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How to make a fantasy basketball team
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 today and draft your league any time before the first game tips off every Monday. Your league starts fresh with 0-0 records for the new matchup period.
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.
Ten Rules To Follow When Building a Successful Fantasy Basketball Team | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
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Dan Schultz@DSchultz89Twitter LogoContributor IOctober 22, 2010
Ten Rules To Follow When Building a Successful Fantasy Basketball Team
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Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Although not as dominant the fantasy sport that football is, fantasy basketball leagues have been able to acquire a relatively loyal following throughout the years.
While football will always be number one due to its gigantic fan base and almost excessive coverage from various mainstream media angles, fantasy basketball will always be an undeniable, lesser force which will attract many NBA fans.
Fantasy leagues are basically heaven for stat geeks, where points are assigned to different statistical categories for sports gurus to breakdown in hopes of putting together the master team. What makes fantasy sports so compelling, like sports in real life, is the unforeseen changes that occur throughout the duration of the season, such as injuries (sometimes nagging, other times season-ending), players struggling to find their groove, or random figures emerging from obscurity to become coveted chips for any fantasy owner.
Here are ten rules to follow for putting together a team that should have an undeniably solid chance at being awarded champions of their league at year’s end.
No. 10: Staying Confident In Your Team
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Sure, there will be times when your guys have off nights or show signs of regression, but you should attempt to stay confident with who you pick, even if they suck for more than a few games.
I cannot even tell you how many times I have benched a player after a bad game and he goes off for 30 points and seven boards on my bench.
This is what happens in fantasy sports. You have these guys for 82 games and most of the time, they do a great job. So I would stress having confidence in your guys. Only when you are one hundred percent certain that a player will not return to original form or is going to be out for a while due to a nagging injury—waiving him might be a good decision.
Otherwise, stay patient, no matter how hard it might be sometimes.
No. 9: Don't Overvalue Scoring
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Elsa/Getty Images
Sure, scoring threats inside and outside are ones to be desired, but never underestimate other categories such as rebounds, assists, and blocks. That’s why guys like Gerald Wallace and Rajon Rondo are such awesome players to have on your fantasy teams, because even when they do not light up the scoreboard, it is still very important to have players that will fill up each category (except for turnovers) each night.
I am not saying that scorers who do not really do much else besides hit threes are horrible (Kyle Korver), but I would definitely advise against taking players who just specialize in scoring in a high round, since they will be around on waiver wire or during the last rounds most likely.
No 8: Beware Of The Rookie Wall
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Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Sure, guys like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Derrick Favors look like they are going to be very nice NBA players. However, one must always take into consideration the dreaded “wall” most first-year players run into during the later part of the season. Since all of these players are not as well adjusted to an 82 game schedule as other veteran players in the league, this might make for an erratic season for some.
Take for example Brandon Jennings or DeJuan Blair, who were both phenomenal to start the year and had overall good years for their respected squads, but both players crashed hard into the rookie wall last year.
It happens to most rookies, it takes a special talent to hop over it (maybe Wall fits in here? We’ll see…).
No 7: Make Sure At Least One Of Your Big Men Is a Nightly Double-Double Threat
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David Ramos/Getty Images
Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, heck even Zach Randolph are names that pop to mind when one is searching for that coveted double-double nightly threat. Maybe one of your forwards or centers is a rebounding/shot-blocking machine, but make sure one of the guys you pick in the draft will at least be a consistent menace on both the low-block and glass.
It is important to have a low-post scorer with a high field goal percentage on any team if you have to be successful.
No 6: Aim to Have Atleast One All-Around Player
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Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Take for example my team—I made Rajon Rondo fit into this category.
He does everything generally well and can be a triple-double threat any given night. However, he is not alone in this category. Guys like Andre Iguodala and Gerald Wallace also possess the ability to fill up the stat sheet on random nights.
If you can, try to get a guy who is balanced across the board, since double-doubles and triple-doubles are definitely desired by anyone who is enamored with fantasy basketball.
No 5: Make Sure Your Guards Are Not Turnover Machines
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Just like in real life, turnovers in fantasy suck and cost your team. Since guards handle the ball considerably more compared to the rest of the positions, it is absolutely important that your guards have a firm grasp on ball-control.
Although you might be able to get away with guys like Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry since they make up for their high turnover rate with impressive scoring, most of the time over three turnovers is where I draw the line.
If you can get Steve Nash, a guy who can shoot from outside as well as have some ridiculous games from an assists perspective, I’d say you’re in good shape.
No 4: Never Discount Veteran Players
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Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Yes, guys like Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and the like might be getting old and this potentially means they will not be as effective. That still does not mean they are not worth picking in early rounds.
With the current infatuation with young talent and potential, most old vets get tossed aside when it comes to draft time, as one would rather get a player that could really expand during the year instead of an aging star in the league.
Sometimes veteran players are the most driven to put up big games in order to get their team wins and to the playoffs, since their days as a professional athlete are numbered and they want to make the most out of what they have left.
I am not saying that you should take a guy like Marcus Camby with your first pick or anything, but just keep in mind that there’s nothing wrong with picking an older player who still has star qualities attached to his name.
No. 3: Try To Predict Breakout Stars
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Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
It is not easy, I know. I would suggest going through teams’ rosters and picking players that will probably slide through many rounds, despite being projected to get a fair amount of playing time through the upcoming year. These guys emerge every year, and almost nobody sees them coming.
My best guess as of this year would be that Jrue Holiday has the biggest chance to shine, seeing he will be given the starting point guard duties in Philadelphia and he has already recorded a triple-double in preseason action. These types of players are usually selected in the later rounds where no one sees anything special in them other than an average contributor.
No 2: If You Are Going to Take One of The Big Three Early, Make It LeBron
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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
No offense to Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but LeBron has to be the favorite when it comes to picking between the three of them. Unlike Wade, who has to be satisfied in assisting with the huge off season haul, and Bosh who everyone knew was leaving Toronto after the season, LeBron has been doing a lot of talking back to his critics ever since he made the choice to “take his talents to South Beach”.
Let’s face it, if he does not win as many titles as Jordan and Kobe did/does, he is going to be eternally looked as a cheap-shot artist who robbed Cleveland of their pride and identity – all on national TV.
He claims that he is motivated to prove his doubters wrong, and I for one believe him. Despite being surrounded by two other huge talents, LeBron will bust out more than a few huge games that will make his owners proud.
No 1: Your First Pick Is Your Most Important One
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Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
I know, it sounds obvious and cliché, but your first pick in the draft really is your most crucial one. It is hard to define who the best player for this particular setting might be, since names like Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James all have very distinct skill sets.
Personally, I would suggest going with Kevin Durant, who is feeling secure after just signing an extension in Oklahoma City and who has the purest stroke in the league. He rebounds at a nice clip and has the ability to run the floor like Lamar Odom. He is without question one of the league’s strongest talents who can score in bunches and take over games when he wants to.
With your first pick, eye a guy who can just flat out dominate in one area, such as scoring, rebounding, or assists. If you are looking for defense right off the bat, Dwight Howard is definitely the favorite there.
Like Durant, Kobe Bryant will still be a force to be reckoned with. Whatever your first pick is, make sure you get a guy you know can put up big games in certain statistical categories, as this could propel you victories at key stretches in the season.
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Where to play fantasy NBA?
Since the season in the most spectacular basketball league has already started, which means that the most attentive daily fantasy sports sites have already taken care of that part of their players who follow this sport, and have launched tournaments within which you can play fantasy NBA.
We have made for you a selection of DFS sites where you can play fantasy basketball for money or for free. But first, we offer a refresher on the basics of NBA daily fantasy so you can approach the game fully equipped.
How to play fantasy NBA?
Below is the general principle of NBA Daily Fantasy.
However, we ask you to be careful, as details may vary from site to site. Therefore, before you start playing on a particular DFS site, study its rules. In general, daily fantasy basketball is the following.
NBA Fantasy Team Recruitment
In each tournament you get a certain budget to create your own fantasy team, which on most sites will consist of 9NBA basketball players. The list of available players will include the participants of the matches of the selected game day.
The cost of a player usually depends on:
- Average points for the season
- Number of points earned in the last game
- Popularity (% player ownership)
Normally your team will consist of 9 players from the following positions:
- Point Guard (PG) - Point Guard
- Shooting Guard (SG)
- Small Forward (SF)
- Power Forward (PF)
- Center (C)
- Guard (G)
- Forward (F)
- 2 Utility Players (UTIL) - Player of any position
What are points awarded for in NBA Daily Fantasy?
In Daily Fantasy Basketball, during matches, your team members earn or lose points for their actions on the court.
On most DFS sites where you can play fantasy NBA, when scoring the following events are taken into account :
- Point
- Three-Point Shot (3pt FG Made)
- Effective transmission (Assist)
- Rebound
- Blockshot (Block)
- Interception (Steal)
- Double-Double (Maximum 1 per player)
- Triple-Double (Maximum 1 per player)
- Loss (Turnover)
- Technical Foul
- Flagrant Foul
Before recruiting players to a team on a specific DFS site, study the available positions and the scoring system, as they differ on different sites.
Where to play NBA Daily Fantasy?
Now that you've got the NBA Daily Fantasy Rules in mind, check out the main articles from the Daily Fantasy Basketball Strategy section, as well as tips from DFS pro Peter "DraftCheat" Christensen . After that, you can start choosing a platform for playing daily fantasy basketball for money or for free.
Among the sites that provide the opportunity to play fantasy basketball, and the NBA in particular, we want to mention the following sites where you can play daily fantasy NBA from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia or other European and CIS countries.
Sites where you can play NBA Daily Fantasy for money
The above sites accept players from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other CIS and European countries, and provide an opportunity to play NBA fantasy for money or for free.
There are other sites besides these sites, but it is not possible to play for money there if you do not live in the US or Canada. On such DFS sites, you can register using special programs to bypass blocking and play fantasy basketball for free. We do not recommend depositing money on such sites, as it may be difficult to withdraw winnings.
Sites where you can play fantasy basketball (including fantasy NBA) for free
NBA, NCAA
User reviews on the forum: DraftPot discussion
How to choose a site where to play fantasy basketball (NBA)?
You are now pretty well prepared to start playing fantasy basketball.
You know the basic rules of the game, refreshed your memory of the strategy, and received complete information about all the existing DFS sites where you can play NBA daily fantasy. It remains only to choose one or more, make a deposit and enter the game. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the right DFS site for your needs:
- Look in what language is the platform interface . If you are uncomfortable playing on a site where most of the information is in English, pay attention to the DraftGaming site, which has a Russian-language interface. There is also Zweeler, where the main part of the site is machine translated. The rest of the sites presented in this review are created for an English-speaking audience, so you will need at least a superficial knowledge of English to play there.
- Read the reviews of our members of the forum in the Daily Fantasy Sports Sites section. You can ask for advice or take an interest in their opinion about this or that DFS site, as well as leave your feedback, which will help other players.
- Chat with the site's support team. Ask a few questions that interest you and wait for an answer. If the support service answers clearly, politely and quickly, this is a big plus.
- Learn the daily fantasy basketball rules on the websites and the scoring system. When it comes to fantasy NBA, there aren't as many differences across sites as there are, for example, in fantasy football. However, certain details in the scoring system can significantly influence your choice. If you are a beginner, choose the simplest scoring system to make it easier at first.
That's all we wanted to tell you about where to play NBA Daily Fantasy. Now you can register on the selected site and start playing fantasy basketball for money or for free. We hope that this review was useful to you, if you want to know about something in more detail, write about it in the comments, and we will supplement it.
Now stop reading! It's time to start playing!
Choose a site and play NBA daily fantasy!
The best basketball teams in history - Internet portal Sportmaster Media
This is a story about the coolest teams in the history of basketball.
We also have a text about the basic rules of the game.
Basketball is one of the most popular team games on the planet with a rich history. Over the years of the development of sports, many cool lineups have taken to the floor - they have gathered the top best teams among clubs and national teams.
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Clubs
Teams
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The National Basketball Association Tournament is the most prestigious club competition.
The best basketball players in the world strive to join the clubs from the American event to prove their level against the background of the same monsters. The most legendary basketball rosters are from there, so the top will consist of NBA teams.
“Chicago Bulls”
- 6 finals, 6 victories
- The greatest composition: 1995/96
Many consider the composition of the “Bulls” the greatest team in the history of the game - unsurpassed 72 victories in the regular season, the first of the three in a row, the first of the three in a row, the first of the three in a row. NBA titles and Michael Jordan soaring on the floor confirm the correctness of this opinion. Now the club is far from its former heights, but the success of the Chicagoans in 9The 0s made an entire generation of fans fall in love with basketball.
“Golden STATE Warriorz”
- 12 finals, 7 wins
- The greatest composition: 2016/17
The Warriorz team-2016/17 is the most powerful in the history of the NBA in terms of the concentration of superfluors.
Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green gathered in San Francisco at the same time. These monsters won 67 matches in the regular season, and ended the final series with a single loss and 16 wins.
Boston Celtics
- 22 finals, 17 wins
- Greatest roster: 1985/86
The club from Boston scored 67 victories in the regular season, and lost only three times in the playoffs, destroying league rivals. Among the stars of that line-up are Larry Bird, Bill Walton, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.
Los Angeles Lakers
- 32 finals, 17 wins
- Greatest Squad: 1971/72
In 2020, the Los Angeles club won the title after a decade, but the franchise always comes back for the title, even after the longest lulls.
In the 1971-72 season, the Lakers took the league by storm thanks to the great performance of a powerful roster that included future NBA Hall of Famers. Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Jim McMillian and Happy Hairston are the main names of that success.
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The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has held the World Championship more or less every four years since 1950, and the sport is also featured in the Summer Olympics.
These are the most prestigious competitions of national teams - we are talking about the main successes of the national teams.
Argentina
- 1 Olympic win; 1 World Cup win
- Greatest squad: 2004
The Argentina men's basketball team is one of the most successful teams in the South American region, having won two significant titles on the international stage. The 2004 roster is the only team to stop the U.S. national team on its path to Olympic gold since NBA players started being allowed into the Olympics.
USSR
- 2 Olympic victories, 3 world championship victories
- Greatest squad: 1988
This is a memorable victory, because the USSR national team will cease to exist by the next Olympics.
Lithuanian stars Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis and Rimas Kurtinatis shone in that team.
Yugoslavia
- 1 Olympic win, 5 World Cup wins
- Greatest Squad: 1988
Despite losing the 1988 Olympic final, that Yugoslav squad is remembered for a slew of talented players, including Dražen Petrović, Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoč and Dino Raja. In subsequent years, the national team rocked the European arena, and in 1990 became the world champion.
USA
- 16 Olympic wins, 5 World Cup wins
- Greatest squad: 1992
The American national team is by far the most successful in world basketball. Players from the NBA have been allowed to participate in the Olympic tournament only since 1992, and since then the Americans have lost the gold of the Games only once.
