Fantasy masters of none: NBA players who do a little bit of everything
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There are four distinct tiers in a fantasy basketball draft.
The first is comprised of All-NBA-quality talents that offer big contributions across all major fantasy categories. Tier two are fringe All-Stars - up-and-coming or over-the-hill players that are still great in several areas but also have warts (DeAndre Jordan's free throw percentage, for instance). The fourth and final tier are fliers.
This article will look at the third tier - the missing link between brand-name players and last-round lottery tickets. The third tier is pretty much every starter or high-minutes bench player that produces an average amount of fantasy production but doesn't stand out in any one area.
Take Marvin Williams: the Hornets' forward averaged 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 3-pointers made, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.7 steals per game last season. He is the prototypical master of none. He's proficient in many areas but there is no aspect of his fantasy profile that makes him a standout. There are superior scorers, rebounders, shooters, passers and defenders near the same mid-to-late round draft slot. Is he worth owning?
The first thing to consider when debating whether to draft Williams (FantasyPros' expert consensus has him ranked 92nd overall; expect him to go anytime after Round 8 in 10-team, standard leagues) is to figure out where the strengths and weaknesses after the first half of your draft. If you've ignored certain categories, it might be wise to target a specialist that caters to that specific area of need.
But perhaps your team's greatest strength is its balance and there is no glaring weakness as you approach the end of the draft. At that point, targeting a player like Williams can be a great luxury. The collective sum of his production is a small tide that raises all ships nevertheless.
When we talk about a player's ceiling in fantasy basketball, we're often referring to the intersection between talent and opportunity as it relates to scoring points. The Warriors' Klay Thompson has an incredible ceiling because of his lethal outside shooting stroke. It's how he was able to log 10 games with at least 36 points last season, but it's also partially the reason he scored 13 or fewer points in 10 games as well.
It is important to balance ceiling and floor when constructing your roster. You can still roster a number of high-ceiling players like Thompson but creating stability is equally important.
Lakers sixth-man Lou Williams' shooting ability gives him a higher game-to-game ceiling then Marvin Williams, but the Hornets' forward has a much higher floor. His production helps insulate against shooting slumps and general blips related to game situation. A points specialist might not see the floor in the second half of a lopsided blowout.
Positional versatility is another thing to consider when choosing between late-draft category specialists (Lou Williams, Bismack Biyombo) and masters of none (Marvin Williams, Robert Covington, Evan Turner). Balanced production is common among wing players because of their medium size relative to smaller guards and bigger power forwards and centers.
Finding shooting guard-eligible players that can rebound and block effectively or small and power forwards with above average assists, steals and perimeter shooting can add an interesting wrinkle to your late-week lineup decisions in head-to-head formats. If you're trailing your opponent in rebounds on the final day, being able to include an above-average rebounder at SG can help swing the matchup.
The most important thing is to adjust your strategy throughout the draft (and into the regular season) based on the players already on your roster. Remain balanced and flexible and no matter what unknowns come your way, you will be able to adjust on the fly and remain competitive.