RADIO
Because we can't get enough fantasy basketball here at RotoBaller, our NBA crew put together a new league this year and just finished our draft.
A few of us wanted to write about that draft and give our readers their thoughts on what they did during the draft, so decided to pull all those voices together into a few articles. Below, you'll find a recap of our draft, plus commentary from our writers on why they made the choices they made.
Read on to see what we were thinking during rounds eight through 14 of our draft.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including NBA Writer of the Year, Best NFL Series, MLB Series, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
Fantasy Draft Recap: Rounds Eight To 14
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8.05 - Zach LaVine - Gianni Costantiello
I like LaVine this late in the draft. He has been looking great in preseason and if he can even come back within 80 percent of his pre-injury production, I would be pleased. Or, looking at the biggest upside, we could see 20 points per night with four or more assists and four or more rebounds with a couple of three’s. Hoping for the second possibility here, obviously. Someone needs to score for the Bulls and LaVine likes to shoot, so let's hope his percentages do not drag my squad down too much.
8.10 - Larry Nance Jr. - Trevor Crippen
Nance is still young and showed crazy efficiency as a fantasy producer, at least when he was on the Lakers. Things didn't work out quite so well at the end of the year in Cleveland last year. I’m hopeful the efficiency will be back and come with a minutes increase on the post-LeBron Cavs. As for fit on my team, Nance will at least bring a good dose of steals and help my FG%.
8.11 - Kyle Kuzma - Matt Sparkington
My eighth-round pick was Los Angeles Lakers small forward/power forward Kyle Kuzma, since small forward was still a position of need for me. Kuzma may be less than ideal in steals and assists categories but should get me points and three-pointers. Kuzma's looks from deep should be even more open with LeBron in command of the offense this year. With Kuzma being ranked by Fantasy Pros as the 88th best player, I did get him in about the right spot.
8.12 - Jusuf Nurkic - Dale Johnson
I was really surprised Jusuf Nurkic fell to me at 96 overall. Sure, he can be frustrating at times, but Nurkic can get you a solid 14.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game which is great value here since the centers have all been weeded out. Nurkic’s turnovers and free throws are concerning, but at this point I’m full punt on turnovers and he doesn’t shoot enough free throws for it to make a big dent for me. I think he’ll finish this season a lot higher than where I drafted him.
9.01 - Darren Collison - Dale Johnson
I love Darren Collison in Indiana as a fantasy player. Collison lead the league in three-point percentage last season and also shoots well from the field and free throw line overall. Plus, Collison helps get me coverage on assists and steals after taking a few centers in my earlier picks. I did debate whether or not to pick Elfrid Payton over Collison here, but Payton’s free throw percentage worried me after just picking Jusuf Nurkic. I feel pretty good about Collison here.
9.02 - Serge Ibaka - Matt Sparkington
With my ninth-round pick, I just made a value play. Toronto Raptors power forward/center Serge Ibaka is ranked by Fantasy Pros 80th overall. Ibaka should help in the blocks and three-pointers categories even though he doesn't get many assists or steals. This pick not only helped me in threes but also helped solidify the center position.
9.03 - Tyreke Evans - Trevor Crippen
By around now, Dejounte Murray’s had hit, and I’d committed to shifting away from a punt assists to a punt blocks. Adding Tyreke keeps me near the middle of the pack for assists. At this point, I was also comparing my team to other rosters. After picking Nance, I worried about competing in points and treys in a couple of key matchups, so Tyreke was one of the better options there. It’s a gamble on health, but at this point in the draft, I believe you just take the production -- you can always drop him for a free agent if he gets hurt.
9.08 - Elfrid Payton - Gianni Costantiello
This pick is banking on the idea that Payton does indeed get the starting point guard nod and continues in this role throughout the season. When the Pelicans were at their best, which was in the playoffs last season, Rajon Rondo was pretty amazing. Not that I am comparing Playoff Rondo to Payton, but they have a similar skill set and if anyone was to replace Rondo, Payton fits the mold nicely. With the pace the Pelicans play at, he has the opportunity to make himself a reputable and reliable point guard in this league this season.
10.05 - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson - Gianni Costantiello
I really like the guys that can add to multiple categories and this has been the case with many of my selections when I am drafting. RHJ fits the bill as he is an above average passer from the power forward position and has one block and one steal potential. I felt I needed to add some more youth to my team and with RHJ only being 23 and on the never-ending rebuilding Nets, he will get a lot of minutes.
10.07 - J.J. Redick - Andre Liu
The storyline of Fultz starting over Redick is ultimately laughable, and I was giddy getting Redick in the 10th round. Fultz is still an unproven commodity, and while he definitely could be great, I believe the decision to start Fultz over Redick is due to sunk cost fallacy and a confidence boost to the young player. That is partially why Fultz was also selected in the 10th round, two picks behind Redick. Redick is a lesser Klay Thompson; he doesn’t hurt you in any categories and you know his veteran savvy will get you points, threes, a strong free throw percentage, and a nice couple of assists. I’m not too worried about his playing time, and this might even benefit Redick as he is getting older because he will get to have more rest time for his legs. I love Redick at pick 115.
10.10 - Cedi Osman - Trevor Crippen
I’m a believer in the Cedi breakout. He looked like a beast in summer league and in the preseason, and he’ll be heavily involved. I believe the talk about him doing more to act as a facilitator for an offense that needs ball handlers, so I think projections for assists could still be low -- most projections are showing an AST/G in the 3s, but I think it could end up in the 4s or even 5s. I’m also hopeful about his shooting -- he was extremely efficient from the line over the summer and into the preseason, so I think his FT% could see a big increase over last year’s dreadful .565.
10.11 - Bogdan Bogdanovic - Matt Sparkington
My tenth-round pick was a little bit of a reach but I liked the potential in Sacramento Kings shooting guard/small forward Bogdan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic may be injured for the first couple of weeks of the season which makes sense why he fell to 137 in Fantasy Pros overall rank. When Bogdanovic does come back from his injury he should give me solid production in all categories except for blocks and rebounds which are currently a strength for me already.
11.02 - Kevin Knox - Matt Sparkington
My 11th pick was New York Knicks small forward/power forward Kevin Knox. I really like Kevin Knox going into the season and considering he is ranked 144 overall by Fantasy Pros, I wasn't sure if he would've made it back for my next pick at 143. The Knicks may make Knox their second scoring option. Also with the Knicks best player, Kristaps Porzingis, out until February or later, they could end up tanking the season and give the rookie Knox even more opportunities.
11.03 - Allen Crabbe - Trevor Crippen
At this point, I was trying to remain among the top teams in the league in a few key stats -- threes, steals, FT%, and TO, while fighting to remain competitive against average teams in FG%, points, assists, and rebounds. Crabbe provided much higher value than this pick last year, particularly over the last couple of months when he got hot and hit top 50 status. I’m hopeful that was the sign of a mini-breakout. If so, he helps solidify my strong stats.
11.06 - Jaylen Brown - Andre Liu
This is also a pick that surprised me: Brown may be a better real-life player than a fantasy option but this is still really low to pick him up. Arguments against him are his poor free throw shooting and his limited opportunity on a Celtics team that is all healthy again. I’d argue that Brown is up for another numbers boost this year. He’s a great defensive wing and cutter that will definitely stay on the floor. The Celtics are not an isolation heavy team, and value should be spread out well. It’s hard to get a starter with good opportunity this late in the draft and I think Brown could be a nice sell-high candidate later into the fantasy season.
11.08 - Markieff Morris - Gianni Costantiello
Up until last season, I always tried to get Morris on my rosters as I love what he does from the power forward spot and in some platforms, he even gets center eligibility. Morris had a down year last season and I am hoping for him to return to his 2016-17 form as the best possible upside. Morris is tough as nails and has said he is looking forward to playing alongside Dwight Howard as many are saying this may affect his output, but I think they will complement each other nicely.
12.05 - T.J. Warren - Gianni Costantiello
I was watching the picks go by and had my fingers crossed for Warren to slide to 137th pick. The forward positions have gotten a little complicated in Phoenix with the additions of Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson, and with wanting to develop their young-stud Josh Jackson. I do not expect the same output Warren produced last season, at the beginning anyway, but you know Ariza and Anderson are ideal shutdown candidates for the lottery-bound Suns and if I can hold through a possible bumpy ride with Warren early on, there is not any reason why he does not return to similar production he had last year at some point this season.
12.07 - Bobby Portis - Andre Liu
Lauri Markannen gone for 6-8 weeks? Hello, Bobby Portis. The Bulls have a crowded front court, and will be trying to figure out how new players like Wendell Carter Jr and Jabari Parker fit. But Portis is a offensive beast who will get points and rebounds consistently. The unlikely combo of Portis and Mirotic infuriated the tanking Bulls team last season. As I reflect, I really love the stretch 4 players that can really build themselves a good opportunity. Portis will be a great option early in the season. But make sure to float out trade offers before Markennen returns!
12.10 - Josh Hart - Trevor Crippen
At this point, I’m now making pure upside plays. Josh Hart has looked incredible all off-season, and looks like he’s won the job at SG over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Hart’s very nice rebounding rate are what made him a good fit for me here -- after building up a big early lead in rebounds with Towns and Love, my team is now decidedly middle of the pack. Hart can be a boost without sacrificing my push to be at the top of the league in threes.
12.11 - Jordan Bell - Matt Sparkington
Getting Golden State Warriors power forward/center Jordan Bell with my 12th round pick was strictly about getting value. On Fantasy Pros, Bell has an ADP of 118.3 and is ranked 123 overall. This pick should provide my squad with a good source of blocks and field goal percentage. With the Warriors not wanting to rush center DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins back from injury Bell may be a good pick this late in the draft.
13.02 - Rajon Rondo - Matt Sparkington
It's the tail end of the draft and I took Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo with my 13th round pick. Rondo can be a good source of steals and assists while also rebounding fairly well for a point guard. Now, I won't be the first person to say that Rondo isn't a very good shooter but this late in the draft if Rondo doesn't perform well I can pick up another player and not feel bad about the trade-off.
13.03 - Fred VanVleet - Trevor Crippen
I like VanVleet’s upside if Lowry gets hurt at some point. Though I liked the upside of a few other guys on the board more -- like Bam Adebayo and Pascal Siakam. I mainly made this pick because I wanted a cheap source of a few assists and some scoring for my Week 1 matchup. After the draft, I’d add Terry Rozier using Dejounte Murray’s roster spot for the same reason.
13.08 - Marcin Gortat - Gianni Costantiello
I was looking for some rebounds at this spot and who better than the Polish Hammer in the 13th round. Gortat should see around 25 minutes a night for the Clippers with Montrezl Harrell getting most the minutes as his backup and I feel with this amount of run, Gortat should be able to haul down at least seven rebounds a night with a solid field goal percentage.
14.05 - D.J. Augustin - Gianni Costantiello
I wanted one last point guard, as I feel you can never have enough of them on your fantasy team. Augustin along with Jerian Grant are the only point guards on the Magic, so Augustin is going to get minutes. He is a low-risk type of fantasy player and even though he is in the bottom tier of point guards, he put up amazing shooting splits last season and there is no reason he does not maintain this efficiency this season once again.
14.07 - Harry Giles - Andre Liu
Man, the end of the draft is all about high risk, high reward players. Giles has been hyped up for two years, and he finally is healthy enough to hit the courts. He’s shown potential as high vision big man, and if he can earn a starting spot as the 4, then I could see flurry of points and decent assists. The biggest problem? He plays on the Kings, and we could very well see him sitting behind Kostas Koufos and Nemanja Bjelica all year. But I’m keeping my hopes high, and if things don’t pan out, then I’ll live on the waiver wire. Here’s to Harry Giles and the end of a long draft.
14.10 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Trevor Crippen
I was originally hoping D.J. Augustin would fall -- since he would’ve been helpful for my week 1 matchup. But I’m happy with Shai -- he still fits the bill for a few week one assists, and I am extremely high on him as a player. He certainly has a lot more upside than Augustin. It seems the Clippers are high on SGA, too. He’s one of only 6 players that Doc Rivers guaranteed a rotation spot heading into the season, implying he’s already ahead of Milos Teodosic for the 4th guard spot behind Patrick Beverley, Avery Bradley, and Lou Williams. Chances are at least one of those vets gets injured or traded, so it seems like only a matter of time before this talented kid has a big role for Los Angeles. Overall I had a funky but interesting draft, but I’m pleased and think I can compete despite the loss of Dejounte Murray.
14.11 - Jerian Grant - Matt Sparkington
With my last pick in the draft, I just picked a lottery ticket. If Orlando Magic point guard Jerian Grant can get the starting job, he could be a good source for assists and steals. With only DJ Augustin being ahead of Grant on the depth chart there is certainly a chance that Grant can become the starter sooner rather than later. If that doesn't happen, that's okay -- it was my last pick, so there's no harm in trying.
