Apologies for making two of these threads so close together, but pretty worried about my team (especially with injuries) after winning the league last season. This draft was absolutely brutal. Luckily there are several IL spots but it's going to be interesting trying to find anyone worthwhile.
Second year of an (up to) 8 keeper draft, keepers by round. Asterisks to show which players I kept going into this season.
1st - Karl Anthony Towns (MIN - C)*
2nd - Lonzo Ball (LAL - PG)
3rd - Rudy Gobert (UTH - C)*
4th - Isaiah Thomas (CLE - PG)
5th - Derrick Favors (UTH - PF,C)
6th - De'Aaron Fox (SAC - PG)
7th - Elfrid Payton (ORL - PG)*
8th - Seth Curry (DAL - PG,SG)
9th - Moe Harkless (POR - SF)
10th - Tyler Ulis (PHO - PG)
11th - Austin Rivers (LAC - PG,SG)
12th - Josh Richardson (MIA - SG, SF)*
13th - Yogi Ferrell (DAL - PG,SG)
14th - Skal Labissiere (SAC - PF, C)*
15th - Richaun Holmes (PHI - PF, C)*
It's so hard for me to visualize these drafts. If you can last until IT gets back, you could be pretty good, but damn, 15 rounds in a 16-team draft is deeeeeep
Rename your team to "The Infirmary" or "The Balling Dead"
Very scary with all those hurt guys.
As a rule of thumb, I would allow myself ONE injured guy. Even if you have a lot of IL spots, the value will be thin on the wire. You'll need your hurt guys to really trickle back in sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately most of them were drafted before they got injured. The perils of slow draft! I definitely regretted the IT pick after finding out about Seth Curry then Richaun Holmes.
Quick update, I moved Curry, Holmes, and IT to my IL list and picked up Cristiano Felicio, JR Smith, and Evan Turner. Can't believe I'm excited about grabbing Evan Turner from the wire...
I also picked up Alan Williams and stashed him on the IL in case he comes back later this season, or I can bring him into next season as my 15th pick.
I like the Alan Williams stash if you can afford to use that slot for, literally, 365 days. Felicio, JR and Turner ... yeesh. Haha
I'm sure I'll end up regretting it but I just traded Lonzo for Khris Middleton.
My thinking is my team is already getting killed with injuries (and now E Payton may be missing time with a hamstring issue). I need a punch to my team now instead of waiting for Lonzo to get accustomed during his rookie year. Also, Lonzo is a 2nd round pick and Middleton is a 5th, so I'll have a 2nd round roster spot available next season.
Since it's eight keepers kept by round, going into next season my first few rounds will probably look like:
1st Round - Karl Anthony Towns
2nd Round - (open spot)
3rd Round - Rudy Gobert
4th Round - Isaiah Thomas
5th Round - Khris Middleton
6th Round - De'Aaron Fox
I realize I'm looking at next year way too early. Mostly I'm just a sucker for Middleton.
I'd rather have Middleton in basically any format.
Thanks, Dan. That makes me feel better after Lonzo's great game last night.
What's the deal with Ulis? I want to pick up Delon Wright, was planning to drop JR Smith but if Ulis isn't gonna play he's useless to me.
Ulis had some stupid injury that went unreported. Nice work by the PHX media on that one.
