Fantasy Basketball, What a World?!

As I mentioned briefly in my post about Tyrus Thomas’s injury, I’m full on in fantasy basketball this year.  I’ve been in a league for two years, but last year, I finished dead last.  I didn’t pay attention at all.  Like I drafted my guys the year before and let it roll.  I felt good about my team that previous year.  Gerald Wallace, Dwight Howard, Tony Parker, Andre Iguodala, Marcus Camby and Chauncey Billups carried the water for my squad.  I had a great team name.  All the guys I went to college with call me “Old man” or “grandpa” and all that stuff so I named my team “Dick Bavetta’s Dad.”  Get it?

Last year, I didn’t do so well.  I mean, I had 4 keepers from the year before, Iggy, Crash, DH12 and Chauncey and I added Joakim Noah, Devin Harris, Chris Kaman, Ray Allen.  Changed my team’s name to “Senator Larry Brown,” because of Bobcats coach Larry Brown and for a while, there was a news story about a North Carolina State Senator who called gays “fruit loops” and “queers” in an email but said it was ok, because he didn’t send it to a public group, just 60 people.  I made my team photo a box of Fruit Loops even.  I thought it was funny.  

At some point, I quit paying attention.  Like I think I had 4 injured players starting for weeks at a time.  I was a disgrace to both Senator and Coach Larry Brown, and neither of them were doing themselves any favors.  So, as a blogger, the only one of the group, I was in dead last.  That’s sorry.

This year, I’m in the same league.  I kept Chauncey, Crash, DH12 and Iggy again.  They were the top four average points per week so I kept it as it was.  We had that draft last week and of course, people had issues and it was rescheduled about 4 times and then there is a post on the message board saying “Hey, I need more than 24 hours notice for a draft!”  So, not everyone was happy but I was.  I had the first pick overall, and after the keepers, John Wall was sitting, waiting at the top of the board for me to pick him, so I did.  Next round was Andrew Bogut, followed by Paul Milsap, Nick Young, Derrick Williams (yes, a rookie in the 5th round of a keeper league!), Caron Butler, Javale McGee, Aaron Afflalo, Emeka Okafor and finally Deandre Jordan.  If I don’t have the ppg, I’m bound to have rebounds and blocks right?

So that draft is over and done.  It’s a keeper league, which of course stunts the draft a bit.  You have to look to the middle for the higher picks and stuff.  It is just for fun with the guys I already have in Football and my long time friends from college and before, so, serious but not that serious.

I have joined another league that might get a bit more serious.  I’m in the “League of Extraordinary Bloggers.”  I don’t know if I’m actually “extraordinary” or if it’s a play on words from the comic books and movies, but I’m honored either way.  It’s a league of bloggers from around the Fansided NBA community.  We were all invited by Zach Thompson over at Fansided’s FantasyCPR.com which is awesome for all fantasy sports. (In this post, name link = twitter page, click and follow.  Site link = site, click and read)

I’m pretty excited about it, there are some great guys involved.  Will Sevidal of SoaringDownSouth.com, Sean O’Connor from theSixerSense.com, Scott Campsall from BucketsOverBroadway.com, Ian Segovia from SavingTheSkyhook.com, Johnathan Maness from NuggLove.com, Josh Hill from PippenAintEasy.com, and Broox Anderson from PurpleandBlues.com will join myself and Zach for what should be a really entertaining league.

Now, these guys all only know that I’m a blogger.  They don’t know me as “Old Man” or anything from living on the hall at college.  I could seriously embarrass myself here.  So, what I’m asking you for, dear reader, is advice.  I know the Bobcats.  I know that outside of maybe Boris Diaw, Kemba Walker, well see that’s not even a known.  I’d say Kemba but what if D.J. Augustin proves to be a solid point guard through February?  So, there are no solid pick ups for a fantasy team coming from my dear Charlotte Bobcats.  Outside of that, I know the big names and the cultish characters of the NBA but I don’t know who will help me win a championship in fantasy basketball, especially against a serious group of bloggers.

I’ll be offering updates on my own progress in the league, but tune into fantasyCPR.com.  Zach and the guys over there will have a lot of information and not just about the league of “Extraordinary Bloggers.”  You can expect some serious help with your fantasy teams of all sorts out of those fellas.

Again, please help.  I know what wins basketball games, but I don’t know what wins fantasy seasons!

Andrew Barraclough is Senior Editor for RobertoGato.com, a Charlotte Bobcats Blog on the Fansided Network.  Follow him on Twitter @therobertogato and Like the site on Facebook.