Fantasy Basketball Tips

Fantasy Basketball Help, Tips, & Advice

I played in fantasy basketball leagues for a few years without looking for help. I thought my years of watching the NBA and enjoying some success in fantasy football would earn me some fantasy basketball league championships and I didn't need anyone else's advice to get there.

This was a mistake.

No matter how many studs I stole in my drafts, no matter how solid I thought my roster, no matter how much trash I talked on the league forums I couldn't get over the hump. Here are some fantasy basketball tips I've picked up since deciding that I was not, in fact, the world's foremost fantasy basketball guru.

Fantasy Basketball Tips - Preseason

1. Get a handle on your fantasy basketball league's particulars. That means reading through all the settings, no matter how tedious or insignificant. Having a handle on your league's settings is the easiest and most effective way to get a head of steam going before you even think about a draft.

My first step in any fantasy league is to take a look at last season's statistics for a handful of players and figure out their fantasy point totals based on my new league's settings. Compare players from different positions -- the smallest changes in scoring can skew a league to favor a particular position or type of player. For instance -- the league I joined this year tends to favor guards because of the league's emphasis on the assists stat. Knowing that, I can adjust my draft strategy to land me lots of guards or other guys who happen to rack up a ton of assists.

A side benefit of this strategy is that it takes the emphasis off of the picks made in fantasy magazines or websites. This one step alone will help you build a wish list of draft picks based less on emotions and "expert analysis" and more on what you will need to be a successful fantasy manager.

Remember that statistics and numbers are much safer picks than emotion. It is tempting to put a guy on your fantasy basketball roster that you love to watch play, but check out how his stats will help or hurt you in your league.

2. Prepare for your draft. Depending on the number of teams in your league and which positions are emphasized due to scoring rules, your draft prep will be wildly different from the preparation made by other fantasy fans. Having said that, try not to be too goofy with your first 3 or 4 draft picks -- this is the time to land studly superstars, not to confuse or distract your opponents with strategic picks.

During the draft, watch out for drop offs -- usually there is a massive "drop-off" in a position after a certain number of players, a situation where the caliber of player sinks markedly. Ideally, you should pick up a player from that position well before the drop-off point. This allows you to hit up the other positions that still hold some quality talent after the drop off.

3. On draft day, stay focused and scan for opportunity. Draft day is as important in fantasy basketball as it is in other fantasy sports. My late round picks are almost as important to my long term fantasy basketball success as my first round grab. Keep a cheat sheet and have it next to you on draft day -- hell, tape it to your head if you have to. As a buddy of mine puts it -- three hours of works before the draft can save you an entire season of headaches.

One final pre season note -- stay on top of roster changes. Fantasy basketball magazines don't have the most up to date information, and even fantasy basketball websites can be a bit behind. It is best to stay familiar with ESPN or some other sports news outlet. Injury, suspension, or just a change in a player's position or supporting cast will affect a player's fantasy output.

Fantasy Basketball Tips - During the Season

1. There is a delicate balancing act that occurs in the first few weeks of the fantasy basketball season. Remember that some players don't come charging out of the gate -- Dirk Nowitzki comes to mind. Sometimes guys need a little time to get comfortable before they start producing studly numbers for your fantasy basketball roster. Having said that, it is important to listen to your gut.

Even this early in the season, you should check to see what free agents are available. Double check your fantasy roster and make sure you've got talent in all necessary positions and suitable back-ups. Back-ups aren't garbage players -- these should be guys you wouldn't mind starting if necessary. This point in the season is the time to analyze your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your opponents. Know your enemy.

Act on hunches.

2. The NBA is a funny place -- there are always going to be big name impact players that pop up on the free agent list. Have a working knowledge of the free agent list and avail yourself of the talent there.

Remember that the NBA season is long. Unlike football, where Sunday or occasionally Monday is gameday, there are NBA games every day of the week. Fantasy basketball is labor intensive and requires a bit of work just about everyday.

3. Make trades. So many times I've seen fantasy basketball managers unwilling or unhappy with the idea of trading.

You need to be willing to trade players while they are hot and can draw the caliber of players that you're looking to add. In my opinion, successful fantasy managers spend a lot of time talking with their opponents about prospective trades, sometimes jokingly, sometimes with a straight face. Takling about trades is the only way you can "take their temperatures" and find out if they're ready, willing, and able to make a deal with you.

A trade can be a lucrative move, but you're not going to get more than you give. The best you can hope for is a slight gain in the short term -- if you are looking to trade a 40 point fantasy player, the best you can do is snag a guy who is averaging somewhere around 42 points. It is all about small incremental improvements in your game.

4. Read the paper. Watch sports news. Check box scores every night of the season. Hard statistical date is where you are going to learn the most about your fantasy roster.

When looking at a player's potential and trying to get a handle of if his stock is rising or falling, fantasy points alone won't get the job done.

When you look at statistics, pay special attention to shot attempts. If a certain player is simply not shooting the ball as many times as he used to, it could be a sign that he has a nagging injury, or that his player is coaching him differently. This player's total of points scored may be the same over a long stretch, but what you're looking for is a developing trend.

The other side of this coin is that a player's coach may begin giving the player the "green light", telling him to shoot away. Let's say a guy is scoring around 12 or 14 points a game -- that won't impress many fantasy managers. But if you notice he's scoring those points on 20 shot attempts, you can put him on your roster before he has the breakout game that will draw everyone else's attention.

Along the same lines, the number of minutes a player gets is also an overlooked but important stat.

5. Stay focused over the course of a long season. Unlike fantasy football, there is normally a ton of movement in the league standings over the course of a season. The fantasy basketball manager who starts out at the bottom of the heap can easily rise to the top in a matter of a month or so. By staying focused, or out-thinking your opponents while they sleep, you can be riding high in no time.

6. My final and most important fantasy basketball tip is to have fun. No matter how competitive or intense your season is, there's only going to be one winner. Every fantasy league you join is an opportunity to improve your fantasy basketball skills and a place you can use to interact socially. It is, after all, just a game.