
In most leagues, there are at least a few managers who enjoy the art of the deal. If you're one of those people, trading is going to be one of the most fun aspects of fantasy basketball. When done well, it's a great opportunity to improve your roster while unloading someone you perhaps no longer want or need.
There are several important factors to keep in mind. You must look at the roster of the team you're trading with and understand which, if any players, that manager might be willing to part with. For example, it'd be unwise to make a trade offer for a point guard on a team that is battling injuries and down to one healthy point guard. Also, while you may never want to send your best trade offer with your first proposal, be careful not to offer up too little. That can be offensive to the other manager and can lead to that person not only declining your offer but ending all future trade talks with you.
In-season strategies
Beyond trading, there are other factors to consider during the season like how to manage your games played in roto leagues, how to approach head-to-head playoffs, and how best to work the waiver wire. Check out the in-season strategies section of our draft kit.
Fantasy basketball etiquette
Every few years, no matter what type of league you're in, you'll run into someone who causes problems. Sometimes it name-calling on the message board and being a bully. Other times it is a constant stream of wild trade offers and questionable transactions. Whether you are in a hyper-competitive league or just trying to have some casual fun, you want to avoid being this way or having others in your league who conduct themselves like this.
Generally speaking, that just means following the golden rule: Treat others the way you'd want to be treated in your league.