Dynasty Sports Empire Fantasy NBA League: Rounds 9 & 10: The Veterans Continue To Fall

Oct 21, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett (5) shoots a free throw against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

One thing I’ve always thought funny about dynasty leagues, and this on Dynasty Sports Empire, is no different, is that people always over value young players and ignore guys who still have two or three good seasons left.  This M.O. of mine to take veterans that have slipped found operation in rounds 9 & 10.  I targeted two guys who are significantly going to out perform their ADP, but just don’t offer the long term value that some of the younger guys taken around them do.  The thing is, two of our players kept must be rookies, so it only made sense to cap my keeper rounds at eight, and go with some vets.  Then, to augment it, I would draft young for three straight rounds.

Round 9, Pick 2

SF/PF/C – Kevin Garnett.  Yes, you read that right, KG is eligible at SF in this league on Fan Trax, run through Dynasty Sports Empire.  That means I can use him at small forward, which is a position I have run short on with so many power forwards and centers taken so far.

Let’s take a look at my roster through nine picks:

PG- Kyle Lowry

PG- Jeremy Lin

SG/SF- Kawhi Leonard

PF- Ersan Ilyasova

PF- LaMarcus Aldridge

C- Kevin Love

C- Greg Monroe

U- Nikola Pekovic

And now, a SF/PF/C, who will get a lot of double-doubles (10 fantasy points in our format, in addition to the regular stats accrued—that is HUGE!).  Between Ilyasova, Aldridge, Love, Monroe, Pekovic, and now Garnett, I have six guys that are double-double machines.  My plan of building a team through bigs has worked, and now with some value pick at the guard positions I can begin to diversify my bench.

Garnett probably has THREE more seasons left.  He’ll play out his current three-year contract and then retire at the end of the 2014-15 season.  Why would you not want three more years of pretty solid production from KG?  Granted, he will continue to fall off, but he’s still going to be far better than any other players drafted after pick 60.  KG has consistently posted top-50 value in 9 cat leagues, and this one only more heavily weights the impact of big men, so to get KG at this point in the draft, at pick number 92 is OUTSTANDING.

October 24, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard Kevin Martin (12) dunks against the New Orleans Hornets during the first quarter of a preseason game at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Next, at Round 10, Pick 9, I go with another old guy, but he’s nowhere near as old as KG.  Kevin Martin is just about to turn 30, but his frequent injuries make him seem far older.  How many more decent years I can get out of a guy who has only played 70 or more games (excluding last year’s 40 games in a 66-game season) three times in eight seasons?  It doesn’t bode well for any future prospects here.

But I’ll take what he gives me this season and let him fall back into the free agent pool, while keeping someone that will have a higher ADP next season and replacing Martin with whichever shooting guard has the most value in the re-draft.  For now, Martin will provide good scoring and some threes.  That’s enough for the 109th pick in a fantasy league.

Now, with two steady vets, both of whom will contribute for two or three more seasons, at a minimum, I go after three young players in a row, one rookie and two second year players in rounds 11 through 13…