Strategies for handling late NBA scratches
At this time of the season there is no way to avoid unexpected NBA lineup changes and they can strike without warning. Just last night Mark Jackson chose not to play Jermaine O’Neal and did not tell anyone about it. After the game he was asked about the decision and he said, “I was getting my Pop on,” in reference to Greg Popovich who notoriously rests his players without warning. At first glance it may seem like there is nothing you can do about the situation because it was unreported, but there are steps you can take to help with scratches like O’Neal’s.
Strategy #1- Play more players with games in the Eastern Time Zone
If you are deciding between Noah and Cousins when the Bulls play in New York and the Kings play the Lakers, follow the news and play Noah even if you think Cousins is the better play. The main reason for that is that the starting lineup for the Bulls-Knicks game will be reported before your fantasy lineup locks, which will allow you to use your guy without fear of a late scratch. Might you be playing sub-optimal lineups? Possibly, but avoiding a zero is worth it in my book.
Strategy #2- Avoid players in back-to-back games and three games in four nights
It is more important to pay attention to the teams’ schedules than ever. Choosing guys that are fresh and have not played in a few days decreases the chances of a late scratch. One of the sneakier scratches is third game in four nights because the back-to-back could have occurred before a day off. Use the game logs to make sure your players of choice are rested as much as possible.
Strategy #3- Pick players from teams still fighting for playoff position
Pop quiz: New York is 27-40 and New Orleans is 27-39. Who is more likely to get scratched for no apparent reason: Anthony Davis or Carmelo Anthony? My answer is Anthony Davis because of the teams’ motivations at this point in the season. The Knicks are only a few games back from making the playoffs and the Pelicans are better off falling in the standings because of their trade with the Sixers.
In my eyes the best teams to pick from are (in no particular order) Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, and every team in the Western conference seeded between 2 and 9. As the season plays out and seeds lock in place, the number of “safe” teams will shrink. Tanking teams may report strains and pulls so that their guys can rest. And never trust the Spurs no matter where they are seeded.
Strategy #4- Use daily fantasy sites that allow late swaps
The websites Starstreet.com and Draftkings.com both allow changes up until game time of each individual contest, not when the first game of the night starts. (For example, if the Mavericks play the Rockets you can change your lineup up until 8 EST even if other games started at 7 EST.) Last night, many people on Draftkings put Draymond Green into their lineups after it was announced that Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut were not going to play. On other websites that would not have been possible. The only downside is that your competition can make changes too and sites like Draftkings require more monitoring than sites without late changes.
Strategy #4a- If playing with late swaps, use 1 center
When you use two centers, one has to go into the utility spot which can really limit your options. I made that mistake the other night and I could not make the changes I wanted to.
Strategy #4b- Put the players that start last in the G/F/UTL spots on Draftkings
If I am going to use DeMar Derozan and Klay Thompson on Draftkings I will make sure that Derozan is at SG and Thompson at the G spot. My logic is that if Klay is a late scratch I have more options if he is at the guard spot than the SG. This is especially true of guys that count at SG and SF or PF and C because they can move around in many ways.
Summary
If we put everything together we find that the safest play is a guy in the Eastern Time Zone, after a few days rest and on a team fighting for playoff position. In order to protect yourself even further, you can play on a website with late swaps and put the players that play first into the position spots and leave the late night starters for the G/F/UTL spots.
Good luck
At this time of the season there is no way to avoid unexpected NBA lineup changes and they can strike without warning. Just last night Mark Jackson chose not to play Jermaine O’Neal and did not tell anyone about it. After the game he was asked about the decision and he said, “I was getting my Pop on,” in reference to Greg Popovich who notoriously rests his players without warning. At first glance it may seem like there is nothing you can do about the situation because it was unreported, but there are steps you can take to help with scratches like O’Neal’s.
Strategy #1- Play more players with games in the Eastern Time Zone
If you are deciding between Noah and Cousins when the Bulls play in New York and the Kings play the Lakers, follow the news and play Noah even if you think Cousins is the better play. The main reason for that is that the starting lineup for the Bulls-Knicks game will be reported before your fantasy lineup locks, which will allow you to use your guy without fear of a late scratch. Might you be playing sub-optimal lineups? Possibly, but avoiding a zero is worth it in my book.
Strategy #2- Avoid players in back-to-back games and three games in four nights
It is more important to pay attention to the teams’ schedules than ever. Choosing guys that are fresh and have not played in a few days decreases the chances of a late scratch. One of the sneakier scratches is third game in four nights because the back-to-back could have occurred before a day off. Use the game logs to make sure your players of choice are rested as much as possible.
Strategy #3- Pick players from teams still fighting for playoff position
Pop quiz: New York is 27-40 and New Orleans is 27-39. Who is more likely to get scratched for no apparent reason: Anthony Davis or Carmelo Anthony? My answer is Anthony Davis because of the teams’ motivations at this point in the season. The Knicks are only a few games back from making the playoffs and the Pelicans are better off falling in the standings because of their trade with the Sixers.
In my eyes the best teams to pick from are (in no particular order) Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, and every team in the Western conference seeded between 2 and 9. As the season plays out and seeds lock in place, the number of “safe” teams will shrink. Tanking teams may report strains and pulls so that their guys can rest. And never trust the Spurs no matter where they are seeded.
Strategy #4- Use daily fantasy sites that allow late swaps
The websites Starstreet.com and Draftkings.com both allow changes up until game time of each individual contest, not when the first game of the night starts. (For example, if the Mavericks play the Rockets you can change your lineup up until 8 EST even if other games started at 7 EST.) Last night, many people on Draftkings put Draymond Green into their lineups after it was announced that Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut were not going to play. On other websites that would not have been possible. The only downside is that your competition can make changes too and sites like Draftkings require more monitoring than sites without late changes.
Strategy #4a- If playing with late swaps, use 1 center
When you use two centers, one has to go into the utility spot which can really limit your options. I made that mistake the other night and I could not make the changes I wanted to.
Strategy #4b- Put the players that start last in the G/F/UTL spots on Draftkings
If I am going to use DeMar Derozan and Klay Thompson on Draftkings I will make sure that Derozan is at SG and Thompson at the G spot. My logic is that if Klay is a late scratch I have more options if he is at the guard spot than the SG. This is especially true of guys that count at SG and SF or PF and C because they can move around in many ways.
Summary
If we put everything together we find that the safest play is a guy in the Eastern Time Zone, after a few days rest and on a team fighting for playoff position. In order to protect yourself even further, you can play on a website with late swaps and put the players that play first into the position spots and leave the late night starters for the G/F/UTL spots.
Good luck