As part of Fantrax increasing their fantasy basketball scope, we will be getting our readers and listeners involved on a regular basis. Be it through twitter, Reddit, or our podcast, we will be engaging people, attempting to answer all your questions in kind of an old fashioned mailbag format. Our first mailbag piece was compiled a month ago, meaning opinions have likely changed. After reaching out over the last week, I received a number of responses, all of which I will do my best to answer right here. Our aim will be to put together a mailbag piece every few weeks, dealing with the everchanging fantasy basketball landscape. For now, let’s dive into this edition of the fantasy basketball mailbag in the hope you can put yourself ahead of the pack.
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Fantasy Basketball Mailbag Questions
@thewinter82 asks ‘Narrowing my 1st overall to KAT/Harden/Curry in H2H 9cat. Do you lean KAT ’cause Centers and Blks can be hard to come by later? or Curry/Harden ’cause 3s help with multiple cats like pts/fgs%/3PM…. or is my approach wrong’?
I am moving towards having KAT as my number one player across all formats. Acquiring a center early can be key, not to mention his across the board contributions. Three-pointers are no longer a category dominated by guards. Getting them late is reasonably easy when compared to blocks, and efficient big-men. That being said, assists are a tough category to fill late in drafts and so both Harden and Curry are still viable options.
@fantasy4sports asks ‘In an 8 cat dynasty, how would you rank Fox, Murray, and Kyrie’?
Dynasty is by no means my forte, however, for me, Murray would be the third-ranked player of this group. I feel as though Murray’s ceiling is capped given his somewhat limited skill set. I would have Kyrie slightly ahead of Fox but there would be no issue with grabbing Fox first. Kyrie is still only 27 years old and should be playing on a competitive team for at least the next three years. Fox was fantastic last season and could certainly increase his production once again.
@steheri asks ‘What is the most scarce category that you should target early on because you won’t find it later in drafts’?
For me, blocks are the hardest single category to find late in drafts. The evolution of the stretch four and five has resulted in a decrease when it comes to blocked shots. Rim protectors are few and far between which certainly adds value to players such as Mitchell Robinson, Myles Turner, Rudy Gobert, and JaVale McGee. For this reason, managers are typically having to reach to grab these players early in drafts.
@masteroftheun10 asks ‘Thoughts on Zach Collins? Also, choose between Bazemore and Super Mario’?
Collins is in line for a nice season and should be the starting power forward come opening night. I can see him playing at least 30 minutes per game, perhaps up to 32 minutes. He should flirt with being a top-100 player, although, there is an element of risk. Much like those players in the previous question, Collins gets a lot of his value from blocks. With the bulk of his minutes now coming at the four, his block rate could decrease. That being said, he does the ability to stretch the floor and should still have a fairly solid floor.
I would take Bazemore over Hezonja in most cases. Bazemore provides solid wing defense, a skill that is highly sought after. While I think Hezonja could have a slightly higher upside, Bazemore is the guy I would be looking at with a final-round pick.
@GaryM623 asks ‘Thoughts on Whiteside and Hachimura this year’?
Whiteside finds himself in a great position, at least for the bulk of the regular season. A new team is hopefully just what he needs to reinvigorate himself after a disappointing couple of seasons. Until Jusuf Nurkic returns, Whiteside should see close to 30 minutes per night. In that time he is going to be a constant double-double threat and should block close to two shots per game. His free-throw percentage is a concern but if you can look past that, he should be a solid top-70 pick.
Hatchimura joins a Washington squad that certainly lacks scoring punch. He is likely to start at the power forward spot and much like Whiteside, should flirt with 30 minutes per night. With a great opportunity in front of him, he is worth a look in the final rounds of most competitive formats.
JoshLloyd48 asks ‘What will the Celtic center rotation look like’?
Enes Kanter is going to be the starting center but is unlikely to top 30 minutes per night. He has clear defensive inefficiencies and offers very little outside of scoring and rebounding. That being said, he is efficient from both the field and the free-throw line, a skill that is hard to find after the first few rounds. He should hover around the 100 mark as long as he can stay on the floor. Behind Kanter, there is uncertainty as to the exact rotation. Robert Williams is a breakout candidate if you ask many people, although it may not be as clear as that. He was far from impressive during Summer League and still has a long way to go before becoming a regular contributor. The block rate is obviously very enticing but outside of that, he is sketchy at best. Daniel Theis has the ability to stretch the floor and in my eyes, should see more minutes as the backup. Vincent Poirier is also an interesting prospect and could factor into the rotation on certain nights.
dloilo asks ‘Which mid-round PG would you take in this bunch: D. White, Teague, D. Murray, D. Wright, F. Vanvleet’?
They are all solid mid-round options and team build could certainly factor into your decision. For me, I would have Wright first, followed by White, although you could certainly make a case for White first. I would put White slightly ahead only because of his clearer path to minutes. Following that, I would have Teague slightly ahead of VanVleet and finally, Murray. Teague comes with an element of injury risk but the upside in assists puts him just ahead. Looking at grouping them, I would have Wright and White together, followed by Teague, VanVleet, and Murray in the next tier.
Adam is your go-to man for anything fantasy basketball related. Follow him on twitter @adamking91 or hit us up @fantrax or @fantraxnba, as our fantasy basketball mailbag is always open.
Here are Adam’s positional rankings to get you ready for opening tip-off: Point Guard Rankings and Tiers | Shooting Guard Rankings and Tiers | Small Forward Rankings and Tiers | Power Forward Rankings and Tiers | Center Rankings and Tiers
No matter which format you play, FantraxHQ has the fantasy basketball rankings you need: Head-to-Head Rankings | Points League Rankings | Roto League Rankings | Category Rankings
Adam King joined FantraxHQ in 2018. He also currently writes for Rotowire and has previously written for Locked on Fantasy Basketball and Locked on Timberwolves. He has played sports his entire life with fantasy basketball becoming a passion over the past six years. By day, Adam is the service coordinator at the Autism Centre in Canberra, Australia. Adam was born and raised in Queanbeyan, Australia and currently resides in Bungendore, Australia with his wife and two children.
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