#fantasy-basketball

#fantasy-basketball

LeBron James (sciatica) has yet to make an appearance this season and Luka Doncic has been on the shelf for three games with finger and leg issues, leading to a Reaves explosion as the last man standing for the Lakers. After two solid outings alongside a healthy Doncic, Reaves has been amazing over his past three, with 51 points and a near triple-double in one, a 41-point explosion against the Portland Trail Blazers and then going for 28 points and a career-high tying 16 assists in Wednesday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reaves is going to produce with or without his superstar teammates on the court, but if there was ever a time to trade him, it's now.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is undeniably awesome. So is Victor Wembanyama. Yet, in a traditional snake draft, getting both is essentially impossible given both are found firmly in the first round. There is a draft format, however, that absolutely allows you to pair SGA and Wemby. Or Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo... you get the idea. Salary cap drafts afford you the ability to assemble compelling collections of superstars.

The most difficult players to project before an NBA season are the rookies, because so much is based upon how prepared they are for the speed, power and explosiveness of the NBA game. There is no other league in the world that can truly compare with what the young players will face when they make it to the league with Jerry West's silhouette on the logo.

Using a high draft pick on an injury-prone player, or any player who misses a lot of games, can ruin a fantasy season in a hurry. The same is true of using a high pick on a player who is set to see their minutes decrease from last season. Savvy fantasy managers are able to sniff these type of situations out in advance, and stay away from those players on draft day. Here are five big names to avoid in your drafts this season.

Charlotte Hornets PG LaMelo Ball averaged a career-high 25.2 PPG last season, along with 7.4 APG and 3.8 3PG. Those are major numbers we love in fantasy hoops, but they lack some context. Deni Avdija and Christian Braun scored more points last season. Bub Carrington and Scotty Pippen Jr. dished out more assists. Gary Trent Jr. drained more 3-pointers. Ultimately, 297 fellows appeared in more NBA games than Ball last season, and 177 played more minutes.

"Janelle Salaun, a rookie from the Valkyries, impresses with a career-high 21 points recently, showcasing her potential with consistent performance in her debut season."

Luck plays a role in winning your fantasy women’s basketball league, but preparation significantly increases your chance of securing the best players during your draft.

In this season's draft for Fantasy Women's Basketball, understanding player tiers is essential, particularly noting the deeper talent pool in the forward/center positions compared to guards.

Fagbenle is worth a late-round look. She averaged 14.4 fantasy points in just 18.9 minutes last season and was efficient in limited action.