How to Decide on a Fantasy Basketball Starting Lineup

When you are playing fantasy basketball, deciding on a starting lineup is one of the most challenging aspects of the game. You can win or lose your matchup depending on whether or not you make the right decision. Follow these steps to decide on a fantasy basketball starting lineup.

Instructions

    • 1

      Check for the latest news regarding each of the players on your team. You can use the RotoWire website to look for fantasy basketball news regarding any player on your team. You need to remove players from your lineup who are injured or suspended. Without doing the proper research, you can very well end up playing someone who is out of action.

    • 2

      Look at each player's upcoming schedule. If you are playing in a league in which you update your roster once a week, account for games played each week when deciding on who to put on your weekly roster. For example, if there are 2 similar players and one player plays three games that week and the other player plays four games that week, start the player who is playing four games. If you are playing in a league in which you update your rosters daily, the schedule is just as important because you need to make sure that the player you are starting is actually scheduled to play that night.

    • 3

      Research recent stats. While season stats can tell you some of the story, stats in recent days or weeks are more vital as far as fantasy basketball goes. It doesn't matter if a player is averaging 15 points per game if currently they aren't playing many minutes. Research recent trends, and go with the players with the hot hand.

    • 4

      Check your starting lineup to make sure that it is in accordance with the rules and regulations of the fantasy basketball league that you are in. If you turn in an invalid lineup, the penalties in fantasy basketball are usually harsh.