NBA Fantasy: 2024 Playoff League Strategy, Cheat Sheet

This article is part of our Player Rankings series.

After a -- let's say "high variance" -- March and April, the NBA Playoffs are finally here. That doesn't mean fantasy basketball has to end, however. There are postseason leagues to be played!

Postseason formats vary drastically. Some are points leagues; some are categories; some are best ball; some include pick-ups after every round; some include the Play-In games. There's as much variance in these leagues as there is in regular-season ones.

This cheat sheet essentially represents risk vs. reward, and I'll apply it generally regardless of league type. As always, you should adjust based on your leagues.

Whether a team advances in the playoffs is the swing factor that might separate my rankings from someone else's. For example, the oddsmakers give the Clippers the fourth-best NBA title odds. But if you believe they'll get bounced in Round 1 to the Mavericks, then Clippers players should be farther down your draft board.

Most Important Strategy

Along those lines, when drafting your team, the most important thing to look at is the bracket. You and I can go back and forth all day about what the Lakers chances are, or if the Bucks will even advance past the Pacers. But you need to build your team based on the bracket.

For example: The Timberwolves and Suns play in Round 1. If you draft a few players from both teams, you'll lose half of them almost immediately. You should map out what you believe will happen in the playoffs, and work backwards off that.

Believe the Nuggets and Celtics will face in the Finals? Who did each team face to get there? Write those teams down, and draft based off that scenario. The highest correlation to winning your postseason league comes down to having the most players still playing late in the bracket. DeMar DeRozan's 27/6/6 statline won't matter if he and the Bulls get swept by the Celtics. You'll wish you had someone like Al Horford instead.

When to Zag

Of course, there's some value to being a contrarian. The vast majority of managers will assume a Boston vs. Denver NBA Finals, so banking on one of those teams to lose early pays off big when it happens.

Personally, I prefer to save that strategy for when I'm drafting late. For example, if you're drafting last in a 10-team format, much of the Celtics/Nuggets value will be gone by the time you're on the clock. You can pivot to banking to one of those teams losing in the second round by drafting from teams on their side of the bracket -- the Timberwolves, Suns, Cavaliers and Magic. That's never going to feel great in the moment, but you are somewhat at the mercy of where you draft.

The Cheat Sheet

So, again, the following cheat sheet is the definition of a rough guide. It's how I'm assessing risk vs. reward very generally, but it doesn't account for what side of the bracket anybody is on, and it's not league-specific. Ultimately, your cheat sheet based on how you think the postseason will play out will be the most valuable to you.