Fantasy Basketball Time – A Great Draft Begins NOW!
By Alpine
Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
2013-2014 Fantasy Basketball – A Great Draft Begins NOW!
Yes, it is only September, but if you are reading this article, you cannot wait until that late October Draft Day. We will be passing around my laptop choosing NBA players in my living room with my Google Chromecast hooked to the big screen TV so everyone can see the selections. Food and drinks will be flowing, and there will be 12 hilarious guys who adopt a stoic demeanor when the countdown to Durant begins.
On this initial installment, I will tackle a crucial aspect of the game that gets minimal attention. First up…POSITIONS!
Here is the breakdown of MY current top 100 according to ESPN player eligibility. There will always be players that gain additional eligibility, but this base will still remain intact.
Top 25
8 PGs 3 SGs 4 SFs 5 PFs 5 Cs
26 – 50
9 PGs 2 SGs 4 SFs 7 PFs 3 Cs
51 – 75
5 PGs 6 SGs 3 SFs 5 PFs 6 Cs
76 – 100
5 PGs 6 SGs 5 SFs 5 PFs 4 Cs
Soooo, what does this all mean? Considering there are 17 point guards and only 5 shooting guards in my top 50, it means the world. Does Harden get the nod over CP3? ABSOLUTELY! Does Paul George get the nod over Westbrook and Curry? I say YES!
I did this same analysis last year and discovered the huge SG and SF shortage. Therefore, the first 5 rounds of my draft with the 11th pick looked like this:
1st Aldridge 2nd C. Anthony 3rd Batum 4th P. George 5th Bosh
I picked up Teague and Lillard later in the draft. Then, I traded Melo and Lillard for LeBron about a month into the season and cruised to a title with just Teague, Isaiah Thomas, and plug-ins at the PG slot. Teams were stacked with point guards, and I wouldn’t trade any of my shooting guards or small forwards despite the constant pleading and numerous threats against my family.
Why do people draft Deron Williams year after year over position shortage players? I’m not picking on Deron. He is just the classic PG without a high ceiling. If that desperate PG feeling hits you hard while you are on the clock, realize that Parker, Ellis, Conley, Jennings, Bledsoe, Holiday, Teague, Hill, Dragic, Lowry, and Calderon are waiting on you rounds later. Some people might even have Deron ranked ahead of Rose, Wall, Rubio, Lawson, Lillard, and K. Walker. Listen to that depth! It’s insane to waste a 2nd or 3rd round pick on a PG without huge potential when you can have a guy that is extremely comparable 2, 3, and 4 rounds later. Don’t be that guy!
Looking at the grand totals, shooting guards, small forwards, and centers need to be your top priority. If you find yourself with 3 point guards on your roster 8 rounds into the draft, it’s too late. You already screwed up. On the surface, it seems like you have a strong squad with some big names, but you will end up with a gaping, positional need at SG, SF, or C.
Although centers are fairly evenly distributed throughout the 4 ranges I indicated, shooting guards and small forwards are not. In my Top 75, there are only 11 SGs and 11 SFs. That accounts for only 29% of the population. The other 71% of the players are PGs, PFs, and Cs. That means that every SG and SF on your list needs to be bumped up significantly. I should really conduct fantasy basketball consultations privately instead of dishing out all of this free information. Oh well, the things you do when you love something…
In my next installment, A Great Draft Begins NOW Part II, we will discuss the importance of a team’s schedule. I will illustrate how a player’s team should impact his fantasy draft position. See you soon!