Pick 37: Nene
Pick 38: Kevin Martin
Pick 39: Gerald Wallace
Pick 40: Al Harrington
Pick 41: Troy Murphy
Pick 42: Antawn Jamison
Pick 43: Jameer Nelson
Pick 44: Russel Westbrook
Pick 45: Carlos Boozer
Pick 46: Tony Parker
Pick 47: Andris Biedrins
Pick 48: LaMarcus Aldridge
Three more point guards went this round
My Strategy: Troy Murphy is a guy I did not want to reach for in the third round. Some people can say he will not repeat his career year from last season but he is a very special fantasy player. He was the only player in the NBA to knock down 2 three-pointers per game (2.2) and pull down 11 rebounds. He finished second in the league in rebounding (11.8) and posts solid %’s.
Best Pick: Antawn Jamison is one of the most underrated fantasy players in the game. Despite his shoulder injury in the preseason he has been lifting weights and is healing quickly. He has missed just four games in the past two seasons and scored 22 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 threes and 1.2 steals per game last season . I like the …
Pick 25: Brook Lopez
Pick 26: Derrick Rose
Pick 27: Elton Brand
Pick 28: Andre Igudola
Pick 29: Josh Smith
Pick 30: David Lee
Pick 31: Carmelo Anthony
Pick 32: Caron Butler
Pick 33: Monta Ellis
Pick 34: Paul Pierce
Pick 35: David West
Pick 36: Vince Carter
Only two point guards went this round if you consider Monta Ellis one. Six forwards were taken
My Strategy: I was targeting Lopez, Iggy, Gerald Wallace and Butler with my pick. I know Butler has not played more than 67 regular season games the past three years but I could not pass up the value. Butler averaged 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 steals, one three and shot 45% from the field and 86% from the foul line last season. In 06-07 when Gilbert Arenas was last healthy, Butler still averaged 19.1 points. Besides his health the only other flaw is the lack of blocked shots but his fantasy value equaled the 12th overall player last season.
Best pick: Brook Lopez is coming in with a lot of hype into the season which is well deserved. The rookie averaged …
Pick 13: Steve Nash
Pick 14: Brandon Roy
Pick 15: Gilbert Arenas
Pick 16: Jason Kidd
Pick 17 (me): Jose Calderon
Pick 18: Pau Gasol
Pick 19: Chauncey Billups
Pick 20: Rajon Rondo
Pick 21: Tim Duncan
Pick 22: Kevin Garnett
Pick 23: Devin Haris
Pick 24: Joe Johnson
My Strategy: After looking over mock drafts the point guard run starts in the second round. As you can see seven point guards were taken this round. I was targeting Calderon and Billups with my selection. I chose Calderon because he should be a lock to finish top 5 in the league in assists. He also shoots close to 50% from the field and averaged over a steal and three pointer per game last season. While he has some injury concerns and has been quiet so far this preseason he is poised for a solid season.
Best pick: There a few I liked this round but one that stands out is Pau Gasol. This owner took Deron Williams in the first and pairs him with an excellent big. Gasol averaged 19 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, one block and …
I just completed my first 12 team live online draft with some fantasypros911.com followers. I’m going to break down each round.
League settings: Roto-8 category scoring
1st pick: Chris Paul
2nd pick: Lebron James
3rd pick: Dwyane Wade
4th pick: Kobe Bryant
5th pick: Kevin Durant
6th pick:Danny Granger
7th pick: Deron Williams
8th pick (me): Dirk Nowitzki
9th pick: Amare Stoudemerie
10th pick: Dwight Howard
11th pick: Chris Bosh
12th pick: Al Jefferson
There were no surprises with the first six picks as these players should be coming off the board. Picks 4-6 vary depending the owner’s preferences. One can make a case for Durant or Granger over Kobe.
My Strategy: The player I was targeting was PG Deron Williams but he was selected right before. I opted to take one of the safer players going in the first round. Dirk is the top fantasy power forward and scores in the NBA (25.9 last season). His fantasy value equaled the ninth overall player last season.
What I like about this pick is that he contributes all across the board and shoots solid percentages (48 from the …
Who to draft?
The case for Melo: Anthony set a career high last season in three per game (1.0). He averaged 27 points, 4 assists and 1.8 steals in 16 playoff games. He finished 9th in the league in free throws attempted (7.1) shooting 79%. Melo dropped 45 points against the Pacers over the weekend in China and looks to be one of the top small forwards selected.
The case against Melo: Even though he elevated his scoring output in the playoffs he averaged just 22.8 during the regular season. This was his lowest production since 04-05. His field goal % has declined each of the past three years. For Melo to have second or third round value he needs to average over 7 boards and 4 assists.
The case for Martin: Martin finished 2nd in free throws attempted (10.3), 5th in three per game (2.3) and 7th in the NBA in points per game (24.6). He has increased each of the three areas over the past three seasons. He also averaged 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and shot 86% …
Both players have an ADP of the third-fourth round
The case for KG: Garnett underwent knee surgery in the off-season and could be a great buy-low candidate. He says his knee is pain free and feels more flexible since the surgery. With the addition of PF/C Rasheed Wallace, it will take pressure off him in the front court. KG is a year removed from 18.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.3 block, 54% from the field and 80% from the foul line. Before last season he played in 71 or more games in nine straight seasons. Owners could be scared to draft the 12 time All-Time All-Star which means you could be getting a steal in the early rounds.
The case against KG: Due to a knee injury he missed 25 games last season which was the most since the 98-99 season. He averaged 15.2 points the second lowest amount in his 14-year career. Also his 31.1 minutes per game was the lowest since his rookie season. He is entering his 15th season in the league and his 20-10 days …
Chauncey Billups- Unlike Detroit, where Billups played essentially 45 minutes a game and was considered the second or 1st scoring option with RIP, he is getting older and there are many capable scorers in Denver like Melo and J.R. His FT%, 3PTM, and Pt’s are all solid, but most pG’s are good from the stripe, and he only had 506 assists and 93 steals last year. In comparison, Ray Felton had 553 assists and 126 steals, and Rajon Rondo had 659 assists and 149 steals. He’s a good value late in the 2nd round, but don’t spend too much for him if youre looking to solidify the main PG categories. There are cheaper options.
Kevin Garnett- Defense wins championships, but it doesn’t win fantasy basketball leagues. Garnett’s #’s have gown down across the board, and a bum knee is a concern for all prospective owners. The arrival of Rasheed Wallace and depth at PF in Boston’s lineup means youre paying for a 2nd round name and getting a late 3rd round value
Kevin Martin- SG, Sac. Yes, …
Kevin Love will be this year’s version of David Lee: Love almost averaged a double-double in his rookie season (11 points and 9 rebounds). In the last 15 games of the season he averaged 14.4 points, 10 rebounds and shot 80% from the foul line. For the second year player to get on Lee’s level he needs to record more steals and shoot a higher field goal percentage. The injury to Al Jefferson allowed Love to pick up center eligibility for this upcoming season. A healthy The ex -Bruin averaged 9.5 boards in December andJanuary before Jefferson’s injury. Love also led the league in offensive rebound rate and finished second only to C Dwight Howard in total rebound rate.
Carmelo Anthony will be a top 5 scorer: This is not a bold statement but he should be back on track this season. Danny Granger finished 5th in scorting at 25.8 but that could come down with Mike Dunleavy coming back. Melo elevated his game in the playoffs averaging 30 points in the semis and 27.5 in the …
Andris Biedrins (Warriors)- Among centers last season Biedrins finished second in rebounding (11.2). He also blocked 1.5 shots a game, recorded one steal and shot 57% from the field. The Latvian big missed 20 games last season but did not a miss game in 06-07 and missed six in 07-08. Despite being injured last year he set career highs in points (11.9), assists (2.0) and minutes per game (30). The 23-year old does not have much competition at the center position with Mikki Moore and Ronnie Turiaf on the roster.
Andre Miller (Blazers)- Miller is a steady point guard that seems to put up solid numbers every year. He has not missed a regular season game for the 76ers the past two seasons and averaged 16.7 points, 6.7 assists, 1.3 steals. Even though he does not shoot that many threes he posts solid percentages. Miller is good for at least 35 minutes per game and should be motivated to keep PG Steve Blake on the bench.
John Salmons (Bulls)- Salmons had a breakout season last year averaging 18.3 points in 56 …
Derrick Rose (Bulls)- Rose elevated his game in the playoffs averaging 19.7 points, 6.4 assists, 6.3 assists and shot 49% from the field. During the regular season he finished 17thin assists (6.3) along with .2 threes per game and .8 steals per game. He is a dynamicpoint guard withgreat speed and strength but did not have a great fantasy season. For him to jump into the elite PG tier he needs to increase his threes, steals and free throw %. Owners may by into his hype and draft him in rounds 3-4. Remember while he should improve this year he ranked 91st on the ESPN fantasy player rater.
David Lee (Knicks)- Lee set career highs in points (16.0), rebounds (11.7), steals (1.0), minutes (34.9) last season. The restricted free agent is expected to sign a one year with the Knickssoon. While he led the NBA with 65 double-doubles he finished third in rebounding. Troy Murphy finished ahead of Lee in bounds and is the better fantasy option. Even though he averaged less points and shot worse from …
RB Mike Bell (Saints)- RB Pierre Thomas is expected to sit this week against the Lions. Thomas is suffering from a MCL sprain and a minor laceration on the same knee. He did not practice yesterday and the Saints should not play him to risk further injury. Last season Bell scored his lone TD vs. the Lions. He rushed for 115 yards on 15 carries during the preseason and makes a strong flex play this week.
RB James Davis- Jamal Lewis barely broke 1,000 yards last season and averaged 3.6 yards per carry. He is now 30 years old and his load could be decreased. Davis, was selected in the sixth round (same round as RB Terrell Davis) out of Clemson. He has has good size 5′11″ 218 pounds and could eventually take over the starting job. The rookie ran for 186 yards on 24 carries, averaging to 7.8 yards per carry.
Honorable mention: Glenn Coffee (49ers)
