Nerlens Noel

Keith

A 13-Round 9-Cat H2H Breakdown: Wherein I Judge My Family & Friends

December 22, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball, Draft | 4 Comments

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I’ve been running the same fantasy basketball league with roughly the same players for nearly a decade now and a while back we converted it into a keeper league. This past Tuesday we had our fantasy draft. We are like most leagues in that there are a few players nearly always on the top and the rest of the league is a mixture of people who don’t care nearly as much or are just novices trying to learn. If you’re in a casual league, it probably looks a lot like this.

One important thing to keep in mind is that this is a KEEPER league, and as such 41 of Yahoo!’s top 50 players were kept and unavailable to be drafted. You’ll see them pop up in rounds much later, in most scenarios, as they were kept on the cheap. It’s a 9-cat H2H league as well with nothing to play for but a trophy we have engraved every season. We added two more teams this season that did not play at all last season and held an expansion draft before the actual draft, and we replaced one manager who decided to focus on his life instead (which is totally okay and encouraged, btw.)

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Van Ailwood

2020-21 Boston Celtics Preview

December 21, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball, 2020 Fantasy Basketball Rankings, Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 1 Comment

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Fantasy projections are hard. We look to others in the industry for guidance without plagiarizing or pilfering, overanalyze quotes from team personnel, and process the preseason (paltry as this one is) like we’re being given tea leaves to read — when by and large they should be treated like used tea bags and be tossed. Yet, we try to put forth the best information possible — even if some of it is conjured from the Ether — because, above all, NONE of us want to hear about it later if we miss poorly.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Phamtastic

The Bargain Bin – Value Picks on Yahoo after Pick 100

December 18, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball | 28 Comments

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So I did a nice value picks list last week, and it was good for about a day until Yahoo decided to update their rankings and pretty much took away all the value on my list. Well played Yahoo, well played. I actually do think the Yahoo list is solid now that they tightened up their rankings, so I will be focusing on the value that you can find later on in the draft. Here is a list of guys I’m targeting after pick 100 in 9 cat H2H leagues.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Keith

Top NBA Veterans Likely to be Traded and How to Use That in Your Draft

December 14, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball | 9 Comments

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The NBA season may only be 72 games this season, but it’s still going to be a long and grueling slugfest regardless. The players we consider locks for value now will be the drops of tomorrow, and the undrafted players will suddenly become league-winners overnight.

But how does that happen?

Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. Lineup shifts are a real thing too as people slide into and out of minutes. A lot of that is hard to predict but likely trade candidates, on the other hand, are less difficult to forecast.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Mr. Hooper

RazzJam Draft Recap: Son and Mr. Hooper

December 10, 2020 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 4 Comments

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There are a lot of differences between Jimmy Butler and myself. I, for example, am not a five time NBA All-Star. I’ve also never been named the Most Improved Player, won a gold medal, or screamed at Karl-Anthony Towns with such vigor that I had to be sent to Philadelphia. But perhaps the biggest wedge between Jimmy and myself is our feelings toward rear-view mirrors. 

See, I’m a look back kind of guy. There’s wisdom (and cars!) back there if you care to investigate. This willingness to wallow, to ruminate, to linger and consider all the roads not traveled means that I signed myself up to do the tedious work of taking long, wistful gazes at how this first ever RazzJam went down and try to glean something useful from it. Son, our fearless leader and fellow RazzJam League 14 draftee, is here to keep an eye on my blind spots. You strike me as a reasonable guy, Son, you’re pro-mirror, right?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Son

Top 150 for 2020-21 Fantasy Basketball

December 10, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball Rankings | 10 Comments

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We’ve come to the end of the road of the rankings/projections. Sniff. Sniff. I’m sad, but don’t cry, dry your eye, as this means the season is almost upon us. If you want to see the players past the 150, click HERE.

If you missed previous editions, here you go:

Top 10
Top 25
Top 50
Top 75
Top 100

Before I begin…

THESE RANKINGS MUST BE UTILIZED IN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR LEAGUE SETTINGS, TEAM ROSTER CONSTRUCTION, AVERAGE DRAFT POSITION, AND PERSONAL PHILOSOPHIES.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Vas

2020-21 New York Knicks Season Preview

December 9, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball, New York Knicks, Team Previews |

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The New York Knicks. Where do we even start? The front office? The coaching? The players? I guess I’ll start with this. I’ve been on this Knicks roller coaster ever since my dad took me to my first Knicks game at Madison Square Garden when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Since then, I’ve been met mostly with disappointment. I have been staying positive, though, and have been looking towards our future here in New York for however many years Knicks’ fans have been saying that. But, I must say it, the future starts now. 

Last season, the Knicks ended that peculiar and condensed season with a 21-45 record. They ended that season on a 4-3 run, which seemed promising, off the back of some mostly competent coaching from Mike Miller after David Fizdale had overstayed his welcome. However, this season, the coaching staff, the front office, and roster has changed. Yes, James Dolan still owns the team, but sshh, you win some and you lose some. 

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Keith

Deep Sleepers for 2020-21 Fantasy Basketball

December 8, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball, Sleepers/Busts | 8 Comments

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There’s always a lot of attention on who is the top dog in fantasy basketball and who to take early on, but the back end of the draft is often ignored. This makes sense since a lot of leagues allow for picks ups and drops, so the guys you snag in the end could very well end up on the waiver wire multiple times throughout the season.

But what if I told you that it’s entirely possible to find great value at the end of your drafts? Snagging a mid round value play in the final rounds is my bread and butter, and it sets up a lot of interesting scenarios, as you will have more trade chips to dangle and dominate your league even if your top guys have to miss some time. Pro tip: They will. Even more pro tip: It’s a lot more likely this year with COVID.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Kostas

2020-2021 Top 155 Roto Projections for Fantasy Basketball

December 2, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball Rankings, Top 155 Roto Projections | 21 Comments

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Even typing the year 2020 for the title almost made my keyboard break. What an absolute mess of a year for humanity, basketball, and fantasy basketball. Usually, my Top 155 roto projections are out by September but, in this special season, we have to wait until the end of December to see some NBA action. As are result, the projections have been postponed accordingly. But they are ready now, and, for the fourth straight year, you can trust a complete internet stranger for your fantasy drafts. Hey, at least I do a yearly review of my projections from last year where you can mock me for my missteps and silently acknowledge my correct projections, because that’s how the internet works.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Keith

An Early Look at Statistical Scarcity

November 27, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Basketball | 7 Comments

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Another fantasy basketball season is upon us! Can you believe NBA games will be played exactly one month from the writing of this article?

Free agency has been just about as wild as one can expect after the extended layover, and the rookie class has found their homes. Meanwhile, fantasy basketball players are scrambling to find reliable player rankings and doing mock drafts to hone their strategies.

One thing that can really help you as you start your quest for fantasy dominance is to think long and hard about statistical scarcity. This is a pretty easy concept that means when there is less supply of a statistic, its value increases. In fantasy basketball terms, you can think of it as “blocks are more valuable than points because there are fewer players who block the basketball at a high rate”.

So which statistical categories are the most scarce, and therefore valuable? Answering this question can help you determine which players you want to target. I’ve taken a look at the top 200 players in 9-category rankings and used the statistical projections from Rotowire to get a decent idea.

Please, blog, may I have some more?