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What to expect on a H-2-H Fantasy Basketball Draft!

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4 years ago

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What to expect on a H-2-H Fantasy Basketball Draft!

What to expect on a H-2-H Fantasy Basketball Draft!

What to expect on a H-2-H Fantasy Basketball Draft! Head-to-head fantasy basketball drafts are one of the most common fantasy league options, besides root-leagues (of course). The H-2-H method is the one I will be participating in, but how do we go about it? We have gone through the avoidable, must-get, and sleeper-pick players. However, how should we see that in a mock draft?

Currently, in a draft I am enlisted in, I am at seventh place. We talk about all these hot players to draft, these sleeper players, but depending on your drafting position that may be easier said than done. So, to get everyone ready for their drafts before the league starts in two days; let’s have a mock draft.

By having this simulated mock draft you will be able to see where these top players, and all players, be drafted at in these 13 rounds. You will be able to see where these guys are projected to go and where we rank them. So, whether you are selecting first or last, you will now have the perfect chance in getting the most information when selecting and/or viewing these players.

What to know:

This simulated mock draft will be featuring a default of ten teams, which means ten selections (picks) per round. Plus, this simulation will be having thirteen rounds to give a realistic feel of what a regular fantasy consists of. By the end of a regular draft, your team should have thirteen players on your entire roster.

At the end of this simulating mock draft, I will give you an example roster of what it should look like for these types of leagues.

First round:

  1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, reigning FMVP
  2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, reigning MVP
  3. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, First-Team All-Star Winner
  4. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors, MVP-Contender
  5. James Harden, Brooklyn Nets
  6. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
  7. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards, dark horse scorer
  8. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
  9. Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers
  10. Karl Anthony-Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

Big things to know in the first round:

Top names to draft would be Doncic, Antetokounmpo, Curry, Jokic, Durant, and Lillard.

First round picks are very crucial and with so many talented players you will get a good pick in the first, plus, wanna know the amazing thing? Players like LaMelo Ball, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, etc will fall into the second and beyond rounds. That is great for more chances to score big.

Second round:

  1. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
  2. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
  3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC Thunder
  4. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
  5. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
  6. LaMelo Ball, Charolette Hornets, reigning ROTY
  7. Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
  8. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
  9. Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
  10. Zion Williamson, New Orlean Pelicans

Big things to know in the second round:

The top names to draft would be Young, Booker, Ball, Mitchell, and Gilgeous-Alexander.

Second round players are a huge asset to your team, obviously, but there are still amazing players out there in the third round. You can never go wrong with any of the players that can/would be selected in the second round, these are all terrific players. Good news, there are still some great players available.

Third round:

  1. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
  2. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
  3. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
  4. Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
  5. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
  6. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
  7. Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers
  8. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
  9. Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers
  10. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Big things to know in the third round:

Best players out of this round would be Butler, Gobert, Westbrook, George, and Sexton.

Interesting players out of this round would be Fox, Adebayo, and Morant.

The three interesting players you could push towards the fourth or fifth round, but it would be advised to do it no later than the fourth round. Adebayo will be a good player to watch out for while Morant and Fox could be an iffy group.

Fourth round:

  1. Christian Wood, Houston Rockets
  2. Nikola Vuevic, Chicago Bulls
  3. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans
  4. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves, ROTY-Contender
  5. Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks
  6. John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
  7. Caris LeVert, Indianapolis Pacers
  8. Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks, reigning NBA Finals Champ
  9. RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
  10. OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors

Fourth round, things to know:

Best players out of this round would be Wood, Edwards, Middleton, Barrett, and LeVert.

Maybe/interesting players out of this round would be Vuevic, Ingram, Anunoby, and potentially Collins. Collins could be make or break with the way the Hawks play with all their talent; plus, Vuevic and Ingram could have interesting seasons depending on how many stats they are able to throw out. However, expect to have them as good starters.

Fifth round:

  1. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
  2. Ben Simmons (if he plays), Philadelphia 76ers
  3. Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets
  4. Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
  5. Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings
  6. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
  7. CJ McCollum, Portland TrailBlazers
  8. Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
  9. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns
  10. Gordon Hayward, Charolette Hornets

Fifth round, things to know:

The best players out of this round would be Paul, Ayton, Hayward, Siakam, and McCollum.

Sixth round:

  1. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
  3. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
  4. Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat
  5. Robert Williams III, Boston Celtics
  6. Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks
  7. Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns
  8. Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks
  9. Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls
  10. Dennis Schroder, Boston Celtics

Sixth round, things you need to know:

The best players out of this round would be Allen, Lowry, Bridges, Portis, Ball, and Schroder.

The questionable players would be Mitchell Robinson and Draymond Green. One is coming off of injury and one is on a team that has all shooters and he is mainly the gritty-gutty one. Still, expect tons of rebounds, defensive stops, and more when it comes to these two.

Seventh round:

  1. Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
  2. Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons
  3. Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
  4. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
  5. Derrick White, San Antonio Spurs
  6. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
  7. Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets
  8. P.J. Washington, Charolette Hornets
  9. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
  10. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks

Seventh round, things you need to know:

The top players are Thompson, Wiggins, Bogdanovic, Jackson Jr., and Grant. Now, Thompson is only effective if he is able to play healthy and able to still play at a high-level after missing out on the past two seasons.

Eighth round:

  1. Matisse Thybulle, Philadelphia 76ers
  2. Kevin Porter Jr., Houston Rockets
  3. Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings
  4. Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
  5. Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic
  6. Spencer Dinwiddie, Washington Wizards
  7. Jonas Valanciunas, New Orleans Pelicans
  8. D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves
  9. Jordon Clarkson, Utah Jazz
  10. Kemba Walker, New York Knicks

Eighth round, things you need to know:

The top players are Hield, Isaac, Dinwiddie, Walker, Clarkson, and Russell.

Ninth round:

  1. Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
  2. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
  3. Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
  4. Miles Bridges, Charolette Hornets
  5. Cameron Payne, Phoenix Suns
  6. Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns
  7. Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons
  8. Josh Giddey, Orlando Magic
  9. Seth Curry, Philadelphia 76ers
  10. Kelly Olynyk, Detroit Pistons

Ninth round, things you need to know:

The top players in this draft round is Smart, Garland, Payne, Johnson, and Curry. While Curry is up and down, he can still be valuable to your team as a rotational player. Also, be ready for Giddey and/or Bey to break out. Bey could be having an eye-opening season and Giddey could put the division on notice.

With Myles Turner I would just be optimistically cautious of him due to his injury history, but his defense is something that keeps his name in people’s mouth. I would be careful of where you play him, should he be a starter? I’ll let you make that call.

Tenth round:

  1. Devonte Graham, Charolette Hornets
  2. Robert Covington, Portland TrailBlazers
  3. Mike Conley, Utah Jazz
  4. T.J. Warren, Indianapolis Pacers
  5. Reggie Jackson, Los Angeles Clippers
  6. Eric Bledsoe, Los Angeles Clippers
  7. Norman Powell, Portland TrailBlazers
  8. Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic
  9. T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers
  10. Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat

Tenth round, things you need to know:

As we are approaching the end of this draft you may be noticing replacement players, rotational players, and/or bench players. Plus, if you noticed. We see one risky player, which would be Warren. Warren is coming back from a foot injury that sidelined him of all of last season, can he put up Bubble Numbers or will he fade? That is the question and for safety reasons that is why you choose him in the tenth round.

Remember, the top players of this drafting round would be Conley, Bledsoe, McConnell, and even Jackson. Reggie Jackson is going to be that sleeper that needs to be picked up.

Eleventh round:

  1. Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic
  2. Blake Griffin, Brooklyn Nets
  3. Tim Hardaway Jr., Dallas Mavericks
  4. Lauri Markkenan, Cleveland Cavailers
  5. Evan Fournier, New York Knicks
  6. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
  7. Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings
  8. Dillion Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies
  9. Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks
  10. Chris Boucher, Toronto Raptors

Eleventh round, things you need to know:

Even though this is the eleventh round, we have to remember who Anthony, Fournier, Hardaway, and even Markkenan is. These players are expected to have good, if not breakout, seasons. Plus, look at the rookie and first-year players, why? Because they are going to give you some great bench points and bench support.

Top players would be Anthony, Griffin, Fournier, Markkenan, Huerter, and potentially Hardaway if he gets that breakout season in Dallas.

Twelfth round:

  1. Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz
  2. Thaddeus Young, San Antonio Spurs
  3. Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets
  4. Kawhi Leonard (if he even plays in the last month of fantasy), Los Angeles Clippers
  5. Donte DiVincenzo, Milwaukee Bucks
  6. Daniel Theis, Houston Rockets
  7. Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings
  8. Darius Bazley, OKC Thunder
  9. Montrezl Harrell, Washington Wizards
  10. DeMarcus Aldridge, Brooklyn Nets

Twelfth round, things you need to know:

These are going to all be your backups, nothing special but still vital to your bench and when players aren’t playing on certain days. Bagley is going to be interesting but better than Ingles in some respects, same with the comparison of Aldridge and Theis. There are pros and cons with all of these guys and comparisons, however, can you go wrong with any of these guys? No, not really.

Thirteenth round:

  1. Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
  2. Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies
  3. Daniel Gafford, Washington Wizards
  4. Larry Nance Jr., Portland TrailBlazers
  5. Kenyon Martin Jr., Houston Rockets
  6. Nerlens Noel, New York Knicks
  7. Mason Plumlee, Charolette Hornets
  8. Marcus Morris Sr., Los Angeles Clippers
  9. Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers
  10. Malik Monk, Los Angeles Lakers

Final things to know for round thirteen:

The best players out of this round would be Herro and Monk; watch out for these two guys as they could bring your bench some great additions and some great scoring opportunities against your opponents. So, watch out for the young-buck and then the wise veteran.

Conclusion:

With the simulation coming to an end we have covered everything for this draft; the top players have been extended to the first six-rounds of the draft, and then after that we get to see players that will be great SG(2), plus. different players like that would be able to backup your starters. Take Shai and Luka, great backups. If fortunate enough to draft the both, or even one of them.

If you are able to get one of the best players in each of the round, you will be set for life. This draft simulation will be broken up by half, in two posts, to give a simpler example of this draft. Plus, I will give an example of a drafted team in the next post.

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Fantasy Basketball

Russell Westbrook: A faller or straight bust?

Published

3 years ago

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October 17, 2022

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Russell Westbrook: A faller or straight bust?

Russell Westbrook: A faller or straight bust?

Russell Westbrook: A faller or straight bust?

Westbrook has been very shaky for fantasy owners as of late. You can start to mark his fall, so to speak, when his time ended with the Wizards and his time began with the Lakers. Russell Westbrook was not the same player he was back in his primal years featuring the Thunder, and he hasn’t fallen off of his game completely; so where do we put him?

Do we categorize him as a straight bust or a player that’s fantasy draft stock had fallen for this season? Is this season going to be a rocky, finding himself season, or is this season just going to make him out to be a straight bust?

My answer is going to be short, concise, and to the point. I am going to answer this question within the next few paragraphs; so with that being said, let us begin.

Russell Westbrook is a…

In short, the 33-year-old is a fallen player. He isn’t to the point of his career where we can classify him as a bust, but he is definitely falling off. Westbrook is a fallen player that’s value has suffered since joining the Los Angeles Lakers. Mainly last season we can pinpoint his snowball effect collapse. Honestly.

He isn’t a straight bust because he is still averaging good numbers, those numbers? Averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. Plus, averaging 44.4% from the field last season. Now, the main season why he has fallen is due to his stats falling off. His productivity is depleting, to say the least, and is making the Lakers and their fanbase more angry and confused as each passing day goes by.

Two seasons ago, when he played with Washington, the man averaged 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 11.7 assists per game. Since his role has been changing, so has his productivity and what he feels comfortable doing.

Since joining the LakeShow, Westbrook’s value around the NBA and fantasy basketball has gone down tremendously. As the former superstar couldn’t hit his three-pointers or mid-range shots, which (when watching him play) was pretty pathetic. It wasn’t a few, it was reoccurring mistakes that killed him throughout the entire season with the Lakers.

There is another problem with Westbrook:

If the Lakers keep experimenting with Westbrook and make him come off the bench, then guess what? His fantasy points will go down, his productivity will go down, and his effectiveness and usefulness will go down tremendously. Making him almost invisible within Darvin Ham’s new system with the Lakers, which will end poorly for both sides if Westbrook’s act keeps failing.

If Westbrook comes off the bench, then you draft him later. His stats are already proving to us he is on a slippery slope of decline, this season is make-or-break for him. In what way? For fantasy owners, we will determine his value moving forward and if he truly is a bust at this point and time in his career.

If he can shoot, rebound, or pass as well as he used to, then what use does he have? That is why this is a make-or-break season for him, beyond fantasy but in real life.

Conclusion:

With all that being said, Westbrook is a fallen player and not (yet) a bust. If he keeps declining, then, yes, he will be a bust. However, for now, the 33-year-old will be a fallen player trying to redeem himself.

In the end, Westbrook is a bench player and should be drafted by the tenth and beyond round. Per CourtSideHeat’s calculated mock draft, I have him at round number eleven. The bench is his new friend and will be in real life and in fantasy.

Use caution if you go through with drafting him. Be smart and know what you are getting yourself into, just remember he is Russell Westbrook and he is a depreciating asset – for lack of a better phrase. Use your discretion wisely, I will be checking in on Westbrook throughout the fantasy season.

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Fantasy Basketball

Herbert Jones: Sleeper or Bust?

Published

3 years ago

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October 17, 2022

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Herbert Jones: Sleeper or Bust?

Herbert Jones: Sleeper or Bust?

Herbert Jones: Sleeper or Bust?

Jones is definitely a sleeper, but a deep sleeper. You wouldn’t take him midway through the draft, but more toward the end of the draft. CourtSideHeat has him being selected in the tenth round, to be exact, with the 98th pick. But why? Because he has high value going into his second season with the Pelicans and is someone you need to have on your fantasy team.

The 24-year-old is a good defensive player that averaged 2.5 steals per game last season, and to do that as a rookie is pretty unique and jaw-dropping. Honestly, seeing a rookie be that good at being a menace through stealing and blocking the ball is something that takes multiple seasons to learn.

However, for him, he specializes in that and that is why fantasy owners love him and fans in real life love him. Not only is he averaging 9.5 points per game, and 3 rebounds, but also getting big defensive numbers is something very promising for the franchise and for fantasy owners.

By no means is he a bust, in simple terms, he is a sleeper that deserves to go before the tenth round. Don’t get him before the eighth, but don’t let him drop to the evevlnth round. This is a player with terrific wingspan, height, width, and skill that is only getting better. I don’t want to hype him up too much, but his defensive skills remind me of one terrific player; that player? Mikal Bridges.

No joke, him and Bridges have some similarities defensively and that is one of the biggest compliments I can give him defensively. Statistically and how he performs overall makes him the perfect candidate for your 13-man roster. Get him in the tenth, have him as a backup, and let’s see where he goes from there.

Nothing too complicated, just keeping it simplified and smart. Jones will be a good return on investment, be patient and it will work out well. He’s on a team that can use his services, that is the benefit of being on the New Orleans Pelicans.

All the signs to selecting him are there and he is a very positive player. I will be selecting Herbert Jones, you should too – you won’t regret it!

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Fantasy Basketball

Avoid this player like the plague…

Published

3 years ago

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October 15, 2022

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Avoid this player like the plague...

Avoid this player like the plague…

Avoid this player like the plague…

Fantasy basketball is coming right around the corner as CourtSideHeat has released their calculated mock draft breaking down all 13 rounds, and 130 players – 10 per round. Now within that mock draft, you knew there were going to be some sleepers and then there were going to be some busts.

However, and this may come to everyone as a shock, the biggest bust for this fantasy season would be Dejounte Murray. Yes, the same Dejounte Murray that got traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Atlanta Hawks. But why?

There are multiple reasons as many experts are saying not to select that guy, or, if you do, then you use him with caution. Again, why would we do that for a guy that has been on the up and up since joining the league? I’m going to discuss that starting in the next paragraph.

Why avoid Dejounte Murray?

Number one, he’s in a different environment than what he’s used to:

From being the number one option to now being the Robin of the team; that’s a difficult transition to make, why? Because one team desperately relied upon that singular player and now he is moving to a team that has many weapons that will have the touches shared equally – or at least somewhat proportional to their skill level.

He’s in a different system, with coaches and players having different mindsets than his previous team, and he will be asked to do different tasks than what he was previously asked to do by the Spurs.

It will take a while to get used to and that could cause his production to decrease, which is not good for real life or in the fantasy world. The reason why I believe that is going to be the case is due to the fact that he isn’t the star anymore. When DeMar DeRozan left, guess what? Murray was the star and the number one option, hence why his playing time and production picked up.

Now that he’s with a new team with a wholly different philosophy, it is going to take some time to get used to. But even then, I have a problem seeing his productivity staying the same consistency throughout the season or just downright dropping.

Number two, Murray is not going to be a two-way player, the coach will make him play one style:

Nate McMillian could force Dejounte Murray into being more of a playmaker than an active shooter, he may strip away the combo that Murray has become so good at. The reason why I put this as number two is that the backcourt already has playmaking and shooting, a two-way player, in Trae Young. It isn’t impossible to see, but it would be tough to imagine to see McMillian having two of his top players playing the same style – especially in the first unit.

I’m not saying it is going to happen, but just have that in the back of your mind. He may force Young, or most likely Murray, to focus on one part of their game better than the other. Not entirely eliminating one area, just focusing more on shooting (for example) and letting the other one play off of that skill.

The backcourt has to flow smoothly and properly so McMillian could see this as the perfect opportunity, since both players are like an identical mirror to each other, to play off one another with their most important skills.

Why am I bringing this up? I am bringing this up to say that production and his role may go down or be utilized in a different capacity.

Lastly, number three, his selected role will determine his productivity:

Dejounte Murray will have a different role than what he had in San Antonio, that is without question. Now, the real question comes when we break down what kind of role he receives amongst all these already good players in Atlanta.

He’s still going to be getting tons of minutes, and he is still an important player, but his productivity may decrease due to the good/great players increasing. If that makes sense. The coach is going to have to figure out how many shots players are going to take per game (what is their minimum and what is their maximum), what each player’s primary position/role is going to be, who’s going to be ball-dominant on the team, and different things along those lines.

Ultimately, Murray’s productivity will rely upon what kind of role he is put into and what that coach allows him to do. How long will his leash be? How much input does Murray initially have over this team and what he can do? That will be found out during the beginning of the season when we see him adjusting to the new system, team, etc.

Conclusion:

I love Dejounte Murray, from the time he got into the league until now. Everyone knows that I have been hyping him up when he got traded to the Hawks; as I believe he will be doing great things for that team, and he will thrive there. However, in the sense of fantasy basketball, he is going to be kind of a bust.

Yes, he is going to be spectacular for his team in real life. But I truly believe, along with other experts, he is going to have a hard time in fantasy. He is going to have great productivity in real life, but for us fantasy owners, it is not going to be the same.

Everything is going to be extraordinarily different and maybe even a little more unique when it comes to him finding his way in this brand-new system. Just something to think about as we are three days away from the NBA tip-off.

In conclusion, that is why I am writing him off as a bust – given the reasons I have provided. However, it does pain me in some ways because he is a talented player and I have ranked him very well in my mock draft. But I have to be realistic.

I’m still going to draft him, but I am going to do so with caution and already going into it that he is going to bust down and not be the greatest that we thought he was going to be when traded to Atlanta.

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