Elimination Roto Draft Results, Part I
Last night was the first “big” draft of the fantasy hoops season for all three of us on the Sheridan Hoops team. On Monday, I went into considerable depth about the rules and strategy of this unique format, but what you can learn from these draft results applies to any type of league.
Usually, “Round 1” refers to a 12-team league, and there are 13 rounds in standard-sized leagues. That means anyone who made it past Round 8 in our 20-team draft (Part I of this article) is likely to be a free agent.
Part II, of more interest if you play in deeper leagues, will list our final eight rounds, players 161 to 320. I’ll comment mostly on who I picked and why, with a nod to the ones that got away — players a rival snatched from the top of my queue.
Keep in mind that we drafted before the first exhibition game, and at this stage even “experts” are guessing. Consider where some sleepers went, and how far some injured players fell, as you are prepping for your own drafts.
| Round 1 (Players #1-20) | ||
| LeBron James (Mia – SF,PF) | Numero Ocho | |
| Kevin Durant (OKC – SF) | Pistol Pete | |
| Chris Paul (LAC – PG) | Kosrae Kiwis | |
| Kevin Love (Min – PF,C) | Shortsteppers II | |
| Russell Westbrook (OKC – PG) | Aggie Swish | |
| Andrew Bynum (Phi – C) | Skyrim Walkers | |
| Dwyane Wade (Mia – PG,SG) | ’92 Dream Team | |
| Deron Williams (Bkn – PG) | Last Man Standing !! | |
| Al Jefferson (Uta – PF,C) | STAT | |
| LaMarcus Aldridge (Por – PF,C) | Alcindor Skyhooks | |
| Josh Smith (Atl – SF,PF) | Trillionaires | |
| Kobe Bryant (LAL – SG) | ~*~ Wizard of Oz ~*~ | |
| Dwight Howard (LAL – C) | Madafakas4Life | |
| Paul Millsap (Uta – PF) | R.I.P Super Sonics | |
| Dirk Nowitzki (Dal – PF) | Brick Master | |
| Carmelo Anthony (NY – SF,PF) | Ski Bum | |
| Kyrie Irving (Cle – PG) | Roots for Goliath | |
| Ty Lawson (Den – PG) | Cuban’s defectors | |
| Marc Gasol (Mem – C) | Chief | |
| Pau Gasol (LAL – PF,C) | Magic 9 | |
My team is the Alcindor Skyhooks. The name honors a player I grew up watching in awe, long before he became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “Lewis,” as legendary UCLA coach John Wooden always called him, was so dominant that the NCAA banned dunking. Alcindor responded to the removal of his main weapon by perfecting the unstoppable shot that led to many of his 38,387 points in the NBA. LaMarcus Aldridge is no Kareem, but he was a safe first pick. I would have preferred Al Jefferson and seriously considered Kobe Bryant. Best pick of the round? Kyrie Irving, who fell several spots lower than expected.
| Round 2 (Players #21-40) | ||
| DeMarcus Cousins (Sac – PF,C) | Magic 9 | |
| Brandon Jennings (Mil – PG) | Chief | |
| Al Horford (Atl – PF,C) | Cuban’s defectors | |
| Blake Griffin (LAC – PF,C) | Roots for Goliath | |
| Rajon Rondo (Bos – PG) | Ski Bum | |
| James Harden (OKC – SG,SF) | Brick Master | |
| Serge Ibaka (OKC – PF,C) | R.I.P Super Sonics | |
| Nicolas Batum (Por – SG,SF) | Madafakas4Life | |
| Greg Monroe (Det – C) | ~*~ Wizard of Oz ~*~ | |
| Monta Ellis (Mil – PG,SG) | Trillionaires | |
| Rudy Gay (Mem – SF,PF) | Alcindor Skyhooks | |
| Danny Granger (Ind – SF,PF) | STAT | |
| Andre Iguodala (Den – SG,SF) | Last Man Standing !! | |
| Mike Conley (Mem – PG) | ’92 Dream Team | |
| Stephen Curry (GS – PG) | Skyrim Walkers | |
| Goran Dragic (Pho – PG) | Aggie Swish | |
| Paul Pierce (Bos – SF) | Shortsteppers II | |
| Chris Bosh (Mia – PF,C) | Kosrae Kiwis | |
| David Lee (GS – PF,C) | Pistol Pete | |
| Kyle Lowry (Tor – PG) | Numero Ocho | |
I was happy to get Rudy Gay at #31 but would have been content with Danny Granger or even Chris Bosh. It’s still very early in the draft, and there have been few surprises.
| Round 3 (Players #41-60) | ||
| Eric Gordon (NO – SG) | Numero Ocho | |
| Amar’e Stoudemire (NY – PF,C) | Pistol Pete | |
| Paul George (Ind – SG,SF) | Kosrae Kiwis | |
| Marcus Thornton (Sac – SG) | Shortsteppers II | |
| Ryan Anderson (NO – PF,C) | Aggie Swish | |
| John Wall (Was – PG) | Skyrim Walkers | |
| Marcin Gortat (Pho – C) | ’92 Dream Team | |
| Joe Johnson (Bkn – SG,SF) | Last Man Standing !! | |
| Anthony Davis (NO – PF) | STAT | |
| Steve Nash (LAL – PG) | Alcindor Skyhooks | |
| Tony Parker (SA – PG) | Trillionaires | |
| Klay Thompson (GS – SG,SF) | ~*~ Wizard of Oz ~*~ | |
| Joakim Noah (Chi – PF,C) | Madafakas4Life | |
| Ersan Ilyasova (Mil – PF) | R.I.P Super Sonics | |
| Tim Duncan (SA – PF,C) | Brick Master | |
| Derrick Rose (Chi – PG) | Ski Bum | |
| Tyson Chandler (NY – C) | Roots for Goliath | |
| Kevin Garnett (Bos – PF,C) | Cuban’s defectors | |
| Roy Hibbert (Ind – C) | Chief | |
| Jrue Holiday (Phi – PG) | Magic 9 | |
This is the last time I’ll ever own Steve Nash. It was a tossup with Tony Parker but I went with my heart. Few athletes have given me more pleasure than a skinny, underdog Canadian becoming a multiple MVP. Nash is even a great fimmaker; his Terry Fox documentary made me cry and his “home movie” of the Suns on an airplane is hysterically funny. Fanboy emotions notwithstanding, I like his FG% and FT% a lot and this league counts both AST and A/T.
| Round 4 (Players #61-80) | ||
| Gerald Wallace (Bkn – SF,PF) | Magic 9 | |
| Zach Randolph (Mem – PF,C) | Chief | |
| Manu Ginobili (SA – SG,SF) | Cuban’s defectors | |
| Tyreke Evans (Sac – SG,SF) | Roots for Goliath | |
| Carlos Boozer (Chi – PF,C) | Ski Bum | |
| Luis Scola (Pho – PF,C) | Brick Master | |
| Kris Humphries (Bkn – PF) | R.I.P Super Sonics | |
| Damian Lillard (Por – PG) | Madafakas4Life | |
| Danilo Gallinari (Den – SF) | ~*~ Wizard of Oz ~*~ | |
| Brook Lopez (Bkn – C) | Trillionaires | |
| Wesley Matthews (Por – SG,SF) | Alcindor Skyhooks | |
| Raymond Felton (NY – PG,SG) | STAT | |
| Kemba Walker (Cha – PG) | Last Man Standing !! | |
| Nene Hilario (Was – PF,C) | ’92 Dream Team | |
| Jeff Teague (Atl – PG) | Skyrim Walkers | |
| Andrew Bogut (GS – C) | Aggie Swish | |
| Jeremy Lin (Hou – PG) | Shortsteppers II | |
| Andrea Bargnani (Tor – PF,C) | Kosrae Kiwis | |
| Luol Deng (Chi – SF) | Pistol Pete | |
| Rodney Stuckey (Det – PG,SG) | Numero Ocho | |
Wesley Matthews was not my first choice at SG. I’d been targeting Paul George earlier until Jeff snapped him up, then had my sights on Tyreke Evans. When Bruce grabbed him, it felt like my Spin colleagues were conspiring to make me scramble a bit.
| Round 5 (Players #81-100) | ||
| Nikola Pekovic (Min – C) | Numero Ocho | |
| JaVale McGee (Den – C) | Pistol Pete | |
| Kenneth Faried (Den – PF) | Kosrae Kiwis | |
| Arron Afflalo (Orl – SG) | Shortsteppers II | |
| Anderson Varejao (Cle – PF,C) | Aggie Swish | |
| Michael Beasley (Pho – SF,PF) | Skyrim Walkers | |
| Kevin Martin (Hou – SG) | ’92 Dream Team | |
| Al Harrington (Orl – PF,C) | Last Man Standing !! | |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Cha – SF) | STAT | |
| Evan Turner (Phi – SG,SF) | Alcindor Skyhooks | |
| David West (Ind – PF) | Trillionaires | |
| Brandon Knight (Det – PG,SG) | ~*~ Wizard of Oz ~*~ | |
| Mo Williams (Uta – PG,SG) | Madafakas4Life | |
| Isaiah Thomas (Sac – PG) | R.I.P Super Sonics | |
| O.J. Mayo (Dal – SG) | Brick Master | |
| DeAndre Jordan (LAC – C) | Ski Bum | |
| Lou Williams (Atl – PG,SG) | Roots for Goliath | |
| Darren Collison (Dal – PG) | Cuban’s defectors | |
| Ray Allen (Mia – SG) | Chief | |
| Derrick Favors (Uta – PF,C) | Magic 9 | |
At this point, it’s clear that I’m playing “small” — lacking a shot-blocking rebounder. But that’s OK in the elimination format; I have five mini-drafts and months of trading to address that deficit. Evan Turner is an excellent passer and rebounder who completes my starting five.
| Round 6 (Players #101-120) | ||
| Ricky Rubio (Min – PG) | Magic 9 | |
| Jason Terry (Bos – PG,SG) | Chief | |
| Thaddeus Young (Phi – SF,PF) | Cuban’s defectors | |
| George Hill (Ind – PG,SG) | Roots for Goliath | |
| Elton Brand (Dal – PF,C) | Ski Bum | |
| Jason Kidd (NY – PG) | Brick Master | |
| Bradley Beal (Was – SG) | R.I.P Super Sonics | |
| Chris Kaman (Dal – PF,C) | Madafakas4Life | |
| Wilson Chandler (Den – SG,SF) | ~*~ Wizard of Oz ~*~ | |
| Trevor Ariza (Was – SG,SF) | Trillionaires | |
| Jameer Nelson (Orl – PG) | Alcindor Skyhooks | |
| Greivis Vasquez (NO – PG,SG) | STAT | |
| Jamal Crawford (LAC – PG,SG) | Last Man Standing !! | |
| J.R. Smith (NY – SG,SF) | ’92 Dream Team | |
| Avery Bradley (Bos – PG,SG) | Skyrim Walkers | |
| Jared Dudley (Pho – SG,SF) | Aggie Swish | |
| Samuel Dalembert (Mil – C) | Shortsteppers II | |
| Gordon Hayward (Uta – SG,SF) | Kosrae Kiwis | |
| DeMar DeRozan (Tor – SG,SF) | Pistol Pete | |
| Dorell Wright (Phi – SG,SF) | Numero Ocho | |
I was fully expecting to take Greivis Vasquez here but thought Jameer Nelson would be gone. If that pick was a mistake, my excuse is being momentarily distracted by the disappointment of Chris Kaman and Wilson Chandler being plucked from my queue.
| Round 7 (Players #121-140) | ||
| Andrei Kirilenko (Min – SF,PF) | Numero Ocho | |
| Tristan Thompson (Cle – PF,C) | Pistol Pete | |
| Kawhi Leonard (SA – SG,SF) | Kosrae Kiwis | |
| Dion Waiters (Cle – SG) | Shortsteppers II | |
| Channing Frye (Pho – PF,C) | Aggie Swish | |
| Harrison Barnes (GS – SF) | Skyrim Walkers | |
| Jose Calderon (Tor – PG) | ’92 Dream Team | |
| Antawn Jamison (LAL – PF) | Last Man Standing !! | |
| Courtney Lee (Bos – SG,SF) | STAT | |
| Brandon Bass (Bos – PF,C) | Alcindor Skyhooks | |
| Shawn Marion (Dal – SF,PF) | Trillionaires | |
| Ramon Sessions (Cha – PG,SG) | ~*~ Wizard of Oz ~*~ | |
| Brandon Roy (Min – SG,SF) | Madafakas4Life | |
| Jae Crowder (Dal – SF,PF) | R.I.P Super Sonics | |
| Emeka Okafor (Was – C) | Brick Master | |
| Brandon Rush (GS – SG) | Ski Bum | |
| Drew Gooden (Mil – PF,C) | Roots for Goliath | |
| Tony Allen (Mem – SG,SF) | Cuban’s defectors | |
| Hedo Turkoglu (Orl – SF,PF) | Chief | |
| Jason Richardson (Phi – SG,SF) | Magic 9 | |
Many of us in this draft have known each other for a decade or more and are fierce rivals in keeper leagues that draft later. Could there have been some “sandbagging?” Theoretically, but everyone wants to win this league. Bruce, Jeff and I have Sheridan Hoops bragging rights at stake and the others had the advantage of knowing who we liked. Brandon Bass was a safe pick; I’m an admirer of big men who can hit free throws.
| Round 8 (Players #141-160) | ||
| MarShon Brooks (Bkn – SG,SF) | Magic 9 | |
| Spencer Hawes (Phi – C) | Chief | |
| Danny Green (SA – SG,SF) | Cuban’s defectors | |
| Thomas Robinson (Sac – PF) | Roots for Goliath | |
| Mario Chalmers (Mia – PG) | Ski Bum | |
| Glen Davis (Orl – PF,C) | Brick Master | |
| Omer Asik (Hou – C) | R.I.P Super Sonics | |
| J.J. Redick (Orl – SG) | Madafakas4Life | |
| D.J. Augustin (Ind – PG) | ~*~ Wizard of Oz ~*~ | |
| Jordan Crawford (Was – PG,SG) | Trillionaires | |
| Patrick Patterson (Hou – PF,C) | Alcindor Skyhooks | |
| Luke Ridnour (Min – PG,SG) | STAT | |
| Jason Thompson (Sac – PF,C) | Last Man Standing !! | |
| Nikola Vucevic (Orl – PF,C) | ’92 Dream Team | |
| Austin Rivers (NO – PG,SG) | Skyrim Walkers | |
| J.J. Hickson (Por – PF,C) | Aggie Swish | |
| Kirk Hinrich (Chi – PG,SG) | Shortsteppers II | |
| Jonas Valanciunas (Tor – C) | Kosrae Kiwis | |
| Derrick Williams (Min – SF,PF) | Pistol Pete | |
| Tiago Splitter (SA – C) | Numero Ocho | |
This is where I switched to sleeper mode. Patrick Patterson may not have the breakout year I expect, but I can afford to bench him and eventually replace him.
There were eight more rounds in our draft; to see where the next 160 players were selected, continue to Part II.
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IMHO Dirk in R1, Horford in R2 & Nash in R3 were daylight robbery. R4 Hilario is a steal, he is clearly the best player in “Bullets” no matter what people say about Wall (He is going to miss some time. Can’t trust the 8 week diagnosis). I had the pleasure of owning Wall last season and oh boy.. was he shipped out in a hurry before All-Star in one of my other keeper league.
I was on autopilot but still satisfied with the team albeit few pressing issues. Some players & especially rookies went too early for a redraft league. As noted, few eye turners along the way.
Proud owner of the Black Mamba at #1 (^_^)
Hey Jeff
Glad you like some of my picks. Drafting last is a challenge. P Gasol and Cousins are 16, 17 on my roto spread sheet so happy to get them as a pair. Second wheel happy to get Jrue then stumbled with Wallace. T Evans probably the pick there. Third wheel of Favors and 4 months of Rubio in an elim format seems prudent storing up games. After that a bit of a crap shoot but overall like my team. Zeller was 168 on my list drafted 220. M Teague and Nicholson my spec picks. Fun as always and thanks for doing this Sheridan Fantasy gig. We are all learning from it.
I actually thought Kirilenko might come all the way down to me at 137. No dice. A player I coveted and still covet in all formats, but it was the old problem of being on either end of the snake draft… #104 was perhaps too early (yes, George Hill indeed might not outperform AK47 but there was still a chance I could get both) and #137 was clearly too late as he went at #121. Some players you simply aren’t likely to draft because their draft value is distant from any of your picks. I also coveted Tristan Thompson but the same story applied – he went at #122 and my #104 pick might have been too early.
It was fun draft. As some readers will surely pick up there a couple of no shows and they can be easily identified in the results. I was the Kosrae Kiwis and am generally pleased with my team. Below are my quick comments:
Round 1 Kyrie Irving falling all the way to Bruce at 16 was the story. I had him at 6. I find PG’s are very valuable in this format and 5 of my top 8 were PG eligible. I wound have taken Kobe over Aldridge but that this nitpicking.
Round 2 I targeted Greg Monroe and was disappointed that he got snatched so quickly. I liked Cousins at 21 and Lowry 40. Bosh was best C on the board.
Round 3 My target here was Galliari but 43 was too soon to draft him, so took George’s upside. John Wall’s injury knocked him to 46. Derrick Rose was Yahoo! pick. No way he should go this early in this format.
Round 4 I was targeting Jeremy Lin and he got picked immediately before me, so I veered off my plan and took risk on Bargnani. Gallinari was a steal here. I like Stuckey a lot but that was about 3 rounds too early.
Round 5Got my man Faried here. Things started falling apart in this round. Too early for Pekovic, Beasley, Knight and Allen. Mayo, Williams and Favors are excellent potential values.
Round 6 Got my man again with Hayward. I like Rubio here. No way Brand should be drafted before Kaman.
Round 7 Wanted a back-up PG here but couldn’t pass up Kawhi. Frye and Crowder must have been Yahoo!. Really liked Kirilenko pick.
Round 8 Figured I could that PG in 9 and didn’t want to risk losing Valanciunas. Should really my team in second half. Several surprise selection. Augustin was a great pick here.