Over the years it has become very clear that fantasy basketball is ruled by the Redraft format, as is the case in most other fantasy sports. What most people don’t know is that once you start playing in a Keeper/Dynasty format (for 95% of us at least) there’s no turning back. It’s probably going to become your favorite way to play fantasy basketball.

For those who don’t know what a Dynasty/Keeper format is, you get to keep either your whole team or as set amount of players after the season ends, which is the exact opposite of what the Redraft format is about. It allows managers to play out fantasy seasons more like an actual NBA team, picking and choosing which players to build around as well as determining the right time to go all in or steer into a rebuild. You get attached to your team and for most squads, winning a championship is the result of a multi-year effort that is immensely satisfying.

Beyond the fact that you get to retain some or all of your roster, there are a few other big differences in Dynasty/Keeper leagues:

-Younger players’ and veterans’ values change drastically. In a Dynasty league there’s a bigger chance you see key veteran players on the waiver wire and fewer prospects available, as managers are chasing players who have the opportunity to play a big role either at present or in the future. This will also vary depending on your league’s size.

-Free Agency works in different ways. Continuing from the previous bullet point, being a contender or a team in development will determine what kind of waiver wire targets you pursue and how coveted waiver claims could become whenever a solid veteran, a potential star or an intriguing prospect hits free agency. Be wise with your budget or waiver claims; know when and when not to pull the trigger. Unlike a Redraft league where every team is always trying to win, in Keeper/Dynasty leagues you’ll see teams at the bottom of the standings make moves to prioritize youth, which results in some surprising adds and drops.

-The draft is a key asset. Always know how valuable your draft picks are. Depending on your league size, amount of keeper spots and the upcoming draft class, you can score some nice pickups on the trade market, or cash-in on sell-high opportunities if you know how to handle your draft picks. Knowing when to not ship your picks out is also vital, as you might end up with a chance to draft big-time players like Cooper Flagg if you play your cards right.

There’s just something to planning your team’s future, valuing players and the variety in trade schemes that gets you hooked every time you log in to manage your dynasty squad.

However, unlike football or baseball, dynasty basketball is very different in the sense of prospects. There are generally fewer roster spots, less prospect stashing, and when someone gets hot, be sure that he’ll be off the waiver wire as soon as possible (depending on league size of course).

Here are five tips to start your journey in a Keeper/Dynasty fantasy basketball format, so you can be 100% aware of the differences from Redraft leagues and know what’s needed for your first team to be successful (or at least on route to be).

The First Draft: Take your time and don’t panic

It’s obvious that your draft is the major factor in directing your team’s season, but in Dynasty the dynamic is very different. Depending on your draft position and the players that drop to you in the first three rounds you might be able to identify if you should drift towards immediate contention or a developing roster of young players. In Dynasty, either choice is tenable as long as you keep a healthy proportion of safe and risky picks.

Know when to reach, when to let somebody drop, when to identify a steal — whether it’s a star-veteran in the middle rounds or a potential breakout star in the later rounds — and try to avoid the most injury-prone players even if it looks like a good value pick. I find these methods to be the most critical at draft time when it comes to having a balanced and versatile team, whether you’re in contention or rebuilding mode.

Picking as many present-value players as possible won’t guarantee you a championship in the short term, while picking up a bunch of young and raw star prospects won’t translate into a dynasty most of the time. Balance is key.

Player Value: Knowing your team’s worth is not enough

The worth of a player in Redraft is very straightforward as it’s tied to what he can produce for your team until the end of the fantasy season. In Dynasty it’s not that easy, as every player is a possible mainstay on your roster for one, two, four, seven seasons — or forever. Knowing your roster’s worth is important, but it’s not enough if you want to be one step ahead of your competition.

It’s good to understand each player’s value depending on format, type of league and particular league rules, but at least having an idea of their potential and present level of talent will give you a lead when picking up from the waiver wire, having trade talks, choosing keepers, and so on.

Friendly reminder that this applies to all fantasy basketball formats but especially in dynasty/keeper: Always do some research on players and try to be as unbiased as possible. Your worst enemy is wanting to have your favorite player on your roster when you actually don’t need him or are getting him at negative value.

Communication: Within and outside your league

You don’t need to become friends with your opponents but it’s always positive to have some sort of communication with them to make things easier when it comes to trades. If you’re easy to talk to and decently reachable, more trade offers will come your way.

The main thing about communication that you’ll need is when making decisions: having somebody else to give you insights about players, trades and draft picks will be huge for you when you’re at a crossroads. It also doesn’t have to be somebody from your league, there’s plenty of communities (like our Discord at Sportethos) that can lend you a hand when you need somebody else’s opinion.

Waiver Wire: Gambling could make you a real contender

Depending on how big or small your league is, the caliber of player you see on the waiver wire content will vary; however, it’s a VERY important part of any league regardless of format. An active team on the waiver wire always has better chances of being a contender or ending its campaign on a positive note.

With fantasy basketball so short on roster spots, it’ll be difficult for shallow leagues to manage a very deep pool of players on the waiver wire, but starting from 12-team leagues and onwards, there will always be breakout players who’ll become extremely valuable producers for your team if you act fast enough. Whether you’re contending or rebuilding, getting value will get you ahead of your opponents no matter what.

Long story short: Even if you have a perfectly stalked team, the waiver wire is still an asset you can’t ignore, and good managers will always keep an eye on it.

Patience: You’ll have your time to win, and your time to rebuild

If you don’t win in your first one or two years: It’s ok.

If you end up last in standings: It’s ok. 

If you made the playoffs and got blasted in the first round: It’s ok.

A Dynasty/Keeper format is probably the hardest one to actually win if you’re in a decently competent league. As the Sixers once knew, it’s a process you’ll need to have patience with. If you make decisions based on frustration and desperation there’s a very strong chance your team suffers for years.

The more time passes, the better you get at managing a team in this format, it’s as simple as that. Luck and timing will always have an effect on fantasy basketball regardless of format, so even if you do things perfectly it might not be enough. With Dynasty and Keeper leagues, you’ll always have the foundation to try again.

The most important thing is for you to find joy in this way of playing. That’s the key to really understanding and having success in this format. Be patient, be active and enjoy the process.