As another fantasy basketball season gets underway, here are some tips and draft strategies to consider.
Fantasy Basketball Tips and Draft Strategies
Know Your League’s Format
Before jumping into research, knowing your league’s format is essential. There are several formats, but the most common are head-to-head points, head-to-head categories, rotisserie (roto), and points.
- Head-to-head-points: Each statistical category is assigned a value (e.g. AST = 2 points). A manager faces off against a single opponent weekly, and whoever accumulates the most points wins.
- Head-to-head categories: The league commissioner sets an “X” number of statistical categories (typically eight, nine or 12). A manager faces off against a single opponent weekly, and whoever secures the most categories wins.
- Rotisserie: Teams are ranked from first to last in each statistical category. Points are distributed based on the rankings in each category, and the overall score at the end of the season determines the winner.
- Points: Like head-to-head points, each category is assigned a value. The points from each category are accumulated and added together at the end of the season. The team with the highest total wins.
Fantasy draft rankings and a player’s value vary based on a league’s format. Also, managers should know how many players they must draft at each position and the number of available bench spots.
Categories
The best players to draft are those who contribute to multiple categories.
Typically, assists and blocks are the scarcest. These stats mainly come from the league’s top point guards and big men. While these players are taken early in drafts, sometimes blocks can be found on the waiver wire. Likewise, there are a select few players who excel at steals. They’re difficult to find on the wire, and even then, players who contribute to this category rarely offer much value elsewhere.
Conversely, three-pointers and rebounds tend to be the easiest stats to get. The evolution of three-point shooting in this era has players attempting more and more shots from beyond the arc each season. As for boards, good rebounders are not just big men. Players from any position can thrive on the glass, and numerous pickups can provide a decent amount consistently.
Most fantasy managers first target scorers in drafts, and having at least a few reliable, high-scoring players is essential. However, points are not usually a scarce category, and there should be some options on the waivers who can contribute at least 10 per game. But remember that points are tricky, as they tie to 3PT, FG%, and FT%.
The FG%, FT%, and turnover categories are a little more complicated. The efficiency stats can be challenging to plan for in drafts as they’re difficult to predict and vary throughout the season. On top of that, turnovers are easier to rack up. Primary ball handlers, high-usage players, and rookies usually have high turnover rates.
Punting
One common draft strategy is punting, meaning managers ignore certain category(s) to strengthen others (usually FG%, FT%, and turnovers). The best time to decide which categories to punt is during a draft. Here, you can analyze your weakest stats and adjust your strategy to strengthen others. If attempting to punt multiple categories, consider pairing some that go together (e.g. AST + STL, PTS + FT%).
Do Your Research
Several sites are available to help with research, like Hashtag Basketball. These sites offer tools to help managers determine which players are more valuable to their league’s formats. This includes daily player projections, customized rankings, trends, etc.
When creating a draft plan, it’s helpful to analyze a player’s stats from previous seasons to get an idea of which categories they will contribute the most/least to. Knowing which players are injury-prone or frequently miss games due to load management or suspensions/ejections is also significant.
Ultimately, keep updated with offseason moves, as players on new teams see changes in their fantasy value. Thus, keep track of which players project to rise or fall.
Mock Drafts and Rankings/Tiers
One of the best ways to prepare is by practicing mock drafts. This helps managers get an idea of where certain players get drafted and how to prepare. Participating in drafts also tells you which categories become scarcer and which positions have the least depth.
Sometimes, taking the top available player in each round isn’t the best plan. This can lead to over-drafting a position or lacking strength in categories. After selecting a player, evaluate which stats you lack and target players who contribute to them (unless you plan to punt those categories).
That said, it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to draft all your targeted players. Creating your own rankings, which depend on the format, is helpful. Each round, you’re on the clock to select a player, so you don’t have much time to research and find backups. Or, instead of rankings, make tiers. This can be done by creating an overall tier, ranking each player based on their round value, or positional tiers.
Stay Updated on News and the NBA Schedule
Finally, stay updated with the latest news and moves in the weeks leading up to your draft. Even after drafting, read every update concerning your players and make moves as needed. The more time you spend researching and keeping up with the news, the greater your advantage.
When picking up players off the waivers, conserve moves by checking out the NBA’s schedule that week. Teams that play back-to-back games are convenient and help save adds. Watch out for how many games teams have each week.
The trade deadline in February is a noteworthy time for fantasy managers, as players on new teams will likely see changes in their value. Also, if your league ends at the same time as the NBA season, depending on a team’s playoff status, stars will likely sit out for the last few weeks. This is when random players on the waiver wire become extremely valuable pickups. Keep an eye out for them in April.
