Fantasy Basketball Introduction

The 2007-2008 NBA season starts on October 30, which means it's time to start thinking about your fantasy draft strategy! My posts will assume you are competing in a head to head league with the standard 9 statistical categories (FG%, FT%, Points, 3-Pointers Made, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, Blocks, and Turnovers) and standard 10 starting position slots (PG, SG, G, SF, PF, F, 2 C, and 2 Util).

Let's assume that you agree with your league's "projected" rankings. The big question is then, on draft day, besides picking the best rated player with each of your picks (and making sure you fill your starting positions), what else can you do gain an edge that will benefit you all season long (and throughout your league's playoffs)?

Some players have a good overall rating because they excel in a single category. Andrei Kirelenko is one such player (He's a blocks machine). If you always pick the best overall player available, you might end up with a team full of players that are only good at a few categories. You'll be destined to lose all your head to head matchups despite dominating your opponents in a few categories.

At the other end of the spectrum, some players have a good overall rating because they are decent in almost all 9 categories. For example, look at Manu Ginobli, Leandro Barbosa, and Teyshaun Prince's stats from 2006-2007; these guys were good in 8 or all 9 categories. If you always pick the best overall players, you might end up good talent in all 9 categories. You might have a decent regular season, but in the playoffs, you might meet a team that excels in 5 categories and is lousy in the other 4. Your team was good all season long in all 9 categories, but this team will likely beat you 5-4 and advance in the playoffs.

You want to be the that kind of team, the team that excels in 5 categories. You might not have the best regular season (and you must accept this). One team might draft to be good at all 9 categories. Against some of the worst teams in the league, that "all around" team might win 9-0 or 8-1. Your team won't be able to beat up on this lousy team, you'll just win 5-4 because unfortunately, b/c you're so good at 5 categories, you're going to be pretty bad at the other 4.

But, when the playoffs come around, and you go to play that "all around" team that won the regular season, you're going to beat them 5-4 and advance in the playoffs.

In my next posts (over the course of the next month). I will show you how to become a team that excels in 5 categories. I'll show you how to decide which 5 of the 9 categories you should go for and then I'll show you how to determine which players will suit your new strategy the best.

Since you will only be aiming to be good at 5 of the categories, the players that fit your team the best will not be the same as the highest overall rated players that every other team is trying to draft. Players that will fit well into your system may be available throughout every round of the draft.

Enjoy, I hope you like it!