Fantasy Basketball Skills
How to Win at Fantasy Basketball
Some say fantasy basketball is only a game, a petty competition between obsessive sports fans. But fantasy basketball skills are acquired over time. Not just anyone can play this game, and not just anyone can win, either. Male, female, young, old, a veteran NBA fan or new to the league--these fantasy basketball skills are how you win at fantasy basketball.
Fantasy Basketball Skill #1. Statistical memory
NBA seasons are long. Most fantasy basketball leagues ask you to alter your roster weekly rather than with each game, but it's important to crunch large amounts of numbers, categorize them, decide what they mean for you, and catalog this info somewhere accessible in your brain.
You'll never need your exhaustive collection of M*A*S*H episode titles. But start flexing your mental muscles to retain and apply numbers. Read every sports page you can. Practice other mental exercises too. Do Sudoku puzzles and crossword puzzles. Play Scrabble, chess, and/or poker. You can't be a fantasy basketball guru without a head for numbers.
Fantasy Basketball Skill #2. Obsessive sports viewing
Watching basketball games and sports analysis on television is another important fantasy basketball skill. It takes concentration. It takes fighting for the remote with your spouse and the kids. Watch hundreds of games per season and take notes of players' strengths and weaknesses. Stay sober too, or everything you learn will get lost in your alcoholic haze.
Fantasy Basketball Skill #3. Charm
Charisma and charm will convince the other fantasy managers that you're on their side, that you're making fair trades. Charm will convince them that you aren't sticking pins into Voodoo dolls of their studs.
Smack talk in fantasy basketball forums is fun, but if tell everyone you're going to win, and your roster is the best, and the other guys should stay home and play NBA Live, you'll never be able to make a favorable trade. Think of the other fantasy managers in your league as opportunities. When a guy drafts a stud that was pivotal to your fantasy strategy, figure out what kind of scotch he drinks. Or maybe a round of golf might soften him up.
In other words, turn on the charm. Complimenting him on his draft is a good idea. Plant the seeds of future trades.
Fantasy Basketball Skill #4. A damn good fantasy roster
It isn't really a skill, but a solid fantasy basketball roster is the easiest way to win your fantasy basketball championship. This means having a good draft, and knowing how and when to trade during the season. You also have to manage the roster you've built.
Roster management and draft strategy are important. Absorbing NBA info is important too. You need to know team schedule strengths and player trends and injuries and roster changes. Then you have to apply this to your gut feeling. Being able to alter your roster during the season means you'll have to be buddies with at least one other manager in your league, and the statistical information you need to keep that roster alive requires dedication and attention to detail.
Master these four fantasy basketball skills, or at least work toward them, and you'll have a successful fantasy season. Here's to your future championship victory.