8/31/2004 01:34:36 PM|||Shep|||8 x 13 = 104
10 X 13 = 130
12 x 13 = 156
14 x 13 = 182
16 x 13 = 208
18 x 13 = 234

Depending on the number of teams in your league, you'll need to know at least 104 players on a first name basis. If it's your first (or second) time playing fantasy basketball, try for half of the number above.

The numbers above also demonstrate how important the draft is in fantasy basketball. For 8 team leagues, the draft is much more important in basketball than it would be in baseball, and at least as important as it is in fantasy football. Playing in the bigger leagues lessens the impact of later rounds of the draft, because there will be chances to pick up players from the free agent pool who can contribute. Guys like Brian Cardinal and Damon Jones usually went undrafted last season, but when other players on their teams got injured, they stepped up their game and people took note. In big leagues, noticing who's injured and who's filling in for them is important; once again, it's not so important in smaller leagues since many of the players hurting themselves weren't drafted anyway.|||109397727695514567|||Quick, name the top 156 players in the NBA!