REL Power Rankings, 2013-14 Fantasy Basketball

Week 17 in the Razzball Elite league has wrapped up, with Kap’s Team continuing his reign of terror over us dynasty-ers. A very hard-fought 5-3-1 against Razzball’s Slim keep him ahead while hurting Slim’s playoff aspiration. Slim thinks his playoff hopes are… slim. But they’re not! By great Slim’s beard, you can do it! Record for most Slim name drops in an article open. Slim, Slim, Slim! Reactions from owners below (including Slim!) as we gear up for the week:

1. Kap’s Team (102-49-2)

FAAB Remaining: $80 FAAB Moves this week: Mike Miller ($1)

2. The Nature Boy (101-49-3)

FAAB Remaining: $70 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

3. Barking BassetHounds (98-51-4)

FAAB Remaining: $20 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

4. Like A Josh – IFBL (97-54-2)

FAAB Remaining: $61 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

5. Cigar Smoking Monkey (95-58-0)

FAAB Remaining: $2 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

6. Breaking Batum (91-62-0)

FAAB Remaining: $50 FAAB Moves this week: Kent Bazemore ($32)

7. Slim – Razzball (88-61-4)

FAAB Remaining: $1 FAAB Moves this week: Jeff Adrien ($1)

Well that couldn’t have gone much worse. With losses in boards by 11, assists by 13, and a tie in blocks my worst fears were realized. Larry Sanders getting poked in the eye will cost me the playoffs. Now with a mere 3 weeks remaining it’s come down to a 3 team race for the final playoff spot. As for schedules, we each have one more tough week remaining. Mine being the last week of the year. Since I can’t quite convince myself to concede I decided my best bet would be to add a someone who, with a little luck, could potentially give the biggest possible week of stats when it matters most. That player needs to play for the Bucks, a 5-game week the last week of the regular season, and needs to give me boards. Jeff Adrien fits what I’m looking for and with a fair amount of luck might even secure a 20-25 minute role when I need him the most.

Since I see transparency as a good thing I’ll take this opportunity to explain how I see my team for anyone who is looking to make me an offer. The heart and soul consists of a group I’ve referred to as my ‘Core 6’, listed with their age and keeper price. They are Lillard 23-$36, Jackson 23-$14, Burks 22-$8, Ross 22-$6, Tobias 21-$27, and Adams 20-$11. My Core 6 comes to $102 of my allotted $200. Right about where I want it to be. Then I have no lack of potential keepers which include Amir Johnson 26-$13, Carroll 27-$4, Cory Joseph 22-$1, RKelly 22-$1, Marcus Morris 24-$1, Augustin 26-$1. Finally some guys that as of right now I don’t see as keepers: Sanders 25-$36, Hibbert 27-$30, Brewer 27-$9, and Tucker 28-$5. If you’re one of the bottom 12 teams looking for keepers then I’ll trade you keepers, just offer me something that’s going to make me better now. If you’re a top 8 team looking for some non-keeper help for the stretch run then I can help you there too, just offer me a cheap young keeper. Since I can’t decided whether to go for it or not it appears like my next trade should pretty much make that decision for me.

8. Scurry to the Left (89-63-1)

FAAB Remaining: $76 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

9. Martyball – IFBL (84-68-1)

FAAB Remaining: $62 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

10. Hoopus Alleyoopus (80-70-3)

FAAB Remaining: $50 FAAB Moves this week: Derek Fisher ($1)

11. JB Gilpin – Razzball (78-74-1)

FAAB Remaining: $1 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

What?! My $1 wasn’t enough to land JaVale McGee?! At least I was close… Pshhh! Nice 7-2 win for me as I trounced a dead team. La Di Dah. My season is over, with my only goal to make one last trade to help my keepers and to finish in the top 10 and over .500. Against the last place team this week should solidify my .500+ aspirations, and the rest will depend on the teams above me. I need LaMarcus and Kawhi to get healthy to be sure and finish in the top half.

12. Doug – tdbsports.com (70-82-1)

FAAB Remaining: $78 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

13. Ben – RotoGold (64-86-3)

FAAB Remaining: $98 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

14. I’m a Currian (63-87-3)

FAAB Remaining: $8 FAAB Moves this week: JaVale McGee ($48)

15. Pete Nice – Razzball (63-87-3)

FAAB Remaining: $9 FAAB Moves this week: Phil Pressey ($1)

16. Mr Green – Nowhere (57-94-2)

FAAB Remaining: $23 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

I was more than a little disappointed to not get either McGee or Bazemore in the FAAB this week. Specifically Bazemore as I was waiting to grab him from the moment he got out of GS. Unfortunately he had to go and play well in his first game for the Lakers, and then get Dantonied into the starting lineupon Sunday.

Who messes with their lineups more now, the Bucks or Lakers? I think at the very least the Lakers mess with their roster more, cutting guys who were starting (and playing well) just the day before, benching guys who are playing well, starting guys one day then not the next. Insanity!

Thanks to the NBA trade deadline I had a couple of changes to my roster. The biggest one is that Arnett Moultrie looks to be a starter for Philly now. I’m not really buying the Byron Mullens hype there, but then again, as a Moultrie owner I’m bias. Gary Neal also moved at the deadline, then did me no good by missing both games last week after the deal while it was being “finalized”. Other moves that helped were Jordan Hamilton getting out of Denver and giving a little breathing room to Quincy Miller, and finally the Magic cutting Big Baby. Gotta love the 30+ minutes that just became available for Magic bigs when you own both Kyle O’Quinn and Andrew Nicholson. Here’s hoping they do something with it.

Finally, despite my team not being in the hunt for the last playoff spot, and so far not being able to play spoiler at all, it’s looking like a great battle that will go right down to the wire. Somehow Scurry has gotten himself into the hunt and it’s looking like a 3 team race. None of the 3 have a real tough matchup this week, but, next week Breaking Batum has to go up against The Nature Boy. Luckily for them, the following week has Slim against The Nature Boy, and Scurry vs Like A Josh so it all evens out in the end. Should be exciting.

17. Nashed Potatoes (49-103-1)

FAAB Remaining: $91 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

18. Team Tough Guy Town (48-103-2)

FAAB Remaining: $89 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

19. ChazTop-KevinBottom (48-104-1)

FAAB Remaining: $73 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

20. Kinsey’s Team (45-105-3)

FAAB Remaining: $100 FAAB Moves this week: n/a

If you have any dynasty league questions as we near the fantasy playoffs, shoot below!