CBB Draft Kit: 2018-19 Mock Draft

After a summer of sussing out teams and putting rankings together, it is time to put that knowledge to some use in fantasy college basketball drafts. As such, a gaggle of people got together on Fantrax to have a mock draft. We used Tier 1 (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 12, SEC) for the player pool and the scoring system was rotisserie-style featuring points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The format was relatively loose; 10-man rosters in which a starting roster of two guards, three forward/centers, and a flex player. Fantrax also allows for an IR spot during the season and the draft applet is nicely intuitive.

The default rankings on the site, however, are completely based on last year's stats and do not account for players who are sitting out this season after transferring. Therefore, should you play in a league on Fantrax, you should spend some time putting in your own rankings prior to the draft. We had some teams that were autodrafted (as noted by the *), so I wanted to highlight some of the players who are not playing this year (and should not be drafted). Those players are in red.

Round 1

1 Dedric Lawson Kansas Jr G (Jake Letarski, RotoWire)
*2 Ethan Happ Wisconsin Sr F/C
3 R.J. Barrett Duke Fr F/C
4 Luke Maye UNC Sr F/C
*5 Justin Simon St. John's Jr G
6 Quinndary Weatherspoon Mississippi State Sr G
7 Zion Williamson Duke Fr F/C (Eric Shor, RotoWire)
8 Jordan Murphy Minnesota Sr F/C (Perry Missner, RotoWire)
9 Ky Bowman BC Jr G
*10 Tres Tinkle Oregon State Jr F/C
*11 Dean Wade Kansas St Sr F/C
12 Carsen Edwards Purdue Jr G (Zack Osell, RotoWire)

With no freshman nor center requirement, the draft started unassailably with Lawson, who should be awesome for Kansas. He is listed as both a guard and forward on Fantrax and should rack up assists as the player that controls the ball for the talented Jayhawks. He should also lead the team in rebounding, which makes him an all-around player who is tough to beat. Happ, Barrett, and Maye are all solid picks for the early first round. Simon had a really excellent season for St. John's in 2017-18, but he will likely be the third most valuable Red Storm player (after Shamorie Ponds and Mustapha Heron). Simon and Weatherspoon were a little overrated by the default rankings. We returned to value with Williamson and Murphy (my selection), who should tally plenty of double-doubles. Bowman and Tinkle should be options 1 and 1A for their teams and make for good first-round picks. Wade is an interesting player in that he was a very productive forward for the Wildcats and has attained center-eligibility in many leagues. Edwards is getting a lot of hype as a national Player of the Year and could lead the Big 10 in scoring. There is an interesting debate on whether Edwards or Bowman should be drafted first. I'd lean toward Bowman.

Round 2

1 Jessie Govan Georgetown Sr F/C
*2 Shamorie Ponds St. John's Jr G
*3 Joseph Chartouny Marquette Sr G
4 Juwan Morgan Indiana Sr F/C
5 Tremont Waters LSU So G
6 Markus Howard Marquette Jr G
7 Grant Williams Tennessee Jr F/C
*8 Dachon Burke Nebraska Jr G
9 Reid Travis Kentucky Sr F/C
10 Bol Bol Oregon Fr F/C
*11 Kamar Baldwin Butler Jr G
12 Romeo Langford Indiana Fr G

The draft snaked, so teams were able to pair their first two picks. Based on his pure center eligibility, I had Govan on top of my rankings and he could be the most productive player in the country for the first two months, as Georgetown plays a relatively easy non-conference slate. Ponds may have to share the ball more in his second year with the Red Storm, but he makes for a solid autopick. Chartouny does not. He transferred to Marquette from Fordham, where he led the country in steals, but his value will be diminished because he will not score or rebound as much as he did with the Rams. Morgan may be helped by the addition of Langford (drafted later in the round) as opposing defenses may not be able to fill the paint as much. I took Waters, who may score less and pass more with a more talented Tiger squad. Howard is one of the best shooters in the country. Williams is a more valuable actual player than he is a fantasy guy, but he is a solid forward. Burke won't play this season after transferring from Robert Morris, but he is certainly a name to remember for 2019-2020. Travis will not be able to equal his Stanford stats with Kentucky because the roster is so talented. Bol is a freshman who is center-eligible. He should lead the Pac 12 in shot blocking and has a nice mid-range jumper. Baldwin and Langford are big-times scorers coming from the state of Indiana.

Round 3

1 Robert Franks Washington St Sr F/C
*2 Anthony Cowan Jr. Maryland Jr G
3 Payton Pritchard Oregon Jr G
4 Barry Brown Jr. Kansas St Sr G
*5 Matisse Thybulle Washington Sr Flx
6 Max Strus DePaul Sr G
7 Chris Silva South Carolina Sr F/C
8 Simi Shittu Vanderbilt Fr F/C
9 Marcquise Reed Clemson Sr G
*10 Frank Howard Syracuse Sr G
*11 Jontay Porter Missouri So F/C
12 Bennie Boatwright USC Sr F/C

Franks, Langford, and Lawson are a solid trio to start a team. Washington State may not win that many games, but Franks could lead the conference in scoring. The autodraft was not helpful in three of the four picks in this round. Cowan and Thybulle are decent guards but could have been had much later in the draft. The same could be said for Brown and Reed. They are both good, but have limited upside. We draft on upside. Strus had a breakout year for DePaul. Like Govan, he slowed down in Big East conference play, but he should get plenty of offensive opportunities for the Blue Demons. Silva is another center-eligible player who should lead the Gamecocks in scoring and rebounding. I took Shittu who is potentially a point center for the Commodores. I love big guys who can pass. There is plenty of value to taking freshmen in Fantrax drafts because they are not rated in the default rankings. Shittu is coming off a torn ACL last December, so he could start the season slowly, but he has a lot of value and has been taken early in many drafts that I've been a part of. Howard played huge minutes for the Orange and should do so again. He is the best of the autopicks and Porter -- who is out for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL -- is the worst. I feel terribly for Porter who was set to have a very productive season. Boatwright should be productive for the Trojans as long as he can stay healthy.

Round 4

1 Jalen Hudson Florida Florida Sr G
*2 Eric Lockett North Carolina St Sr G
*3 Zach Johnson Miami Sr Flx
4 Jarrett Culver Texas Tech So Flx
5 Eric Paschall Villanova Sr F/C
6 Keldon Johnson Kentucky Fr G
*7 MaCio Teague Baylor Jr Flx
8 Mike Watkins Penn State Jr F/C
9 McKinley Wright IV Colorado So G
10 Sam Hauser Marquette Jr G
*11 Lamar Stevens Penn State Jr F/C
12 Oshae Brissett Syracuse So F/C

In a points league, Hudson is a good pick. He led the Gators in scoring last season after transferring from Virginia Tech and will get to shoot a lot. Lockett and Johnson were strong scorers for small schools last season. They are both graduate transfers are will be eligible to play in 2018-19, but expectations should be tempered. It would be surprising if Lockett scored 14.3 points for the Wolfpack and Johnson 16.1 for the Hurricanes. Culver should lead the Red Raiders in scoring. I took Paschall, who could return to his Fordham level of production as the primary offensive option for the national champion Wildcats. Johnson is the top freshman on Kentucky, which used to mean more. Kentucky has plenty of returning talent along with the aforementioned Travis. Watkins, Wright, and Hauser are all appropriate picks at this point of the draft. Stevens is an intriguing player who blossomed in the NIT while Watkins was out. Brissett is a very productive player in coach Jim Boeheim's short rotation.

Round 5

1 Nassir Little UNC Fr F/C
*2 Bryce Nze Butler Jr F/C
3 Sagaba Konate West Virginia Jr F/C
4 Joe Cremo Villanova Sr Flx
*5 Elijah Thomas Clemson Sr F/C
6 Stephen Thompson Jr. Oregon St Sr Flx
7 Udoka Azubuike Kansas Jr F/C
8 Naz Reid LSU Fr F/C
9 James Palmer Jr. Nebraska Sr G
*10 Daniel Gafford Arkansas So F/C
*11 Anthony Lawrence II Miami Sr Flx
12 Nick Ward Michigan St Jr F/C

Statistically, Little is one of the most confounding players in the country. He is a highly touted freshman, but will play a second banana (at best) role with the Tar Heels next to Maye. I am curious to see how he works into the UNC offense and I am probably going to stay away from him because his ceiling seems to be limited. Nze won't play after transferring from UW-Milwaukee. I really like Konate and think he could add a nice amount of offense to his already excellent defensive numbers. Cremo is another small-school, grad transfer who is overrated by Fantrax's default rankings. He may not even start for the Wildcats, but should get minutes in the Villanova rotation. The autodraft did a nice job for the next two teams with Thomas and Gafford. Thompson is a nice all-around player for the Beavers. I took my second Tiger because I wanted to represent the bayou. Reid and Waters should be a solid one-two punch for LSU. Palmer and Ward are good frontcourt players from the Big 10. Ward could have a much bigger role after Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. went pro.

Round 6

1 Tyus Battle Syracuse Jr G
*2 Steffon Mitchell BC So F/C
*3 Christian Mekowulu Texas A&M Sr F/C
4 Donta Hall Alabama Sr F/C
5 Lindell Wigginton Iowa St So G
6 T.J. Gibbs Notre Dame Jr G
7 Admiral Schofield Tennessee Sr F/C
*8 Dererk Pardon Northwestern Sr F/C
9 Noah Dickerson Washington Sr F/C
10 Darius Garland Vanderbilt Fr Flx
*11 Josh Reaves Penn State Sr Flx
12 Tyler Cook Iowa Jr Flx

Battle is the third of the Orange triumvirate that played at least 38 minutes per game. The high-scoring guard actually played 39 minutes so he had little time to rest. While he might not play virtually every minute for Syracuse, he should continue to rack up points. Mitchell and Mekowulu, a grad transfer from Tennessee State, should be adequate glass men for their respective teams, although their relatively little scoring could be an issue. Hall is another player who gains value on as a center-eligible player. I took Wigginton as a high scoring guard for a fast-paced offense. Gibbs is an intriguing player for the Fighting Irish, a team that has enormous holes to fill. The second half of Round 6 went without questionable picks. Dickerson and Cook have gained center-eligibility in some leagues. Garland is a big-time recruit for Vandy and should start at point guard from the opening tip.

Round 7

1 Cassius Winston Michigan St Jr G
*2 Connor Cashaw Creighton Sr G
3 Cameron Lard Iowa St So F/C
4 Denzel Mahoney Creighton Jr G
*5 Terence Davis Mississippi Sr G
6 Charles Matthews Michigan Sr G
7 Ty Jerome Virginia Jr Flx
8 PJ Washington Kentucky So Flx
9 Kerry Blackshear Jr. Virginia Tech Jr F/C
*10 David Nichols Florida State Sr G
*11 Abdul Ado Mississippi St So F/C
12 Alpha Diallo Providence Jr G

Team 1 (aka Jake's team) loaded up on assists with Winston. He led the Spartans with 6.8 dimes and was a deadeye shooter from long-range (52.6 percent). Cashaw is another overrated grad transfer, but he should be a rotation player for the Bluejays. Mahoney will not be part of the rotation this year after transferring from Southeast Missouri State. Next year, Mahoney! Matthews helped his team to the National Championship game and should be the focal point for the Michigan offense. Jerome was the only Cavalier to be drafted. I guess that's what happens when you are the on the first one-seed to lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. I would have thought that Kyle Guy or De'Andre Hunter would get some draft love. I added to my loaded frontcourt by taking PJ Washington. Nichols is a grad transfer from Albany, who should come off the bench for the Seminoles. I really like Alpha Diallo, who seems to be growing into a star role for the Friars. He should lead Providence in scoring and is a fine rebounder from the backcourt.

Round 8

1 Nick Weiler-Babb Iowa St Sr Flx
*2 Kerwin Roach II Texas Sr G
*3 Isaiah Roby Nebraska Jr F/C
4 Isaac Copeland Jr. Nebraska Sr F/C
5 Martin Krampelj Creighton Jr Flx
6 Esa Ahmad West Virginia Sr F/C
7 Omer Yurtseven Georgetown So F/C
*8 Justice Sueing California So F/C
9 Javan White Clemson Sr F/C
10 Ethan Thompson Oregon St So G
*11 Daejon Davis Stanford So G
12 Kris Wilkes UCLA So G

For value perspective, Weiler-Babb has a similar statistical profile to Justin Simon, who was drafted in the first round. Weiler-Babb missed the majority of the last month of the season with a knee injury. Roach and Roby have some upside, but Copeland is a better player than either autodrafted player. I took a flyer on Krampelj, who tore his ACL last season. If healthy, he should be the top offensive option for the Bluejays and is a solid rebounder. Ahmad is a player who seems like he could breakout offensively. Yurtseven will sit out after transferring from North Carolina State. He should definitely be remembered next year after Govan moves on. I saw White play as a freshman at Oral Roberts when the Golden Crusaders played a Ben Simmons-led LSU squad three years ago. His stats will be reduced with the Tigers. The trio of Pac-12 players at the end of Round 8 should be productive with Wilkes leading the Bruins in scoring.

Round 9

1 Romello White Arizona St So F/C
*2 Xavier Sneed Kansas St Jr F/C
3 Justin Robinson Virginia Tech Sr G
4 Femi Olujobi DePaul Sr F/C
*5 Skylar Mays LSU Jr G
6 Kenny Williams UNC Sr G
7 Jahvon Quinerly Villlanova Fr G
8 Brady Manek Oklahoma So F/C
9 Lagerald Vick Kansas Sr G
*10 Trent Forrest Florida State Jr G
*11 Justin Coleman Arizona Sr G
12 Zach Hankins Xavier Sr F/C

For just the third round of this draft, we made it through the round without taking a player who is sitting out this season. This highlights the need to put in rankings. You don't want to draft a player who is not going to play. That said, the autopicks in this round were questionable. Sneed and Mays are not primary offensive options for their teams. Coleman is another graduate transfer who could provide value if he beats out freshman Brandon Williams. Arizona State is a very interesting team in that they will have a lot of frontcourt power after being a perimeter-based team. How does Bobby Hurley adjust? Quinerly has the unenviable task of replacing Jalen Brunson. Manek is trying to be this generation's Larry Bird, which made him my pick. Hankins is my rebounding sleeper.

Round 10

1 Brad Davison Wisconsin So G
*2 Aric Holman Mississippi St Sr F/C
*3 C.J. Jackson Ohio St Sr G
4 Nickeil Alexander-Walker Virginia Tech So G
5 Evan Boudreaux Purdue Jr F/C
6 Eli Cain DePaul Sr G
7 Jared Harper Auburn Jr G
*8 Jaylen Nowell Washington So G
9 Aaron Calixte Oklahoma Sr G
10 Bruno Fernando MD So F/C
*11 Paschal Chukwu Syracuse Sr F/C
12 Ryan Luther Arizona Sr Flx

We opened the final round with a bit of a homer pick. Davison should be the Badgers' second-leading scorer. For autodrafted players, Holman and Jackson aren't bad. Holman's upside is limited by the Bulldogs' depth. Jackson should be a fine player for points and assists. Boudreaux could be the Boilermakers' second-leading scorer. He fits the Purdue profile nicely. Cain, Harper, and Nowell are good guards to pick. Calixte was a four-year starter at Maine before transferring to Oklahoma. He was cited during the summer with drug paraphernalia, so he should be monitored. Chukwu is a 7-2 center, but he only provided 5.4 points in 27.2 minutes for the Orange last season. Graduate transfers may have been a theme of the draft and we finished with perhaps the best of them. Luther moved from Pittsburgh to Arizona. He was very productive for the Panthers before injuring his foot last year. He will not be irrelevant.