Thriving in the Fantasy NBA Basketball Playoffs

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By: staff Posted: April 29, 2009

Thriving in NBA Fantasy Playoffs

The first round of the playoffs is already underway and we see impressive results from the great players in the league. Wade, James and Kobe are all putting a great show that would be remembered for ages. Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and lately Paul Pierce have been gaining on their numbers. Although some of their performance (especially Howard) didn’t translate to winnings, they are great numbers that contributed significantly to fantasy team owners of these players.

This means the stats of these players are bad news for those who do not have the above mentioned players. Wade, James and Kobe have no problem scoring more than 30 points and putting up impressive numbers. Their presence is a big plus for the fantasy team and a big minus for those who do not have them. If you’re playing in a rotisserie format, you better hope that one of the fantasy players give up these key players. Although this could be a possibility since some could give up if their preferred team is actually eliminated in the playoffs, it’s still a remote possibility. Having King James alone in my team could easily win against weaker players in the fantasy league.

But that doesn’t mean your chances of winning the fantasy league are next to nothing. You just need to carefully research on the persons you need to draft for your fantasy team.

Here are the two factors that you need to consider:

The supporting cast: although the best players of the league are practically hogging the limelight during the playoffs, the supporting cast provides good numbers that could help your team. The best supporting cast so far in the West is on Lakers and Nuggets while the East features the support cast of Cavs and Heat. Boston is probably the weakest. Without Kevin Garnett, they are practically a team waiting to be eliminated.
The match-up: your chosen player could only perform well if your player is matched against a weaker player. Unfortunately, if you’re player is matched with Wade, James and Kobe, your player would be in a lot of trouble. James and Kobe are known for their stingy defense as well and Heat is among the best defensive teams in the NBA. Look in other match-ups wherein you could find a significant advantage. Dirk Nowitzki is practically your best bet in terms of match-ups. Standing at 7 feet, sporting a forward position with almost unmatched speed, he is always a mismatch to any player.

When you’re able to combine players that have weaker match-ups and impressive supporting cast, you can always have the collective numbers and achieve possible results.

As the first round of the playoffs is about it end, always be on guard on your players’ team. Some are already in the brink of elimination and you might be drafting a player that’s not playing anymore. Check the stats everyday so that you can make adjustments for the playoffs. This season is increasingly getting interesting especially for fantasy NBA as it nears the finals.