It's that time of the year again. With training camps set to open, fantasy basketball drafts will pick up. If you're experienced, an article like this won't do much for you. However, plenty of basketball fans may be getting into fantasy basketball for the first time. For those people, welcome. This article aims to introduce you to fantasy basketball in a way that hopefully makes your experience positive. Let's get into how to play fantasy basketball.
1. Decide who you want to play with.
For some, playing with people they know will be the best course of action. If there's an entry fee, it should (in theory) be easier to collect everyone's money before the league starts. For others, simply entering an online league with strangers that does not charge a fee will be the preferred entry into fantasy basketball. The good news is that fantasy managers have plenty of options.
Regarding the money, here's an important tip: only put up what you're willing and able to lose potentially. The good thing about season-long fantasy leagues is that the possibility of falling into the trap of chasing one's losses is off the table. Committing money that you can't afford to lose financially (or mentally) is a good way to make the fantasy experience a bad one.
2. What kind of league do you want to compete in?
If you're entering online leagues, you make this decision when sifting through available options. Do you want to compete in a category league or a points league? For the latter, point values are assigned to each category (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers). For Yahoo! default points leagues, here are the values for those categories:
Points: 1
Rebounds: 1.2
Assists: 1.5
Steals: 3
Blocks: 3
Turnovers: -1
Understanding the scoring will impact how you approach your draft, especially in the later rounds. Also, do you want to compete in a head-to-head league, which offers weekly matchups with other managers, or a rotisserie league? In the latter, a slow start could be harder to rebound from. That also means managers may need to be more open to making a major trade earlier in the season.
Also, do you want to compete in a redraft league or a dynasty league? For redraft leagues, you'll pick your team every year. Dynasty leagues have a first-year draft, usually including players who are currently in college, and run for multiple years. If you don't want to commit to a league for multiple years, the redraft format is usually preferred.
3. What kind of draft do you want to have for your league?
Snake drafts are the most common, but the question is whether it includes a reversal every two rounds. That means the person with the final pick in the first round, for example, would have the first pick in the third round, and the order would alternate every two rounds. Another question for snake drafts: do you want to complete this in one sitting, as in-person drafts do, or hold an online slow draft? For slow drafts, managers will have more time to make their picks, and they usually run for multiple days.
Word of advice: set up email alerts for when you're either on deck or on the clock. Filling your queue with a few potential options is something else to consider doing, but most managers will prefer to look at the board before making a pick.
If you don't want to go with a snake draft, you can also do a salary draft. In this format, you're given a salary cap, $200 in default leagues, and can spend the money however you like. Want to spend $75 (or more) on Victor Wembanyama or Nikola Jokić? Go right ahead. Managers can either choose to splurge on a couple of stars and fill out the roster with low-cost options, or take a more balanced approach. From personal experience, salary drafts are far more efficient online than in person.
For in-person drafts, regardless of format, instituting some penalty for those who consistently try to select or nominate players already off the board would be a good idea.
4. Do your research before draft day.
Finding time to research players before draft day can be challenging. But the worst approach is to take a rankings sheet and go off that alone. We'll have preseason articles available throughout the coming weeks, and there are other good resources out there as well, whether in written or podcast form. The reason research matters: injuries, potential rotation battles, and coaching changes will all impact a player's value, and those discussions aren't included on a rankings sheet.
If you prefer the "cheat sheet" method, don't fret: we've got those for you, too.
5. Don’t be afraid to participate in a few mock drafts before your big day.
You can certainly do this before finalizing the kind of league you'll be competing in, but it makes more sense to do mock draft exercises afterward. Mocks aren't perfect, but they can help you get used to surprises that may come up in a draft. For example, if someone uses a first-round pick on a frequently injured player, here's how you can potentially pivot to take advantage.
Mock drafts are also helpful in salary leagues because they can show you how players are perceived price-wise. And it also allows you to figure out the approach that's best for you, as noted in the third point. Spend it all on a few stars, or spread your cap dollars more evenly? Testing this out in a mock draft or two ensures that you won't be flying blind on draft day.
️ 6. Once the season begins, set aside some time to set your lineups.
Life can get busy, making it easy to forget to set your lineup each day. Leagues can allow a new lineup every day, or you may have to set your lineup for the entire week before Monday's games start. Regarding daily lineups: does your league have a weekly games cap? If so, paying closer attention to matchups and how many games a player's team has scheduled becomes even more important.
The optimal approach for leagues that allow for daily lineups: one check in the morning, and a second in the afternoon/early evening to account for any potential absences due to injury or suspension.
7. If you have to shift your strategy, don’t be afraid to do so.
Panicking after one week of fantasy basketball wouldn't be wise, but there may come a point when you have to make major moves to salvage the season. As noted above, it can get "late" earlier in roto leagues than in category leagues. Is the change as simple as a few waiver-wire pickups? Or do you need to make a major trade?
If a trade is needed, please don't get into the habit of trying to get over on other managers. Trades should benefit both parties, and trying to fleece other managers is a good way to ensure no one wants to do business with you in the future. Also, if your league has a trade block, use it. Not just to list players you're willing to give up, but also to list categories that your team is either struggling or excelling in.
8. Last but not least: this is supposed to be fun. Don’t ruin the experience for others by sabotaging the league.
This is especially important if you're playing for money and sharing the league with people you know. Sure, "it's just fantasy basketball." But that's exactly why colluding and cheating should not happen. Real relationships shouldn't become strained or severed over fantasy sports. If you approach it the right way, a league can last for years, and strangers can become friends.
