Welcome to the 2016-2017 Fantasy Basketball season. It is never too early to start preparing and I hope all of you have been doing your offseason homework. To win a championship in fantasy hoops, your team must be balanced. When in your drafts, you not only need to look at the big-picture stats, but also the minor ones that the player helps out in. A guard who averages 3-to-4 rebounds per game is more beneficial than you may think. Throughout the season, I will provide weekly rankings in a similar format.
There is not one school of thought when it comes to team construction. Kevin Durant has been a top fantasy basketball performer for many years, but now he is in a new situation on a new team. For those who think Durant will fit right in to the Warriors system, you may be inclined to take him as a top 5 pick. For those who are paranoid that he may lose shot opportunities, you may not want to take Durant and seek out other options. This makes giving an overall ranking to Durant pointless because not even the Warriors know how much he will actually be producing in the offense. If Klay Thompson is hot, Durant is losing out on shot opportunities.
For the rankings list, I put players in tiers per position. It will allow yourself breathing room as you should never be married to rankings. The tiers give you more options to balance your teams. If you miss a top tier point guard, don’t panic. Grab a top tier shooting guard or small forward who averages a lot of assists and set yourself up to grab a 2nd tier option to balance. Again, these tiers are position specific and do not reflect an overall ranking.
A lot of players qualify at multiple positions. If in a big debate between two players, use the tiers as a guide against your draft board so you can see what valuable options will be on the board a bit later on. I would even advise you to take these tiers and make your own personal draft board. You will have tremendous success.
TIER 1: The top of the line players and draft targets who will help you either predominantly in 1 category or in 3 plus depending on what type of drafter you are. CJ McCollum is a tier 1 ranked SG and he will score a lot of points via driving and shooting. If you draft him for the scoring, know that with your next pick or 2, you will target players who help in multiple categories.
TIERS 2 and 3: These are the tiers that will win you your league. Players in these tiers provide balanced stats and help in multiple categories. I am anticipating most 90-95% of tier 2 and 3 players to play over 20 minutes a game this season. The players in tier 2 will serve as your back up at the position. The players in tier 3 serve as 3rd/utility option.
TIER 4: These are the lottery ticket players in which their role and potential playing time is hard to decide. Boom or bust players can be found in this tier. These players are expected to get playing time and be involved in the offense. These are final bench spot players.
Remember, there is no one-way to build your team. Use these tiers and learn for yourself how to dominate and if you need a bit more help, tweet @FenstySports. Good luck to all!
Click here to see the 2016-17 NBA Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings.