By Answerman

The Answerman has been participating in fantasy leagues since Harold Miner and Oliver Miller were Baby Jordan and Baby Barkley (people are a little careless with nicknames). He's won some, lost some, and made some big comebacks and is here to answer all your fantasy questions.

Hello dear readers. This is my special Fantasy Basketball Playoffs "How to" edition.

Very average teams are still very much in the hunt right now. This week is either the 1st playoff week or last week of the regular season in head-to-head leagues.

This article is "How to...." these playoffs.

1. Dance with the girl you brought. You cannot recreate your team from free agents on the fly. This is very important and is a caveat to everything below. My default advise is to stay the staus quo. However, if you must change:

2. Accentuate the positive, ignore the negative. Do not make a lineup change that will hurt your good categories for the sake of your bad ones. It will make you mediocre in BOTH.

This applies to dating also. Don't ever say things like "I know I'm not that tall but..." stick to things like "Man my wallet is heavy"

3. Matchups Count. Throughout the season every team has been good in some categories and weak in others. If you are trying to upset a top seed, look at them historically. See where they are weak. Exploit it.

4. Mind Games. If you are a top seed, figure out which category your lower seeded will want to exploit, and sign the best guy available. Do NOT give your new signee the start. This is not to change your team, its to annoy your opponent.

5. Games Count (only for people dealing with accumulating not average stats). Regular season is a marathon. Playoffs are a sprint. Every week is do or die. If there is a free agent that is a LITTLE worse than one your "regulars" but has more games - sign him. (Fanball.com has links to number of games per team per week).

Again, this applies to dating, the more women hit upon, better chance of success.

6. Work Percentages: If fg% or ft% is a category, it can't be helpful to sign a guy who doesn't do a whole lot to bring it up. Dale Davis is a thought.

Always bring a friend who doesn't talk much, you'll seem like the life of the party.

7. Mind Games II. If you are a low seed, figure out one statistical reason why you'll win (can make stats say anything) and talk it up. Maybe you'll force the top seed into something stupid.

8. Do NOT Panic. You did something right to get into the playoffs. Keep doing it. Upsets happen, in real life and fantasy, because of better execution through an existing system, not panic adjustments.

In dating do not panic, either. Just buy another round of drinks.

9. There are No Miracle Cures. I'm talking about guys who have been injured on and off all season. They are not coming back for the last few weeks. Brand is done. Olowakandi is done. Camby is done. Hill is done. Play only sure-fire healthy players. Aim to have all your games played.

10. Use Your Brain. Before you sign a free agent, think: "Why has this guy been a FA all season?" Either figure it out now, or find out the hard way.

This does not apply to dating. If a girl is standing by herself at a bar, don't ask questions, just make an aggressive approach and figure out that she's crazy later.

Remember the keys: Less Change. More Drinks. Friends who Talk Less. More Games.

Good luck and remember, if you have any questions, ask the answerman@insidehoops.net.


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