It is important to remember that the NBA season is starting early this year, so fantasy draft season is going full throttle right now. The draft is arguably the most important part of a fantasy season. Formulating a strong strategy and applying it to build the best team possible, is a great start.
Some of the tips below apply directly to the draft, while others can be used applied to the draft and throughout the season. Here are some helpful fantasy tips to help you draft a better fantasy team this season.
Know your League’s Scoring System
Going into the season, it is likely you know what categories your league uses and how your league scores (i.e. head-to-head, rotisserie, points, rankings…etc), but truly understanding them can help your team outperform expectations. Let’s focus on the two most popular types of leagues, ones that use just totals (points, assists, three-pointers made…etc.) and compare it to a league that uses a mixture of aggregates and efficiency measures (i.e. field goal percentage, free throw percentage).
Let’s use Russell Westbrook and James Harden as examples. These two players were arguably the best two players in fantasy basketball last season. The two MVP candidates’ numbers were close last season, with Westbrook getting the edge in points and rebounds, while Harden had more assists. If your league focuses just on stat totals like points, blocks, rebounds, then Westbrook is the better option. However, Harden was more efficient, shooting a better field goal and three-point percentage than Westbrook. Obviously those two are great fantasy options no matter the league, but applying the same logic later in the draft and when making a move in the season, can help rid yourself of bias and maximize your team’s potential.
Wait on a Point Guard
Right now the NBA is at an all-time high in point guard talent, making it the easiest position to find depth. If by chance you miss Westbrook, Harden or Steph Curry than the best strategy is to wait on drafting a point guard. Skip on players like Chris Paul, John Wall and Kemba Walker in the second and third round. Instead, it is better to focus on drafting a strong group of frontcourt players amd then grab some of the mid-range point guards with high upside. This category includes Ricky Rubio, Jeff Teague and recently joining the mix, Jrue Holiday. These are point guards who play with other great players, and each should have high chances to put excellent numbers for a fifth round or later pick.
Draft Players with Multiple Position Eligibility
One of the best ways to build a strong bench is to draft as many players who can start at multiple positions. The ability to have numerous players start at multiple positions makes it easier to maximize your lineup. This applies to lower ranked players, more than to the superstars, but the general rule of thumb is there is no real downside to having a player able to start at multiple positions.
Take Elfrid Payton and D’Angelo Russell, who rank 59 and 60th overall in Yahoo league preseason rankings. If you assume, they are equal based on their preseason rankings, then Russell having both the ability to start at point guard and shooting guard makes him a better fantasy asset, especially if you have him as your second option at point guard.
Grab Specialized Players Late in the Draft
To start off, let’s explain what we mean by a specialized player. A specialized player is someone who excels at a few aspects of the game, but overall should not be a permanent fixture on your fantasy team.
Take Lucas Nogueira of the Toronto Raptors. The young PF/C ranked in the top-20 in blocks per game while shooting .660 (which would have been good enough for second in the NBA had he qualified) last season. Nogueira does not get enough playing time to be a great fantasy option all the time, but if you need blocks and do not want to sacrifice shooting percentage, he is a great start for a few games or a week. Another benefit to having a specialized player is they are easily droppable. If you drafted Nogueira, but do not need the extra blocks, he can quickly be dropped and from there you can add someone who can help your team in other ways.
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