Rotoworld Friends & Fam Draft

A group of big names in the fantasy hoops industry got together on a cool Wednesday night in late September and held a 12-team, 9-category H2H draft on the Yahoo! platform. You can check out the league by clicking here. The draft order and participants were:

1. Ryan Knaus – Rotoworld

2. Kyle McKeown – Rotowire

3. Nick Raducanu – Rotoworld/ProjectRoto

4. Chris Towers – CBS

5. Tommy Beer – BasketballInsiders

6. Brandon Funston – Yahoo!

7. Matt Buser – Basketball Monster

8. Dr. Roto – ScoutFantasy

9. Tom Carpenter – ESPN

10. Mike Gallagher – Rotoworld

11. Steve Alexander – Rotoworld

12. Andy Behrens – Yahoo!

Aaron Bruski wanted to be a part of the shenanigans, but was out of the country at the time.

And here’s how it all went down.

Round 1

1. Kevin Durant, F, OKC - Knaus

2. Anthony Davis, F/C, NOP - McKeown

3. LeBron James, F, CLE – Raducanu

4. Stephen Curry, PG, GSW – Towers

5. Chris Paul, PG, LAC – Beer

6. Kevin Love, PF, CLE – Funston

7. James Harden, SG, HOU – Buser

8. Carmelo Anthony, F, NYK – Dr. Roto

9. John Wall, PG, WAS – Carpenter

10. Kawhi Leonard, SF, SAS – Gallagher

11. Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC – Alexander

12. DeMarcus Cousins, C, SAC – Behrens

There were a few interesting things that happened in Round 1. Once again, Anthony Davis was taken before LeBron James, which has become the norm in these drafts. LeBron’s horrendous playoff schedule is apparently more off-putting than Davis’ injury history. And I have to admit, I’m being swayed by the masses. I also thought it was interesting that I was able to get Russell Westbrook at No. 11. I’m pretty psyched about that one. And lastly, the talk of Round 1, is that Gallagher took Kawhi Leonard at No. 10 overall. His philosophy was pretty simple. If he didn’t take him at 10, he knew that I was probably going to take him at 14. And I was contemplating that simply because I would not pick again until 35, by which point Leonard would have been long gone. Do I advise you to take Leonard with your first-round pick? I don’t think so. But I also don’t hate it if you do it. He was the Finals MVP, was a second-half beast last year and if Gregg Popovich turns him loose, he’s going to return first-round value. Of course, that’s a ginormous ‘if,’ and the pick is a bit risky for my colleague. Then again, if you really want a guy and you’ve got a huge gap between picks, you have to pick your spots and take him when you can. I haven’t landed super-sleepers Markieff Morris or Terrence Jones in any drafts, because I’m waiting a pick to long. I need to fix that.

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Round 2

13. Serge Ibaka, PF, OKC – Behrens

14. Nicolas Batum, G/F, POR – Alexander

15. Blake Griffin, PF, LAC – Gallagher

16. Andre Drummond, C, DET – Carpenter

17. Damian Lillard, PG, POR – Dr. Roto

18. LaMarcus Aldridge, F/C, POR – Buser

19. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, DAL – Funston

20. Al Jefferson, C, CHA – Beer

21. Chris Bosh, F/C, MIA – Towers

22. Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE – Raducanu

23. Michael Carter-Williams, PG, PHI – McKeown

24. Kyle Lowry, PG, TOR – Knaus

Since I didn’t get a shot at Kawhi, I took Kawhi Version 2.0 in Nicolas Batum. Yeah, maybe it was a little early, but again, it was now or never. Damian Lillard is another guy going a little higher than where he’s showing up in some rankings, so if you want him, plan accordingly. The surprise pick of Round 2 was Michael-Carter Williams at 23. McKeown wanted him, and he got him, but he probably could have done so in Round 3, if not Round 4. Having said that, outside of the poor shooting, there’s a lot to love about MCW, and the move could pay off. I would have taken Kyle Lowry or Ty Lawson instead, personally.

Round 3

25. Al Horford, F/C, ATL

26. Ricky Rubio, PG, MIN

27. Joakim Noah, F/C, CHI

28. Dwight Howard, F/C, HOU

29. Kobe Bryant, SG, LAL

30. Derrick Rose, PG, CHI

31. Paul Millsap, F/C, ATL

32. Goran Dragic, PG, PHX

33. Rajon Rondo, PG, BOS

34. Ty Lawson, PG, DEN

35. Derrick Favors, F/C, UTA

36. Mike Conley, PG, MEM

Funston took the bait on Derrick Rose, who is not only coming off another major knee surgery and missed all of last season, but also looked awful in FIBA this summer. Funston’s draft got off to an interesting start with Kevin Love a bit of a mystery in Cleveland, the aged Dirk Nowitzki and the gimpy Rose. Looks like boom-or-bust to me. Kobe Bryant was another Round 3 hit-or-miss selection, while Dwight Howard (Towers) followed Andre Drummond (Carpenter) as a free throw wrecking machine here. But it’s a two-center league and they’re two of the better ones out there. Those owners will just have to forget about their free throw percentage, which is fine in a 9-category league. I went with Derrick Favors here, as I’m expecting big things from him in Utah this season.

Round 4

37. Klay Thompson, G/F, GSW

38. Victor Oladipo, G, ORL

39. Marc Gasol, C, MEM

40. Bradley Beal, SG, WAS

41. Chandler Parsons, F, DAL

42. Nikola Vucevic, C, ORL

43. Monta Ellis, SG, DAL

44. Brook Lopez, C, BKN

45. Gordon Hayward, G/F, UTA

46. Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX

47. Jrue Holiday, PG, NOP

48. Rudy Gay, F, SAC

I’ve consistently taken Victor Oladipo in Round 4 and feel good about it. His playing time and role were so inconsistent last season, but I’m fully expecting him to break out this year. Dr. Roto went with Chandler Parsons here, and it will be interesting to see how he performs alongside Nowitzki and Monta Ellis. The Mavs may not have a 20-point scorer with so many options on the floor. Beer rolled the dice on Brook Lopez, who reportedly feels great after years of problems with his feet. He’s a gamble for sure, but if he can stay healthy, he’s a solid fantasy center, especially in Round 4. News broke during the draft that Eric Bledsoe was closer to signing with the Suns, which is good news for Raducanu.

Round 5

49. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC

50. Kemba Walker, PG, CHA

51. Nerlens Noel, F/C, PHI

52. Deron Williams, PG, BKN

53. Thaddeus Young, F, MIN

54. David Lee, F/C, GSW

55. DeMar DeRozan, G/F, TOR

56. Wesley Matthews, G/F, POR

57. Jabari Parker, SF, MIL

58. Terrence Jones, F, HOU

59. Tim Duncan, F/C, SAS

60. Kenneth Faried, PF, DEN

DeAndre Jordan, another free throw wrecking ball, went at the start of Round 5 to Knaus, but his boards, blocks, field goal percentage and decent scoring make him worth it. I hope we’re not expecting too much, too soon from Nerlens Noel, but he’s been going in Rounds 5 or 6 consistently. And Philly is so bad, he could win Rookie of the Year for Nick. David Lee qualifies at C in Yahoo!, and if he didn’t my guess is Funston would have gone with someone else here. I was focused on Duncan as my second center, and forgot about Terrence Jones and Markieff Morris (Gallagher got both of them). I wish I had a do over, as I’d take either guy over Duncan. I was really hoping to get Kenneth Faried in Round 6, but Behrens scooped him up with the last pick. He was fantastic in FIBA and had a big second half last season, and looks like one of the steals of this draft, to me.

Round 6

61. Dwyane Wade, SG, MIA

62. Marcin Gortat, C, WAS

63. Jeff Teague, PG, ATL

64. Ryan Anderson, F/C, NOP

65. Jimmy Butler, G/F, CHI

66. Trevor Ariza, G/F, HOU

67. Josh Smith, F, DET

68. Andrew Wiggins, SF, MIN

69. David West, PF, IND

70. Larry Sanders, PF/C, MIL

71. Pau Gasol, F/C, CHI

72. Lance Stephenson, G/F, CHA

Dwyane Wade went to Behrens with the first pick of Round 6, when the obvious risk is outweighed by the potential reward he offers with LeBron back in Cleveland. If Wade can make it through 70 games for the Heat, look out. Ryan Anderson is pretty risky, as he’s not guaranteed a starting job and is coming off a serious neck injury. At least Carpenter knows he’ll hit threes. Funston took another interesting player here in the form of Josh Smith. His free throw percentage has become a killer, and his shot selection is dreadful. He’s also not blocking and stealing as he once did, but he’s still Josh Smith. Maybe he gets back on track this season, but the chances would have been better for that to happen had Greg Monroe been moved this offseason. How Stan Van Gundy and Smoove get along will be something to keep a close eye on in the preseason.

Round 7

73. Tony Parker, PG, SAS

74. Enes Kanter, C, UTA

75. Tyreke Evans, G/F, NOP

76. Kyle Korver, G/F, ATL

77. Nikola Pekovic, C, MIN

78. Arron Afflalo, G/F, DEN

79. Brandon Jennings, PG, DET

80. Robin Lopez, C, POR

81. Luol Deng, F, MIA

82. Jonas Valanciunas, C, TOR

83. Joe Johnson, G/F, BKN

84. Jose Calderon, PG, NYK

McKeown took Enes Kanter early in Round 7, and I was thankful, as I already have him on too many rosters. Kanter could be great, but could also fail to live up to the hype once again. Buser took field goal percentage killer Brandon Jennings, but it’s possible he turns over a new leaf under SVG. We shall see. I tried to play it safe with Joe Johnson, who played very well after his controversial selection to the All-Star team last year. He finally played like one over the last part of the season. If Luol Deng can stay healthy, he could have a monster season for the Heat without LeBron around, plus he may have a chip on his shoulder after the Hawks debacle surrounding him this summer.

Round 8

85. Zach Randolph, PF/C, MEM

86. Roy Hibbert, C, IND

87. Markieff Morris, PF/C, PHX

88. Elfrid Payton, PG, ORL

89. Greg Monroe, PF/C, DET

90. George Hill, G, IND

91. Isaiah Thomas, G, PHX

92. Kevin Martin, G/F, MIN

93. Omer Asik, F/C, NOP

94. Brandon Knight, G, MIL

95. Giannis Antetokounmpo, G/F, MIL

96. Mario Chalmers, PG, MIA

Once again, I ended up with Roy Hibbert. It’s a two-center league and it’s the eighth round, so I think I can survive if he ends up laying another egg this year. But with Paul George out for the season with a broken leg, and Lance Stephenson in Charlotte, I’m hoping Hibbert bounces back in a big way. Markieff Morris should be ready to break out for Gallagher, Elfrid Payton could be this year’s MCW, Greg Monroe is a very good player, and George Hill should see a bigger role without Stephenson and George around in Indy. Funston will be hoping Isaiah Thomas sees enough minutes behind Bledsoe and Goran Dragic to make an impact, while McKeown is hoping the Bucks turn Giannis Antetokounmpo loose. The Bucks look like a mess to me, and I’m not going out of my way to own any of them. Towers should have a solid center in Omer Asik, Kevin Martin should have a fine season in Minnesota as long as he can stay healthy, and Mario Chalmers should look much more like a point guard now that LeBron is gone. There is some concern that the Bucks don’t view Brandon Knight as a point guard, but he had a great year last season and I bet he’s solid again this time around.

Round 9

97. Channing Frye, F/C, ORL

98. Paul Pierce, F, WAS

99. Jamal Crawford, G, LAC

100. Josh McRoberts, F/C, MIA

101. Andre Iguodala, G/F, GSW

102. Tobias Harris, F, ORL

103. Patrick Beverley, G, HOU

104. Jordan Hill, F/C, LAL

105. Tristan Thompson, F/C, CLE

106. Reggie Jackson, G, OKC

107. Darren Collison, PG, SAC

108. Taj Gibson, F/C, CHI

I wanted Josh McRoberts here, who should have a lot of assists and could have a break out season in Miami for Towers. Andre Iguodala’s lack of scoring and poor free throw shooting are concerns, along with a possible diminishing role for the Warriors. Beer didn’t take much risk on him though, waiting until Round 9 to make the move. I’m a little concerned about Rajon Rondo eventually ending up in Sacramento, crushing the value of Darren Collison, but he was the best PG left on the board and I felt like I needed one. Behrens went with Taj Gibson, who I would have loved had the Bulls not replaced Carlos Boozer with Pau Gasol. Gibson will have to fight Gasol and Joakim Noah for minutes, but if one of them goes down, Gibson will be fun to own.

Round 10

109. J.J. Redick, SG, LAC

110. Matt Barnes, SF, LAC

111. Draymond Green, SF, GSW

112. Doug McDermott, SF, CHI

113. Jeff Green, G/F, BOS

114. Tyson Chandler, C, DAL

115. Eric Gordon, SG, NOP

116. Anderson Varejao, F/C, CLE

117. Jeremy Lin, G, LAL

118. Jared Sullinger, F/C, BOS

119. Trey Burke, PG, UTA

120. Andrew Bogut, C, GSW

I took my man Matt Barnes in Round 10 and I’m all in on him this season. If he starts and stays healthy, I see him as a big steal this year. Gallagher is all in on Draymond Green in Golden State this season, and my guess is he’ll be on every one of his teams. Jeff Green (Dr. Roto), Eric Gordon (Funston) and Trey Burke (McKeown) all look like value picks this late, while the rest of the guys in this round look like solid choices to me.

Round 11

121. Ersan Ilyasova, F, MIL

122. Marcus Smart, PG, BOS

123. J.R. Smith, G/F, NYK

124. Spencer Hawes, F/C, LAC

125. Danilo Gallinari, SF, DEN

126. DeMarre Carroll, F, ATL

127. Danny Green, G/F, SAS

128. Nene, F/C, WAS

129. JaVale McGee, C, DEN

130. Jodie Meeks, SG, DET

131. Mirza Teletovic, F, BKN

132. Julius Randle, PF, LAL

Round 11 seemed like a good time for Knaus to gamble on the disappointing Ersan Ilyasova. If he is frustrating to own again, as he usually is, taking him this late eases the sting of he annoyance factor. J.R. Smith could have a big season for the Knicks, while guys like Danilo Gallinari, Danny Green, JaVale McGee, Jodie Meeks and Mirza Teletovic are all potential boom-or-bust picks. I would love to see the Lakers turn Julius Randle loose, but that’s easier said than done with Boozer in the house.

Round 12

133. Jarrett Jack, G, BKN

134. Nick Young, G/F, LAL

135. K.J. McDaniels, SF, PHI

136. Nik Stauskas, SG, SAC

137. Dante Exum, PG, UTA

138. Amir Johnson, F/C, TOR

139. Steve Nash, PG, LAL

140. Gerald Green, G/F, PHX

141. Wilson Chandler, G/F, DEN

142. Harrison Barnes, F, GSW

143. Carlos Boozer, F/C, LAL

144. Gorgui Dieng, C, MIN

There were a lot of upside guys taken in Round 12, just as it should be. Jarrett Jack, Nick Young, K.J. McDaniels, Nik Stauskas, Dante Exum, Gerald Green, Harrison Barnes and Gorgui Dieng all qualify. Amir Johnson, Steve Nash and Wilson Chandler could all end up on the waiver wire early in the season, while I like the Boozer pick this late, even though he doesn’t block shots and is pretty old.

Round 13

145. Alec Burks, G, UTA

146. Moe Harkless, SF, ORL

147. Dion Waiters, SG, CLE

148. Mason Plumlee, F/C, BKN

149. C.J. Miles, G/F, IND

150. Manu Ginobili, G/F, SAS

151. Kelly Olynyk, C, BOS

152. Miles Plumlee, F/C, PHX

153. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, DET

154. Kendall Marshall, PG, MIL

155. Rodney Stuckey, G, IND

156. Terrence Ross, G/F, TOR

I took Rodney Stuckey with my last pick. I think he’s going to score a lot of points for the Pacers, but I’m just not sure what else he’s going to do for me. But if you can get a volume scorer who is going to start in Round 13, I think you’re doing OK. There weren’t any picks I really loved in this round, but there also weren’t any that I hated.