FBA: Don't give up

Updated: January 23, 2007, 2:49 PM ET
By Keith Lipscomb | ESPN.com
One thing I've found over the years playing fantasy ball is that many owners give up too early. The NBA season is only half over, which means you've still got nearly three months to right the ship and make a charge up the standings if your team has underachieved thus far. And if you're currently the king of the mountain in your league, don't mimic the NBA game in which teams with the lead let off the gas so often, allowing opponents to make runs. Have a killer instinct and try to find ways to get better and bury the competition.

I find it amazing how, in keeper leagues, teams in the second division hold fire sales in order to land one stud to have for the future -- in January! And often times, these teams give up a couple talented multiple-category threats that may not classify as top-of-the-line keepers, but are essential for the top teams to fortify areas of need. Because they expect to have early selections in the following season's draft, even draft picks are thrown about. I guess I just hate to see teams give up the ship when the glass can still be considered half full.

That being said, the number of players your league protects is an important factor to be considered in these situations. If you're in a 14-team league in which only two or three players are kept, then it's much more understandable for the cellar-dwellers to seek that one stud in exchange for multiple quality players that can fill up the categories the leader might need to stay on top of the overall standings. The top teams often have more top-notch players than can be protected, while the bottom feeders struggle to come up with suitable protectable options.


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Keith Lipscomb

Fantasy
Keith Lipscomb is a senior editor for ESPN Fantasy Games.

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