Alright, so this week, like every week, figuring out who to start felt tougher than usual, especially with all the random injuries popping up. I sat down Sunday morning with my coffee, ready for the grind.
Starting The Mess
First thing, I fired up the fantasy app and looked at the schedule. Saw which teams play four times this week – always want those extra games if possible. Looked for the teams with the back-to-backs too, gotta watch for guys sitting out then.
Then, I dove into my own roster. Had a couple guys with those annoying “Q” tags – questionable. You know, like Dame Lillard. Reports said he might play opener, might not. Makes you wanna pull your hair out.
Digging Into It
Started checking the news feeds, like the main NBA injury report and my go-to fantasy guys. Looked at who played last night, how many minutes they got. Saw Wiggins finally had a decent game, made me think.
Here’s the sucky part:
- Rudy Gobert: Dude sucks at free throws. Like, really bad. And the Wolves were playing a team that fouls a lot. I thought, “He’ll rack up points and boards, maybe even if he only hits half his free throws…” Big mistake. Shoulda seen that Hack-a-Rud coming from a mile away.
- Keldon Johnson: Spurs were playing the Celtics. Tough matchup on paper, right? Figured his minutes might be down, thought about benching him for someone with a softer game.
- Jamal Murray: Jokic’s wingman. Seemed like a solid start anytime, Nuggets were rolling.
Setting My Lineup (And Screwing Up)
Pressed confirm feeling okay Sunday night. Kept Lillard in hoping he’d play, rolled with Gobert thinking the points would outweigh the FT misses, benched Keldon.
Fast forward to Monday… BOOM. Gobert gets benched huge chunks because they just kept fouling him – he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat at the line. Keldon? Dude went off for like 25 points! Sitting right there on my bench. Meanwhile, Dame sat out opener anyway. Total fail.
How It All Played Out
By Tuesday, I was already scrambling. Dropped Gobert’s minutes cost me blocks and boards bad. That Keldon decision? Hurt worse than stepping on a Lego.
Murray? Solid, like expected. Not spectacular, but held his own.
The rest of the week was trying to plug holes. Streamed a guy or two off the waiver wire, praying for a breakout game. Some worked okay, some sucked.
What I Figured Out (The Hard Way)
So yeah, lessons learned… again:
- Free throw nightmare: If a guy cant hit free throws and the other team knows it? Avoid. Doesn’t matter how many rebounds he might get. Learned my lesson with Gobert, big time.
- Don’t overthink matchups: Sometimes a hot hand is just a hot hand. Keldon was rolling, Boston game or not. Shoulda started him.
- “Q” means trouble: Questionable late Sunday? Probably means they sit at least one game that week. Gotta have a solid backup plan ready to plug in.
- Four-game players rule: Always lean towards starting the guys playing more games if they’re decent. More chances to score points.
Overall, not my best week. Got out-maneuvered right at the start. Live and learn, I guess. Hopefully this helps someone else avoid the Gobert trap next time!
