2016 Fantasy Basketball Draft Tips: Draft Commandments
Published: Oct 11, 2016
You cannot be 100% prepared, as you must account variable changes that occur during the draft. In other fantasy sports, when a run on a position occurs during a draft, you must change up your plan and make sure you are not boxed out of getting certain skilled players and filling scarce positions. When in your draft, there are a few things you should remember that will keep you balanced throughout;
1. PLAYING TIME IS KEY: Playing time equals points in both seasonal and DFS Hoops. If a player is not on the court (no matter how big the name is), it will ultimately hurt your teams. Andre Drummond is a fantastic center who pulls down many rebounds per game, but if he is not hitting his free-throws in close games, there is a good chance he will lose playing time down the stretch in the closing minutes of games. That playing time he would be missing out on is very valuable and if you see a center further down your rankings who is playing consistent minutes, it might be smart to wait and fill another position; even if you lose out on a couple of rebounds per game.
2. AN NBA STARTER IS NOT THE SAME AS A FANTASY STARTER: Remember, you are not looking to fill out or mirror and NBA roster when constructing your team. You are trying to build an All-Star team. Just because a player is a STARTER, it does not necessarily mean that they should be starting for your fantasy teams. A player like Timofey Mozgov has proved that he is more effective when playing less. He could be starting, but his minutes have been monitored. Don’t get fooled and look at playing time trends from the previous year.
3. MULTI-POSITION ELIGIBILITY IS KEY; DON’T DRAFT JUST TO FILL POSITIONS: I have noticed that a lot of people when in a fantasy basketball draft become fixated on filling out empty starting roster positions thinking that it keeps them organized. A lot of players in the NBA play multiple positions. If you want to grab 3 forwards to start your draft and one of them has Center eligibility and another has Guard eligibility, you will be in good shape. Just because the website you are drafting on puts a player at a certain position on your roster, it does not mean they are obligated to start in that spot. Don’t feel pressured to fill specific positions just because you want to fill starting spots. You will address them later on.
4. GUARDS WHO REBOUND ARE MONEY: Who doesn’t want to draft a player with flashy statistics? At some point in your draft, those players disappear and it is up to you to figure out which players are key for your team’s depth. You can’t only look at the big picture in fantasy basketball. Look at single statistics that separate certain players at their position. Guards are generally not known for compiling the same statistics as Centers because they play at different parts of the court, but some guards actually do step inside the paint and bang around with the big boys. Look for guards who rebound consistently, even if they only average three to four rebounds per game. It will be two or three rebounds more per game than the majority of Guards and it will add to the rebounding total.
5. IT’S THE NBA; EVERYONE IS LOOKING TO SCORE: The title says it all. Especially in the NBA in this day and age, teams focus less on defense and games often become a shootout. I used to think players like Danny Granger were awesome to have on your team until they are shooting 25% from the field on a given night. Scoring 26 points per game is great, but if that is all that the player is giving you, it could ultimately hurt your team. If that player is cold from the field, he could lose playing time, shot opportunities and the ability to beef up your categories in your match up. Look for players who do more than just score.
Player News
Devin Carter accounted for 10 points (3-of-5 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one three-pointer in 22 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks.
Carter’s rookie season ended on a positive note individually, as he reached double figures for the fourth time. Offseason shoulder surgery delayed his NBA debut until after the New Year, with Carter playing 36 regular-season games. While he was worth stashing in dynasty league drafts before this season began, the former Providence standout did not deserve a look in redraft leagues. That will likely remain the case next season, but the Kings need to make a decision regarding their head coaching position, as Doug Christie was only the interim. Add in the need for an experienced point guard, and Carter’s fantasy outlook isn’t great.
Keegan Murray recorded nine points (3-of-9 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, two assists, one steal, two blocks and two three-pointers in 36 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks.
Murray recorded a complete stat line on Wednesday, but the impact was muted. That was a fitting end to the season for the Kings forward, whose fantasy value took a significant hit. The signing of DeMar DeRozan during free agency did Murray no favors, and that was also true for the addition of Zach LaVine just before the trade deadline. While he did approach his Yahoo! ADP (87) in nine-cat formats, Murray failed to crack the top-100 in eight-cat. Murray is extension eligible this summer, but the Kings have many questions to answer, including who the head coach will be and the future of lead executive Monte McNair. How that impacts Murray remains to be seen, but he’s worth selecting with a top-100 pick in drafts.
Domantas Sabonis tallied 11 points (5-of-13 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals in 37 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks.
It’s fitting that Sabonis would finish his season with a double-double, as he recorded 61 during the regular season. However, his impact was limited, with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford combining to control the paint for most of Wednesday’s Play-In tournament matchup. Regarding fantasy value, Sabonis was a top-25 player in eight- and nine-cat formats for the season. However, his value took a significant hit after the trade deadline, with the De’Aaron Fox deal leaving the Kings with two high-scoring wings (Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan) and no legitimate point guard. How Sacramento addresses that decision during the offseason will impact Sabonis’ fantasy value in 2025-26.
DeMar DeRozan shot 13-of-28 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, tallying 33 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and two three-pointers in 43 minutes.
DeRozan went out firing on Wednesday, shooting just under 50 percent from the field and finishing a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Like other key Kings players, his fantasy value took a hit after De’Aaron Fox was traded to San Antonio. The lack of a point guard who can set up others consistently proved problematic for the Kings, who now have some significant decisions to make this offseason. DeRozan can approach top-50 fantasy value, but the task gets much easier when on the court with a legitimate lead guard.
Zach LaVine logged 44 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, tallying 20 points (8-of-19 FGs), three rebounds, nine assists and four three-pointers.
LaVine led the Kings in assists on Wednesday, but inefficient play was an issue in the Play-In tournament defeat. The turnover count was worse than the field goal percentage, as LaVine committed five. After being traded to the Kings, the veteran guard was an eighth-round player in nine-cat formats, and a fifth-round player in eight-cat. While reuniting with DeMar DeRozan gave the Kings two high-scoring wings to pair with center Domantas Sabonis, the lack of a legitimate point guard was an issue. LaVine can approach top-50 value, but the task became more difficult when he was traded.
Keon Ellis shot 3-of-4 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, scoring nine points with one rebound, one assist and two three-pointers in 18 minutes.
Ellis’ 2024-25 season ended with a whimper, as he provided limited value as the Kings’ fifth starter. He played 80 games this season, providing slightly higher fantasy value in his 28 starts. In those outings, Ellis averaged 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.0 three-pointers in 31.1 minutes. Regarding playing time, he benefited from the decision to trade De’Aaron Fox. However, Sacramento must address the point guard position this offseason, which would limit Ellis’ fantasy value in 2025-26.