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…

October 24, 2012; Winnipeg, MB, CAN: Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at the MTS Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USPRESSWIRE

Round 7, Pick 2:

Nikola Pekovic.  Pek showed last season that he has serious potential as a center in the NBA.  Over the final three months of last season, Pekovic averaged 15.8 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, while playing 30 minutes a night alongside Kevin Love.

I already have Love on my team, so from a fan’s perspective, it will be neat to watch the Minnesota TImberwolves on League Pass this year since I have their best two front court players.  Pek is projected to average 17.3 points per game this year, in addition to 8.7 rebounds per game.

And he went at pick 72?

He’s projected to finish 27th in DSE formats this year, while posting a value of 27.93, which is higher than Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade, Paul Millsap, Roy Hibbert, David Lee, Brandon Jennings, Rudy Gay, Rajon Rondo, Chris Bosh and Kyrie Irving.

Need I go on?  Pek is going to be huge this year, and I have no idea how he fell this low in the draft.

Round 8, pick 9:

Kawhi Leonard.

A lot of people are high on Leonard, and they should be.  He’s the starting small forward and featured player in the San Antonio Spurs’ perimeter defense.  He’s going to get minutes, and he is Gregg Popovich’s pet.

Oct 10, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at the AT

Pop compared Leonard to Bruce Bowen “plus offense,” and that seems about right.  He’s more athletic than Bowen and is going to post a nice line this year, something to the tune of 13.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game.

That line is a bit higher than many projections sites, but I am very high on Leonard.  Several other managers expressed anger and disappointment that I selected Leonard, as they had all slept too long on him.  I wasn’t letting him go later than 89th.

February 13, 2011; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots over Detroit Pistons power forward Greg Monroe (10) during the second quarter at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Michael Sackett-US PRESSWIRE

Point based fantasy basketball is a lot more like fantasy basketball.  In more than a couple senses.  First off, you don’t have to balance your team for categories.

Secondly, you don’t have to give equal weight to positions, because of that.  But there is a scarcity of centers in the league and drafting two power forwards with center eligibility is huge, and there are a lot of value picks to be had later at the point guard, shooting guard, and small forward positions.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love are both young.  Youth is key.  As is the state of their body.  I would be avoiding guys like Andrew Bynum (taken 8th overall) and Al Jefferson (No. 16 overall), and guys who are on the tail end of their primes (No. 17 overall Dwyane Wade).

The same thought process went behind Monroe, and the comparisons to a young Tim Duncan that can’t block shots are accurate.  Methodical, not overly athletic, but more coordinated than a carnival juggler.

Monroe is very smooth with his moves and is a franchise talent for the Detroit Pistons.  They paired him with Brandon Knight, who is very effective in real life and not so great in fantasy.  But his effect on Monroe will be profound, as he is a good creator and penetrator to open up spots for Monroe under the hoop.

The thought in Detroit was to go big (not unusual in team history) and pair a top tier center with basically another top tier center, in Andre Drummond.  That twin towers lineup will be dangerous.  Drummond, by the way went No. 6 overall in the rookie draft.  I knew I had no chance at picks 9 and 12 to get him, so I went with Royce White & Andrew Nicholson (More on this later).

In Aldridge you get an All-Star in his prime, and very valuable player in this league for his double double production (points are awarded for double doubles), and his inevitable increase in scoring on a horrible Portland Trail Blazers team.  With Monroe you get a franchise center who is projected to post 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, while fouling only 2.9 times per game (fouls are negative points in this league).

The two point guards I have my eyes on could be my next two picks, or I may take a player who has slipped.  We’ll see.