Fantasy Basketball: Winning Strategies for the Remainder of the Season
By Alpine
Oct 29, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) celebrates receiving his NBA championship ring before a game against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
We are officially in the latter half of the fantasy basketball regular season. Yes, you read that correctly.
You are either cruising, fighting, or desperately struggling for a playoff spot. Regardless of your current ranking, your team still needs to improve in order to claim the crown. One of the biggest mistakes that successful fantasy basketball owners make is remaining idle while their team crushes the competition. Less fortunate owners play with a bit more urgency because the competition keeps them on their toes. It only takes one hot team in the playoffs to derail a wonderful season. Do not let that happen to you! Ask yourself these three crucial questions.
Can my squad beat the top two teams in the league?
If you cannot beat them, figure out the categories where they are the most vulnerable. You must go through one, or possibly both of those teams in order to win the championship.
Do I have a gaping positional need?
If you are struggling with trading, read my previous work on the subject (The Fantasy Basketball Trading Bible, Ch. 2, and Ch. 3.) I methodically guide you through the process.
Do I have a category that I never win?
Since we are in the final half of the season, give some serious thought to totally abandoning one category in order to strengthen the rest. Call it punting, ditching, sacrificing, tanking, etc. I call it surviving and giving yourself a chance to win.
No matter what your answers were to the questions above, never say die. Make a risky trade. Give up some depth for a star. If you want to load up on guys that have favorable playoff schedules, check out my last article. I am just trying to encourage you to fight until the end. You have spent too much time analyzing this great game to gently waltz into a playoff defeat. If the talent on your team is inferior due to a poor draft, injuries, bad trade, etc., you must get creative and take a risk. If you need advice on those risks, email me at: alpinefantasy@yahoo.com.