by Joseph Mohr

Created on: March 23, 2008   Last Updated: March 24, 2008

Like most other fantasy sports leagues Basketball leagues tend to come in many varieties. There are NBA and College versions of the game as well as many versions with different scoring rules.

The number one tip in any fantasy league is to know your rules. Know how the scoring system works and what the criteria is for making the playoffs in your league. Not every league scores the same. Not every team has the same playoff criteria.

The league that I play in is a head to head scoring league where each player has a number of position players and sets a roster for each day. There are ten scoring categories and your team gets credit for one "win" for each category you lead at the end of the weeks games.

In this kind of league it is absolutely essential that you set your rosters every day. In yahoo leagues you can also set your rosters weeks in advance. I recommend that you do so. However, follow this advice as well. Check those preset rosters regularly. Unlike other leagues the NBA often changes scheduled days and times for games. It really sucks to find out later that you did not get credit for stats in a game because you did not check your roster and find out that a player's team rescheduled it's game for another night.

When you drop players you need to check those schedules again. The new players you pick up may or may not be playing on the same nights as the player you dropped.

In any league knowledge is power. The players who tend to win are those who keep up with the news. Players get injured. Sometimes injuries are season or even career ending. Dump inactive players immediately and pick up players who earn points for you.

Manage your team daily. Too many things happen that require your attention. Like other fantasy leagues there are always players who try to leave their team on autopilot and win. While they occasionally do win games versus other players they inevitably lose leagues every time. They miss important things like setting rosters and fixing rosters that have changed unforseeably. It is tough to win without the stats provided by a player who is sitting on the bench instead of being active in your roster.

I am not a big fan of trades. This is especially true in Fantasy Basketball. There are always good pickups on the wire and you give away far less by picking up there. Unless you are getting some awesome player for nothing you should be really careful in trades. Also remember this point. If you are actively managing your team then you will notice when other players attempt collusive trades. If you are watching things in your league then you can file objections to illegal or one sided trades. Players not watching are often the cause of illegal and one sided trades being allowed in some online leagues. Because they are leaving their teams on autopilot all of the other players pay the price (except the cheaters).

Use the Internet for information. There are tons of good sites out there with tons of information on trades, injuries and other important details. Knowledge is power. The players who do constant research and constant adjustments to their teams just about always come out on top in their leagues.

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