Daily fantasy leagues are much more exciting than I expected. As a veteran of Roto and Head-to-Head play whose ‘specialty’ is 20-team leagues, I love the challenge and the fun of drafting a new team — or several — every day. It’s become an enjoyable hobby to use the fantasy hoops knowledge that helps me manage those traditional teams to dabble in $2 and $5 leagues at DraftStreet.
There are three types of drafts. Pick ‘Em leagues are great because they go only eight tiers deep, which excludes a lot of ‘obscure’ players. Snake drafts are live, and only one team can own each player. They do require a little more time. The $100,000 Salary Cap game is my favorite, where you pick an 8-man team without exceeding the limit. That version combines art and science, requiring both skill and luck to win.
Find out for yourself in the Sheridan Hoops Freeroll on Friday. Someone will win $100 cash, 14 other people will share $200 in consolation prizes, and bragging rights against me and Chris Sheridan are priceless. It’s always free to join DraftStreet (click the top-left logo to get started immediately) and the Freeroll is fun for beginners and ‘experts’ alike.
Last night, I earned $20 for finishing fourth (out of 110) in a late-night GPP and the $8 profit means I’m now down only $25.55 for the week from the $100 bankroll, which resets every Monday. For the last three weeks, I’ve finished in the black by having one very good night and shrugging off the inevitable losses.
With only four games on the NBA’s international calendar, and the ‘matinee’ in England not included in many DS leagues, I’m hoping to continue a trend of winning Thursdays.
| DraftStreet 15 | Jan. 17 |
| Stars | Over $13,000 |
| Carmelo Anthony | $18,397 |
| LeBron James | $21,634 |
| Dwight Howard | $20,431 |
| Kobe Bryant | $17,952 |
| Greg Monroe | $15,903 |
| Scrubs | Under $9,000 |
| Chris Copeland | $5,906 |
| Mike Dunleavy | $7,922 |
| Derrick Williams | $7,579 |
| Rodney Stuckey | $8,822 |
| Kyle Singler | $5,752 |
| Starters | $9,000 to $13,000 |
| J.R. Smith | $12,712 |
| Monta Ellis | $12,264 |
| Luis Scola | $11,426 |
| Matt Barnes | $11,318 |
| J.J. Barea | $9,021 |
Today’s chart makes five suggestions in three different salary ranges, and includes that ‘early’ game in London, where I really like the Knicks’ forwards. The other Thursday leagues that close at 8:00 EST aren’t as interesting.
F1 Carmelo Anthony (NY-F) $18,397
F2 Chris Copeland (NY-F) $5,906
G1 Jamal Crawford (LAC-G) $9,567
G2 Goran Dragic (PHO-G) $10,302
C1 Dwight Howard (LAL-C) $20,431
C2 Greg Monroe (DET-C) $15,903
U1 Brandon Knight (DET-G) $9,880
U2 Amar’e Stoudemire (NY-F) $9,519
Normally I don’t spend 36% of the budget on centers, but there are some bargain-priced guards and the above is (for now) my best lineup.
To get started with Thursday’s NBA games, click here to open a DraftStreet account. Join a free league that will help you learn how to play, then make a deposit and enter a $2 contest. You should definitely take your best shot in the Jan. 18 Freeroll, which pays $300 in cash to the top 15 finishers. It’s literally money for nothing; Sheridan has yet to find a partner to provide chicks for free.
The Fantasy Spin, published by 9:00 every morning, previews all four Thursday games in detail and reviews what happened on Wednesday, when several players had career-highs.