Setting Up Your Fantasy League

School is back in session, the nights are getting cooler, and the leaves are starting to turn shades of orange and brown. This wonderful world that we live in can speak to us in so many ways if we only stop to listen. Last night I could almost hear the wind whispering its message: “Fantasy Basketball season has begun”. For fantasy veterans and rookies alike, the coming of fall means that it’s time to get to work.

Building a fantasy league is a lot like building a home. You have to start from the ground up, and keep in mind who you are building it for. A league built for fantasy experts will probably look a little bit different than one built for rookies. No matter who you are building your league for though the goal is still the same: create a solid structure that will be functional and enjoyable for yourself and your league mates.

Roto, H2H, or Points?

You have to start building your house with the foundation. Right off the bat, I don’t recommend points based leagues. The different values that are given to the categories can make it difficult to determine a player’s true value and tends to lead to confusion.

Head to head leagues provide owners with a weekly opponent, which can help keep members active. If you lose a week you get to simply start over the next week, which means you are never completely out of the race. Of course, the weekly competition can also lead to some lively smack talk between league mates, which is always fun. On the negative side, trading tends to be minimal because players can simply fill deficiencies by streaming players off of waivers.

Roto leagues require patient and skilled owners who can compete over the long haul. These leagues are great if you don’t want to change your roster every day, and also tend to have more trade action than a H2H league. The downside is that owners can feel like they are out of the race by midseason and drop out, but if you have a group of veteran owners this is rarely a problem. Due to these factors I like starting off my fantasy house by laying a solid roto foundation. In particular, keeper leagues can be a lot of fun if you have a solid group of committed owners.

What Stats Should You Use?

Now that we have the foundation set, it’s time to start putting up some walls. Choosing which stats you want to use is absolutely crucial. A player’s value is directly determined by which stats they put up. For example, if your league counts turnovers and free throw percentage then Dwight Howard has two huge negative marks against him. Without those he jumps up in value tremendously. So what do I recommend? Glad you asked.

First of all, I don’t like leagues that count turnovers. They tend to penalize players who have the ball in their hands the most. Lowering a player’s value because they are the focal point of their team’s offense just doesn’t sit well with me, so I keep that option out of my fantasy house.

I am a traditionalist and like to stick to the standard 8 categories (FG%, FT%, 3PM, Ast, Stl, Blk, Pts). When you try to do too much and get too fancy with your stats you can wind up making a real mess of things, and the next thing you know you have put up so many walls that your fantasy house is just crowded and cramped. I mean really, do you need to have the “number of mid range jump shots taken” category? It might sound cool at first, but after living in your fantasy house for a few weeks you will be sick of it. Keep it simple.

What Positions Should You Use?

Now that our house has a foundation and some walls it’s time to put a roof on top. The positions that you decide to use will, like your other decisions, have a major impact on your league. For example, if you decide that everyone must start two centers then the scarcest position in basketball becomes even more important, and you can expect teams to move centers up on their draft list as a result.

So what is the best way to construct your roof? Once again, I am a traditionalist. I like to use the following positions: PG, SG, G, SF, PF, F, C, along with three Utility slots and three Bench slots. This keeps things simple and as flexible as possible without completely eliminating the concept of positional eligibility. In particular, the Utility spots allow owners to really put their own personal stamp on their team. Like to run with a lot of guards and dominate assists and steals? Go for it. Want to use bigs who will grab boards and block shots? You can do that too. It’s this flexibility that creates an exciting league by putting many different strategies against each other.

Make It Your Own

Once your house is built it’s time for you to add some personality. Give your league a good name, encourage communication, and stay active. As the league commissioner you should be prepared to set an example for the other owners. You can also decide on other options such as how the Waiver Wire is run, trade review settings, and the draft type. Just make sure you keep in mind who your inhabitants are (rookies or veterans), as a league of honorable veterans may not need an option like trade review, while rookies most certainly do, if only to save them from themselves.

How Many Teams Should Be In My League?

So we have our fantasy house built. You have the foundation (league type), walls (categories), and roof (positions) and a little bit of your own personal style. Now it’s time for some inhabitants. But how many can you have living in your house? If you add too many you will have rosters so thin that guys like Eric Snow wind up on your squad. On the other hand, if you have a league with too few teams then they will be so packed with stars that strategy is hardly needed. A balance has to be found.

In my fantasy house, I prefer to have 10 teams. The waiver wire gets very thin in a 12 team league, while an 8 team league is just too packed with superstars. In particular, if you have a competitive and dedicated group of owners a 10 team league can be an excellent test of your (and your league mates’) fantasy skills. Choose your league mates wisely, get them moved in, and get ready for a successful season in your new fantasy home.

I have given you my advice, but the great thing about fantasy basketball is that you can customize your league to fit your own preferences. Don’t agree with my thoughts? No problem, set up your league however you think is best. Think hard and make your choices carefully when building your house and you will reap the rewards all season long with a thriving, active, and most importantly, fun league.

Keep an eye on this space, I will be posting the expert mock draft with full analysis this weekend.
-unpossibl1

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