University of Fantasy Ball

Quick Recap:

• 20T H2H 9-cat dynasty forever league
• 15 player roster with PG,SG,G,SF,PF,F,C,3 Util, 5 Bench. 10 start to 5 bench with 3 IL spots
• 8 teams make the playoffs
• Sub0 starts draft which Jayson Tatum (1.3) and Damian Lillard (2.17).

Traditional snake drafts, I would be pick 3.2, but given how deep the league is, we have an additional 3rd round reversal, where the 3rd round follows the same order as the 2nd, as a way to try to equalize the value being lost drafting towards the end.

At pick 3-18 (pick 58 overall), and pick 4-3 (pick 63 overall), here is the list of players I was considering: Zach LaVine, Tyrese Maxey, OG, Ayton, Vassell, FVV, and Leonard. The players taken within 10 picks of pick 3-18 that were unavailable and frustrated me were the blue arrow (no real expectations of getting him given his dynasty ADP), Jalen Duren, and Claxton (ugh, big men cost a premium in this draft), Spicy P, and the Thompson twins. I know there’s a wide range here as some of the players I’m considering are projects and don’t match the timeline of a parade in my city.

Let’s be honest, I’m killanomics and worked under the assumption I could thread that needle of Championship, Contender, and powerhouse dynasty. No more time for “if,” “could’ve,” “would’ve,” .

Ayton was looking at me square in the face and was a perfect fit for my team (read Killanomics 9-cat commandments, Rule #1). I looked back at him and said Nope!, not today, not with other younger guys willing to and working to take their games to the next level while helping their team without the moping.

FVV the perfect “punt FT” guy for my roster because he historically boasts a high FT%, steals, assists, and good points, seems perfect right? Nope, not when you see the ghost of Kemba Walker and Tony Parker running through your mind. A new change to Houston, where Nurse is no longer available to inflate minutes, especially given the depth on their roster as he was brought in to be a mentor for the young guys. Add in coming off a season where he shot sub 40% FG, do you really see that number getting better being surrounded by worst NBA players with the move from Toronto to Houston, NO WAY. So like Drake, I’m fading FVV.

So with an opportunity to get some good across-the-board value and young stars, my queue in order was:

1. Maxey (Harden is gone, Embiid could be next, this could be Maxey’s team for the next decade).
2. Zach LaVine (Baller and high efficiency 2-guard, and outside of the defensive numbers is respectable across the other categories).
3. Vassell (“I owe you an apology I wasn’t really familiar with your game” made huge strides in his sophomore year as an offensive player and will be a cornerstone to the franchise). So I went Maxey at 3.18 and Vassell at 4.3 and immediately heard the cries from Dame, “I want to play for a contender and your team has some of the youngest players in this league that play a similar position to the stars we already have.”

Through four rounds, here is where the team is at as far as build, youngish with Grandfather Clock Dame Dolla: • Elite in Points, 3s, Assists, FT%, • Good-ish in steals, • Below-average in blocks, turnovers, rebounds • Life-support FG%