Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this 9-cat fantasy basketball thing for a while now, and let me tell you, it’s a whole different beast compared to those simple points leagues. I thought, “Hey, I watch basketball, I know players, how hard can it be?” Boy, was I in for a ride.
First thing I did was jump straight into a mock draft. Didn’t even bother looking up rankings or anything. Big mistake. Huge. I ended up with a team that was, shall we say, “unbalanced.” Too many point guards, not enough big men who could rebound or block shots. It was a mess.
After that disaster, I decided to actually do some research. I started looking at different rankings, trying to figure out who the top players were across all nine categories. It was a lot to take in, to be honest. You got your points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, 3-pointers, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and turnovers. It’s not just about who scores the most points anymore.
Strategy Time
Then came the hard part – trying to figure out a strategy. Do I punt certain categories? Do I go for a balanced team? It’s a headache, but a fun one. I started playing around with different draft strategies in more mock drafts. I tried punting assists and focusing on big men. I tried going for a balanced team. I even tried some wild strategies, like punting both field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
- Mock Draft 1: Tried to dominate the big-man stats. Ended up with a team that couldn’t handle the ball.
- Mock Draft 2: Went for balance. Jack of all trades, master of none.
- Mock Draft 3: Punted assists. Okay, this showed some promise.
- Mock Draft 4: The wild one – punt FG% and FT%. Let’s just say it didn’t go well.
After many, many hours, I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. I’m leaning towards punting a category or two, but not going too extreme. I also realized that you gotta pay attention to roster construction. You can’t just draft the best player available every time. You need guys who fit your strategy and complement each other.
The 2024-2025 season is still a ways away, but I’m already excited to put my newfound knowledge to the test. I have the feeling I’ll crush my league this time, or at least not embarrass myself like last year. But hey, I have already tried my best.
This whole 9-cat thing is a real challenge, but it’s also a lot of fun. It makes you think about the game in a different way. If you’re looking for a challenge, I definitely recommend giving it a try. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time on it!