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How to draft players in fantasy basketball
How to draft players in fantasy basketball
ESPN Fantasy Basketball 101 - How to play
Sep 26, 2022
You love basketball. You follow the NBA, root for your favorite team and watched in amazement as Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to another championship.
And you still haven't played fantasy basketball?!
If that sounds a lot like you, this is the perfect season to give it a try -- there is just so much exciting stuff happening around the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic can do everything on the court. Luka Doncic and Trae Young have moved into the MVP discussion. Zion Williamson is coming back from a missed season. And superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant continue to put their teams on their backs like they did 10 years ago.![]()
There has never been a better time to jump right into the fantasy game.
Create or join an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league for the 2022-2023 NBA season.
Sign up for free!
Imagine having Curry on your team when he gets on a roll from 3-point land and carries you to victory. Or what it feels like to have LaMelo Ball on your squad when he stuffs the stat sheet in his third NBA season.
These are the moments you remember as a fantasy manager!
In fact, many of those who've played fantasy basketball over the years can recall specific games that certain players had for them. An epic scoring night by James Harden or Damian Lillard, or maybe a timely triple-double by Russell Westbrook.
So fun. So, so fun!
If you're not an expert, don't worry -- we have everything you need to know about how to enter a league and draft a winning team. Even if you're a total beginner, you will still have the tools to experience the joy of fantasy basketball like millions do every year.
Make the league your own
Every fantasy basketball league is different. While there are basic rules and settings that apply across the board (you will learn about those below), each league takes on its own identity based on settings like roster size, injury spots, stat categories and other specifics.
We encourage you to join or start a league that fits what you're looking for. If you want to be more casual and set your lineups once a week, find a league that uses weekly lineup changes. If you're a little bit more diehard with all this and want to be able to add and drop players and craft new lineups on a daily basis, that's the type of league you should enter.
The bottom line is to do what's fun for you. Find a league that keeps you tuning in to watch your players every night.
With that in mind, we've put together ESPN Fantasy Basketball 101 to give you an overview of how to get started, how to prepare for your draft and how to play during the season.
Now it's time for you to sign up and join the fun!
Getting startedESPN Fantasy Basketball FAQ
Click here for a quick reference for basic game-related questions.
How to sign up on the ESPN Fantasy app
Were you invited to an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league? Do you want to create your own as a League Manager? We have complete instructions for you right here.
How to sign up online
Whether you were invited to join an already-existing league or want to create your own as a League Manager, you'll find everything you need to do so right here.
League settings
If you created your own league, you'll need to make sure all of your league's rules and settings -- including roster size, scoring, regular-season schedules and playoff schedules -- are to your liking. We have all of the details of how to do that right here. Note: This season
You've signed up, now what?
Check out your league and team pages
It's time to learn more about your league and team pages, so you know where everything is.
We've got you covered with a detailed tour right here.
Know your rules
This might seem incredibly basic, but even veteran fantasy basketball players often assume they know their league rules even when they don't. The result of overlooking a rule can be costly, so be sure you know the rules before your draft.
Go to your fantasy basketball league page, click on League, then Settings. Here, you'll be able to find all the rules that are in place for your league this season. This includes roster construction, scoring, schedule, playoff structure and more.
Take the time to carefully go over every section. To make sure you understand the thinking behind each rule, check out our League Settings overview.
Draft prep
A good draft will put you in position to have a successful season, and taking time to prepare beforehand is key. That includes formulating strategies and printing out rankings that reflect your league's scoring format.
Don't worry, we have you covered with customized expert rankings and draft strategies in the ESPN Fantasy Basketball draft kit.
Autodraft prep
If you don't plan to take part in a live draft, that's OK. Our system will automatically draft for you.
Still, you have the option of guiding how our system will draft your team. Go to your Team page and click "Edit Autopick Strategy." Here, you can decide which player positions you'd like to pick in which parts of the draft and how many players at each position you want to select overall.
Mock drafts
Mock drafts are simply practice drafts that don't count for anything. It's a terrific way to get used to the ESPN draft software, make sure you know how everything works and test out different strategies. For example, that might mean drafting a point guard in the first round versus drafting a small forward in Round 1 and waiting on a point guard until the fourth round.
These practice drafts also let you see which players are going higher than expected and which are routinely slipping down a round or two (or more).
This is extremely useful knowledge that you can take with you in your real draft and use to your advantage, avoiding those "sliding" players until later rounds when you have a good idea that they will still be available.
For an overview of how everything in the ESPN draft room works, click on this link.
The draft
Draft day is the most exciting day of the season, because it's when your team goes from a plan to a reality. It's when you finally get the chance to assemble the group of players you get to root for all season. Of course, you can always add and drop players throughout the year, but the draft is still the most fundamental part of your roster and you want to make sure you don't miss on your top players.
If you have prepared for your draft by reading up on players and strategies, and by participating in several mock drafts, you're on the path to success. Believe in your hunches and don't look back.
To make everything go as smoothly as possible, be sure to follow these handy rules.
The season is starting, let the fun begin!
Trading
In most leagues, there are at least a few managers who enjoy the art of the deal. If you're one of those people, trading is going to be one of the most fun aspects of fantasy basketball. When done well, it's a great opportunity to improve your roster while unloading someone you perhaps no longer want or need.
There are several important factors to keep in mind. You must look at the roster of the team you're trading with and understand which, if any players, that manager might be willing to part with. For example, it'd be unwise to make a trade offer for a point guard on a team that is battling injuries and down to one healthy point guard. Also, while you may never want to send your best trade offer with your first proposal, be careful not to offer up too little. That can be offensive to the other manager and can lead to that person not only declining your offer but ending all future trade talks with you.
In-season strategies
Beyond trading, there are other factors to consider during the season like how to manage your games played in roto leagues, how to approach head-to-head playoffs, and how best to work the waiver wire. Check out the in-season strategies section of our draft kit.
Fantasy basketball etiquette
Every few years, no matter what type of league you're in, you'll run into someone who causes problems. Sometimes it name-calling on the message board and being a bully. Other times it is a constant stream of wild trade offers and questionable transactions. Whether you are in a hyper-competitive league or just trying to have some casual fun, you want to avoid being this way or having others in your league who conduct themselves like this.
Generally speaking, that just means following the golden rule: Treat others the way you'd want to be treated in your league.
Fantasy basketball players who can make or break your draft
Concerns about Anthony Davis' durability have him sliding into the second round.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsOct 10, 2022
Eric MoodyESPN
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Former manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company, now living my dream creating fantasy and sports betting content about the NFL, NBA, and WNBA for ESPN.
There are many types of risk to be aware of when it comes to evaluating NBA players in fantasy basketball, whether it be a player's age, injury history, role in the rotation or perhaps a statistical shortcoming you'll have to build the rest of your team around.
Create or join an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league for the 2022-2023 NBA season.
Sign up for free!
As you put together your fantasy basketball roster, the size and competitiveness of your league will help you determine how many risks you need to be willing to take to position yourself for a true shot at the championship.
In this column, we will focus on 10 of the biggest risk/reward players who can make or break your team in 2022-23.
Anthony Davis, PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers
Davis is one of the league's most dominant power forwards when he's on the court, and he averaged 23.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.3 blocks per game last season. The question with Davis, as has seemingly been the case since he entered the league in 2012-13, is whether he can stay healthy. He played in just 40 games last season after logging 36 games in 2020-21, and has reached the 70-games-played mark only twice in 10 NBA seasons (2016-17 and 2017-18).
With a 25.6 average draft position in ESPN leagues, Davis is going in the third round in most 10- and 12-team leagues, and he might slide to the fourth round in eight-team leagues, making him a steal if -- and it is a big if -- he can stay on the court.
Tyrese Haliburton, PG/SG, Indiana Pacers
The secret is out about Haliburton, a savvy midround selection last year who is now a high second-rounder in most leagues (13.5 ADP). He takes over as the primary ball handler in Indiana with Malcolm Brogdon now in Boston, and there's reason to believe that the well-rounded 22-year-old can improve upon the 17.5 PPG, 9.6 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 2.2 3PG and 50.2 FG% that he posted after joining the Pacers last season. In fact, Halliburton is a legitimate candidate to lead the league in assists. The issue is that Haliburton goes from being a nice puzzle piece last year to a foundational player on fantasy rosters this season. Anything less than second-round production, and fantasy managers will wish they went with another highly regarded option in Round 2.
Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans
Williamson is looking fit and appears to be in great health leading up to this season. In May, he was cleared for all basketball activities after imaging on the fifth metatarsal on his right foot came back clean. Hey, that's good news, and we'll take it. Williamson enters the season with renewed hopes and a new five-year extension worth up to $231 million. In that deal is a clause requiring the 22-year-old to maintain a certain weight, which should serve as somewhat of a safeguard. Still, questions remain about his durability. He hasn't played in a game since May 4, 2021, and enters his fourth NBA season having played a grand total of 85 games. With a 24.4 ADP, it will take a second- or third-rounder to land him this season, and there's nobody who has a greater risk/reward -- especially in points leagues. Zion has the potential to finish as a top-10 player if he can stay healthy.
Kawhi Leonard, SF/PF, LA Clippers
Leonard missed last season because of a torn ACL, and the last time fantasy managers saw him on the court, he averaged 24.
8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.6 SPG. It's no slam dunk that Leonard is going to return to the court and quickly be a fantasy dynamo. Any way you look at it, Leonard has missed a lot of games throughout his career; he hasn't ever played 75 games in any of his 11 NBA seasons, and he hasn't played more than 60 in any of the past five (one being shortened by the pandemic). Now age 31, it's very possible that Leonard's workload will be managed and gradually increased as the season progresses. In addition, the Clippers have 15 back-to-backs this season, and that is likely to cost Leonard at least some games. He has top-tier talent when he plays, but the lack of games is concerning for someone with a 26.3 ADP.
Ben Simmons, PG, Brooklyn Nets
Simmons averaged 14.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, 1.6 SPG and 0.6 BPG in 58 games in 2020-21, so it's clear to see why -- even after a missed season -- the 26-year-old former No. 1 overall pick has a 67.6 ADP. He can do so much on the court, so the upside is easy to see.
On the flip side, how many games he'll play and where he'll be mentally and physically are the biggest questions after a year and a half off. He must also prove that he can coexist with his teammates. Simmons and the Nets know it will take time for him to get back to his old self. It's important to determine your level of patience as a fantasy manager before you draft him.
Kyrie Irving, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets
Irving is one of the most unpredictable fantasy basketball players in recent memory. Due to his vaccination status, he played in only 29 games last season, putting up 27.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.8 APG and 1.4 SPG while shooting 47% from the field. NBA players won't need to be vaccinated to play in the States this year, but Irving still won't be able to play in Toronto, and in recent years he's missed games for a variety of other reasons. Entering the final year of his contract, Irving has much to play for and has the talent to carry fantasy teams. Just know what you're drafting if you take him, as his 30.
2 ADP means it will take a pick in the first four rounds of most leagues to land him.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder
In 56 games last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 24.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 0.8 BPG. He is one of the league's brightest young stars. Sadly, Gilgeous-Alexander plays for the Thunder, a team with a long history of tanking. They are surely already eyeing top prospect Victor Wembanyama for next year's NBA draft, and with Chet Holmgren -- the No. 2 overall pick in 2022 -- already out for the season because of a foot injury, the fear of tanking is real in OKC. In September, Gilgeous-Alexander suffered a grade 2 MCL sprain that further complicates his situation. The talent is there for SGA, but a 44.9 ADP makes him a risky pick under the circumstances.
Russell Westbrook, PG, Los Angeles Lakers
Westbrook's fantasy game has always relied on volume, and at this stage of his career, he is better suited for points leagues, as his FT% has taken a nosedive in recent years and his turnovers have remained high.
Westbrook's reduced role for the Lakers last season hurt his fantasy value, but he still managed 18.5 PPG, 7.1 APG and 7.4 RPG -- numbers that many players would love to claim. After an offseason to better understand what worked and what didn't, it's possible the 33-year-old point guard can bounce back this season under new head coach Darvin Ham, an ex-Milwaukee Bucks assistant who insists that Westbrook is crucial to the team's success this season. With an ADP all the way down to 75.1, that's a spot in the draft where it might be worth taking a flier on the future Hall of Famer.
LeBron James, PG/SF/PF, Los Angeles Lakers
James was superb last season for a Lakers team that was without Anthony Davis for most of the season, and he finished with 30.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.3 SPG and 1.1 BPG. After signing a $97.1 million, two-year extension, James enters Season 20 with the same lofty expectations that have surrounded him since he was a teenager in Akron, Ohio.
The problem is James has a 10.8 ADP, meaning it will take a late first-rounder or an early second-rounder to land him, and that's a lot for a player who turns 38 in December and has missed 63 regular-season games the past two seasons. Taking into account LeBron's age, career minutes played and what figures to be a healthy amount of rest days this season, there are reasons to be cautious here. But when he's on the court, James is still one of the game's best.
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How to play fantasy league?
This season in the Parimatch Championship of the Nizhny Novgorod region we are again waiting for the fantasy league, which has already managed to catch the fancy of many fans over the past year.
How fantasy league works : 1) A user registers on fantione.com. You can register through Vkontakte with one click, or you can use an email address, but then the mail will need to be confirmed - without confirmation it will not be possible to play fantasy.
2) Then the user searches for the league he needs (the list of active leagues will be on the main page). In our case, this is the Major League of the Championship of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.
3) After selecting a league, the user goes to its page, clicks "Play" and becomes a member.
4) Next, you need to open the card sets to find out which players can be fielded for the upcoming fantasy tour. You will have 15 sets of cards. Each set contains 5 cards (for each position - point guard, attacking defender, small forward, heavy forward, center).
5) After opening all the cards, ideally, you need to look at what has fallen.
There will almost certainly be duplicate cards - duplicates can be removed, leaving only 1 card of the same cards available. When deleted, the user receives points, which can then be exchanged for new sets of cards (1000 points for 1 set). Removal of a simple card - 100 points, removal of a silver card - 200 points, removal of a gold card - 500 points. The difference in the color of the card is the bonuses that are awarded for each useful action by the player. Regular cards have no bonuses, silver cards have 1 bonus, gold cards have 3 bonuses. Bonuses and which cards drop out are all randomly generated. There will always be 1 silver card in one set. Possibility of getting into the gold card set - 10%. You can delete not only duplicate cards, but also cards of players that, in the user's opinion, will not be useful in fantasy, and he will not put them on upcoming rounds. It is impossible to remove a previously played card in one of the rounds. It is also not recommended to delete everything in a row - a situation may occur that there is no player in the position, and then 0 fantasy points will be awarded to the user for this position.
6) When all the cards are open, you need to go to the selection of the composition in the menu. The choice of the composition is 5 players for the next games, one player for each position. You just need to scroll down and choose from among the available cards those that, in the opinion of the user, will be most useful in the next tour. The choice is simple - scroll down, find a card from the available ones, click on it, and it should automatically appear at the top. Click "Save", etc. no need. Everything is saved. Changes to the selected five can be made before the start of the first game in the upcoming round. You can replace an already issued card if the changes are not blocked yet.
7) After choosing the composition, you can go to the prediction league. The League of Predictions is an additional opportunity to earn points for new sets of cards. There you need to guess the outcomes of matches and some random events. Correct predictions go to the overall standings, as well as to the standings of points that can be sprayed.
At the end of all games, the results for the round are processed, and the site in the "Leaders" section displays user data with their five players by fantasy points. And in the section "Statistics" - indicators of fantasy-points of the players of our Championship. By default, summary indicators are opened, but you can switch to a specific tour.
Please note that one round in the Parimatch Championship of the Nizhny Novgorod region lasts 2 weeks, but in the fantasy league we play for a week, so points are calculated every Monday.
You can play the Fantasy League here - https://fantione.com/
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3 tips on how to win in daily fantasy basketball
Daily fantasy sports pro player Peter "DraftCheat" Christensen gives 3 top tips for beginners on how to start winning at daily fantasy basketball.
Before we get into the NBA Daily Fantasy winning strategies, let me tell you how interesting and exciting it all is. Two years ago, I would have had to work hard to name 30 NBA players. Now I can shoot out the roster of every NBA team, and now it's my favorite fantasy sport.
The feeling of fighting for the big prize in the GPP, when you have Stephen Curry in your roster, who literally starts pouring three-pointers and dragging you to victory, is simply indescribable. Add to this the significant edge that can be gained in daily fantasy basketball (if you know what you're doing), and you have a recipe for a very interesting and profitable activity. Or rather: an activity that becomes profitable.
1. Trust the bookies
Have you ever been to Las Vegas? Have you been to these huge, posh casinos? These monsters were built by smart people who knew what they were doing. One of the first steps to success in NBA daily fantasy (and even fantasy sports in general) is checking NBA quotes at bookmakers. You should aim for games with high Total Over and Total Under, which are predicted to be even games. If you have starters on your roster from a game that is far from being played by the end of the match, it is much more likely that your guys will play in those minutes.
If one team is beaten by another, you will often see starters going to the bench early to rest for the next game. Games predicted by the bookmaker to have a high total are likely to score more fantasy points as this is based on the teams' pace of play. High Total games tend to not only earn more points for your players, but also more rebounds, assists, blocks and steals, and more possession time. Finally, in a tied game there is always the potential to get bonus minutes in overtime. Owning players who have played in overtime can be a big advantage in big-field tournaments in the NBA's Daily Fantasy.
2. Minutes are everything
If you've never played Daily Fantasy Basketball, one lesson you'll quickly learn is that you should chase minutes. Given the nature of basketball, and the fact that only 5 people from each team can be on the court at a time, fantasy points are earned in almost every possession, be it through baskets, assists, rebounds, blocks or steals.
This means that in daily fantasy basketball you need a roster of players who are likely to be on the court for the majority of the game. It can be hard to predict at times, but in general you should target starters in games that are predicted to be even, and players from teams that have few players left. Perhaps this statement sounds strange to those who do not follow the NBA closely. But as the season progresses, teams inevitably pick up injuries and suspensions, and there's often a team or two that don't have a lot of players available to play at the moment. When the team drops to 8 or 9healthy players, you can almost be sure that regardless of the score, the starters in this game will get a lot of minutes. Choose such players and reap the rewards.
3. Who owns the information owns the world
One of the most important aspects of Daily Fantasy Basketball, which is unique to the NBA, is the need to be at the computer until the start of the competition. Unlike other sports, in NBA daily fantasy, a lot of important information pops up much more often before the game starts.
And if you play often enough, there will be times when you will frantically press the buttons, as a couple of your guys unexpectedly dropped out of the game a few minutes before the lineups closed. Even worse, if you ignore this news and end up drafting a player who will serve the entire game. You need to be vigilant and follow all NBA news on news sites and related sources on Twitter. Although it may sound complicated, if you know where to look and improve your information gathering process, it can really be a huge advantage in daily fantasy basketball and in the NBA in particular, as you are less likely to have zeros in their roasters.
Conclusion
There is much more to building winning rosters in Daily Fantasy Basketball. But the three points listed above are critical for those who are just starting out. Follow them and you will build a solid base to which you can add other profitable strategies and tools, such as individual matchup analysis. For starters, build a roster of high-scoring, tied-match players who are likely to play many minutes, and try to avoid dead players.
