Fantasy Basketball Is In Full Swing: Who Should You Be Drafting?

In my opinion very few things are more exciting than getting together with a group of friends and conducting a fantasy sports draft. My league took part in our draft a few days ago, here are the results and my opinions that go along with each teams selections.

Pick	Overall	Team	Player Selected
1.	1.	Pat	Chris Paul
2.	2.	Regs	Lebron James
3.	3.	Dylan	Dwyane Wade
4.	4.	Ant	Kobe Bryant
5.	5.	Jim	Dirk Nowitzki
6.	6.	Grant	Kevin Durant
7.	7.	Me	Danny Granger
8.	8.	Susi	Amare Stoudemire
9.	9.	Phil	Pau Gasol
10.	10.	Meltzer	Chris Bosh

My Strategy: I have to admit I was not expecting to land Danny Granger with the 7^th pick. Granger is the type of player who has immense potential and I am happy to have drafted him. I usually like to select a big man or a point guard first but Granger gives me an absolute stud in at least seven categories and is the perfect player to build my team around. After selecting Granger, all I could hope for was Dwight Howard in the second round.

What I liked: For the most part, there were no surprising picks in the first round as most people in the league have the same opinions about who to pick. It will be interesting to see how each player plays the second round as their teams begin to take shape.

What I didn’t like: Not drafting Dwight Howard in the first round is the biggest mistake for any team draft in the 8-10 spot. I personally almost drafted Howard with the seventh pick and probably should have. With Howard on your team you will never win free throws or turnovers but he is an animal when it comes to numerous stat categories. Taking fellow centers such as Stoudemire, Gasol and Bosh is a big mistake.

Pick	Overall	Team	Player Selected
1.	11	Meltzer	Brandon Roy
2.	12.	Phil	Kevin Garnett
3.	13.	Susi	Dwight Howard
4.	14.	Me	Al Jefferson
5.	15.	Grant	Tim Duncan
6.	16.	Jim	Deron Williams
7.	17.	Ant	Caron Butler
8.	18.	Dylan	Antawn Jamison
9.	19.	Regs	Steve Nash
10.	20.	Pat	Chauncey Billups

My Strategy: With my second pick I knew I needed to select a big man or a point guard. After Dwight Howard was selected it was clear that I needed to either pick Al Jefferson or Deron Williams. I went with Jefferson because he is entering the prime of his career and will bounce back strong after late season surgery. He is a beast on the boards and a lock for 20 points every time he is on the court.

What I liked: Susi made a great pick with Howard, who will team up nicely with Stoudemire for an amazing 2-man combo at the center position. Jim's pick of Deron Williams is also nice, where he gets the second best point guard to go along with his big man in Dirk Nowitzki. The same could also be said of Regs, who gets a strong point guard in Nash to go along with the best; Lebron James.

What I didn’t like: Ant's selection of Caron Butler was a flat out mistake. He is a solid player but I never would have picked him ahead of elite point guards such as Nash and Billups. The same could also be said about Antawn Jamison, who should never have been drafted in the second round, let alone the third round.

Pick	Overall	Team	Player Selected
1.	21.	Pat	Jose Calderon
2.	22.	Regs	Andre Igoudala
3.	23.	Dylan	Devin Harris
4.	24.	Ant	Joe Johnson
5.	25.	Jim	Gerald Wallace
6.	26.	Grant	Paul Pierce
7.	27.	Me	Carmelo Anthony
8.	28.	Susi	Gilbert Arenas
9.	29.	Phil	Jason Kidd
10.	30.	Meltzer	Vince Carter

My Strategy: Once my two point guards; Jose Calderon and Devin Harris fell off the board, I needed to select a guy with upside potential. Carmelo Anthony was the clear choice here, after a down year in most categories; Anthony should bounce back strong and post career numbers. If he can continue to develop his three point shot, he will easily be a second round selection in next year's draft.

What I liked: Pat selected yet another point guard, giving him bar far the best guards in the game. I also liked Reg’s and Phil’s selection, each choosing two strong players. With Andre Igoudala you are getting a guard with tons of athletic ability who is just entering the prime of his career. With Jason Kidd you are getting a proven veteran who each and every year delivers stellar fantasy numbers in numerous categories.

What I didn’t like: I'm not a big fan of the Paul Pierce selection in the middle of the third round. Pierce is a solid player but has no upside what so ever. I would have preferred to have selected a point guard or even taken a risk on Gilbert Arenas. Outside of that pick, most people played it safe this round by choosing the best available player.

Pick	Overall	Team	Player Selected
1.	31	Meltzer	Brook Lopez
2.	32.	Phil	Kevin Martin
3.	43.	Susi	Rashard Lewis
4.	34.	Me	David West
5.	35.	Grant	Derrick Rose
6.	36.	Jim	Troy Murphy
7.	37.	Ant	Elton Brand
8.	38.	Dylan	LaMarcus Aldridge
9.	39.	Regs	Shawn Marion
10.	40.	Pat	Josh Smith

My strategy: I wanted another big man or an established point guard with my fourth round pick. David West is the perfect fit for my team, another guy with upside potential who has already established himself as a top 25 fantasy player. His rebounds will decrease slightly with Emeka Okafor in the lineup, but will continue to score points again while posting a solid free throw percentage while rarely turning the ball over.

What I liked: Ant redeems himself in the fourth round by taking a huge risk with Elton Brand. I almost made the decision to take Brand and if he stays healthy, Ant will be very happy with his selection. Pat’s choice of Josh Smith is the definition of a sexy pick, where he gets a player who has so much potential but clearly has an attitude problem. With that said, I see Smith having a huge comeback season.

What I didn’t like: There was a lot I did not like about this round of picks. Derrick Rose, Troy Murphy and LaMarcus Aldridge all were selected a round to high. Rose is probably the best pick in this position, but I'm not sure how much he will grow in just one season. Murphy had a career year and will have to put up equal or better numbers to make him worthy of this high a selection. Aldridge is a solid player but can't rebound or block and should not have been chose ahead of Smith or Carlos Boozer.