X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

RotoBaller Staff League Draft Recap: My Punt FT% Team - Fantasy Basketball Stragegy

It's the time of year again! NBA draft season is in full effect and I was excited to participate in our RotoBaller staff league this week. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to pull off one of my favorite punt category strategies going up against a bunch of very knowledgable analysts, but I think I was able to do it and I'd like to share my roster with you all and explain my logic behind each pick with the goal of helping you in your upcoming league drafts.

It's now time to start thinking about how you're going to win your league this year and punting a category in the draft is certainly one way to do it. RotoBaller will be here with rankings, sleepers, players to avoid, and all the analysis you need to be competitive in your leagues this year.

Punting FT% is one of my favorite strategies, and I outlined it (along with several other punt strategies) in our premium draft kit. Use promo code THUNDERDAN to save 10% off your kit this season and dominate your competition from the draft all the way to the league finals.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Will Priester (@ChiefJustice06) from RotoGrinders leads the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with his exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

Let's take a look at my team in the RotoBaller staff league and I'll break down why I drafted the way that I did. I was drafting from the #9 slot and our league is a standard 12-team, 9-cat, H2H league on Yahoo.

 

Rounds 1-3

Pick #9, LeBron James - PG/SG/SF

Our first round was nuts, and as Justin Carter laid out in his draft breakdown earlier this week a lot of unexpected stuff happened. I was tempted to grab Lillard, KD, or Trae Young here but I held firm on my stance that LeBron is the best stud to build around (other than Giannis) for a punt FT% team.

I know some might shy away from him based on him sitting out some games, but he's been one of the most durable players in the NBA during his career and still played 67 games last season. He also set a career-high in assists with 10 per game and is going to provide point guard type assist numbers while also helping me lock down rebounds and FG%. I am okay building around the King and I wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing again if he falls into the late first-round or early second round.

Pick #16, Bam Adebayo - PF/C

Apparently, I sniped Bam one pick ahead of one of our other writers and I resisted the temptation to go with Deandre Ayton over him. Bam fits what I am trying to do here perfectly and is a top-10 player if you punt FT%. He also provides an elite number of assists (5.1 per game) from the center position that you can only find from a guy like Jokic. Between Bam and LeBron I have 15 assists per game and I haven't even drafted a guard yet!

Pick #33, Andre Drummond - PF/C

I had to hold my nose to do it, but I was committed to the strategy and therefore took Drummond here in the third round. I know he's a dinosaur in today's NBA, but as long as the Cavs play him 30 minutes a night he's going to post massive double-doubles and rack up defensive stats on elite FG%. He's a must-have for any punt FT% team and I didn't mind using my pick on him here with how valuable he is to my strategy.

 

Rounds 4-6

Pick #40, Christian Wood - PF/C

I was torn here because it was either Wood or Whiteside and I chose the younger, more exciting player of the two. Whiteside is the perfect player for a punt FT% strategy, but I have some doubts about his minutes in Sacramento. Meanwhile, Wood had a breakout second-half for Detroit last year and now gets to play in an up-tempo offense with James Harden and John Wall. I think he's going to have a huge year and he should be a boon to my points, boards, and defensive stats while shooting a solid percentage from the field.

Pick #57, Malcolm Brogdon - PG/SG

I really felt like I needed to grab some guards at this point and it was really tough to pass up Jonas Valanciunas here at 57, but Brogdon is exactly the type of guard I was trying to target to compliment my big men. He is actually a good free-throw shooter, so he doesn't gain value in a punt FT% strategy, but what I love about him is his solid FG% (47% career shooter) and rebounding (nearly five boards per game) from the PG position. He's another seven-assist guy who bolsters that category as well.

Pick #64, Lonzo Ball - PG/SG

Here's where I had to put my own personal bias aside. I have never been a fan of Ball (or his dad) and there are certain aspects of his game that are still lacking (like he still can't really shoot - at all). But I do think he's in for a nice year in New Orleans with Jrue Holiday gone and I can stomach his 40% shooting because it's on relatively low volume. What I love is that he stuffs that stat sheet elsewhere with six boards and seven assists per game and averaged 2 blocks/steals combined last season. I think he's a poor man's Jason Kidd this year and he fits what I am trying to do perfectly.

 

Rounds 7-9

Pick #81, Al Horford - PF/C

A few weeks ago I would have never grabbed Horford here, but the trade to OKC should be a huge boost to his value as he should move back to center and start for a young Thunder team that really needs a steady veteran like Big Al. Yes, his best days are behind him but he's going to contribute across the board and shouldn't hurt me anywhere. I think his FG% goes back up as he's more likely to take fewer outside shots this season and play more in the high post and low post than at the three-point line.

Pick #88, Ricky Rubio - PG

So I couldn't help myself here and went after another high-assist guy who is a FG% liability. However, like Lonzo, Rubio doesn't put up that many shots per game (only 10.6 attempts last year) and is a solid rebounding guard who also contributes a healthy amount of steals. He's been coming off the bench so far this preseason, but as long as he's going to get 25-28 minutes a game I think he's going to give me exactly what I am looking for with his skill set.

Pick #105, Otto Porter - SF/PF

I am a big fan of Otto and his well-rounded game. If he was totally healthy and guaranteed big minutes, he'd be a guy going in the middle rounds of drafts. His minutes are probably going to be monitored, but he put up 12-3-2 and 1.5 blocks/assists in only 23 minutes per game last year. I don't expect a lot of volume, but like Horford, Otto won't hurt me anywhere and is a buy-low guy that could have a really solid year if he stays healthy.

 

Rounds 10-13

Pick #112, Will Barton - SG/SF

I won't spend too much time talking about these late round guys, but I was "thrilled" to get Will here in the 10th round. Barton is an awesome glue guy in fantasy and was killing it last year to the tune of 15-6-3.7 with 1.6 blocks/steals before getting hurt. He usually plays a lot of point guard with the second unit and is a great value down here if he maintains a 30-minute role this year with Denver.

Pick #129, DeAndre Jordan - C

Yes, DJ is in a timeshare with Jarrett Allen, but he's the perfect player for my team and a great late-round pick for any punt FT% team. I'll happily take his 8-10-2 in 22 minutes and 66% shooting from the field. He should get a ton of easy buckets on an improved Nets team and if Allen ever gets hurt he's going to be a monster with starters' minutes.

Pick #136, Malik Beasley - PG/SG

I have a man-crush on Beasley, I'll admit it. I love his game and while he has had a rough offseason off the court, he is primed for a big year as a starter with the Wolves. Last year he started 14 games for Minnesota and posted 20-5-2 on 47% shooting! While he won't average 20 points a game this year with D-Lo and Towns both healthy, he should be a great source of threes and boards without hurting my FG% that much.

Pick #153, Larry Nance Jr. - PF/C

Not too much to say here about Nance, other than he's a solid source of stats when he gets minutes. He should be good for 25 minutes off the bench this year behind Drummond and Love and is "Drummond-insurance" if the Cavs happen to trade the big man this year or he were to get hurt.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Porter Hodge4 hours ago

Could See Save Opportunities
Luis García4 hours ago

Dodgers Sign Luis Garcia To Minor-League Deal
Drew Thorpe4 hours ago

Could Throw Off The Mound Next Week
Keaontay Ingram4 hours ago

Chiefs Re-Sign Keaontay Ingram
Amir Coffey4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Joey Gallo4 hours ago

White Sox Agree To Terms With Joey Gallo
Brandon Ingram4 hours ago

Expected To Miss At Least One More Month
Germán Márquez4 hours ago

German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela, Lucas Gilbreath All Healthy
Chet Holmgren4 hours ago

Back In Action Thursday
Johan Oviedo5 hours ago

Throws Bullpen On Thursday
Anthony Edwards5 hours ago

Ready To Play Thursday
Nikola Jović5 hours ago

Nikola Jovic Available Thursday
Henry Davis5 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice On Thursday
Duncan Robinson5 hours ago

Good To Go Against Mavericks
Gary Payton II5 hours ago

Out Against Rockets
Mike Conley5 hours ago

Not Ready To Return Thursday
Rudy Gobert5 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Dante Exum5 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Bam Adebayo5 hours ago

Unavailable For Thursday Against Dallas
Klay Thompson5 hours ago

Will Not Play On Thursday
Connor Matthews5 hours ago

Opens Up UFC Vegas 102 Main Card
Kyrie Irving5 hours ago

Ruled Out Against Heat
Jose Delgado5 hours ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 102
Dylan Budka5 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win On Saturday
Edmen Shahbazyan5 hours ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC Vegas 102
Walker Kessler6 hours ago

Sidelined On Thursday
Youssef Zalal6 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Vegas 102
Calvin Kattar6 hours ago

Looks To Snap Losing Streak At UFC Vegas 102
Jabari Smith Jr.6 hours ago

On Track To Return After The All-Star Break
Drew Eubanks6 hours ago

Remains Out Against Jazz
Amir Coffey6 hours ago

Questionable Thursday
Markelle Fultz6 hours ago

Will Play On Thursday Night
Jacksonville Jaguars7 hours ago

Jaguars Interview Brandon Brown For GM Position
Kenyon Martin Jr.7 hours ago

Out Against Clippers
Jordan Eberle7 hours ago

Starts Conditioning Stint In AHL
New Orleans Saints7 hours ago

Saints Request To Interview Daronte Jones For Defensive-Coordinator Job
Matthew Tkachuk7 hours ago

Enters 4 Nations Face-Off In Red-Hot Form
Clyde Edwards-Helaire7 hours ago

Saints Re-Sign Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Ben Simmons7 hours ago

Set For His Clippers Debut
Steven Adams7 hours ago

Not Listed On The Injury Report
Las Vegas Raiders7 hours ago

Maxx Crosby Progressing In Recovery From Ankle Surgery
Shea Theodore7 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Tank Dell7 hours ago

"On The Right Track" In His Recovery
DK Metcalf7 hours ago

Klint Kubiak Says He Has A Plan For DK Metcalf
Juuse Saros7 hours ago

Named Finland Starter For Thursday
New Orleans Saints7 hours ago

Kellen Moore Plans To Call Offensive Plays For Saints
Connor Hellebuyck7 hours ago

To Face Finland Thursday
Mikko Rantanen7 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday
Alvin Kamara8 hours ago

Kellen Moore High On Alvin Kamara
Julian Aguiar8 hours ago

Reds Place Julian Aguiar On 60-Day Injured List
Graham Ashcraft8 hours ago

Throws To Live Hitters
Dedniel Núñez8 hours ago

Dedniel Nunez Healthy At Spring Training
Jordan Montgomery8 hours ago

Dealing With Finger Strain
River Ryan8 hours ago

Lands On 60-Day Injured List
Clayton Kershaw8 hours ago

Expects To Open Season On 60-Day Injured List
Andre Pallante9 hours ago

Wins Arbitration Case Against Cardinals
Nolan Arenado9 hours ago

Likely To Stay With Cardinals
Jonathan Loáisiga9 hours ago

Jonathan Loaisiga Targeting End Of May
Marcus Stroman10 hours ago

Hasn't Reported To Camp
Cody Bradford10 hours ago

Rangers Could Use Cody Bradford In Relief Role
Jon Gray10 hours ago

Throws First Bullpen Session On Thursday
Robbie Ray10 hours ago

Throws Bullpen On Thursday
Jordan Montgomery10 hours ago

Drops 20-25 Pounds
NFL13 hours ago

Travis Hunter To Enter Combine As A Cornerback
Trevor Lawrence13 hours ago

"No Chance" Jaguars Will Trade Trevor Lawrence
Aaron Rodgers13 hours ago

Jets Officially Inform Aaron Rodgers They Are Moving On
James Cook14 hours ago

Seeking New Contract For $15 Million Annually
Chase Briscoe15 hours ago

Earns Toyota's First Daytona 500 Pole
Justin Allgaier15 hours ago

Attempts To Make JR Motorsports's NASCAR Cup Series Debut
Jimmie Johnson15 hours ago

Outqualifies Teammates To Advance To Daytona 500
NASCAR15 hours ago

B.J. McLeod Likely Needs Attrition To Make Daytona 500
Chandler Smith15 hours ago

Competition In First Duel Race Likely Too Stout For Chandler Smith To Make Daytona 500
Jordan Binnington17 hours ago

Earns Victory Over Team Sweden
Nathan MacKinnon17 hours ago

Scores Power-Play Goal In Victory
TOR17 hours ago

Mitch Marner Nets Overtime Winner For Team Canada
Lucas Raymond17 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers In Overtime Loss
Sidney Crosby17 hours ago

Leads Canada To Victory
Shea Theodore18 hours ago

Out Of 4 Nations Tournament With Injury
JaQuae Jackson1 day ago

Patriots Re-Sign JaQuae Jackson
Anthony Firkser1 day ago

Chiefs Re-Sign Anthony Firkser To Futures Deal
C.J. Ham1 day ago

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Taysom Hill1 day ago

Saints To Move On From Taysom Hill?
Dak Prescott1 day ago

Looking To Amp Up His Rehab
Jacksonville Jaguars1 day ago

Terrance Gray Interviews For Jaguars GM Job
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Julius Wood's Suspension Temporarily Lifted
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

De'Vondre Campbell's Suspension Lifted
Jakob Pelletier1 day ago

Ready For Action After 4 Nations Face-Off
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Expected To Return After 4 Nations Face-Off
Mika Zibanejad1 day ago

To Center Top Line For Sweden
Joel Eriksson Ek1 day ago

Available Wednesday
Filip Gustavsson1 day ago

Faces Canada Wednesday Night
Jordan Binnington1 day ago

To Start For Canada In 4 Nations Face-Off Opener
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Good To Go Wednesday
Gary Woodland2 days ago

In Great Form Heading Into Genesis Invitational
Cameron Young2 days ago

Is An Interesting Play At Torrey Pines
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

A Strong Value Play At Genesis Invitational
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Is Riding The Struggle Bus To Torrey Pines
Justin Rose2 days ago

Looks For Redemption At Torrey Pines
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Searching For Consistency At Torrey Pines
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Aims To Repeat Success At Torrey Pines
Harris English2 days ago

Looking To Repeat At Torrey Pines
Boone Jenner2 days ago

Expected To Return After International Break
Gustav Forsling2 days ago

Moves Past Illness, Expected To Play On Wednesday
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

A Volatile Play At Genesis Invitational
Min Woo Lee2 days ago

In Great Form Ahead Of Genesis Invitational
Viktor Hovland2 days ago

A Solid Value Play At Torrey Pines
Rasmus Hojgaard2 days ago

A Strong Play At Genesis Invitational
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Aims For A Strong Rebound At Torrey Pines
Collin Morikawa2 days ago

An Excellent Play At Genesis Invitational
Shane Lowry2 days ago

Back In Action At Torrey Pines
PGA2 days ago

Sungjae Im Is A Highly Volatile Play With Persuasive Upside
Russell Henley2 days ago

Torrey Pines May Be A Place To Avoid Russell Henley
Nick Taylor2 days ago

Might Not Thrive At Torrey Pines
Adam Scott2 days ago

Is A Fun Long Shot At Genesis Invitational
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Tries To Repeat Torrey Pines Success
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

Could Be Intriguing At Genesis Invitational
MMA3 days ago

Weili Zhang Wins Decision In Co-Main Event Of UFC 312
Tatiana Suarez3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Justin Tafa3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 312
Tallison Teixeira3 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 312
Francisco Prado3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 312
Jake Matthews4 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC 312
Rodolfo Bellato4 days ago

Battles Back To Get A Draw At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute4 days ago

Fights To A Draw In Return At UFC 312
Sean Strickland4 days ago

Suffers Lopsided Decision Loss At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis4 days ago

Retains Middleweight Belt At UFC 312
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Chig Okonkwo - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Cheap Dynasty Buys - Fantasy Football Trade Targets for Deeper Leagues

While the NFL season just ended, dynasty football players know it’s never too early to start planning for 2025. There are always ways to gain an edge over your league mates. Many dynasty leagues have deep benches, which can make finding players on waivers challenging. This means gamers must place a greater emphasis on trading […]


Jonnu Smith - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Five Tight Ends To Sell In Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues

I know, I know. Your dynasty fantasy football teams are like your children. You want to hold on to the players who you've had on your roster for years. But if you want to actually win going forward, you have to sell some of those players away when the time is right. This offseason, the […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Tale of Two Seasons - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Edition Part IV

If you’ve been following this series, you know the drill and what to expect by now. If you haven’t, we’re identifying receivers who had two significantly different splits during the course of the 2024 season. If you’d like to get caught up and read some of the other previously published editions, you can do so […]


Ashton Jeanty - NFL Draft, Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings, Draft Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings (Pre-NFL Draft) - Ashton Jeanty, Tetairoa McMillan, Shedeur Sanders, Kaleb Johnson, Luther Burden, more

The 2025 NFL Draft will be here before you know it, and we're already thinking ahead to 2025 fantasy football drafts and rookie/dynasty drafts. Our NFL team has released its early 2025 fantasy football rookie rankings for the top 70 NFL rookies, before the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. These 2025 rookie rankings are released before […]


Tee Higgins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

2025 NFL Free Agency Primer: Important Dates of 2025 NFL Free Agency

Super Bowl LIX is over and the Philadelphia Eagles are the world champions for the second time in their existence as they stopped the Kansas City three-peat talk cold. After the ups and downs of another crazy season, it is time to glance ahead to the 2025 offseason and all the transactions and chaos that […]


Xavier Worthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - February 2025 Market Report

With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, it is time to look ahead to the NFL Combine and the NFL Draft. In the next couple of months, we should see plenty of movers and shakers in the fantasy football landscape, particularly dynasty leagues. This month, we have seen the market shift with the inclusion […]


Tre Harris - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

Early 2025 NFL Draft Rankings - Top Player At Each Position

The 2025 NFL Draft really isn't that far away. For fans of historically terrible teams, the draft is the best time of the year, as it instills hope that things might change. And for Dynasty fantasy managers or those extremely dialed-in who play only redraft, it's an interesting time as well. Knowing which players go […]


Xavier Worthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Tale of Two Seasons - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Edition Part III

If you’ve played fantasy football for any time, you’re accustomed to seeing a player’s splits—a comparison between his stats during one period of the season vs another. This is different than a two or three-game sample. We're looking at two samples, typically consisting of six to eight games per split. Sometimes, splits can be just […]


Rome Odunze - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

2025 Second-Year Breakouts: Sophomores Who Could Shine In Year Two

A 2024 season full of rookie breakouts spoiled the fantasy community. Brian Thomas Jr. (WR4), Malik Nabers (WR6), Ladd McConkey (WR12), Brock Bowers (TE1), Jayden Daniels (QB5), and Bucky Irving (RB13) excelled in their first professional seasons. That made it even more of a bummer when other big-name rookies and first-round picks didn't burst onto […]


Dylan Sampson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Dynasty, Rookie Prospects

Dynasty Fantasy Football Strategy - How To Rebuild Your Roster

It's never easy going from worst to first in Dynasty fantasy football. But it's possible. Just because something isn't easy doesn't mean it's not possible, and certain strategies can help you achieve what might seem impossible at first -- going from the worst team in your league to making a championship run. There are a […]


Jaxson Dart - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Rookie Dynasty Mock Draft: 2025 Fantasy Football 12-Team, Superflex/Two-QB

The 2025 NFL Draft is still less than 100 days away. More importantly, the NFL Combine is around the corner. While much will change between now and the NFL Draft at the end of April. However, it’s time for my second dynasty rookie mock draft of the year. This rookie mock draft is a two-round, […]


Jerry Jeudy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Tale of Two Seasons - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Edition (Part II)

It's not uncommon for a player to have a hot streak or a cold spell during a long season. It's the nature of the beast. What is, however, less common is when a player seemingly flips a switch and becomes a different player entirely. Sometimes, a player has two different seasons in a single year. […]


Kyren Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks

Dynasty League Sells - Overrated Fantasy Football Players To Trade Away

Being tied to bad teams, having anomalously high production that isn't sustainable long-term, and dealing with serious injuries are at least a few reasons why players can become overrated in Dynasty fantasy football leagues. When evaluating your players, it's important to take a wide-angle lens to understand what's going on. Hanging on to an overrated […]