Come one, come all Long Beach. It’s that time of the year when the NBA starts its season, which means it’s time to set your fantasy rosters. With this weekly series, I plan to be your guide, informing you and giving you advice on sleepers flying under the radar.
As a journalist, I believe transparency is essential to democracy fantasy teams, so I will keep you all updated on my own success this season. I will be taking everything I’ve learned in my six years of fantasy experience, using stats and nuance to show y’all why you should make certain moves. Now let’s get started!
Fly for a week or start a winning-streak
You always want to start your season off right, so here I’ll write about what potential flyers you can take to give you a win at the start of the year. Players in this category can always be long-lasting members of your team, but they don’t need to. What’s most important is that these players can at least make a difference at the end of your roster for a week or two.
Rajon Rondo, PG, Los Angeles Lakers
Rondo is a player that ultimately hurts the Lakers more than he helps them, but in fantasy that doesn’t matter. Frank Vogel has been playing Rondo a lot this preseason and considering his great relationship with Anthony Davis and Lebron James, I don’t see the guard losing any playing time. He’ll also play in four games in the first week against guards who don’t offer much resistance, giving him plenty of leeway to rack up easy assists and points with two stars next to him.
Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, Portland Trailblazers
24.9 fantasy points. That’s the average Bazemore has held in two preseason games according to Rotowire. Not only that, but his biggest competition on the wing is Rodney Hood, a player currently suffering from back spasms and may not be healthy at the start of the year. His skillset works perfectly next to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, so expect him to efficiently use his big minutes for your team.
Jabari Parker, PF, Atlanta Hawks
Parker is not owned in a majority of fantasy teams and that’s something that’ll likely change soon, so get on the Jabari train while you can. Parker is all offense and will be in a Hawks team that has no offense off their bench so expect him to make the most of his on-court time for not just this week, but likely the whole season.
Fantasy Drafting: the biggest do’s and don’ts
DO: In your fantasy team, you need the players who are the hottest commodities. Your first pick should always be the best player available, but what about the preceding ones? Spicy, high-level guards are hard to find with later picks, so make sure you draft a player like Devin Booker before you even look at Clint Capela. Capela might be a fantasy darling now, but just a few years ago he was a sleeper pick that I once drafted. Don’t go for the big that’s hot, go for the one you expect to get better as the season progresses and use your higher picks to draft guards that can blow up any week. There are always exceptions when a really great player lands on your lap, but just use this theory as a guide for you.
DON’T: Be sure to get the biased fan out of your system when drafting. It’s the best way to distinguish yourself from everyone else in your fantasy league. Most people love drafting the players they watch the most. Make sure the player you’re drafting should legitimately be drafted in that range. In my draft, I was taking a hard look at Kyle Kuzma, a guy who could be the Lakers’ third-best player, but I was not willing to commit to him for my seventh-round pick. Instead, I drafted Jaren Jackson Jr. who is going to have all the opportunity in the world in Memphis and won’t have a fluctuating role the way Kuzma will likely have.
The Grizzlies are a rebuilding team that wants to develop Jackson Jr. into a star, so I felt completely comfortable drafting him instead of the up-and-coming player that can possibly help a contender. You’ll likely be taking enough risks in your draft, so don’t stress about picking the player that you love as a fan. Pick the guy who has the chance of taking your team to the top.