At the start of last season scoring was noticeably down but as teams added more talented players it eventually went up. This season, the scoring is down even more than it was last year during the first 4 weeks. Most of the teams have added talent but for the most part it’s not showing up yet. Is it merely the emphasis on putting the players with the most games in a particular week in the starting lineup, or, will the scoring return once we leave December behind? I don’t know yet, as this is a new trend and there is not enough data. I do think scoring will rise, but, my question is how much? As a result, in terms of total points scored by teams, there is a huge gap from the top two to the next and then from that team to the rest. Evaluations in descending order from the highest scoring team to the lowest-NOT ranked in terms of which teams are the best…this is strictly by the numbers.
Rolling
Deep Valley Grouchos (349.25)
The DVG’s are stacking up the points mainly through three players in Broome, Cluff, and, Noel. That’s a f/c, c, and f, respectively. They do have three guards as their #3, 4, and 5 scorers overall (not in active games) and that bodes well if that statistic holds true. So, not everything’s peachy, but optimistically, at least one figures to hold close to their current course and they have good freshmen, plural. So, quality, depth, frosh & promise at guard with the trade acquisition of Jamar Brown.
Maize and Blue Bloods (328.25)
The MBB are loaded and also scoring a ton of points but they are having a few more bumps in the road than the DVG’s although I thought that pre-season they had an even better roster. The two “old studs” of course, Kalkbrenner & Omier are doing what they do. Due to foul trouble Max Brooks just had an ugly game but he is another 25+ guy at a forward position. So, like the DVG’s they are strongest upfront. Haggerty gives them one real good guard and they have one of the top freshmen in Newell. Sandfort has been fighting a shooting slump and Bryce Harris, who I thought was the top FA available in the draft has been horrible. Their issues are fixable, I believe.
Could Be Rolling
Prozac Pups (282.25)
The Pups have three players averaging 30+ in Raynaud-f/c, Dixon-f, and Toppin-f. Sense a theme here? Forwards & centers again leading the way. All three are not only potent but pretty damn consistent and are not going away. Despite the disparity between the Pups team average and the two teams above them, they are right there. Taylor & Barnhizer are both averaging 25 or so-but have not been consistent. And they too, have good frosh. Again, despite the numbers, they may be better fixed for playoff success as we see the team scoring numbers for both the DVG’s & MMB come down and the Pups probably stay the same and/or rise a little.
The Middle
North Pole Fightin’ Reindeer (261.25)
They are to be respected more than feared and that is the great separator from the above three teams. I mean they have Dickinson & Batcho, and one of the top frosh. After that it gets iffy. They recently added Falslev at a guard. I like Falslev, but unless he gets more shots up he will not be a consistent force. As currently constituted, unless they can improve their starting lineup, numbers-wise they start two freshmen and historically that has not been a playoff winning formula.
House of Sparky (258.75)
Finally, a guard we can talk about. Roy is probably the top guard in fantasy basketball. At 31.7 he is for real. Lendeborg gives them a night in/night out stud at a forward slot. They didn’t get the right center when they had the chance so they are doing “center by committee” and if they manage it right that could work out all right. I like Thomas over Pridgen at the other guard slot. They need another “guy” who can give them a quality 6th man and while their freshman hits the scoring standard for me (a decent freshman must average at least 15 fppg) they are hurting at the spot because there are a lot of really good freshmen this year, so, having one scoring under at least 18 is going to hurt them.
Hoosiers (257.0)
The Hoosiers actually have more going for them than the Fightin’ Reindeer or HOS. However, they also have more issues. Ballo is a good center but between his usage and his ft’s he can have a few duds, so adding f/c-Ilic was a real good move. Center? Check. Freshman? Check. Shulga at one guard? Check. Now the “fun” begins. Aptly named Geronimo (because at any time his scoring can suddenly go off the cliff), Rubio De La Rosa has an impressive stat line but that figures to go up and down in conference play. In a really, really guard-oriented program Fleming has finally figured out that he’s not going to see the ball that much and has started to get more aggressive. If he maintains that they have one forward slot filled. They also need another guy, a 6th man that’s better than either the non-rebounder Mgbako, who almost disdains having to get one. And, as everyone should know by now, Coleman Hawkins is not the answer unless the question is something along the vein of: “Who is consistently one of the biggest underachievers in all of fantasy basketball.”
Keep on Chooglin’ (apologies to Creedence Clearwater Revival)
KC Warthogs (248.75)
It’s a pretty roster but the output (sum) doesn’t equal the parts, which would indicate more production. It’s a problem. At 20.9 Xavian Lee has not been horrible but he should be around 23 and more consistent. He has not. Niether has Buchanan. They have two outstanding frosh and while I still don’t like to see it, they could possibly play both of them at the same time in the playoffs and do well. It’s early but promising add g/f Pyke is looking like a flash in the pan and a likely bust. On the other hand, Danny Wolf is picking it up and should continue to be a force. Karaban was doing well but is concussed. Shumate has arisen from the dead and could be the option to replace Puke, er Pyke in the lineup. Their lineup should be steady, or steadier, and if it is that makes them a good playoff team with upside.
Gator Bait (245.0)
Much like KC, GB has good upside for the playoffs. In fact, they have more upside than KC. They just added a high scoring guard in Pierre (he can be a little up and down but will be mostly good) and just need one more to solidify the position. The frontline is good. There is no “stud” (25+fppg) but they are all usually going to get their numbers and their numbers are good. They have a really good freshman. Some more quality depth would also be nice.
Just Happen To Be In The Neighborhood
Hillbilly Maulers (244.50)
Statistically, Queen may be the top frosh at the moment. They already had a good one in Frears. They just added forward Shelton Williams-Dryden, who should be consistently productive for them at one forward spot. Terrence Brown doesn’t do too much besides score but when he’s on he’s been pretty good. G/f Tyrel Morgan is a wildcard for them. He’s starting to show some signs of life. But that still leaves them 3 players short and of course, no real depth to speak of. It’s not a bad roster. It’s just not good enough-not just for the big boys but also for the Warthogs and GB just to name two of their “contemporaries.”
The Hoop Guru (242.75)
There’s an old basketball saying that goes: “They looked good in the warmups.” In other words, that team didn’t play as well as they looked. That currently describes the HG’s who have a better lineup than their scoring would indicate. But of course, when you break it down you can see the cracks in it. They just added Rataj and he solidifies one forward slot. Felton just had a couple of ugly games but he is going to get his, so that’s one guard slot. I have badly maligned Dawson Garcia over the past 3 years but he has improved a little each year and is now a good fantasy player. He can be a forward or center for them. And I like Small at a guard. With the addition of Sydnor they have apparently solved their freshman problem. That just leaves them two players short, and they have players with decent numbers on the roster to fill those two spots but that’s where the problems arise. So, I expect them to probably bump up their team average by another 15 points or so, but, conservatively, if you can’t put up 280 points (20 per man) in a 14 game week, you won’t be close to the teams that will be in the semi’s & finals.
Movin’ On Up
Virginia Gentlemen (238.50)
I expect those esteemed gentlemen from Virginia to be leaving mediocrity behind for good sooner than later. The transformation has already begun. The key is if Cheeks-g, can effectively stay at 22+fppg (currently at 26.5) because Leggett has slipped and fallen and I don’t think he can get back up where he was. If Cheeks remains true he combines with Stirtz for a good backcourt freeing up Keonte Jones to play forward w/Banks. That would leave only one problem going forward. They need a center. They can play Sorber at the center but then they would like to have a better freshman than they already have to replace him at that spot. They have 3 players they can rotate at the 6th man spot that will work with careful game management.
Starting A Slow Climb
Psychos (236.25)
Psychos have quietly made some good moves that will definitely help them. They had a center problem and traded with the DVG’s to acquire Kaufman-Renn. They added g/f McLaughlin, whose spread is scary but is the man for NAU. Blake Harper’s role & production are increasing and he is now their top frosh. And of course, they have a stud in Nique Clifford. So, they have some pieces. It would be nice if Jamir Watkins could get going, but 9 games in this is probably who he is. So, they need to find two more pieces.
Stuck In Neutral
Hardwood Heroes (223.0)
The good: Not one (Flagg), not two, but three good freshmen…okay…Freemantle has returned and is pretty solid. Mostafa is another good f/c. The bad: Just about everything else. Grant-Foster never had a good spread but he scored enough at the end of the year to mark him as a player to take early in the draft; but, he is under-performing. They jumped all over Todorovic too soon. Sleeper Gary Clark has remained asleep. The jump up to Murray State killed Milton. They have been able to work some late season FA pool magic of late and they will have to add 3-4 of those “hidden gems” if they want to be a factor in the post-season.
That’s All Folks (apologies to Warner Brothers “Looney Tunes” & Porky Pig)
Sam Jacobson Went To Class (211.50)
The Sammies don’t have one player averaging at least 21 fppg. Timberlake, Pierce and Avila are all performing below expectations. They have a nice freshman in Demin.
Oh Boy!
Vindaloos (206.0)
Comment: Yes, the YRD’s had a worse week than the Vindaloos (not named after a dish from India, by the way) whoop-de-doo. Opting for a change in cuisine they picked up a Pascarelli to go, hoping Italian would be better…it’s not. This team is officially playing for next year and either needs to add seniors for more draft spots, or, add freshmen and hope that they develop. Oof!
Saluki YRD’s (199.50)
Brzovic is their best player. And, while he is currently at 25.8, trust me, it’s not a good thing when he is your top guy. They added Bittle and that was a good move. If this roster was a fire sale you’d say just let it burn.