2023 Intro Blog / First Round Preparation Guide

The BLOG IS BACK AGAIN & I should have plenty of time to dedicate to this year's Playoffs and associated formats of "Pick One Daily!" The experts are saying that the championship field is wide open & I tend to agree although I'm partial to my Suns taking it all! (Finally)

As always, I'll be doing my best over this first week to help answer any questions, provide picking advice & ultimately get a consistent posting schedule planned out moving forward.

Free Public League w/ Prizes: Free Public League

$25 Buy-In League also through FPS: Email jerryricochet@gmail.com and we'll get you the link!

Free Spreadsheet  Google Drive League  that includes the play-in beginning Tuesday (4/11)

*Simply add your name yourself to the very left column of the Playoff Central tab if it's not currently listed & begin to enter your picks next to your name for the appropriate days. If you're unable to add or access your name on that sheet, please let us know in the comments below what your pic is for the first day (in advance of that game's lock time) as well as your email address & we'll get you sorted.

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WAYS TO PLAY

Firstly, our DTTF google spreadsheet league is now up & running and we're INCLUDING the PLAY-IN tournament pics that start on Tuesday night (4/11): Google Drive League 

*Simply add your name yourself to the very left column of the Playoff Central tab if it's not currently listed & begin to enter your picks next to your name for the appropriate days. If you're unable to add or access your name on that sheet, please let us know in the comments below what your pic is for the first day (in advance of that game's lock time) as well as your email address & we'll get you sorted.

Also, several of us are also in a private league via the Fantasy Postseason website with a $25 buy-in. Top 4-5 finishers get payouts (depending on how many total players we have) & there are likely 35-45 of us. If you're interested in joining, please shoot me an email (jerryricochet@gmail.com) or otherwise provide me with your email addy by end of day Friday, April 14th at the latest. This league DOES NOT include the play-in so your first day of picking will be Saturday, April 15.

There's also a public league that Fantasy Postseason provides for free where you can play against all players worldwide & win prizes, etc. 

*Free Public League w/ Prizes: Free Public League*

*General Note: DTTF spreadsheet league is PRA (points-rebounds-assists) while Fantasy Postseason counts other stats PRABS as well as some other bonuses & such. Our private FPS league adheres to Draftkings scoring + multiplier bonuses for each round of the playoffs.

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STEPS TO NAVIGATE THE FIRST ROUND

Step 1: Identify teams you expect to lose

These strategies all become a bit clearer & more relevant once the Play-In Tournament has completed, but for the sake of those playing in our spreadsheet league that start picking Tuesday with the Play-In, I'll start with an example that applies to that. The most obvious being the Wolves up against the Lakers. The Wolves have at least 2 major PRA guys in Anthony Edwards & KAT and nobody expects them to beat the finally healthy Lakers in LA. Even if they do and also somehow manage to make it into the 7th seed against the Grizzlies they're very unlikely to win that series. They also may not have Gobert for the play-in game after he decided to punch his teammate (Kyle Anderson) during a huddle in the last game of the season. McDaniels also fractured his hand punching a wall during that game so they may be out two starters which makes Antman & Kat all the more appealing as day 1 play-in picks.

Looking past the Play-In, picking someone on whoever ends up 8th in the West facing the Nuggets seems like a wise pick as that team will almost certainly lose the series along with whoever faces the Bucks or Celtics in the East. The other series I'm eyeing as a near certain loss would be the Nets up against the Sixers. The Nets are only in playoff position due to the winning they did earlier in the year when they still had Durant & Irving so they're truly just "happy to be here" and are set up as an easy out. That said, Mikal Bridges is becoming a star on that team & is likely the "one" to pick with Dinwiddie next in line.

For time-sake, I'll skip discussing the other series, but definitely look into them in detail via the bracket I've pasted below in this post! 

Step 2: Identify the top players from teams you expect to lose

Obviously identify your "favorite to lose" in all the other series as well & make a mental or even physical list of the key players you'll need to choose from those losing teams. Narrow down your MUST PICKS & tweak them accordingly if any series start going the opposite of what you'd planned.

Step 3: Watch for days with less games than others in the first round

Look ahead on the playoff schedule & find days with only 2 games, then be sure to plan your pics wisely with those "limited" days in mind.

Step 4: Consider saving a few studs for their home or elimination games

Some players perform better at home or with their backs against the wall. You can almost surely count on the main stars to play high minutes & perform somewhat strongly when facing elimination. I find that many streaky shooters or guys who get most of their PRA from points often perform better at home. If you want to research home vs away stats for certain players historically you can find all that info, but I typically just go with my gut, which bring us to the final point!

Step 5: Above everything else, trust your gut
If you're like me & believe in "bounce-back" games for talented players that simply didn't produce as well as normal in their previous outing, then that & other player/team specific matchup feelings, etc can make for valuable gut-shot calls that will allow you to differ from the popular pick & separate your picking plan a bit from others you're competing with. TRUST YOUR GUT! 

**What teams do you believe will survive the Play-In Tournament & will you be participating in the DTTF Google Drive League, Fantasy Postseason League or both?**