Why I hate Fantasy Leagues

Friends are always trying to drag me into a Fantasy basketball or football league. When they do it initiates a fight-or-flee response in me. This isn't tennis or pingpong, these are team sports. Here's the Yahoo Fantasy Rankings for Celtics. They are, in my admittedly biased and unvarnished opinion, complete horseshit. My Notes, as usual, will be in bold to distinguish them from the cut-and-paste opinions of the article's author.


http://hardwoodhoudini.com/2012/10/09/%E2%80%8Bwhere-the-boston-celtics-players-rank-in-nba-fantasy-basketball/


NBA Fantasy basketball is just around the corner, so it seems like a
good time to turn our attention to the Boston Celtics, and specifically
which guys on the roster make viable fantasy picks. For those of you
who compete for fun (and some for money), you know how great it can be
to have your favorite players or at least a couple guys from your
favorite team on your roster.

Here’s a look at where the C’s guys are rated this year.
Paul Pierce: O-rank 31, last year: 22


Even with Pierce getting up in age, he is still being taken near the
end of the third round in fantasy leagues. He finished 22nd last year,
at age 34, so while Pierce may be declining, he is still very good. Pierce's ppg/36mpg were up last season despite starting off out of shape from the lockout, his rpg were about the same and his assists/36mpg were up. What decline? It's amazing how nobody is predicting the demise of Kobe Bryant even though he's only a year younger, has well-documented knee problems and has more NBA minutes on his body than anybody else in the league.


Kevin Garnett: O-rank 39, last year: 18

KG consistently outperforms his average draft position. He shoots
high percentages and doesn’t turn it over much, both contribute to him
being an underrated fantasy force. People stay away from old players so
often that guys like Garnett can come at a bargain basement price in
drafts. Who leapfrogged over KG? Players stay away from old guys? Did they stay away from Kobe and Nash? I bet not. Bullshit.


Rajon Rondo: O-rank 45, last year: 106 (missed 13 games)

Rondo’s value is mitigated by the fact he doesn’t hit his free
throws. He can single handedly lose free throws for you team. In
head-to-head formats, Rondo will go higher as people can punt a category
week in and week out, but Rondo has to hit free throws before his
fantasy value will ever get near elite levels. Rondo is one of the top 3 point guards in the league, a player that elevates the play of every player on the floor with him, and he's ranked 45th? I agree about his free throws being an issue (although he's 8-8 so far this pre-season) but the quality and nature of his team play is so superior to almost everybody else, how can you put 44 players ahead of him? Put him on any team and everybody else's fantasy league value (as well as real value) will skyrocket. If they shy away from old players, Rondo's 26. What's Nash's rank?


Jason Terry: O-rank 98, last year: 56

Jason Terry is still going to be occupying a similar role, and he
seems like a slightly better value than a 98th pick usually yields.
Terry can still fill it up and the C’s will need his bench scoring. I
like Terry to finish ranked in the late 60s/early 70s. Jason Terry could start on most teams. How does he rank 98th? Oh yeah, because they go strictly off of stats and not off the value that a steady, productive leader brings to a 2nd unit.


Avery Bradley: O-rank 106, last year: 239

Avery Bradley could be worth significantly more if he steps up his
scoring. His steals are already a nice contribution and if his minutes
increase this year (not for certain with a loaded backcourt), Bradley
could easily finish top 80. I can live with this. Bradley came out of nowhere last year and isn't a very well known quantity. Yet.


Brandon Bass: O-rank 132, last year: 112

Brandon Bass has a game that just isn’t all that conducive to fantasy
basketball. He doesn’t get a lot of steals or blocks, and that levels
his value a lot lower than it would if he were a multi-cat contributor.
He also seldom gets assists and is not a high level rebounder for a
power forward. I usually steer clear of Bass in drafts. The first sentence says it all. If it's not stats it doesn't matter. Forget about how Bass opens the floor up with his reliable elbow jumper, he doesn't stat enough. That's why the Celtics have never had a scoring champion and just got their first DPOY in 2008 with KG. It's about team, not individual stats. That's also why we're 17 and soon to be on 18.


Courtney Lee: O-rank 137, last year: 96

Courtney Lee will provide a nice value until about December, and then
will fall off when Bradley returns. I think that makes him worth about
what Y! defaults set him at, and he’ll likely finish around 120-130
ranks. Lee hits threes though and get steals, so he’s not without some
value.


Jared Sullinger: O-rank 195

The rookie ranks on Y! are always pretty strange. They don’t seem to
be based on much of anything past the high ranking rookies, who usually
are ranked too high. The late first round guys are just heaped into
ranks, usually pretty close together. Sullinger obviously could perform
as high as 150-160, but he is just a rookie and will take time to
adjust to the NBA. In general, I don’t draft many rookies. At least he admits the score isn't based on anything. Could be true of the rest of the rankings too.


Darko Milicic: O-rank 329

Darko Milicic will be a source of blocks for those in deeper leagues. Fair enough. Until I saw Darko play these last two games in Doc's system I wouldn't have even ranked him 329th. Proves the point about how fantasy leagues take the players out of context though, doesn't it?


Jeff Green: O-rank 339

I have no idea why Jeff Green is ranked this low. He’s going to post
at least 170-180 value, and he is fully recovered. This can only be a
reaction to the fact that he didn’t play last year, because his
statistical impact over his career renders him a mid-round selection. If the assumption is made that Green is healthy and can play (otherwise why rank him at all?) then ranking him lower than Darko and MUCH lower than the untested Sullinger and pretty much every other Celtic is just plain stupid.

These dolts make John Hollinger look like Nostradamus.


bob






.

Bob,

I play fantasy basketball, football and baseball.
(Just won fantasy baseball for 2nd year in a row).
Fantasy sports are very different then real sports.
You have to view players differently in fantasy basketball then you do as a fan of the game or of your team.
Some players like Dwight Howard or Kevin Garnett aren't always as valuable as you might expect in fantasy.
Dwight misses so many free throws which lowers his value and for someone like Garnett, what he does on the floor doesn't always show up on the box score. Garnett could dominate a game, lead the defensive and have 15 pts and 9 rebs, but he won't have nearly as many fantasy points as a player like David Lee who does nothing on defense and might have 17 pts and 13 rebs while shooting a high fg%. Garnett is a much better player then David Lee but Lee will always be drafted head of Garnett in fantasy basketball.

Bob,

I expect that, out of all the teams in all the major professional sports leagues, Celtics fans would have the greatest difficulty relating to fantasy versions of their preferred sports. I believe that team play, intangibles and nuances are more a part of Celtics tradition than any other team in professional sports. I think fantasy basketball is to real basketball as John Hollinger is to a legitimate statistician.

Obviously, none of this means anyone should refrain from enjoying fantasy sports if that's his or her choice. It's easy to see where a focus on statistics as the pivotal factor could be attractive. I just wish fantasy basketball didn't influence so many fans of pro basketball teams to worship individuals and stats in the real game.

Sam

tjmakz wrote:Bob,

I play fantasy basketball, football and baseball.
(Just won fantasy baseball for 2nd year in a row).
Fantasy sports are very different then real sports.
You have to view players differently in fantasy basketball then you do as a fan of the game or of your team.
Some players like Dwight Howard or Kevin Garnett aren't always as valuable as you might expect in fantasy.
Dwight misses so many free throws which lowers his value and for someone like Garnett, what he does on the floor doesn't always show up on the box score. Garnett could dominate a game, lead the defensive and have 15 pts and 9 rebs, but he won't have nearly as many fantasy points as a player like David Lee who does nothing on defense and might have 17 pts and 13 rebs while shooting a high fg%. Garnett is a much better player then David Lee but Lee will always be drafted head of Garnett in fantasy basketball.

TJ,

"Fantasy sports are very different than real sports". Boy, ain't that the truth?!

When David Lee gets drafted ahead of Garnett, that's a serious flaw in the system.

btw, you may have noticed that I don't post many Bleacher Reports anymore. Part of that is because we now have some real basketball to talk about and I'm not suffering from BDS (Basketball Deprivation Syndrome) as much but also because you were absolutely right about them. 90% of what they publish isn't worth a wipe in my nether regions.


On another, and perhaps touchier subject, how do you feel about the report that Jordan Hill has a herniated disk will play out for the Lakers. I really, really like Hill and I think he would/will play a big role for LAL but this news does put a damper on things. What do you think?


bob


.

bobheckler wrote:

tjmakz wrote:Bob,

I play fantasy basketball, football and baseball.
(Just won fantasy baseball for 2nd year in a row).
Fantasy sports are very different then real sports.
You have to view players differently in fantasy basketball then you do as a fan of the game or of your team.
Some players like Dwight Howard or Kevin Garnett aren't always as valuable as you might expect in fantasy.
Dwight misses so many free throws which lowers his value and for someone like Garnett, what he does on the floor doesn't always show up on the box score. Garnett could dominate a game, lead the defensive and have 15 pts and 9 rebs, but he won't have nearly as many fantasy points as a player like David Lee who does nothing on defense and might have 17 pts and 13 rebs while shooting a high fg%. Garnett is a much better player then David Lee but Lee will always be drafted head of Garnett in fantasy basketball.

TJ,

"Fantasy sports are very different than real sports". Boy, ain't that the truth?!

When David Lee gets drafted ahead of Garnett, that's a serious flaw in the system.

btw, you may have noticed that I don't post many Bleacher Reports anymore. Part of that is because we now have some real basketball to talk about and I'm not suffering from BDS (Basketball Deprivation Syndrome) as much but also because you were absolutely right about them. 90% of what they publish isn't worth a wipe in my nether regions.


On another, and perhaps touchier subject, how do you feel about the report that Jordan Hill has a herniated disk will play out for the Lakers. I really, really like Hill and I think he would/will play a big role for LAL but this news does put a damper on things. What do you think?


bob


.

Bob,

Reports are that Hill should be back for opening night.
If he is back a week or two or three later, it doesn't matter.
What matters is that he is healthy for the end of the year and the playoffs.
I am quite excited about what Hill can bring the Lakers.
He is a young guy who is very athletic.
He has a nose for the ball and has great hands.
Losing him would be a blow but not enough to alter their goals for the year.
Jordan tweeted last night that it is no big deal and that they are just being extra careful.
With Hill's health somewhat in question that almost guarantees that 7'0" Robert Sacre will make the team.
He is a tough dude but doesn't seem to play like a 7 footer.
There is also an outside chance that 7'3" Greg Somogyi could be their 15th player to make the team.
If Earl Clark doesn't show a lot of promise in the pre-season, I would not be surprised if he is cut despite having a guaranteed contract.
I expect that Chris Douglas-Roberts who was just invited to training camp will make the team.
In my opinion, Goudelock has no chance of making the final 15.

It should be a great and exciting year for Lakers and Celtics fans.
I can't wait for the season to start.