Alright, so I jumped into this whole “fantasy basketball categories draft tool” thing, and let me tell you, it’s been quite the ride. I’m not really a tech guy, but I love fantasy basketball, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I needed to compare a lot of players and create a simple tool for myself and friends to use.
First off, I started by digging around to see what’s already out there. I mean, why reinvent the wheel, right? There are a bunch of tools that let you compare players, check out rankings, and all that jazz. I found some that let you compare a few players at a time, which is cool, but I wanted something more customized.
Experiment With Other Fantasy Basketball Tools
I messed around with a few different tools. Some were pretty slick, with all these fancy features and detailed analyses. Like, they’d tell you who the winner and loser would be in a matchup, which is helpful. I used them for a while to get some basic information.
Then there were these “mock draft assistants.” They’re supposed to help you prep for your draft. I did a couple of mock drafts using these tools, and it was… okay. It’s not the same as a real draft with your buddies, but it gave me a general idea of how things might go down and what I need to pay attention to when I actually start to create the tool.
Build a Simple Tool
But here’s the thing: I wanted something a bit more tailored to my league’s categories. We use a head-to-head format, so I needed a tool that could really break down how players stack up against each other in each category. So, I decided to roll up my sleeves and build something myself.
- Gathered Data: First, I needed data. Lots of it. I pulled player stats from a few different sources, making sure I had all the categories my league uses.
- Chose a Tool: I’m not a coder, so I went with a simple spreadsheet program. It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done. I created some basic formulas to compare players based on their stats in each category.
- Tested It Out: I ran some tests, comparing players I knew were good in certain categories. The results were pretty accurate, which was encouraging.
- Refined It: Based on my tests, I tweaked the formulas a bit. I also added some conditional formatting to highlight the better player in each category, making it easier to see at a glance.
The Outcome
It took some time, a bit of trial and error, and a whole lot of coffee, but I finally got it working the way I wanted. Now, I have a tool that lets me compare any players in my league based on our specific categories. It’s not perfect, but it’s a heck of a lot better than just winging it on draft day. I can compare up to 5 players, and up to 3 teams. It’s a simple tool, I did not make it too complicated. I shared it with my friends, and they also find it useful. They gave me some feedback, and I will keep improving it to meet more of our needs.
This whole experience taught me a lot. Not just about fantasy basketball, but about how you can take something that’s already out there and customize it to fit your needs. And hey, if a non-tech guy like me can do it, anyone can.