2013 Fantasy Basketball Draft Edition: Finding Your Center
No matter the fantasy sport, rotisserie style formats are about putting together a puzzle. The goal is to find the right pieces that create a championship caliber team. Each piece has a purpose. So when it comes to fantasy basketball and the center position, I am looking at players to fill specific roles. Pre-draft preparation allows me to target the kinds of players I need. Not necessarily the best players, just the most necessary.
Below are four rotisserie categories that I look to get from the center position. The first two are the most critical, but no rule is ever set in stone.
1) Blocks. Blocks can be tough to come by in fantasy basketball, especially if you aren’t prepared to find the proper targets. Blocks are our number one must have when we look at the center position. If you don’t block shots as a center, you will be buried in my rankings. The only way out is if you make three-pointers to go along with some points and rebounds.
2) Rebounds. My hope is to acquire enough Mini Lebrons that I can worry less about the category. Of course it is still an important statistic for my center targets. If you aren’t aware of Mini Lebrons, please read my article here.
3) Points/FG%/FT%. Essentially, this is all about attempts. I will give less value to a high FG% if the attempts per game are too low. Everything helps, but I am not paying a high price for an elite FG% if the player only attempts five to six shots a game. Be wary of what could be a misleading stat. This goes the same for free throw percentage. I will address this more later.
4)Three Pointers Made. It may seem a bit odd to list three pointers made here for centers, but if I am not getting blocks, then I at least want threes made with a decent amount of rebounds too. There are only a handful of players out there that can deliver this at the center position (i.e. Kevin Love, Ryan Anderson).
Here are the first seven centers selected in this year’s draft according to Yahoo! ADP:
|
PLAYER |
Y! ADP |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
3PG |
SPG |
BPG |
TO |
FG% |
FT% |
|
|
Kevin Love* |
8.5 |
18.3 |
14.0 |
2.3 |
1.1 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
2.2 |
0.352 |
0.702 |
|
|
Marc Gasol |
12.1 |
14.1 |
7.8 |
4.0 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
1.7 |
2.0 |
0.494 |
0.848 |
|
|
LaMarcus Aldridge |
13.3 |
21.1 |
9.1 |
2.6 |
0.0 |
0.8 |
1.2 |
1.9 |
0.484 |
0.810 |
|
|
Al Jefferson |
14.8 |
17.8 |
9.2 |
2.1 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
1.3 |
0.494 |
0.770 |
|
|
Anthony Davis |
17.3 |
13.5 |
8.2 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
1.2 |
1.8 |
1.4 |
0.516 |
0.751 |
|
|
Al Horford |
18.8 |
17.4 |
10.2 |
3.2 |
0.0 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
2.0 |
0.543 |
0.644 |
|
|
Serge Ibaka |
19 |
13.2 |
7.7 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
3.0 |
1.6 |
0.573 |
0.749 |
*Kevin Love was injured for the majority of this season. His 2010/2011 lines should be looked at as well.
In all likelihood, I will not be drafting any of these players. It isn’t that they aren’t great additions to a fantasy team, they are, but it comes down to this; I would rather draft Mini Lebron(s) like Paul George or Nicolas Batum, or draft a dynamic point guard(s). Now if a player that isn’t supposed to fall does, plans change. Adapting is part of a snake draft. However, in the mocks I have accomplished thus far, I find myself beginning to address the center position, even in two center leagues, later in drafts.
If this isn’t your draft philosophy and you grab one of these centers at their ADPs, there are still some tidbits you should consider. Noticing the statistical similarities each player has at a position can help you find great values in the draft. Some of the players I will list below may offer similar value to the players above, but at a better price. We should always be looking for value in a draft.
Here is a list of some centers with a wide range of ADPs:
|
PLAYER |
Y! ADP |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
3PG |
SPG |
BPG |
TO |
FG% |
FT% |
|
|
Larry Sanders |
27.6 |
9.8 |
9.5 |
1.2 |
0.0 |
0.7 |
2.8 |
1.2 |
.506 |
.618 |
|
|
Nikola Vucevic |
29.2 |
13.1 |
11.9 |
1.9 |
0.0 |
0.8 |
1.0 |
1.8 |
0.519 |
0.683 |
|
|
Joakim Noah |
31.6 |
11.9 |
11.1 |
4.0 |
0.0 |
1.2 |
2.1 |
2.7 |
0.481 |
0.751 |
|
|
Pau Gasol |
32.1 |
13.7 |
8.6 |
4.1 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
1.2 |
2.1 |
0.466 |
0.702 |
|
|
Brook Lopez |
35.3 |
19.4 |
6.9 |
0.9 |
0.0 |
0.4 |
2.1 |
1.8 |
0.521 |
0.758 |
|
|
Roy Hibbert |
44.9 |
11.9 |
8.3 |
1.4 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
2.6 |
2.1 |
0.448 |
0.741 |
|
|
Ryan Anderson |
59.7 |
16.2 |
6.4 |
1.2 |
2.6 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
1.2 |
0.423 |
0.844 |
|
|
Derrick Favors |
62.1 |
9.4 |
7.1 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
0.9 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
0.482 |
0.688 |
|
|
Jonas Valanciunas |
74.7 |
8.9 |
6.0 |
0.7 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
1.5 |
0.557 |
0.789 |
|
|
Amir Johnson |
78.8 |
10.0 |
7.5 |
1.5 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
0.554 |
0.727 |
|
|
Andre Drummond |
92.6 |
7.9 |
7.6 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
1.6 |
1.0 |
0.608 |
0.371 |
|
|
JaVale McGee |
94.2 |
9.1 |
4.8 |
0.8 |
0.0 |
0.4 |
2.0 |
1.1 |
0.575 |
0.591 |
|
|
Robin Lopez |
113.6 |
11.3 |
5.6 |
0.8 |
0.0 |
0.4 |
1.6 |
1.3 |
0.534 |
0.778 |
|
|
Spencer Hawes |
117.9 |
11.0 |
7.2 |
2.2 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
0.464 |
0.777 |
Right away we can see some real potential value in the middle to later rounds. Derrick Favors, Jonas Valanciunas, Andre Drummond, and JaVale McGee all have a chance to decimate their ADPs. Each one comes with some risk, but they don’t need to take huge leaps in production to provide value in the key categories of blocks, rebounds, and FG%. If you notice, each has at least one flaw. How to approach these flaws depends largely on your draft strategy. I do not believe in punting categories, especially in rotisserie leagues that aren’t head to head.
If you have strong free throw shooters, then it is likely you can draft a player such as Drummond without too much concern. You also need to take into consideration how many attempts there will be by a player. We aren’t talking about Dwight Howard’s 10 free throw attempts per game. We are talking about a player that may have 12 free throw attempts in a week. When you reach this point of a draft for a player like Drummond, your prior draft selections should dictate whether or not you can take on this flaw. In most instances having one or two poor free throw shooters will not crush you in the category. However, be wary that Drummond showed an incredibly bad FT% last season. But hey, maybe it has nowhere to go but up.
Of these four, Derrick Favors is the closest to being a can’t miss fantasy contributor. There is no reason for him not to average a double-double with two blocks a game. Valanciunas has really shown a lot of growth lately, but his impact may be more limited because of the ball needy pieces around him. Both McGee and Drummond need opportunity and to show consistency in certain aspects of their fantasy games, but they should be extremely valuable if they get the minutes. As long as their ADPs aren’t filled with too much helium come draft day, these are four players you should target.
Larry Sanders can be had 10 picks later in the third round, compared to Serge Ibaka in the second round. Outside of some small differences, it is hard to justify why Ibaka (PF, C eligibility) is going this early compared to his peers. Many of these centers also qualify as power forwards, so that can’t be the reason. Is there a belief that Ibaka will become a three-point threat? There is no doubt he has monster block numbers, but he has yet to eclipse eight rebounds a game in his career. His contributions seem limited in most other areas as well. Is the extra block per game worth the ADP when you can draft players such as Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert at later ADPs? Perhaps Ibaka takes on a bigger scoring load and proves me wrong, but I don’t see enough to take his stat line over the likes of John Wall and Nicolas Batum (similar ADP players).
Roy Hibbert’s FG% was terrible for a big man last season, but his percentage did trend upward during the last four months of the season. At that price, I am willing to take on some of that FG% risk for the rest of his line. Perhaps he can get back closer to that 50% mark like he achieved in 2011.
Ryan Anderson qualifies at center in Yahoo! leagues and outside of Kevin Love, is one of the few legitimate three point threats at the position. Andrea Bargnani is a qualified center that should also deliver some three pointers this season. The Knicks love the three-ball, so keep Bargnani in mind if you are looking to put some extra three-point firepower in your lineup. Channing Frye is another player coming back from health issues who can provide some interesting and helpful stat lines. It is likely he will go undrafted, but certainly should be watched from the waiver wire.
Robin Lopez, Spencer Hawes, and even the unmentioned Marcin Gortat could all deliver useful center numbers this season. Lopez should see a career high in minutes. Hawes has shown the proven ability to score. And although Alex Len is in the fold, Gortat should see enough minutes to still matter.
The Draft:
Earlier I mentioned putting the pieces of a puzzle together. Well, in order to complete that puzzle, we have to make some choices. In order to pass up on players like LaMarcus Aldridge, one must have a clear strategy. In fantasy football, many wait on the quarterback position, passing up on Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. In baseball, we tend to wait on starting pitchers and closers, passing up on Clayton Kershaw and Craig Kimbrel. And in fantasy basketball, I advise for you to wait on centers until at least the fourth round. This type of patience isn’t so drastic when you compare it to the other fantasy sports, but in standard fantasy basketball leagues, you only start 10 players and two of those spots are at center.
Recently, I have been a little more patient with my strategy. In two separate 12 team mock drafts, I was able to snatch up Favors and Hibbert at picks 52 and 58, respectively. Jonas Valanciunas and Andre Drummond went in round seven, while JaVale McGee went 10 or so picks later. If you can nab Favors or Hibbert, then Valanciunas, Drummond, or McGee, you are looking pretty strong at the center position. Add Robin Lopez and Spencer Hawes during the later rounds, and suddenly you have a solid center foundation.
There are other intriguing fantasy centers this season, but the goal here wasn’t to point out every player or even every scenario. Your draft strategy will determine which avenues you take. Use this piece as a guide and let it help find your center.
As for finding my center, there is no debate, I stretch out and wait.
The Author
25 Comments
Great article!
In recent mock drafts, I’ve waited on Centers usually taking Batum in the 2nd and a tier 2 PG/SG in the 3rd like Kemba, Lillard or Westbrook. It feels risky to me, but my 4th rd target is usually HIbbert, Favors or DeMarcus Cousins… I’m pretty confident I will get one of those as my top Center.
If this is the route I go, taking guards early with Batum (multi cat performer), am I right thinking the focus of the rest of the draft would be to make sure I get some of the other centers you mentioned? Even if that means i reach a little?
Also, what are your thoughts on Kanter? He has an opportunity with unclaimed minutes, but what is his associated risk/floor?
Fantasy basketball drafts are extremely interesting. It is basically wide-open after the third round and if you did your homework and practiced some mocks, you can go in a number of different ways. I have seen many different selections from people in the mocks I have completed. It is what makes fantasy basketball drafts so much fun.
To answer your question, I like the plan. I would rather take guards early who are multi-cat or big time performers than the centers. And because position eligibility is so liberal, you can find PFs/forwards with nice value later in the draft (Parsons, Jeff Green). I usually avoid injured players (Westbrook) because their are no DL spots and bench space is usually limited. I am more willing to take an injured player in head-to-head however, since you can really hit the lotto in the playoffs. But generally, it is best to avoid the headaches.
I have no problem with Hibbert in the 4th, although I would pass on him if I feel I can get Favors and another rebounder/shot blocker later on. Favors seems to be going in the 5th and 6th rounds, but he may inflate to the 4th round. He should be worth it, but there is risk here. You play to win and it isn’t overly silly unless you are passing on an obvious player, so I can see Favors going after Hibbert in the 4th (although Favors may outperform Hibbert). I am not a fan of Cousins in real life, but his offensive output and rebounding can’t be ignored. He also has a chance to get a steal and a block per game, but because I am so keen on blocks from centers, and even PFs, I usually find value elsewhere (he averaged less than a block per last season). However, you could do a lot worse in the 4th round and there is always a chance he goes nuts and fulfills his max potential. Wouldn’t be surprised if he went in the 3rd round though.
I would rather have Favors in the 5th, than Cousins in the 4th. I’m banking on Favors closing the gap offensively, but with better defensive numbers in blocks and steals, so that puts him over the top for me. The rebounds should be about equal.
I am unsure about Kanter. He’s mobile and seems good around the basket, but this is what I gather from youtube videos. Highlights are highlights, and unfortuantely, that is most youtube videos, but you should do this if you want a closer look at a player. Just keep in mind they are most of the time HIGHLIGHTS. I am not going to pretend that I see every game or every player, so this helps when I want to know more about a guy. He’s athletic, but is he a shot blocker? Highlights show some athletic blocks, but most seem to be in transition, Can he be a rim protector and block shots? That is my main concern with Kanter. He averaged 1.1 blocks in his 36 per. Not great. He should be solid and definitely worth a roster spot, but I can’t say what he will deliver. It is easy to say more minutes equals more production, especially when guys are young, but I don’t want to give that kind of advice too often. He seems to be going late still, so you can do worse in the later rounds at the center position.
You need to keep on top of what you have and need as the draft moves along. Use those utility spots to fill stats of need. Whether that means a third point guard (most likely) or extra rebounding and blocks. On your bench, try to have a 3 point shooter, an assists man, and a rebounder (who preferably can block shots). Of course, upside matters, so don’t pass on anyone that is obvious for your bench, but in H2H, you want some options vs. certain teams you will be facing.
So if I’m waiting on a Center, I’d like to take advantage of the tier 2 PG’s on the board in the 3rd round.
I take John Wall if he is around, but my dilemma is do I “reach” for the next tier of guards in the 3rd instead of a center like Larry Sanders? If so, would you mind ranking them for me? I’m looking at these in particular:
Kemba Walker
Mike Conley
Monte Ellis
Damien Lillard
I tend to gravitate towards Kemba because of steals, pts and 3PM with the upside bc of an improved team, but Conley is being drafted before him in most of the mocks. Lillard is up there too bc of the pts and almost 2 3PM per game, but he gets almost a steal less per game than any of the other 3.
My other thought centers around John Wall. I made a mistake in a mock draft that turned out perfect… I accidentally took Wall in the 2nd, Batum fell to me in the 3rd, and I didn’t have to reach for Kemba in the 4th. On top of all that, Hibbert and Favors fell to me in the 5th & 6th respectively. This is best case scenario, but very risky. My question centers around John Wall… is he the type of player that is worth taking a full 2 rounds ahead of the other guards I mentioned? If so, who should I target in the 3rd assuming Batum isn’t still around?
Thanks for your thoughts! Draft day is rapidly approaching.
I expect Batum to be gone at some point during the 2nd round, but you never do know I suppose. I am currently doing my positional rankings, and I am considering him ahead of George. I expect him to improve upon last year and I am hoping he can increase his ppg. Just to make it clear, George is great and I have yet to make a final decision on that.
Perhaps Batum’s concussion is making him slip now, but mocks unfortunately are still mocks, and I expect him to be gone by the middle of round two. If John Wall makes it to round 3, take him. You can also make a case for Wall over Batum, but I would personally go Batum because like you are mentioning, still plenty of point guards in round 3. Once round 4 ends however, I expect the top PGs to be gone. It will be interesting to see where Bledsoe goes.
To make this clear, you can still draft a big man in round 3. Sometimes you have to adapt in drafts, and although I wouldn’t take a center, I could take someone like Anthony Davis and plug him in at the PF position. He will likely be gone before guys such as Batum and Wall, however. People are extremely high on him with good reason. I don’t want this piece to be the end all be all. I expect him to do everything well with the exceptions of assists and threes. I don’t want you to pass up really good value. I just believe there is strong value to be had later at the center position that allows you to pass up on guys in rounds 1, 2, and even 3.
Sanders is a beast, but it really depends on how you plan the rest of your draft. If I’m planning to scoop Hibbert and Favors in back to back rounds, I’ll pass on Sanders. Hibbert and Favors block enough where I can justify it, and I expect Favors to have similar rebounding numbers. Drummond is another option if those guys don’t come make it to me.
I feel Conley is the safest pick, but lacks the most upside. This is a very tough question and right now my rankings say Conley.
Round 3 is a wildcard round the more I look at it. You can consider so many options. Here is my suggestion, if you take say Curry in round 1 and Batum in round 2, then see how many PGs remain. Based on that, I would say you can go a number of different options: Rudy Gay, Josh Smith, Sanders, etc. Walker, Conley, Lillard, Lawson, Ellis are all options your are looking at. We can even throw Parker in there because he does everything great except threes and steals. Why try to decide on those guys? Let your opponents decide. You have I believe 8 picks before your next one (remembering from Twitter convo), so there is a good chance one of them makes it back to you. If not, you then go to Plan B. Plan B would be to try and take Teague in the 5th or 6th, along with guys like Holiday, George Hill, etc. It is risky, but it would be very tough for all 5 guys to be taken. Even if you don’t want Parker, maybe one of your opponents does and takes him, making it less likely another PG is taken by him on the way back.
So now you need to figure out that plan, which I think is a pretty solid plan. Josh Smith, Rudy Gay, Sanders, Howard, Lopez. All options, all have flaws. Rudy Gay’s question is his FG%, but other than that, I like what he brings. I like what Smith brings, but I don’t know if the three ball will be there and that FT% can crush you, especially if you add it on top of other guys like Drummond. Leonard, Millsap, Bryant, Westbrook are all options in round 3. And Westbrook is another PG that could be taken before it gets back to you in round 4, giving you another chance to get one of the PGs you named. Or take Westbrook in round 4.
I’m still doing my rankings and going through the pros and cons. Sometimes I get caught up in certain cats and ignore the percentages too much. So I have to really go through everything and rankings can be a tedious process.
Sorry if this didn’t totally help. I am trying to give you ideas. I think, personally, you can get that second PG in round 4, but it depends on what you want to do at center. You mentioned getting a center in round 4, which obviously can’t be done in this situation. I guess this is why I have been taking my centers starting in round 5. Try to get a third PG later on, whether Teague in about the 6th, Holiday in the 7th or Felton in like the 8th or 9th. You could use the extra assists and the it will be easier to select a Robin Lopez type towards the end. Also keep an eye out for iggy in later rounds. Gordon Hayward as well. Nice value.
I will be busy tonight (NIN show woooooooooo) and also tomorrow, so if try twitter, but if I don’t get to answer anymore of your Q’s, sorry. Do try if you have any though.
Do you think this is an effective implementation of your strategy? I tried to wait on the centers and instead picked strong players in other positions. This was a 12-man, head-to-head mock draft.
1. Stephen Curry (GS – PG,SG)
2. Nicolas Batum (Por – SG,SF)
3. Mike Conley (Mem – PG)
4. Kemba Walker (Cha – PG)
5. Derrick Favors (Uta – PF,C)
6. Jonas Valanciunas (Tor – C)
7. Tobias Harris (Orl – SF,PF)
8. Jameer Nelson (Orl – PG)
9. Evan Turner (Phi – SG,SF)
10. Spencer Hawes (Phi – C)
11. Isaiah Thomas (Sac – PG)
12. Chris Kaman (LAL – PF,C)
13. Jared Dudley (LAC – SG,SF)
It’s hard to say without knowing who was available. I like you top 6.
Points scored a small concern, but should be okay, and you may need another big who can rebound, but seems like you will be good everywhere else. FG% other small potential concern. Overall, I like it.
Harris seems like a small reach and would have preferred iggy or hayward there. Harris had some big lines towards the end of last season, so that can work out. Prefer felton over Nelson. Then harris in round 9. Overall though, these are just preferences.
If you could post a link of the draft results, that would be helpful.
*Couldn’t get a link, so warning that this is a long post*
Here are the results, I found that Yahoo’s rankings tend to be pretty misleading compared to Fantasy Pros and also ESPN. What is your opinion?
Round 1
(1) booz – Kevin Durant (OKC – SF)
(2) Christopher – LeBron James (Mia – SF,PF)
(3) Shamster – James Harden (Hou – SG,SF)
(4) Hussein – Chris Paul (LAC – PG)
(5) Brandon – Stephen Curry (GS – PG,SG)
(6) rajeshwarn – Kyrie Irving (Cle – PG)
(7) Rugger – Carmelo Anthony (NY – SF,PF)
(8) Elton – Paul George (Ind – SG,SF)
(9) wap – Derrick Rose (Chi – PG)
(10) Hoopinator – Kevin Love (Min – PF,C)
(11) acas – Marc Gasol (Mem – C)
(12) Aaron – John Wall (Was – PG)
Round 2
(1) Aaron – Dwight Howard (Hou – C)
(2) acas – LaMarcus Aldridge (Por – PF,C)
(3) Hoopinator – Anthony Davis (NO – PF,C)
(4) wap – Serge Ibaka (OKC – PF,C)
(5) Elton – Deron Williams (Bkn – PG)
(6) Rugger – Dwyane Wade (Mia – PG,SG)
(7) rajeshwarn – Al Horford (Atl – PF,C)
(8) Brandon – Nicolas Batum (Por – SG,SF)
(9) Hussein – Al Jefferson (Cha – PF,C)
(10) Shamster – Ricky Rubio (Min – PG)
(11) Christopher – Russell Westbrook (OKC – PG)
(12) booz – Dirk Nowitzki (Dal – PF)
Round 3
(1) booz – Kawhi Leonard (SA – SG,SF)
(2) Christopher – Kobe Bryant (LAL – SG)
(3) Shamster – Larry Sanders (Mil – PF,C)
(4) Hussein – Tim Duncan (SA – PF,C)
(5) Brandon – Mike Conley (Mem – PG)
(6) rajeshwarn – Pau Gasol (LAL – PF,C)
(7) Rugger – Klay Thompson (GS – SG,SF)
(8) Elton – Brook Lopez (Bkn – C)
(9) wap – Damian Lillard (Por – PG)
(10) Hoopinator – Ty Lawson (Den – PG)
(11) acas – Nikola Vucevic (Orl – PF,C)
(12) Aaron – Rudy Gay (Tor – SF,PF)
Round 4
(1) Aaron – Andre Drummond (Det – PF,C)
(2) acas – Joakim Noah (Chi – PF,C)
(3) Hoopinator – Chris Bosh (Mia – PF,C)
(4) wap – Monta Ellis (Dal – PG,SG)
(5) Elton – David Lee (GS – PF,C)
(6) Rugger – Ryan Anderson (NO – PF,C)
(7) rajeshwarn – Tony Parker (SA – PG)
(8) Brandon – Kemba Walker (Cha – PG)
(9) Hussein – Paul Millsap (Atl – PF)
(10) Shamster – Josh Smith (Det – SF,PF)
(11) Christopher – Brandon Jennings (Det – PG)
(12) booz – DeMarcus Cousins (Sac – PF,C)
Round 5
(1) booz – Ersan Ilyasova (Mil – SF,PF)
(2) Christopher – Roy Hibbert (Ind – C)
(3) Shamster – Eric Bledsoe (Pho – PG,SG)
(4) Hussein – Blake Griffin (LAC – PF)
(5) Brandon – Derrick Favors (Uta – PF,C)
(6) rajeshwarn – David West (Ind – PF)
(7) Rugger – Nikola Pekovic (Min – C)
(8) Elton – Jrue Holiday (NO – PG)
(9) wap – Chandler Parsons (Hou – SF,PF)
(10) Hoopinator – Jeff Teague (Atl – PG)
(11) acas – Andrew Bynum (Cle – C)
(12) Aaron – Kyle Lowry (Tor – PG)
Round 6
(1) Aaron – Andre Iguodala (GS – SG,SF)
(2) acas – Thaddeus Young (Phi – SF,PF)
(3) Hoopinator – George Hill (Ind – PG,SG)
(4) wap – Jeff Green (Bos – SF,PF)
(5) Elton – Tyreke Evans (NO – SG,SF)
(6) Rugger – Goran Dragic (Pho – PG)
(7) rajeshwarn – Jose Calderon (Dal – PG)
(8) Brandon – Jonas Valanciunas (Tor – C)
(9) Hussein – Rajon Rondo (Bos – PG)
(10) Shamster – Bradley Beal (Was – SG)
(11) Christopher – Zach Randolph (Mem – PF,C)
(12) booz – Wesley Matthews (Por – SG,SF)
Round 7
(1) booz – Tyson Chandler (NY – C)
(2) Christopher – Steve Nash (LAL – PG)
(3) Shamster – Enes Kanter (Uta – C)
(4) Hussein – Greg Monroe (Det – C)
(5) Brandon – Tobias Harris (Orl – SF,PF)
(6) rajeshwarn – Kevin Garnett (Bkn – PF,C)
(7) Rugger – Amir Johnson (Tor – PF,C)
(8) Elton – Marcin Gortat (Pho – C)
(9) wap – Paul Pierce (Bkn – SF)
(10) Hoopinator – JaVale McGee (Den – C)
(11) acas – Jeremy Lin (Hou – PG)
(12) Aaron – O.J. Mayo (Mil – SG)
Round 8
(1) Aaron – Gordon Hayward (Uta – SG,SF)
(2) acas – Eric Gordon (NO – SG)
(3) Hoopinator – Jimmy Butler (Chi – SG,SF)
(4) wap – Carlos Boozer (Chi – PF,C)
(5) Elton – Luol Deng (Chi – SF)
(6) Rugger – Kenneth Faried (Den – PF)
(7) rajeshwarn – Raymond Felton (NY – PG,SG)
(8) Brandon – Jameer Nelson (Orl – PG)
(9) Hussein – J.R. Smith (NY – SG,SF)
(10) Shamster – Kevin Martin (Min – SG)
(11) Christopher – Gerald Henderson (Cha – SG,SF)
(12) booz – Greivis Vasquez (Sac – PG,SG)
Round 9
(1) booz – Danny Green (SA – SG,SF)
(2) Christopher – DeMar DeRozan (Tor – SG,SF)
(3) Shamster – Joe Johnson (Bkn – SG,SF)
(4) Hussein – Trey Burke (Uta – PG)
(5) Brandon – Evan Turner (Phi – SG,SF)
(6) rajeshwarn – Manu Ginobili (SA – SG,SF)
(7) Rugger – Jarrett Jack (Cle – PG,SG)
(8) Elton – Marcus Thornton (Sac – SG)
(9) wap – Kyle Korver (Atl – SG,SF)
(10) Hoopinator – Danny Granger (Ind – SF)
(11) acas – Andrew Bogut (GS – C)
(12) Aaron – DeAndre Jordan (LAC – C)
Round 10
(1) Aaron – Michael Carter-Williams (Phi – PG)
(2) acas – Wilson Chandler (Den – SG,SF)
(3) Hoopinator – Anderson Varejao (Cle – PF,C)
(4) wap – Robin Lopez (Por – C)
(5) Elton – Amar’e Stoudemire (NY – PF,C)
(6) Rugger – J.J. Hickson (Den – PF,C)
(7) rajeshwarn – Dion Waiters (Cle – SG)
(8) Brandon – Spencer Hawes (Phi – C)
(9) Hussein – Jamal Crawford (LAC – PG,SG)
(10) Shamster – Tiago Splitter (SA – C)
(11) Christopher – Nene Hilario (Was – PF,C)
(12) booz – Omer Asik (Hou – C)
Round 11
(1) booz – Andrei Kirilenko (Bkn – SF,PF)
(2) Christopher – Harrison Barnes (GS – SF)
(3) Shamster – Gerald Wallace (Bos – SF,PF)
(4) Hussein – Avery Bradley (Bos – PG,SG)
(5) Brandon – Isaiah Thomas (Sac – PG)
(6) rajeshwarn – Arron Afflalo (Orl – SG,SF)
(7) Rugger – J.J. Redick (LAC – SG)
(8) Elton – Ben McLemore (Sac – SG)
(9) wap – Victor Oladipo (Orl – SG)
(10) Hoopinator – Danilo Gallinari (Den – SF)
(11) acas – Brandon Knight (Mil – PG,SG)
(12) Aaron – Maurice Harkless (Orl – SF)
Round 12
(1) Aaron – Shawn Marion (Dal – SF,PF)
(2) acas – Lou Williams (Atl – PG,SG)
(3) Hoopinator – Reggie Jackson (OKC – PG)
(4) wap – Nate Robinson (Den – PG,SG)
(5) Elton – Anthony Bennett (Cle – SF,PF)
(6) Rugger – Carl Landry (Sac – SF,PF)
(7) rajeshwarn – Cody Zeller (Cha – PF,C)
(8) Brandon – Chris Kaman (LAL – PF,C)
(9) Hussein – Otto Porter Jr. (Was – SF)
(10) Shamster – Ray Allen (Mia – SG)
(11) Christopher – Alex Len (Pho – C)
(12) booz – Emeka Okafor (Was – C)
Round 13
(1) booz – Kelly Olynyk (Bos – C)
(2) Christopher – Rodney Stuckey (Det – PG,SG)
(3) Shamster – Samuel Dalembert (Dal – C)
(4) Hussein – Mario Chalmers (Mia – PG)
(5) Brandon – Jared Dudley (LAC – SG,SF)
(6) rajeshwarn – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Cha – SF)
(7) Rugger – Vince Carter (Dal – SG,SF)
(8) Elton – Tristan Thompson (Cle – PF,C)
(9) wap – Nick Young (LAL – SG,SF)
(10) Hoopinator – Channing Frye (Pho – PF,C)
(11) acas – Kris Humphries (Bos – PF)
(12) Aaron – Andrea Bargnani (NY – PF,C
Looking back, it would have been nice to take Rudy Gay over Conley, then take Walker. That’s 20/20 though. I would have taken McGee, Hayward, or probably even Deng over Harris. But only because I feel Harris would have been there later.
Don’t mind the Jonas Valanciunas pick, but you have to keep expectations in check. A lot of players want the ball on that team. I think McGee makes sense if you are looking for blocks and rebounds. Valanciunas provides offensive upside with solid %’s, but still, one ball for a lot of people looking to score. So it depends on that you are looking for.
Drummond has priced himself out it seems. He may be worth it, but wow. That FT% should at least push him further down. Reggie Jackson was a steal that late. Oladipo is a nice pick as well. Just keep that in mind for your next drafts.
Just got home from a Nine Inch Nails show, so a bit out of it haha. Hope this helped. If you have any specific question, do ask.
Now that I think about Jonas, it’s true that he’s probably the 4th option at best and that’s no good. Need to consider that. I’ll definitely keep your tips in mind when drafting. Can you just tell me specifically though, which rankings would you recommend? I can never determine which one is the best. (Yahoo, ESPN, etc.) Thanks so much Rich.
You’re welcome. Thanks for reading. I don’t really use any sites ranking system. I guess when I go through players, I use Yahoo to look at basic numbers. I haven’t compared my rankings to Yahoo’s overall rankings. I should have my rankings set by the end of the week.
I primarily play Yahoo leagues, so I try to mock mostly on yahoo because I feel it helps dictate drafts. It’s an odd thing, but people will fall in line if you make it convenient enough. So they follow the sites rankings a bit more. If you are drafting on ESPN, use their mocks.
I think Jonas will be good, but he might be going too high at this point. McGee FT% is weak, but he has a chance to put up double doubles and 2 blocks a game. Cheaper price and you can take someone else in the 6th.
I think you’ll be fine. Just think ahead and look at what the other teams are doing. See if they need a position or stat. It will help you predict what they may do with their next pick. Have a couple of plans and ideas heading into the draft. Don’t panic.
Good luck. If you need any other Q’s answered. You can ask here or twitter. If I don’t respond in time, my bad. Let me know how your draft goes.
Just to make it clear, I do like Jonas and it won’t take many touches for him to put up 12 a game. I only mentioned it so you don’t have unreasonable expectations. There is a chance he totally breaks out, but it may be more of a minor one.
Good luck.
Thanks a bunch Rich, good luck in your fantasy leagues also.
You’re welcome Brandon. Be sure to follow me on twitter @rich_migs. I also answer fantasy Q’s on there including baseball and football. Loooooooove baseball.
Rich, I was reading your pieces and I decided to try your advice. Hadn’t played roto style in a while and so this was shaking off the rust.
Had the eighth pick; standard 9 cats.
This was what I got: 1.
1. (8) Paul George (Ind – SG,SF)
2. (9) Kevin Love (Min – PF,C)
3. (24) Nicolas Batum (Por – SG,SF)
4. (25) Tony Parker (SA – PG)
5. (40) Eric Bledsoe (Pho – PG,SG)
6. (41) Roy Hibbert (Ind – C)
7. (56) Derrick Favors (Uta – PF,C)
8. (57) Gordon Hayward (Uta – SG,SF)
9. (72) Kyle Lowry (Tor – PG)
10. (73) Andre Drummond (Det – PF,C)
11. (88) Greivis Vasquez (Sac – PG,SG)
12. (89) Robin Lopez (Por – C)
13. (104) Kyle Korver (Atl – SG,SF)
Couldn’t resist the Love pick and I’d never drafted with a small group before. I’m a bit with my 9 through 13 picks. I’m thinking maybe drop Vasquez for IT or even Reg Jackson for the time being. Drummond’s FT% scares me a bit, but he seems to be a beast this preseason. Korver and Lopez — was trying to up the threes and blocks/boards. Hawes is still up, but I’m thinking 6ers are going to tank as much as possible. There’s definitely still some pick ups available.
Here are the rounds (sorry long post and yes, the second pick was rigged).
Round 1
1. LeBron James (Mia – SF,PF) Fluf…
2. Chris Paul (LAC – PG) help me
3. Kevin Durant (OKC – SF) In it
4. Stephen Curry (GS – PG,SG) Daw
5. Derrick Rose (Chi – PG) Supe…
6. James Harden (Hou – SG,SF) Team
7. Kyrie Irving (Cle – PG) LeBron’s Hai…
8. Paul George (Ind – SG,SF) Gettin Iggy …
Round 2
1. Kevin Love (Min – PF,C) Gettin Iggy …
2. Anthony Davis (NO – PF,C) LeBron’s Hai…
3. Marc Gasol (Mem – C) Team
4. Carmelo Anthony (NY – SF,PF) Supe…
5. LaMarcus Aldridge (Por – PF,C) Daw
6. John Wall (Was – PG) In it
7. Dwyane Wade (Mia – PG,SG) help me
8. Dirk Nowitzki (Dal – PF) Fluf…
Round 3
1. Damian Lillard (Por – PG) Fluf…
2. Al Horford (Atl – PF,C) help me
3. Serge Ibaka (OKC – PF,C) In it
4. Deron Williams (Bkn – PG) Daw
5. Al Jefferson (Cha – PF,C) Supe…
6. Mike Conley (Mem – PG) Team
7. Blake Griffin (LAC – PF) LeBron’s Hai…
8. Nicolas Batum (Por – SG,SF) Gettin Iggy …
Round 4
1. Tony Parker (SA – PG) Gettin Iggy …
2. Pau Gasol (LAL – PF,C) LeBron’s Hai…
3. Nikola Vucevic (Orl – PF,C) Team
4. Joakim Noah (Chi – PF,C) Supe…
5. Kawhi Leonard (SA – SG,SF) Daw
6. Larry Sanders (Mil – PF,C) In it
7. Chris Bosh (Mia – PF,C) help me
8. Dwight Howard (Hou – C) Fluf…
Round 5
1. Monta Ellis (Dal – PG,SG) Fluf…
2. Tim Duncan (SA – PF,C) help me
3. Ty Lawson (Den – PG) In it
4. Brook Lopez (Bkn – C) Daw
5. Kobe Bryant (LAL – SG) Supe…
6. Kemba Walker (Cha – PG) Team
7. Russell Westbrook (OKC – PG) LeBron’s Hai…
8. Eric Bledsoe (Pho – PG,SG) Gettin Iggy …
Round 6
1. Roy Hibbert (Ind – C) Gettin Iggy …
2. Klay Thompson (GS – SG,SF) LeBron’s Hai…
3. Paul Millsap (Atl – PF) Team
4. J.R. Smith (NY – SG,SF) Supe…
5. Ricky Rubio (Min – PG) Daw
6. DeMarcus Cousins (Sac – PF,C) In it
7. Ersan Ilyasova (Mil – SF,PF) help me
8. David Lee (GS – PF,C) Fluf…
Round 7
1. Chandler Parsons (Hou – SF,PF) Fluf…
2. Jrue Holiday (NO – PG) help me
3. Rudy Gay (Tor – SF,PF) In it
4. Josh Smith (Det – SF,PF) Daw
5. Brandon Jennings (Det – PG) Supe…
6. David West (Ind – PF) Team
7. Ryan Anderson (NO – PF,C) LeBron’s Hai…
8. Derrick Favors (Uta – PF,C) Gettin Iggy …
Round 8
1. Gordon Hayward (Uta – SG,SF) Gettin Iggy …
2. Thaddeus Young (Phi – SF,PF) LeBron’s Hai…
3. Jeff Green (Bos – SF,PF) Team
4. Greg Monroe (Det – C) Supe…
5. Nikola Pekovic (Min – C) Daw
6. George Hill (Ind – PG,SG) In it
7. Tyson Chandler (NY – C) help me
8. Jeremy Lin (Hou – PG) Fluf…
Round 9
1. Kevin Garnett (Bkn – PF,C) Fluf…
2. Jeff Teague (Atl – PG) help me
3. Goran Dragic (Pho – PG) In it
4. Andre Iguodala (GS – SG,SF) Daw
5. JaVale McGee (Den – C) Supe…
6. Jonas Valanciunas (Tor – C) Team
7. Luol Deng (Chi – SF) LeBron’s Hai…
8. Kyle Lowry (Tor – PG) Gettin Iggy …
Round 10
1. Andre Drummond (Det – PF,C) Gettin Iggy …
2. Jose Calderon (Dal – PG) LeBron’s Hai…
3. O.J. Mayo (Mil – SG) Team
4. Paul Pierce (Bkn – SF) Supe…
5. Wesley Matthews (Por – SG,SF) Daw
6. Bradley Beal (Was – SG) In it
7. Andrew Bynum (Cle – C) help me
8. Victor Oladipo (Orl – SG) Fluf…
Round 11
1. DeMar DeRozan (Tor – SG,SF) Fluf…
2. Enes Kanter (Uta – C) help me
3. Tobias Harris (Orl – SF,PF) In it
4. Zach Randolph (Mem – PF,C) Daw
5. Harrison Barnes (GS – SF) Supe…
6. Eric Gordon (NO – SG) Team
7. Rajon Rondo (Bos – PG) LeBron’s Hai…
8. Greivis Vasquez (Sac – PG,SG) Gettin Iggy …
Round 12
1. Robin Lopez (Por – C) Gettin Iggy …
2. Carlos Boozer (Chi – PF,C) LeBron’s Hai…
3. Danny Green (SA – SG,SF) Team
4. Jamal Crawford (LAC – PG,SG) Supe…
5. Amir Johnson (Tor – PF,C) Daw
6. Kenneth Faried (Den – PF) In it
7. Marcin Gortat (Was – C) help me
8. Manu Ginobili (SA – SG,SF) Fluf…
Round 13
1. Andrew Bogut (GS – C) Fluf…
2. Steve Nash (LAL – PG) help me
3. Tyreke Evans (NO – SG,SF) In it
4. Kevin Martin (Min – SG) Daw
5. Jarrett Jack (Cle – PG,SG) Supe…
6. Jimmy Butler (Chi – SG,SF) Team
7. Raymond Felton (NY – PG,SG) LeBron’s Hai…
8. Kyle Korver (Atl – SG,SF) Gettin Iggy …
Hi Jake,
It is an 8-man league, so everyone’s teams should be strong. I like your squad and my only concerns would be FG%, along with maybe steals and assists. However, the last two depend on some outcomes that I think are worth to wait and see on. You should have enough assists, and Bledsoe could end up with 2+ steals a game.
So really other than FG% concerns, your team is strong, but I haven’t seen the other rosters. I do like the team and you should probably have Drummond and/or Robin Lopez in your starting lineup most of the time when you are vs. a bigger team. It will depend on who are vs. each week to determine if you need more threes or more rebounds/blocks. You seem to have it all covered though.
I would wait and see if you need to make any trades. I think you may beast in every category, and even if FG% is a little low (or FT% b/c of Drummond), you can still win it all. Well targeted, well executed, well done. Again though, it is a small league, so other teams may be very strong as well.
Thanks for the reply Rich! First “full” day in, and I’m doing well in most cats except for FG% and FT% (Lowry and others were terrifyingly bad haha). A lot of TOs as well but I’m around the middle for that cat. The assists are surprisingly a lot higher than I thought. Favors dishing out and some others really bumped me up. I think I might drop Vasquez for someone like Jackson who can bump up the threes for a bit before Westbrook comes in. Maybe IT, but the Kings rotation is much too inconsistent to pick between the two.
You’re welcome Jake.
Between Vasquez and Thomas, I think IT is the better fantasy player. But I also think Reggie can be better than both. At this point, you may be best focusing on need.
If IT is going to get 28+ minutes a night, I rather own him than GV. That may sound crazy (since GV may average 34-36 per game), but I think he does more fantasy wise, plus he may even outplacement GV and get more minutes.
I like Reggie Jackson even when Westbrook returns. I wouldn’t he shocked if he won 6th man of the year this season.
My main weakness now (other than the glaring FT%) is in steals and perhaps points (around 3rd place). I ended up dropping Korver for Jackson to take a risk for the hell of it, although I definitely paid for that choice today with Korver dropping a nice line and OKC getting decimated.
IT is still on my target right now. Had a nice scoring session today and definitely outplayed GV as you said. Situation kind of changed a bit with someone dropping Wes matthews, so now I’m stuck between GV, IT, and WM. So many decisions! Thanks for the reply again. I really enjoy your thoughts and I’m glad I found this site. 😀
I wouldn’t have dropped Korver. I would put IT ahead of GV right now if you want to make the switch. I would try to pick up Korver again.
You may need to wait on how your points category shakes out for another week or two. If you need to address steals, go for the consistent leaders such as Mike Conley.
I’m glad you enjoy my work and the site. Thanks muchly.
Hey Rich, back again with another question. So I had picked up Plumlee, but then realized that he wasn’t worth keeping as I was basically killing the rebound/blocks category with a combo of Drummond, Hibbert, Favors, and Love. Managed to pick Korver back up. And I also decided to swoop in for Rondo and Ryan Anderson on the WW.
Normally, I don’t like to stash guys, but I thought both could contribute to some of the cats that I am close in (assists/3ptm). Problem is, Wes Matthews is up for grabs (again) and he’s cooled off after a good couple of games. I was wondering whether I should drop Ryno for him.
[To give you an idea of where I am at: tied 2nd 3ptm, 4th in points, 3rd dimes, second to last steals)
Thanks!
Hi Jake,
This is an 8 team league, correct? Now that you picked up Rondo, I would keep him. Once I go for a stash, I generally keep the playing barring bad news. I already revealed my hand to my opponents, so if I drop the player I intended to stash, odds are someone else will swoop in.
Once you make that decision, try to stick with it. Now that you have Korver, you don’t really need Anderson. Since you need steals, Matthews may make more sense here. At least for now. You can continue to look over the waiver wire and see if you can snatch someone up that’s better in the coming weeks.
This is a roto league, right? Not H2H?
Yep, this is a 8 man roto league. Thanks for the advice! Yeah, I had been thinking about dropping Ryan because my threes were so close that Wes can still put me over, but needed another opinion. Thanks again for the response
You’re welcome Jake! Good luck!
So I didn’t end up getting Matthews as he was picked up by waiver priority. But Victor Oladipo is available and I really want to snag him up…I don’t know who to drop though. Watching Oladipo play, I feel like he’s gonna blow up soon, particularly if he keeps getting starters minutes (TOs are killer but I can kinda manage that). Is it worth the speculative add? Also, I’m not a fan to Tony Parker…high fg%, but not very good ft% and only pts and mediocre amount of assists….
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