When preparing your fantasy basketball draft, knowing every detail of your league’s settings is important. Depending on the scoring format, some players could have drastically different values. Let’s dive into dot leagues to discuss draft strategies and some attractive players to target.
Points League Draft Strategy
One of the biggest differences between scoring leagues compared to standard league leagues is that we don’t have to worry about a player’s field goal or free throw percentage. In a points league, players are assigned an assigned fantasy point value for each stat they record. For example, many points leagues will give a player 1.0 fantasy points for every actual point they score in a game, 1.2 points per rebound, 1.5 points per assist, 2.0 points per steal and 2.0 points a block. There may also be negative points assigned to turnovers.
In category leagues, players with poor performance statistics can drag down fantasy managers. A good example of a player who holds more value in point leagues than standard category leagues is Giannis Antetokounmpo. His scoring stats are usually off the charts. Last season, he averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He averaged at least 27.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.0 blocks in each of the last six seasons.
The downside with Giannis in category leagues is that he doesn’t shoot well from the streak. He hit just 65.7 percent of his free throw attempts last season and has converted no more than 68.5 percent of his attempts in four of the last five seasons. What really drags him down in that department is that he’s averaged at least 10.0 free throw attempts in four of the last five seasons. That kind of volume with such a poor efficiency rate can make Giannis difficult to build around in leagues. However, since that doesn’t matter in points leagues, Giannis should be one of the top picks to consider drafting in the first round.
Another category that usually doesn’t come into play in point leagues is three pointers made. In category leagues, players who hit three-pointers have added value because they provide three points for every triple they make, plus each three-pointer is usually counted in its own category, as well. Most points leagues only count the three points, so players who don’t drain a lot of three pointers aren’t as negatively affected.
When drafting players in points leagues, look at their raw scoring statistics. More efficient players tend to earn more points, but as long as a player has a high usage rate, they should still earn enough to provide a lot of value, on top of whatever they produce in other categories.
Players To Goal
Domantas Sabonis
Sacramento Kings
Sabonis shot just 70.4 percent from the free throw line last year and has a career mark of 72.6 percent. He never averaged more than 0.8 three-pointers per game for a season. However, he can provide elite numerical statistics. He has averaged at least 18.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in each of the last five seasons. Last year, he provided 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. The addition of DeMar DeRozan could negatively affect Sabonis’ usage, but not enough to cause a significant difference in the latter’s value. Sabonis should be selected in the first round of spot ties.
LaMelo Ball
Charlotte Hornets
Ball never shot higher than 43.6 percent from the field in a season during his career. Given his career 28.8 percent usage rate, his lack of efficiency is especially troubling for fantasy managers in league leagues. However, that not being a factor in point leagues gives Ball a significant boost in value. When he was healthy, he continued to produce eye-popping numerical statistics. Over 22 games last season, Ball averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals. The Hornets return largely the same roster as last season, so Ball should remain in his starring role.
Fred VanVleet
Houston Rockets
VanVleet struggled with his efficiency again last season, shooting 41.6 percent from the field. The scary part is, that was actually the second highest mark of his career. During his eight seasons in the league, he shot 41.0 percent or less five times.
In scoring leagues, VanVleet provided added value last season with his averages of 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He averaged at least 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.4 steals in each of the last five seasons. The Rockets continued to add to their young depth by drafting Reed Sheppard, but VanVleet is still locked into the starting point guard job and a ton of playing time. Last season, VanVleet logged 37 minutes per game.
Josh Giddey
Chicago Bulls
Giddey actually improved his value in scoring last season by shooting 80.6 percent from the free throw line. Before that, he shot 70.9 percent and 73.1 percent from the charity stripe in his first two seasons in the league. He continues to undermine from behind the arc, however, averaging exactly 1.0 three-pointers in each of his three seasons.
Now a member of the Bulls, Giddey could be released in points leagues this season. While his playing time took a hit last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 31 minutes per game for the Thunder two seasons ago. As one of the building blocks for the Bulls, Giddey was able to sail past 30 minutes per game again. Don’t be surprised if he sets career highs in points and assists per game. He should have the ball in his hands a lot.
Scoot Henderson
Portland Trail Blazers
It was a rough rookie season for Henderson, who shot just 38.5 percent from the field. He played better down the stretch, averaging 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.4 steals over his final 14 games. However, he still shot just 40.8 percent from the field during that span.
The Trail Blazers added Deni Avdija during the offseason, but their guard depth still leaves a lot to be desired. Anfernee Simons has also been vulnerable, appearing in 62 games or fewer in each of the last three seasons. There is a path for Henderson to play a lot, which makes him someone to target in the middle rounds of points league drafts.
