Disclaimer: As we are talking about fantasy sports, I suspect some of my takes will end up being very wrong! As fantasy coaches, we all know the key is to adapt during the season.
I would recommend a podcast – “The Basketball Blokes” to keep you up to date with NBL fantasy news.
Consider the schedule The basketball schedule or fixture is not as balanced as other codes. Obviously, all teams will play the same number of games over the course of the season however in any given week some teams may play two games.
With GameDay Squad when a team is on a double game week, the best score of the two games will count towards your weekly score however, you don’t always want to play double game players as your elite players will likely only need one game to get a top score. When there is a borderline decision between a couple of players, then take the player on the double game as they have two chances of getting a good score.
Be wary of new imports The NBL refereeing can be a bit soft/technical at times compared to some other leagues around the world. There is a historical pattern of big men getting into early foul trouble when they start playing in the Australian league. I would personally try to avoid starting any new imports (especially the big guys) for the first couple of weeks whilst they adapt to the refereeing style of the league. As if they foul out early, that limits their chance to post a decent score. However picking the right one early could give a big advantage, high risk - high reward.
Keep those player cards, or pick them up if cheap! Whilst several big-name players left the league this season, those cards may still be useful. There is a reasonable chance that quite a few could return in later seasons. There are a number of top-quality players that have played in NBL season previously and are returning this season (you will see a few in my rankings). There is still hope in future seasons we will be able to once again use players like Mitch Creek, Tahjere McCall, Jo Lual Acuil, Alan “Sauce” Williams, Jack McVeigh, Luke Travers and DJ Hogg.
Rankings Only 10 players on the GDS court. I’d be looking to own a decent percentage of these 25 players, these are the likely players you will want to rotate throughout the season. Keep in mind a lot can change, keep any eye on player roles/minutes during the season. New imports can be hard to gauge, there will no doubt be some I missed that pop up as quality options.
As it stands now, these are my seasonal player rankings per position:
Point Guards:
1. Parker Jackson-Cartwright – New Zealand Breakers
2. Jaylen Adams – Sydney Kings
3. Derrick Walton Jr – South East Melbourne Phoenix (Returning Import)
4. Kendrick Davis - Adelaide 36s (New Import)
5. Trey Kell – Illawarra Hawks Smokie: Tarryn Armstrong – Carins Taipans
Shooting Guards:
1. Bryce Cotton - Perth Wildcats
2. Milton Doyle – Tasmania Jack Jumpers
3. Nathan Sobey – South East Melbourne Phoenix
4. Rob Edwards - Carins Taipans (New Import)
5. Dejan Vasiljevic - Adelaide 36s
Smokie: Matt Mooney – New Zealand Breakers (New Import)
Small Forwards
1. Dylan Windler – Perth Wildcats (New Import)
2. Pedro Bradshaw - Carins Taipans (New Import)
3. Joe Wieskamp – South East Melbourne Phoenix (New Import)
4. Casey Prather - Brisbane Bullets
5. Jaylen Galloway – Sydney Kings
Smokie: Alex Toohey – Sydney Kings
Power Forwards
1. Xavier Cooks – Sydney Kings (Returning Local)
2. Darius Days – Illawarra Hawks (New Import)
3. Montrezl Harrell - Adelaide 36s (Replacement Import player for Jarrel Martin)
4. Kristian Doolittle – Perth Wildcats
5. Matt Hurt – South East Melbourne (New Import)
Smokies: Jack White – Melbourne United (Returning Local)* Jarrel Martin - Adelaide 36s (Returning Import) – currently injured.
Centres
1. Cam Oliver – Sydney Kings (Returning Import)
2. Sam Froling – Illawarra Hawks
3. Keanu Pinder – Perth Wildcats
4. Issac Humpries - Adelaide 36s
5. Tanner Groves – Carins Taipans (New Import)
Smokie: Tyrell Harrison - Brisbane Bullets
Round 1 Starter Lineup:
And to finish it all off, here is the squad I will be rolling in the starter competition for Round 1:
Play Now For Free: https://www.gamedaysquad.com.au/