My personal reflection during the times I played for Yahoo! Fantasy last season.
As the season starts, I start to reflect back on the time I got my first ever virtual gold trophy at Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball last season.
Last season, I was assigned to draft 10th among the 18 managers. With the increased positioning compared to the previous seasons I had played in this league, it was my first time to get the best player I could never imagine.
We all know whoever you choose as your first pick for the team would dictate how you would shape your roster. After all, you wouldn't drop your first pick right?
So time is ticking... and it was my turn to choose my first player for team Coffee Gang... and with the 10th pick (1st round on a 18-team league) for the PTR Fantasy League (Fantasy League that I'm playing for), Coffee Gang (my fantasy team name) selects Paul George from the Los Angeles Clippers!
Paul George aka PG13... my first pick. Based on my observation in our league, those who have Paul George on their team has a high chance of winning the championship for that season. So here I am was given a chance to make wonders... however with a risk. Paul George can be the best player he could be if given a chance and if injuries would not get the better of him. I remember when I drafted him, I was actually nervous thinking if I made the right choice because Paul George as much as can explode especially with Kawhi Leonard having random rest nights, brings also a lot of uncertainty. With his history of injury, you never knew which PG will show up for your fantasy team.
During the first 10 weeks of the fantasy season, Paul George was playing exceptionally well for my team. He was either my best performing player on my team or doing well enough it was just that some players explode on that week. Not only that, I consistently get one of the top spots of the league especially when the ones I'm facing was either not that active, didn't choose their players well or I caught them when one of their best players is either injured or have fewer games to play. It was so fun as you are actually breezing through the first few weeks...
Then enter Week 11, Paul George was out indefinitely. Indefinitely! The risk! The risk of having him is now on display. How would a team navigate without their best player? Fret not! Because Paul George may be your team's best player, you should take note who you drafted 2nd onwards...
Enter Christian Wood, Anthony Edwards and Anfernee Simons...
Christian Wood, your 2nd pick for your team, technically got to step up because if your best player is out, he is technically the next in line to make sure he give you the points you needed. He may not be consistently the best player for your team, at least he made sure that he wasn't injured.
Next, Anthony Edwards. A promising rising star player who would one day dominate the league was also doing well as your team's third pick. Then you have...
Anfernee Simons. A guy I picked up from the waivers on Week 2. The guy who I didn't expect to be one of the constants especially with CJ McCollum having a lengthy absence at that time due to injury. Not only that, during that stretch, Portland perhaps realized that they can trade CJ McCollum knowing that they already have cheaper option in Anfernee Simons who can also produce exceptionally well playing alongside Damian Lillard.
Then came the last week of the fantasy season wherein you need to shape your roster in preparation for the playoffs. With Paul George still sidelined and Jerami Grant back playing albeit a diminished performance, then you now have Portland key players suddenly being shut down like Damian Lillard's abdominal injury, Jusuf Nurkic being injured and also Anfernee Simons who you relied on for so long was also sidelined. With these factors at play, you have to go into the battle with the players that would not only give you excellent performances, but also consistent one.
Enter Jordan Poole, the seventh player for my team. The first player that played for my team at the start of the season. The first player that set the tone for the team was the one helping my fantasy to enter the playoffs into a good footing. With Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry both sidelined, he got all the playing time and touches he could handle. And what happens when you have a player who is hot from the three-point line, high fantasy points that helped my team survive the opponents that I would be facing in the fantasy playoffs.
Now into the fantasy playoff-season where key players are starting to rest in preparation for playoffs, tanking teams starting to shut down their best players, you got to play the cards that you were dealt with. My team was able to manage to reach the finals led by Wendell Carter, Jr. and Jordan Poole.
On to the finals where I know I was sure to get silver place, I am going against one of the toughest managers in the league. Both of our best players cannot play at that point in time so it was really a matter of battling of reserves and how well do you draft your players and find gems from the waiver wire. It was a nerve wrecking match as you know you got to use your advantages right which is to add and drop the right players to help your team. This is the time wherein you would rely on bench scrubs that are taking over due to players resting. At the same time hoping that your best players can still play despite the season nearing to its end until...
PAUL GEORGE IS BACK!!! PAUL GEORGE IS BACK!!! PAUL GEORGE IS BACK!!!
PG-13 is back right in time for the playoffs to save my team against a tough opponent that eventually led to my first ever fantasy trophy!!!
So the question now is, is bigger risk tantamount to better reward? I guess it's yes and no.
Yes, because you weight a lot of pros and cons before making a decision, but in a league wherein you only have like a minute to decide on which one to choose among a plethora of choices, you have to make sure you pick the right one and hope for the best.
No, because if I laid all of my eggs in one basket, I wouldn't even won the finals. However, it should be noted that fantasy basketball consist of drafting and adding/dropping the right players. So even if your best player was sidelined, if you drafted the right players who outperformed based on their draft round, they can cover up the huge void your best player left.
So here is hoping that I would defend my title to the upcoming season!
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