With the NBA season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to get involved in Daily Fantasy Leagues with plenty of contests available every single night. The best part about daily fantasy is that it’s easy to play and the results are immediate with no need to wait an entire season to find out if you win or lose a specific contest.
If you’ve been following the site, you know that we cover a lot of DFS topics but as we get closer to the start of a new season, we wanted to give the newbies some pointers. Here’s four important basics to keep in mind:
Build Around Superstars
None of the four major professional sports leagues in North America relies more heavily on superstar players than the NBA. The same rule applies to winning managers when it comes to Daily Fantasy Leagues. The league’s best consistently put up big numbers every single night and it’s important to make sure that you identify the most complete players and build around them every night. It’s not just about scoring either because points are also handed out based on rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and three-point shots as well. The NBA’s top superstars are able to consistently put up big numbers across the board every single night, so it’s important to make the top players your foundation.
Matchups Are Key
One of the most important factors in daily fantasy is to take a look at the matchup on a given night and see who your players are playing. For example: the Utah Jazz were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA down the stretch last season, so if you’re thinking of starting some players against them, you might be hesitant given that they did a great job at limiting their opponents. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves were the worst defensive team in the NBA last season, allowing 106.5 points per game. If they’re the opponent, then you’ll feel pretty good about starting players facing them because no team allowed more points than them.
It’s important to take a look at who the opponent is on a given night and evaluate whether the game is going to be free-flowing and high-scoring or whether it’s going to be a defensive showdown. Not all schedules and opponents are the same.
Injuries Create Opportunity
It’s also important to keep a close eye out for injuries and the impact they can have on player performance not just in term of the injured player but with targeting the player that takes advantage of the opportunity as a replacement. A backup point guard’s price tag and value isn’t as high as it would be if they were a starter. However, if that backup point guard is forced in to a starting role by injury and his price tag isn’t changed in time, then his value becomes exponentially better based on both the increased role and low price tag. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on the injury reports to see who is being rested and who is being held out. It creates opportunities. Finding the right value plays to plug in around the superstar players is the key to building a successful fantasy team.
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Schedule Is Important
Another important factor when assessing player values is the schedule including the projected difference between performances at home compared to on the road as well as the amount of games played in a specific time period. A player’s value in the final game of a road trip that includes three games in four nights won’t be as high as another player whose at home on two nights rest for obvious reasons. Building around superstar players, keeping an eye on matchups and looking out for injuries are all important factors when it comes to consistently winning at Daily Fantasy Leagues but don’t overlook the schedules as a final important element to always consider this season.
